Executive Board David Bradburn, Chair David Bradburn is an educational technologist with nearly 24 years of experience working with companies that address the needs of the under served and at-risk populations in schools around the world. Professionally, David speaks at international conferences many times each year on topics ranging from learning disabilities to learning strategies to technology.
Georgios Sideridis, First Vice-Chair Georgios Sideridis, Ph.D. is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Crete. He has been a research scientist with the Center for Social Development and Education at UMASS Boston and a research associate professor at the Department of Psychology at UMASS Boston. He is researching motivation and underachievement, particularly in populations vulnerable to failure such as students with LD. In particular, he is interested in understanding the interplay of emotional factors, personality characteristics, and cognition and their contribution to achievement and well being.
Dr. Sideridis has published more than 80 articles in professional journals such as the Journal of Educational Psychology and Journal of Learning Disabilities and has presented in national and international conferences. He is co-editor Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, and is the associate editor of the Hellenic Journal of Psychology, he is on the Editorial Board of Remedial and Special Education, Assessment for Effective Interventions, Reading and Writing Quarterly, Physical Education and Sports, and has served as an Adhoc reviewer for Psychological Assessment, Behavioral Disorders, Journal of Special Education, Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, etc.
He has also served as a Guest Editor for the International Journal of Educational Research and Learning Disability Quarterly and has co-edited the first two of three books on best practices in LD, Research to Practice, through LDW®.
He is the Chairman of the Professional Advisory Board of Learning Disabilities Worldwide.
Kevin Mayne, Second Vice-Chair Kevin Mayne is the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing at Mitchell College in New London, Connecticut. He has been at Mitchell College for 13 years and currently oversees the areas of Admissions, Financial Aid, and Communications/Public Relations. As a result of his commitment to working with students with learning disabilities, he recently created Mitchell’s innovative Post Grad year, Thames Academy. He has been in the field of higher education for 27 years, having also served as Dean of Admissions/Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont and Director of Freshmen Admissions at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences in Boston, Massachusetts.
He has won numerous national design awards for his work in publications, advertising and multi-media and has presented nationally on a variety of topics including marketing, institutional branding, fund-raising, learning disabilities and post-graduate year opportunities.
Richard C. Laudon, O.D., Treasurer Richard C. Laudon, O.D. is a tenured Associate Professor at the New England College of Optometry and an attending at the New England Eye – Commonwealth. He is the Coordinator of Vision Therapy Services and the Associate Director of Performance and Revenue for the New England Eye system. Dr. Laudon graduated from the New England College of Optometry in 1975 and has been a full time member of their faculty for over thirty-two years.
Dr. Laudon is a known authority on visual related learning problems and vision therapy. He has lectured throughout the United States of America as well as Spain, Italy, Germany and Columbia on topics related to his expertise. Dr. Laudon has also published numerous articles and chapters in his areas of interest.
Besides his involvement in optometry, Dr. Laudon has a special interest in the field of investing. He is the Past President of the Boston Chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors. He had been and is currently their Treasurer. Dr. Laudon was the Coordinator of the American Association of Individual Investors Mutual Fund Special Interest Group for seven years. He has taught courses at the College of Optometry and has lectured throughout the country on topics related to finance.
Dr. Laudon has been involved with numerous organizations in the field of learning disabilities. Dr. Laudon is currently the Treasurer of the Executive Board of
Learning Disabilities Worldwide.
Nathalis G. Wamba, Secretary Nathalis G. Wamba, Associate Professor, Queen College, CUNY. He was a Roothbert fellow and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Paul Lomax Doctoral Award for Scholarship and Leadership (1991), the New York University Delta Pi Epsilon Recognition Award (2001), the Teacher Appreciation Award from Brooklyn College (2001), the Samuel Eshborn Service Award (1991), and the New York University Chancellor’s Award for Community Service (1991). He was elected as a board member of Learning Disabilities Worldwide (2007), Board member for the Roothbert Fund Inc. (2003-present), selected as First judge by the Delta Pi Epsilon Dissertation Awards Program Committee (1999), invited to be a sponsor of the Delta Pi Epsilon Alpha Chapter at New York University (1996-2000).
His scholarly work focuses on critical theory, action research, school reform, learning disabilities and educational leadership, postmodernity and schooling. His work has appeared in Education and Urban Society, Academic Exchange Quarterly, Insights on Learning Disabilities, New Labor Forum, Teachers College Records, The Journal of Curriculum Studies and others.
Robin Welch, Immediate Past-Chair
Robin Welch has been an educator for over thirty years. During that time, he has taught children in grades four through eight as a classroom teacher and as an Educational Technology Specialist. He is currently the Principal of the Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Mr. Welch serves on the Board of Directors for Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Metro West. He also served as the Chair for the National Principal’s Leadership Network (NPLN), which is affiliated with the Stone Center at Wellesley College. He is a member of the Professional Development Committee for the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association (MESPA).
