WATG BOARD OF DIRECTORS

WATG maintains a Board of Directors, representing educators, school administrators, parents, business, and higher education from across the state.

2021-22 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers
  • President: Sarah Kasprowicz​
  • President-Elect: Stacy Novak
  • Treasurer: Dal Drummer
  • ​​Secretary: Maria Katsaros-Molzahn

Executive Director
Roxane Hagedorn​​
Executive Assistant 
Nancy Woodward

Region-based Board Members 
Northeast Region: Stacy Novak, President-Elect, Menasha
Southwest Region: Cory Jennerjohn, Waunakee

Constituency-based Members
Parent Representative: Mary Pape, Whitefish Bay
Educator: Lalitha Murali, Glendale
Higher Education Representative: Dr. Uzeyir Ogurlu, UW-Stevens Point

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE BOARD?

WATG Board Application


watg@watg.org

​Members at Large
Dr. Pamela Clinkenbeard, Ex-Officio
Trisha Dahl, Mukwonago
Dal Drummer, South Milwaukee
Sarah Kasprowicz, Ex-Officio, President, Merton
Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Secretary, Oregon
​Isabelle Kruger, UW-Stevens Point
​Nicole Meier, Waterford
Jennifer Neuman, Sussex



Advisory Members
​Jackie Drummer, South Milwaukee, Ex-Officio
​Cathy Schmit, Tomahawk, Ex-Officio
Hover over each picture to read more about each Board Member.
Trisha Dahl
​Board Member
Trisha is a newly elected board member as of October 2021.  She is currently in her fourth year as an Advanced Learning Program Educator in southeastern Wisconsin.  Trisha loves working with her ALP students, and looks forward to gaining even more knowledge from this position!
Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn
​Secretary
Maria is a gifted and talented specialist advocating for students and their families.  Maria believes all students deserve the opportunity to excel. In her free time Maria likes to travel with her family, make art, and read.
Lalitha Murali
​Board Member
Lalitha Murali is a passionate educator who has been working as a gifted and talented teacher for the Glendale River-Hills School District in Milwaukee, WI for the past 14 years.   Lalitha’s belief is that given the right resources and experiences, every child can reach his/her true potential.  Today she has a strong advanced level programming for all of her students where more minority and immigrant children are thriving.
Stacy Novak
President-Elect
Stacy Novak is a gifted and talented teacher and coordinator at a private school in Wisconsin. She has been a WATG member since 2019 and serves as WATG's Programming Committee Chair and President Elect. She loves making a difference in her students' lives while making learning fun and meaningful for each individual student.
Jackie Drummer
​Advisor to the Board
Jackie Drummer is a Past President and current Board Advisor for WATG. She is a certified national trainer and facilitator for SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted), and a certified literacy, team, organizational, systems, and transformational coach. In her position at Chief Educational Officer of Education Works!, she coaches and consults nationally on topics related to gifted education.
Roxane Hagedorn
​Executive Director
Roxane Hagedorn is a parent of a gifted student and previously served on the WATG Board. She also served as part of her home district's (Wausau) GT Advisory Committee and helped create a Gifted and Talented Handbook. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications from St. Cloud State University and has worked in the non-profit/education sector for 20+ years.
Cory Jennerjohn
​Board Member
Cory is a versatile storyteller who loves to make a connection. He has over 15 years’ experience working for newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations as well as online platforms. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Journalism from UW-Oshkosh and a Master's of Arts in Strategic Communication from the University of Iowa. Everyone has a story. What’s yours? 
Isabelle Kruger
Board Member
Isabelle is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point,  majoring in special education. She  intends to get an additional certificate in gifted and talented education after graduation. Currently she enjoys being a resident assistant at her college, hanging out with her wonderful dog, and volunteering in as many activities as she possibly can.
Jennifer Neuman
​Board Member
Jennifer Neuman is an educator who has taught in both high school and middle school settings. She has experience teaching both AP Government and Politics and AP Microeconomics, along with various other Social Studies classes. She has advocated for her own children and her students to make sure they are receiving the support they need as gifted individuals.
Dr. Uzeyir (Uzi) Ogurlu
Board Member
Uzi holds a Ph.D. in Gifted Education. He currently teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He has developed programs for gifted students and their parents including leadership development, global citizenship, and peace education.  His research interests are talent development, creativity, the social and emotional life of gifted students, and diversity in education.  He is a tireless lifetime learner and addicted to any kind of dessert. 
Dal Drummer
Interim Treasurer
Dal Drummer is interim Treasurer for WATG. He is a certified national trainer and facilitator for SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted), as well as a retired visual arts teacher and co-CEO of Education Works!
Dr. Pam Clinkenbeard
Board Member
Pamela Clinkenbeard is Professor Emeritus at UW-Whitewater and has been actively involved with WATG since 1996. She co-developed Wisconsin's first gifted education licensure program and has served as a board member or liaison for NAGC, CTD at Northwestern, Purdue's GER2I, and the European Council for High Ability.  She has published several book chapters and articles in GT, mostly about motivation, neuroscience, and educational policy.
Sarah Kasprowicz
​President
Sarah is a fifth grade language arts and science teacher. She has been on the WATG Board of Directors since 2000 and last served as President in 2009-2011.  Sarah's other roles for WATG have included Programming Committee Chair, Acceleration Project Lead, Secretary and Scholarships Chair.
Nicole Meier
​Board Member
Nicole Meier holds a masters degree in gifted education from the University of Connecticut.  She has worked as a gifted and talented specialist and program coordinator for the past 8 years. She is also a member of the Southern Lakes Advanced Learners Network executive board, and served as their president in 2020-2021.
Mary Pape
​Board Member
A special education advocate and mother, Mary joined the WATG board to help improve opportunities for families throughout Wisconsin in the gifted and talented space. Her son and daughter, Oliver and Ruby, are her inspiration. ​
Cathy Schmit
Advisor to the Board
Cathy Schmit is the immediate past president of WATG. She has a couple of decades of experience as a school gifted and talented resource teacher and classroom teacher.  Her passion for working with gifted children led her to create a traditional summer camp for gifted children.  Parenting gifted children is what led her into gifted education and advocacy, being a “Nana” to gifted children is what is keeping her in it.