Current Board Members

Glenn Michael Beigay

Pittsburgh/Rehoboth Beach

President

Glenn Michael Beigay, has been an educator for over 25 years working in the field of Special Education and Community Education. He recently retired from serving in the position of Travel Instructor with Allegheny Intermediate Unit, a regional educational support agency in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this role, he was accountable for providing individualized travel instruction services in school, training and work sites in the community, for those students with cognitive disabilities, excluding those with visual impairments, ages 14 through adulthood in order to enhance the individuals’ ability to work toward independence and employment. Prior to his current position, Michael has worked as an educational coordinator for a private special education school where his responsibilities included overseeing the students’ special education services including the students’ transition program. He currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the area of Exceptional Students and is completing his Masters in the area of Special Education and Supervision. 

John Ford

Allentown, PA 

Secretary

John Ford has been a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist since 1997. He has worked at the Berks County (PA) Intermediate Unit providing Travel Instruction and O&M since 2008. He is also an Adjunct Professor for the Salus University Orientation and Mobility graduate program. He served on the Board of Directors for the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals from 2007 - 2012, serving as Chair in 2011 and 2012. He has an M.A. in Orientation and Mobility from Western Michigan University. 

Arleen Wheat

Pittsburgh, PA

Arleen Wheat, Ed.D., is an associate professor of special education for Point Park University's School of Education. Prior to joining Point Park, she was assistant superintendent of special education and pupil services for North Allegheny School District. Before that, Wheat was North Allegheny's supervisor of special education. In addition, she has served in the roles of associate director of special education for Armstrong School District; supervisor of special education programs, Gateways inclusion specialist and special education teacher for Allegheny Intermediate Unit and director of U.S.A.A.C.'s summer program for the Education of Autistic Kids. Wheat has done various media interviews and has expertise in the areas of autism, special education, gifted education, health services, psychological services, student assistance programs, school counseling, social work, ESL, homeschooling and home education. 


Jessica Sloan, TVI, COMS

Pittsburgh, PA

Jessica Sloan is a certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) and a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS). She earned both certifications at the master's level from the University of Pittsburgh.

 Additionally, she holds a bachelor's degree in Recreational Therapy from Slippery Rock University, completed in 1996.

With 12 years of teaching experience, Jessica is currently employed at the Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4, where she works as a TSVI and COMS teacher, serving students aged 3 to 22. Her prior roles include working in a transition program for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3, serving as a case manager for a vocational rehabilitation program, and working as a job coach at the University of Pittsburgh.


Melody Bundy

North New Jersey

Melody Bundy is a program manager with experience in travel training and ten years of experience in education. Most of Ms. Bundy’s work includes training individuals to use public transportation to become independent travelers.  She has experience as a trainer with community organizations and high school transition students, and her professional strengths focus on program/curriculum development and implementation.   She received her Master of Public Administration degree in Non-Profit Management from Capella University and Bachelor degree in Economics from Seton Hall University.

Recent examples of her work include school instruction presented at Spectrum 360 (formerly The Children’s Institute), Deron School, Montville High School, Dumont High School, Hackensack High School, Bloomfield High School, Bayonne High School, Banyan School, Chancellor Academy, Clifton High School, Wayne Hills and Wayne Valley High School.  Since 2010, she has managed small community group, school, professional, and one-on-one trainings in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic counties through federally-funded programs.

Ms. Bundy is actively engaged in committees that serve youth, senior citizens, and community affairs and is a member of the Workforce Development Board of Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic Counties.

She was recognized in 2017 as Provider of the Year by the Passaic County Workforce Development Board Disability Committee and was elected Transportation Chair for the Bergen County Workforce Development Board


Walt Zofcin

Pittsburgh, PA


Walt Zofcin is a certified Special Education and Cooperative Education Teacher for Allegheny Intermediate Unit in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area. He has over 30 years of professional experience working with students in a wide variety of settings, including four years as a Travel Instructor in the early 2000's. In his current role as a Transition Consultant, Walt coordinates and informs both students and instructional staff on best practices for being safe when on the job and while traveling in the community. His background allows him to be a well-seasoned advisor to individuals and their families explore transportation options. 


Shanie Lininger

Pittsburgh, PA

Vice President


Shanie Lininger, M.Ed. Is a certified special education teacher and has been an educator for 20 years. She is employed by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU3). She currently and recently holds the position of Travel Instructor for the AIU replacing a recent retired professional. Shanie has taught in a variety of classrooms, including secondary autistic support, elementary life skills, and a pre-vocational skills program. She was an instructor with the PRIDE Program, a community-based life skills class for 18–21-year-old students. Shanie recently completed her training at the AIU and with Easter Seals as a certified travel instructor. She is passionate about meaningful employment opportunities for adults with disabilities and works to create a classroom where students gain the confidence and develop skills to prove to themselves and others the value they contribute to their community. 


Autumn Booths

Juneau, Alaska

Treasurer

Autumn Booths is a certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) and a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS). She is a graduate of Kutztown University with bachelor’s degrees in special education: visual impairment (birth – 21) and elementary education (pre-k – 4). She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020 with her masters of education and in 2021 with her orientation & mobility certificate. 

            She has been teaching for five years (all in Pennsylvania) and is currently transitioning into her first year as a TSVI and COMS for the Juneau School District in Juneau, Alaska. She has attended and presented at various conferences throughout her teaching career. Her Practice Report, “Perceptions of High-Tech Assistive Technology Held by Students with Visual Impairments”, was published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness (JVIB) in August 2022. She presented at Penn-Del AER’s conference in 2023. She is certified through ACVREP and is an active member of AER.”