Board of Governors

South Florida School Of Excellence believes that service on a school board is a distinctive privilege. This privilege requires us to hold ourselves accountable to the highest possible standards.

Ultimate fiduciary authority and control of the School are exclusively those of the Board of Governors,  and may not be delegated.

The South Florida School Of Excellence Board of Governors contributes in various ways to sustain the School’s integrity, traditions, quality, and reputation, and to promote its goals and strengthen its financial condition.

Membership on the South Florida School Of Excellence Board of Governors takes place as a result of a process that begins with a recommendation or nomination from any of its constituent parts. Membership involves the acceptance of certain individual fiduciary, ethical, and civic responsibilities widely accepted in higher education today.

By accepting the invitation to join the Board of Governors of South Florida School Of Excellence, members accept responsibilities that include the duties of care and loyalty. The duty of care is the obligation to exercise appropriate diligence and judgment in making decisions concerning the School and its assets, which are held in trust for current and future generations. The duty of loyalty requires members to support the School in achieving its vision and mission.

Members of the School's Board of Governors

Dr. Harris-Looby

Judy Harris-Looby, PhD, is an Associate Professor and the Department Chair of the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Programs at Barry University. In 1996, she obtained her doctoral degree in Special Education with a Specialization in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders from the University of Miami. She also earned a master’s degree in Special Education, Diagnostic and Prescriptive Teaching from the University of the Virgin Islands in 1981. She was first hired at Barry University as an Assistant Professor in 1997 and became the Department Chair in 2005. Dr. Harris-Looby has taught on all academic levels in the School of Education – bachelors, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. She has published in many peer-refereed journals and presented at national, state, and local conferences on topics related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD), emotional and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities (LD), and collaborative consultation strategies and techniques. In collaboration with her colleagues, she has designed a series of teacher training modules on ADHD and Teacher Certification in ESE. She has also conducted several training workshops for pre-service teachers, parents of students with disabilities, and minority at-risk students on topics in the field of special education.

Jennifer-Lesh

Jennifer Lesh has won a non-designated member-at-large position on the Council for Exceptional Children’s Executive Board of Directors. Her term will begin January 1, 2016 and run until December 31, 2018. The Executive Board is the organization’s administrative, general legislative, and policy making body. The Board of Directors establishes strategic direction for CEC, addresses issues of concern, and sets policy.  Prior to being elected to this position, Jennifer served as the CEC’s Representative Assembly Committee Chairperson.

 

 

 

Trocchio-2226-2-lowres copy Jennie Trocchio, Ph.D., is an autism educator and consultant with extensive experience evaluating, educating, and creating programs for individuals with autism and related disorders. Dr. Trocchio is currently the founder of Autism Education and Development Solutions, an organization created to address real life challenges with concrete solutions to realize each child’s potential. Previously, Dr. Trocchio has worked in both public and private educational settings. She launched Florida’s only DIR/Floortime School where she served as the
lead teacher, director of education, and president of the board of directors. She is an advanced DIR/Floortime provider, certified in K-12 special education, and endorsed in the areas of autism, reading, and ESOL. Committed to remaining on the leading edge, she actively seeks out the most progressive methods and experts in the field. She earned her BS and MS from the University of Miami in Special Education, and her Ph.D. from Barry University in Leadership and Special Education with a focus in autism.

 

 

susan-hildenbrandDr. Susan Hildenbrand, or Dr. Sue as she is called by her students, received a Ph.D. in Leadership and Education with a Specialization in Exceptional Student Education from Barry University. She also received a Masters of Science degree from Barry in Exceptional Student Education with an ESOL endorsement. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Interpersonal Communication from Trinity University. Dr. Sue is listed in “Who’s Who in America.” She is a member of the Barry University Adrian Dominican School of Education Advisory Committee. She was a member of Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, and Alpha Delta Kappa. She has worked for Miami-Dade County Public Schools and several charter schools as an ESE, ESOL, English, and Reading teacher, and as an ESE and ESOL department chart. She was the Deputy Head of School at the Learning Experience School. She is an adjunct professor of Education in both the ESE and Reading Departments at Barry University.