Time and again we hear that one of the very special strengths of The Reading Group is the outstanding qualifications and caring attitudes of our instructors. Most specialists hold at least a bachelor's degree, many with master's degrees and/or additional training in a particular area of instruction.

Executive Director: Kathy Wimer
Kathy is a reading specialist, has a masters degree in education along with a Reading Recovery certificate from the University of Illinois. She comes to the Reading Group with twenty years of classroom teaching experience in both public and private schools in the Urbana, Champaign and Monticello area. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Piatt County Big Brother/Big Sister organization as well as a staff writer for the Piatt County Journal-Republican newspaper in Monticello.

Camille Caldwell
A reading specialist, Camille joined the teaching staff specializing in her work with upper elementary and middle-school students. She recently retired from the Rantoul School District after teaching in the district since 1973. In addition to the teaching of reading, she has experience working in the areas of technology education as well as training in gifted education. Camille provides testing and assessment services for the Reading Group.

Rita Young
Rita was on the faculty of the MECA Montessori Teacher Training Center and was director of the Montessori School of Champagin-Urbana for 20 years. At the Reading Group, she specializes in working with preschool and kindergarten children using multisensory instruction and is the Early Childhood Coordinator for the Building Blocks to Literacy Program.

Patty Cetin
Patty worked in the field of speech and language development for more than 13 years. She is an instructor and clinical supervisor for the Speech and Hearing Science Department at the University of Illinois. At The Reading Group, she specializes in the acquisition of language awareness and literacy skills. Patty provides training and Building Blocks to Literacy workshop services.

Liza Brubaker
Liza recently retired from teaching after 35 years. She graduated from Ball State University with a B.S. degree in elementary education. Liza also has an additional 16 hours in reading courses from Eastern Illinois University. She was nominated for the Golden Apple award while teaching first grade at St. Matthews School. Liza taught in public schools for twenty five years and private schools for the last ten years. Liza's philosophy focuses on the belief that everybody learns in different ways and at different rates. She believes that learning should be positive and fun and she likes to use a lot of hands on activities across the curriculum units.

Alice Osborne
Alice is a reading specialist with experience working with K-5 gifted students with learning disabilities. She is a former gifted program coordinator and longtime classroom teacher for Villa Grove schools.

Matt Nilles
Matt is a fourth grade teacher at Kenwood Elementary and has also served the Champaign School District as a literacy coach and language arts coordinator. He served three years as a board member of the Illini Reading Council. Before entering the education field, Matt worked as a journalist for ten years.

Sandy Beherns
Sandy is an independent educational consultant. She works in schools throughout Illinois and Indiana to help teachers, students and parents implement differentiated instruction, data analysis, response to intervention, early intervention services and problem solving. Her background includes being a former general education teacher, educational diagnostician and most recently the Illinois State Board of Education ASPIRE Grant Director for Central Illinois. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Eastern Illinois University and her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois.

Lynn Holland
Lynn has twenty years experience as a classroom teacher and private tutor for dyslexic students. She has a MA in educational psychology and teaching certificates in secondary language arts and preschool/kindergarten Montessori methods. At The Reading Group, Lynn specializes in a multisensory method of teaching literacy skills to young children.

Sara Devine
Sara is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist and a current doctoral student at University of Illinois in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science. As a speech-language pathologist, Sara has provided direct and collaborative services primarily to children with language-based learning disabilities. As a doctoral student, Sara has focused her studies on the development of reading from sociocultural and linguistic perspectives. Her research interests include the relationship between spoken and written language, specifically how higher-level language abilities interact with reading comprehension.

Ryan Mitchell
Ryan received his Specialist Degree in School Psychology from Eastern Illinois University in 2005. He currently works full time as a school psychologist for Rural Champaign County Special Education Cooperative. As a school psychologist, he has extensive training in the area of academic assessment. At The Reading Group, Ryan conducts intake assessments on students, provides consultation with parents and prepares written reports.

Rachael McMillan
Rachael graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in English. She moved to Los Angeles and became a caseworker for an agency that assisted families in the American Indian community. There, she tutored children who needed academic as well as social assistance. Rachael also taught English and other subjects for the special education program at Rantoul Township High School for four years and has a short-term special education certificate. Currently, she is spending time at home with her two wonderful children, Jack and Kate.

Kathleen Wilson
Kathleen was a teacher and administrator for 33 years. She taught grades K-8 and served as a substitute teacher for grades 9-12 and taught elementary education at the university level for 9 years. She retired as a superintendent of schools in East-Central Illinois. Kathleen has a BS and MA from the University of Connecticut-Storrs and finished a PhD in Educational Administration. Kathleen has 6 children, 14 grandchildren, ages 2 to 22, residing in San Diego, Phoenix, Wisconsin, Indiana, and North Carolina.

Carol Bergeson
Carol was a former reading teacher and now serves as a part-time social worker at Holy Cross School in Champaign. At the Reading Group, Carol provides tutoring in the area of reading, composition, and grammar.

Michael Marks
Michael provides teacher training programs and specializes in working with preschool and kindergarten children who are gifted and at risk for school learning problems. He was the founder and director of the Creative Discovery School in Champaign for 12 years as well as served as an early childhood teacher at University Primary School in Champaign.

Sofiya Asher

Mary Rhodes

Simone Frame

Sally Bower

Lori Kruse

Office Manager: Brenda Blager