Meet the Staff
The NJCDB Technical Assistance team consists of individuals with a wide range of experience and training related to supporting children and youth with Deafblindness, their families and service providers.
Project Director, Jerry G. Petroff, is an associate professor at TCNJ, has been professionally involved in the education of students with deafblindness for over thirty years. He holds a doctor of philosophy in psychological studies in special education, a master of education in speech pathology and audiology, and an undergraduate degree in deaf education. Dr. Petroff is a nationally recognized expert in the education of children with deafblindness.
Project Associate for Schools and Programs for the Deaf, Lynda A. Goetz,has been involved in providing both direct and consultative services to students with deafness, blindness, and deafblindness for over twenty years. She holds a Master of Education degree from Texas Tech University in Special Education: Dual Sensory Impairments and an undergraduate degree from The College of New Jersey in Education of the Deaf and Hearing Impaired. She holds NJ and CED certification as a Teacher of the Deaf/HH, ACVREP certification as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist, NJ certification as a Teacher of the Blind/VI and NJ certification as an Educational Sign Language Interpreter,. She works with TCNJ as an adjunct faculty member with both the Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired Teacher Preparation Programs.
Project Associate for Transition, Ms. Margaret Lashbrook,was State Coordinator for the Delaware Program for Deafblind Children for 16 years. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Education with dual certification in elementary education and special education (mental retardation) and a Master of Science in Education of persons with severe, profound and multiple handicaps. Throughout 15 years as a classroom teacher, she worked in inclusive and separate school settings, serving students with deafblindness and other moderate to severe disabilities, from birth through 21 years of age. She was instrumental in creating inclusive opportunities in education, transition, employment and community participation for students. As a former foster parent of a child with multiple disabilities and a respite provider for families of children with disabilities, she comes to the project with an understanding and sensitivity for families.
Project Associate for Early Childhood, Ms. Patricia M. McKinley,has been an expert in deafblindness for the past twenty five years. She holds advanced degrees and certification in special education, education of children who are blind and visually impaired as well as those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Project Manager, Michelle Ragunan, has been working with individuals with disabilities and their families for the past eighteen years and has been providing technical assistance regarding students with deafblindness for the past eight years. She has extensive experience working with organizations for persons with disabilities and working as an advocate for individuals (both children and adults) with disabilities promoting self-determination, accessibility, and full participation in home, school, work, and community life. Her personal experiences, within the disability community, provide valuable insights in planning and implementation of project initiatives. Ms. Ragunan holds a master’s degree in human resources management with an undergraduate degree in psychology and a certificate in history.
Project Associate for School Age Students, Eva Scott, has been professionally involved in the education of students with blindness, deafblindness, and other severe disabilities for the past twenty-eight years in a variety of educational settings including itinerant education services to students who are blind or deafblind within inclusive settings in local school districts. She holds a Master of Education in Psychological Studies in Special Education with an emphasis on Communication, Positive Behavior Support, and Severe Disabilities and an undergraduate degree in Applied Psychology/Special Education and Elementary Education. She is certified in the state of New Jersey as a teacher of student with disabilities and teacher of the blind and visually impaired. In addition, Ms. Scott is an instructor in the TCNJ teacher preparation program for teacher of the blind and visually impaired.
Parent Project Associate, Blanche Stetler, is the parent of a son who is deafblind who has been actively involved in planning her son’s educational program and has become a valuable resource to other parents as they plan educational programs for their children. Mrs. Stetler is on the New Jersey State Special Education Advisory Council, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired advisory board, and holds an excutive postion on the National Family Association for Deaf-Blind. She has been providing her expertise to professionals working in support of children with deafblindness both in the state and nationally for the past ten years.