About the Presenters

Kerri Larkin brings more than 20 years of special education experience to her role as Senior Education Advisor. Kerri began her career teaching secondary language arts and special education at Anacostia High School in Washington, DC Public Schools (DCPS). She left the classroom to become the director of her teacher preparation program, which prepared and evaluated special education teachers in partnership with the George Washington University. Based on her leadership in teacher preparation, Kerri was hired back into DCPS by Michelle Rhee through the Master Educator program. From there, Kerri led special education as the Director for Academic Programs and then Senior Deputy Chief of Specialized Instruction until March 2021. Kerri leverages her experience in partnership with other district leaders to increase educational equity through meaningful inclusion, evidence-based practice, and sustained professional learning. She is a passionate anti-racism advocate with an emphasis on meaningful inclusion and systemic change.

Jesse Sanchez is Managing Director of Programs at the Neurodiversity Alliance. He began his career working in Eye to Eye’s program team after graduating from UC Berkeley in 2011. He then embarked on a decade-long career in the high-tech industry, contributing to companies like Google, LinkedIn, and multiple early-stage technology startups. In these roles, Jesse helped leaders with people and culture transformation initiatives.

Jesse designed and founded the original Eye to Eye Alumni Board where he served the organization from 2016 – 2019 and later joined the Board of Directors from 2020 – 2023, where he served on the Program and Development Committees. In 2024, Jesse answered the call to work full time leading a neurodiversity program organization. When Jesse is not working he enjoys spending time with his family in the outdoors.

Originally from Eagan, Minnesota, Lily Eisele is currently a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire studying Organizational Communication with a minor in Kinesiology. She first became involved with Eye to Eye as a mentor her freshman year of college and became a Chapter Leader a year later. Self-advocacy is a skill and value that Lily was taught at a young age and is grateful to be able to share her experiences with younger students. Along with being active in the Art Room, Lily wanted to continue her lifelong advocacy and education of the disability and neurodiverse communities by being a Neurodiversity Ambassador. She currently works as the Student Personnel Director at UWEC, as well as being a TRIO AIM mentor for freshmen. In her free time, she enjoys photography, playing hockey, watching movies with her family, and taking walks outside. Lily’s favorite parts of being an Ambassador is being able to interact with the neurodiverse community and traveling to new places.

Dr. Nancy J. Nelson is an assistant professor of special education at Boston University and deputy director of the National Center on Improving Literacy and the Lead for Literacy Center. Dr. Nelson is a former special education teacher and school psychologist, and a principal investigator on more than a dozen federally funded projects to develop or test the efficacy of reading and math interventions for students with or at risk for learning disabilities. She regularly works with state, regional, and local education agencies to provide technical assistance related to the effective implementation of assessment and instruction in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.

About the Host

Cassandra Wheeler is a proud “Poet” of the 1990 graduating class at Sidney Lanier High School of Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) in Alabama. In 1994, following undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education, Cassandra returned home to MPS and began her career as an educator at Morningview Elementary School. After earning her master’s degree and administrative certification, Cassandra joined the Alabama Reading Initiative, where she authored Alabama’s Reading First Initiative grant and managed Alabama’s statewide DIBELS pilot. In 2004, after serving the children of Alabama for ten years, Cassandra expanded her outreach to impact the life trajectories of students everywhere by joining the (then) Voyager Expanded Learning organization. Now, at Lexia, Cassandra serves the organization as Director of LETRS State Success.