Mr. Welch received the Thomas C. Passios Award, The National Distinguished Principal Award, and was recognized as Massachusetts Principal Of The Year in 2005 by the Massachusetts Elementary Principals Association (MESPA). He also received the National Distinguished Principal Award from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the United Stated Department of Education the same year. Mr. Welch has also received numerous official citations and recognitions from both the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives for his leadership and commitment to education and helping students succeed.
Mr. Welch served as the Director of Computer Ed. Inc. for a period of fifteen years. This was an International Computer Camp where children attend from around the world to learn about computers and technology. Offerings included, but were not limited to, learning a variety of programming languages, robotics, telecommunications, distance learning development and protocol, video production, and 3-D and virtual reality gaming.
Mr. Welch has also performed in numerous professional, semi professional and community theatrical productions throughout Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut. He has been a featured actor in television broadcast and commercials throughout New England. Mr. Welch has also directed, produced, and choreographed numerous children’s theater productions over the years.
Mr. Welch has been a keynote and/or featured guest speaker at colleges and educational conferences throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Texas, California, and Washington D.C.
Ioannis Agaliotis Ioannis Agaliotis, is a Lecturer of Instructional Methodology for students with special educational needs in the Department of Educational and Social Policy at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Dr. Agaliotis is the author of two books (in Greek): Learning Disabilities in Mathematics and Instruction for Students with Learning and Behavior Problems: An Eco-Adaptive Approach. Vol. 1: Eco-Adaptive Assessment. He is co-editor of Insights on Learning Disabilities: From Prevailing Theories to Validated Practices, a peer reviewed journal published by LDW®, and the writer and co-producer of the DVD Contemporary Approaches to the Assessment of Children with Learning Disabilities (in Greek).
Dr. Agaliotis has presented at national and international conferences and has published articles on inclusive education, assessment and instruction for students with special educational needs, academic and social support for students with learning disabilities.
Chief Executive Officer Teresa Allissa Citro Teresa Allissa Citro is the CEO of Learning Disabilities Worldwide. Ms. Citro is the co-editor of two peer-reviewed journals Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal and Insights on Learning Disabilities: From Prevailing Theories to Validated Practices. In addition, Ms. Citro has edited 4 books and co-edited 4 books on learning disabilities and special education, several of which have received awards. A few books have been translated into Spanish and Arabic.
She has produced 7 award-winning videos on topics of teacher training, selecting colleges/universities, children with learning disabilities openly discussing their feelings, and adults with learning disabilities discussing their past academic experiences. She also co-produced two DVDs one of which is in Greek on teacher training. Ms. Citro also produced an audio CD, The Physician and the Child with Learning Disabilities as a resource for pediatricians.
Ms. Citro sits on the board of Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, and The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatric, Children’s Mental Health Task Force.
Board of Directors Elisa Blum
Elisa Blum is an educational consultant and has translated the book The Experts Speak pulished by LDW® into Spanish.
Jonathan A. Bower
Jon Bower began his education work as a participant in the Stanford International Development Education Committee PhD program, and as an instructor in Stanford’s graduate programs in Development Education and Global Development. From 1997 – 2005 he was CEO of Lexia Learning Systems. During 2006 and 2007, he worked as CEO of Soliloquy Learning. He has spoken at numerous education conferences including the Society for Applied Learning Technology, the International Dyslexia Association, the Learning Disabilities Network, Technology + Learning and the Florida Reading Association, on subjects relating to cognitive development, reading, learning disabilities and technology. He is Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at MassBay Community College in Wellesley, MA, and a member of the Board of Directors of Avant Assessment LLC.
Edward Garcia Fierros Edward Garcia Fierros is an associate professor in the Department of Education and Human Services at Villanova University. His major research interests are in the placement of minority students with learning disabilities, charter school policy, Native American education, and the theory of multiple intelligences. Dr. Fierros has written numerous journal articles and is co-author of Multiple Intelligences: Best Ideas from Research and Practice.
Jordan Rich Jordan Rich has been a fixture on radio and TV for nearly thirty years. In 1996, Jordan signed on with WBZ News Radio 1030 as a fill-in talk host and eventually succeeded his longtime friend and mentor, the late Norm Nathan. Since then, Jordan has hosted the weekend late nights at WBZ and his program is heard throughout much of the U.S. and Canada as well as world-wide on the Internet.
Along with his on-air work, Jordan Rich maintains a full schedule running his audio production and marketing firm Chart Productions, Inc. He has appeared on hundreds of local and national commercials and narrations for such clients as The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops, Sullivan Tire, The New England Sports Network and Liberty Mutual. Jordan offer’s voice-over classes throughout the year and is responsible for having trained dozens of talented performers. Jordan is often out on the speaking circuit serving as master of ceremonies and auctioneer at dozens of events a year.
