Wisconsin Rehabilitation Association
Mission statement: WRA is a member organization committed to
the promotion of ethical and excellent practice in rehabilitation, through
collaboration, education and advocacy.
http://www.wra-org.org/
The 2009 Board members are:
Susie Eberhard President
Troy Cobb Vice President
Amy Thomson Secretary
Dennis Carriere Past President
Deb Henderson Guenther President Elect
Richard Willette Treasurer
Cheryl Schiltz, Jackie Wenkman, and Erik martin are Members at large
Jenny Neugart is Consumer Board Member
Susie Eberhard: Current President
Susie was a long time Rehabilitation Counselor who has taught undergraduate and
graduate rehabilitation students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout for the
last 10 years. Susie has experience working in independent living, vocational
evaluation and in transitional programming for persons with brain injury. She is
invested in the NRA/WRA as a bridge and foundation for rehabilitation
professionals to share perspectives, concerns and solutions around the goal of
better service delivery and ultimately enhanced opportunity for persons with
disabilities.
Troy Cobb: Vice President
Troy has been an NRA member since 1995. In 2007, he retired from Wisconsin's
Public Vocational Rehabilitation Agency as a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation
Counselor. Troy currently teaches part time at University of Wisconsin-
Platteville in the off-campus Master of Science in Education program and is a
contracted job placement vendor with the Wisconsin DVR Agency. Troy also serves
as president of the Wisconsin National Association of Multicultural
Rehabilitation Concerns Chapter.
Dennis E. Carriere : Past President
Dennis has been an active member of NRA since 1987, is the Past President of the
Wisconsin Rehabilitation Association (WRA) and served as President of WRA in
1991 & 2002, and was Great Lakes Regional President in 1992. He has a M.S. in
Counseling, is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, WI Licensed Professional
Counselor, and a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with the Wisconsin
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for 34 years.
Deb Henderson-Guenther, M.S., C.R. C.: President Elect
Deb has been an active member of NRA since 1998. She has over 20 years of
experience in the field of rehabilitation. She is committed to NRA's mission and
desires to contribute her time and talents toward furthering both the national
organization and state chapter's goals.
Amy Thomson, M.S., C.R.C. Secretary
Amy has been an NRA member since 1998 and has served as Board Member at large
the prior term. She is also a member of the National Association of Disability
Benefits Specialists, a division of NRA.
Jacquelyn E. Wenkman: Board Member at Large
JOB TITLE: Medicaid Infrastructure Grant Director (2005- Present)
DUTIES: Supervision of Waisman Staff at Pathways to Independence. Grant
acquisition, Grantor contact and regular reporting, deliverable collection, and
budget monitoring of the MIG grant.
EDUCATION
1994- Ph.D. – Rehabilitation Psychology
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
1972 – M.S. - Educational Psychology & Counseling
Winona State College, Winona, MN
1970 – B.S. - Psychology and Sociology
University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, Lacrosse, WI
CERTIFICATIONS and Licenses
Certified by the national Rehabilitation Committee for Counselors. CRCC#17155
(1984 to Present)
Licensed Counselor-State of Wisconsin-#152 (1989 to Present)
Certified by Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Division #551 (1982-present)
Certified Life Care Planner (1998 to Present)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Rehabilitation Specialist-Center for Students with Disabilities 1987-2005
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Whitewater, WI 53190
Vocational Expert Witness 1987-present
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Social Security Administration
Placement Specialist 1981-1987
Opportunities, Incorporated
Ft. Atkinson, WI 53538
Parent Services Director 1976-1981
St. Coletta School
Jefferson, WI
Director of Guidance and Counseling 1972-1976
Brady High School
West St. Paul, MN.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities. Board Member from 2001 to
Present. Appointed by Governor.
Governor’s Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities 2004-Present
Governor’s Committee for Persons with Brian Injury – 2003 to present
Jenny (Wagner) Neugart: Member at Large
Jenny is currently working for the University of Wisconsin- Madison Waisman
Center on the Pathways to Independence Projects that look to improve employment
outcomes for people with disabilities. Prior to this current position, Jenny
worked for UW-Whitewater as a disability services specialist and also
coordinated the WI Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) and the My Future My Life
Transition Camp. Jenny's area of passion is helping youth with disabilities
realize their potential by teaching them self-determination, self-advocacy and
leadership skills while raising expectations for their future. Jenny also have a
long history of providing leadership training to families on the transition
process.
As the current consumer board member, Jenny is committed to bringing the
perspectives of consumers to the board and watching WRA continue to grow both in
numbers and by raising awareness about legislative issues. Jenny's personal
experience with having a physical disability and working with youth and their
families will help ensure their voices are included in all WRA activities.
Erik Martin: Member at Large
Erik has previously served as the Wisconsin Rehabilitation Counseling and
Educators Association representative. He has been involved with the NRA since he
was a member of the student chapter at University of Wisconsin -Stout. Eric
appreciates the opportunity to serve in a capacity that works to help improve
the level of services for individuals with disabilities.