Staff

Denise  

Denise Sullivan started Sullivan Consulting in 2000. She was trained by the Federation for Children with Special Needs and continued her education to include becoming a Guardian ad litem and a CASA Guardian ad litem. Denise has also completed courses to become a certified Mediation Specialist for a broad range of disputes.

She is active in the Special Education Surrogate Parent Program as both a special education surrogate parent and a trainer for new volunteers. Denise is also certified by the Massachusetts Office of Disabilities as a compliance officer for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 compliance.

Denise was born with a physical disability, but has never let that stop her from reaching her goals. One of those goals is to help others with disabilities. She has been working to achieve this goal for the last 8 years as the chairperson for the Commission for the Disabled in the city of Chicopee .

As a person with a physical disability Denise found that teachers felt she also had a cognitive disability.  Because of this she was placed in separate classes for children with cognitive, physical and medical disabilities. Her parents advocated for Denise to be in a full inclusion classroom settings. While advocating for her own children she recalled how important her parents involvement was in her education, and Denise became the Parent Advisory Council President for Chicopee for six years.

Denise has advocated for children with physical, medical and cognitive disabilities as well as behavior issues throughout her career. She has a unique understanding of the challenges that children on the Autism Spectrum encounter in the educational setting.

Denise continues to attend numerous special education training and development opportunities. She has extensive knowledge of the special educational process as well as state and federal law.

Maureen  

Maureen joined Sullivan Consulting in February of 2007 as Denise’s administrative assistant. She brings an abundance of experience in office management to Sullivan Consulting.  Before joining Denise, Maureen was the administrative assistant to the CEO of a court-reporting firm where her duties included customer service, scheduling, accounts payable and receivable, as well as marketing. Maureen is also a Notary Public.

In the spring of 2007 Maureen took the Parent Consultant Training offered by the Federation for Children with Special Needs. As the first person you speak to, Maureen has a clear understanding of the special education process and the challenges that parents face.

Karen  

Karen Mowry joined Sullivan Consulting as an Associate Educational Advocate in May of 2008. She holds a Masters Degree from U Mass Dartmouth and received her formal advocacy training from the Federation for Children with Special Needs. Prior to becoming a full time advocate Karen worked in the Boston area as the Operations Manager and OSHA supervisor for a Dialysis unit.

She is the current Chairperson of the Parents Advisory Council on Special Education for the Ludlow School District . Karen is also a volunteer for the Special Education Surrogate Parent Program. She has also been a foster parent for the state of Mass.

Karen has gained much of her knowledge and experience advocating for 4 of her 6 children. She has worked advocating for children with a variety of educational needs including bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, anxiety disorder, executive function skills, dyslexia, speech delays, specific learning disabilities, communication disorders, as well as with children on the autism spectrum.

Karen continues to attend professional development workshops and seminars so as to stay current on the law and the changing educational climate.