mmarotta@advopps.org
Mike Marotta is Assistant Director of the Assistive Technology Services department at Advancing Opportunities, Inc., formerly CP of NJ. He provides direct services to students and adults with disabilities throughout the state. These services include assistive technology evaluations, one-on-one training to consumers, and creating customized professional development workshops for professionals on a variety of assistive technology topics. He has a special interest in computer adaptations and worksite accommodations.
Mike has been a member of NJCART since 1989. In that time, NJCART has grown to meet the needs of the members. The memories that resonate most are not the pieces of technology he has seen through CART (and there have been many!), but the people he has met throughout the years. This network of knowledgeable professionals has been an invaluable resource, both professionally and personally.
Mike’s vision is to enable NJCART to grow through increased relationships - from new members and by exploring opportunities for collaboration with other like-minded organizations throughout the state. These relationships will ensure the continued growth of NJCART and foster the networking and information sharing that is truly the cornerstone of our organization.
Mike looks forward to seeing everyone at the meetings and sharing information through the NJCART list serve. If you have any ideas to make our organization even better, please feel free to contact him at mmarotta@cpofnj.org.
tlee@cpnj.org
Tracy Lee has greatly benefited from being a member of NJCART since 2000 and currently serves as the Vice President on the Executive Board. From 2003-2006, she served as Recording Secretary. As Vice President, Tracy assists in the organization of general meetings and networks NJCART within the assistive technology community.
Presently, Tracy works as the Coordinator of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Services at Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey (CPNJ). In this role, she provides AAC assessment, intervention, and training services for toddlers, children and adults with complex communication abilities on an in-house and community basis. Conducting professional development workshops and in-services is another component of her work at CPNJ .
Tracy looks forward to meeting you at a future NJCART meeting and sharing ideas about the assistive technology field.
TecConn@aol.com
Joanne Castellano is an Assistive Technology Specialist with The TECH Connection at Family Resource Associates located in Shrewsbury, NJ. She has 14 years of experience helping individuals with disabilities to find solutions through the use of assistive technology. The TECH Connection is an Alliance For Technology Access center whose mission is to provide a place for people with disabilities, their families and professionals, to learn about assistive technology through hands-on exploration and learning sessions. They also provide direct service to schools K-12 in their attempts to use assistive technology in the classroom, helping their students to level the playing field.
Joanne is presently the Recording Secretary for NJCART. She hopes to provide good sources of information and materials to share with others in need of resources and information via the NJCart Newsletter.
eerrick@cpnj.org
Elissa is the newest member of the NJCART Board of Directors. She works with students with multiple disabilities, ages 3-21, at CPNJ’s Horizon Schools. As an Assistive Technology Assistant, Elissa trains staff on various adaptive equipment and helps to integrate assistive and computer technology into the students’ daily program. Her other responsibilities include conducting workshops, creating materials and maintaining an inventory of hardware and software for student use.
Elissa has been working with assistive technology since 2001 and has been involved with NJCART for several years. She continues to find the meetings a valuable place for expanding her knowledge of AT, and she’s eager to share her own ideas and information with the network.
adam@adamkrassconsulting.com
Adam Krass is an Assistive Technology Specialist and recently started his own company, Adam Krass Consulting, LLC, in Rutherford, NJ, where he provides assistive technology evaluations, training and ongoing support for children and adults with disabilities throughout the NJ/Metro NY area. His area of specialty is computer-based AT.
Adam has been a member of NJCART since 1990. During that time, NJCART has represented many things for him: a gateway to the field of AT, a way to meet others in the field, and an educational vehicle for learning about new technology and methods. Looking back, the most important part of NJCART has been the wonderful people he has met, learned from, and who have become long-time friends and colleagues. After all, AT is all about people--the people we assist and work with.
Adam’s goals as a member of the NJCART Board are to make the organization an exciting, stimulating and fun way for people who are interested in AT to meet, share ideas, increase their knowledge and network. Specifically, he would like to improve NJCART’s public face through a well-produced website and brochure, and lay the groundwork for creating the New Jersey AT Fund to help residents with disabilities purchase assistive technology devices and services.