Rebecca Branstetter, Ph.D., is a California-certified psychologist and a licensed public school psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She earned her doctorate in Education at the University of California at Berkeley and conducted post-doctoral training at the UCSF Autism Clinic. She is the founder of the Thriving Students Collective, whose mission is to bring mental health and learning support to schools and families. 

Taes (pronounced: TESS) has spent the last 15 years creating empowering television and stage content for kids as one half of the musical duo, Splash’N Boots. 

Her goal is to empower kids to move confidently through their big feelings. Her research has revealed that the number one thing that holds people back is not knowing how to navigate big feelings— such as bullying, failure, guilt, sadness, and heartbreak.

September Gerety’s mission is to make life better for children by using research-based coaching practices to change adult behavior. September is the founder and CEO of Gerety Education Team, which equips instructional coaches to do their jobs with confidence and competence. This ensures that coaching is a wise investment of professional development dollars, one that actually makes life better for children. September has a BA in Elementary Education and a MEd in Educational Leadership. 

Andrew is what he calls an Early Childhood Education Community Support in New Mexico. After working with varying ages from infancy to age 12, Andrew holds a range of experience and has been supporting adult learners for the past 6 years. After working in the field for over 13 years, he is currently working as an assistant director, and a part-time faculty at CNM. Andrew has found a passion for supporting learners of all ages, highlighting the value of the community in which learning takes place. 

Amy Jackson is the lead PreK teacher in the Mosquero Municipal School District running a combined 3Y/4Y classroom. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of the Southwest. Her dissertation research focused on teacher professional development and motivation to integrate new structured literacy instructional techniques. ​

Candise Forgue is a proud New Mexican who has devoted her career to the students of New Mexico. She is an experienced and certified Pre-K through 12th-grade teacher, reading specialist, interventionist, and instructional coach. She is a dedicated NM Universal Design for Learning team member. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships with educators and helping to empower students to uncover their strengths and become lifelong learners. 

Rebecca Thomas is currently a UDL Coach for the state of New Mexico. She is an experienced and certified K-8 teacher with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an endorsement in TESOL and a Master of Education in Elementary Education. Throughout her career, she has served as a Classroom Teacher, Instructional Coach, Literacy Specialist, and Project Facilitator. Rebecca is a proud native New Mexican who is eager to spread the love of UDL to teachers across this great state! ​

Hello! I'm a UDL Coach for NM, and I've been serving and hanging out with students, teachers, and administrators in education for over 32 years (wow, time flies!). I've done everything from volunteering and subbing to teaching high school and college math, special education, district transition counseling and even a vocational transition specialist with NM DVR. Outside of work, I life-coach teens and families through a non-profit (Inspire Heart) and I love fly-fishing--life is an adventure! 

Lauren Butcher works with preK-12 teachers and their students in her roles as a Education Program and Project Manager at Explora, instructor with alternative teacher licensure programs at CNM and LEAP, and as a contractor with Dual Language Education of New Mexico. 

Sarah Martin is a dedicated educational consultant and the owner of Martin Literacy, LLC, where she specializes in guiding states, districts, and schools through the effective implementation of evidence-based literacy practices. With a focus on systems planning, Sarah supports ensuring that these practices are not only adopted but also sustained for long-term success. Her extensive background includes roles as a K-6 classroom teacher, reading specialist, and an early childhood instructional coach.

Mary Boehm is a speech-language pathologist with 28 years of experience working with children and families in New Mexico. She worked in public schools with students with communication needs including autism for 11 years. Since 2007, Mary has worked at UNM Center for Development and Disability with parent training and school-based services programs and the autism multidisciplinary evaluation clinic. Currently, Mary is the Program Operations Director for Autism Clinic services.  

Marcia Lee Unnever is a certified NM Educational Trainer, author of “Breathe-Move-Learn with Young Children,” TEDxED speaker, teacher, mom, grandparent who shares her knowledge and passion of over 50 years of teaching young children and teachers in New Mexico and California. She is the founder of Kids Focus, a program dedicated to helping every child grow into a strong, positive, healthy, and smart learner. She is a speaker for NHSA, NMPED, NMDOH, ASHA, NMAEYC, CA First 5 Commission, etc. 

Alex has been in education for over 30 years, mostly as a bilingual educator in the classroom. He's also worked as an instructional coach and a dean of students. He’s currently one of the three EdTech Specialists for the NMRECA. While he's skilled with all Google Suite apps, he feels most at home with Google Sheets. Outside of work, Alex loves camping, hiking, and photography. He's also a big fan of science fiction and fantasy books. If you share any of these interests, be sure to strike up a conversation with him!

Hector Valles is an EdTech Specialist at the CREC with over 10 years of experience in educational technology, instructional design, and professional development. He has worked closely with educators to integrate technology into classrooms, helping improve teaching practices and student engagement. Hector co-created the EdTech Boost NM program, which provided 400 educators across New Mexico with professional development opportunities to enhance their use of technology in the classroom.

Leah Davidson is a career early childhood professional who has been in the field of supporting families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays and/or disabilities for the past 13 years. She is committed to strengthening the connection between research on brain development and the practice of Early Interventionists through her policy and leadership work at the state level. In her free time, she loves spending time with her 12 year old daughter, baking, and singing with her family

Lucia Garcia is an education leader with 20+ years of experience supporting students with exceptionalities. She has served as a director, principal, counselor, and specialist, focusing on inclusive learning. She holds an MSW in Organizational Leadership and a Principal Certificate. Outside of work, she enjoys the outdoors with her family and recently completed the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. 

Alexis Rel, an educator with a Master's in Education, focuses on reflective practices. A Universal Design for Learning (UDL) coach, she brings 18+ years of experience creating dynamic, inclusive environments. Her approach is rooted in culturally responsive teaching and a philosophy of care, emphasizing equitable, accessible education. Alexis prioritizes community, safety, and meaningful access for all learners through Universal Learning Design.

Fred Johnson serves as the Regional Sales Manager for New Mexico, where he takes pride in fostering strong, lasting business relationships and delivering effective solutions for his customers. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active through exercise and basketball, as well as spending quality time with his family and new grandchildren. A Southern California native, Fred continues to call the region home.

The CREC Coordinating Team collaborates with TORSH Talent, bringing extensive expertise to training. With years of experience, they specialize in coaching teachers and supporting coaches in preserving Practice-Based Coaching fidelity. Their hands-on approach ensures effective professional development. This team has presented at national conferences on PBC fidelity, TORSH data collection, and coaching impacts.

Abbey Goldstein, VP of Customer Success at TORSH, began her career teaching bilingual elementary school in south Texas as a 2002 Teach for America Corps Member. She worked in PK-12 public education for 15+ years as a teacher, coach, district administrator, consultant, and customer success director. Passionate about forging partnerships to drive positive outcomes for teachers and students, she is excited to bring her expertise to TORSH. 

Angela Daliet is a passionate education advocate dedicated to improving outcomes for vulnerable communities. When her children's school lacked a post-Katrina reopening plan, she founded Save Our Schools NOLA to advocate for equitable access to quality schools. Angela now leverages her experience and TORSH technology to help organizations improve the effectiveness of educators, caregivers, and interventionists, ensuring better outcomes for children.