OUR TEAM 

We are committed to ensuring that Colorado students living among our mountain ranges have the same advantages as those living on the front range.

Meet Our Staff

Susan Udenberg, M.S. Ed.L
Executive Director/Director of Special Education
970-948-7536
sudenberg@mtnboces.org

LaRee Bearss
Assistant Director of Special Education
719-917-8330
lbearss@mtnboces.org

Lanea Drawbridge
Special Education Coordinator, Buena Vista
719-427-9011
ldrawbridge@mtnboces.org

Barbara Alward
Special Education Coordinator, Fairplay/Park County
phone TBD
balward@mtnboces.org

Marcia Cates
Special Education Coordinator, Leadville/Lake County
phone TBD

mcates@mtnboces.org

Heather McFadden
Special Education Coordinator, Salida
phone TBD
hmcfadden@mtnboces.org

Michele Williams, M.A. LPC

Business/HR/Operations Manager

719-398-3509

mwilliams@mtnboces.org

Wendy Wyman, PhD
Professional Learning Director
970-274-9946
wwyman@mtnboces.org

Andi Weigel
Professional Learning Coordinator
719-207-5304

aweigel@mtnboces.org

Lara Knudson
Special Education Data and Reporting Mgr & Admin Assist
719-398-3526
719-486-2109 Fax
lknudson@mtnboces.org

Field Supervisors
Chris Jenkins cjenkins@mtnboces.org

Christine Rochester crochester@mtnboces.org

John Brendza jbrendza@mtnboces.org

Kathleen Brendza kbrendza@mtnboces.org

Laura Paris lparis@mtnboces.org

Lindsay Hamacher lhamacher@mtnboces.org 

Ryan Cronshaw rcronshaw@mtnboces.org 



Tessie Jo Ortega

SWAP Lead Coordinator, Fairplay/Park County/Salida 

719-398-3530

tortega@mtnboces.org 

TBD

SWAP Coordinator, 

Buena Vista/Chaffee North

719-398-3678

email TBD

Lauren Bissonnette

SWAP Coordinator, 

Leadville/Lake County

719-293-0130

lbissonnette@mtnboces.org 

Audrey Gamache

SWAP Coordinator, 

Salida/Chaffee South

719-207-1063

agamache@ mtnboces.org

Jane Toothaker
Gifted Education Director
970-846-3986
jtoothaker@mtnboces.org

Kristi Zalesne

Educational Audiologist 

kzalesne@mtnboces.org

Lashelle Floyd

Teacher of the Visually Impaired

lfloyd@mtnboces.org

Keith Bailey

Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing

keith.bailey@summitk12.org

Van White

Braille Transcriptionist

vwhite@mtnboces.org

Title IX Contact: Susan Udenberg 

Meet Our Board of Directors

Mountain BOCES is governed by a five-member Board of Directors consisting of one representative from each member school district's local Board of Education and one representative from the Colorado Mountain College.  Board members represent both their local districts' interests and the interests of Mountain BOCES as an organization.


Ben Cairns Colorado Mountain College

Felicia Federico Lake County School District

Graham Fowler  (Interim Secretary/Treasurer) Park County School District 

Brett Mitchell (President) Buena Vista School District

Mandy Paschall (Vice-President) Salida School District