About Us - Faculty
Glenn Motola, Psy.D., Executive Director
Glenn Motola, Psy.D., Executive Director received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. He has a master’s degree in bilingual/clinical psychology from Montclair University, in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and Spanish language and literature from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.
Dr. Motola has developed non-profit educational and social service agencies on both the east and west coasts. For eleven years he was the director of programs and services for a large non-profit agency in San Francisco that served over 40,000 clients annually in five service areas, with a staff of over 800 people. Dr. Motola also maintained a clinical psychotherapy practice for many years in San Francisco.
Dr. Motola began his career working with children who have a variety of special needs. He served as the director of a summer program in New Jersey for ten years, serving children with a wide range of challenges, including autism spectrum disorders. During his doctoral training in Los Angeles, he was the first clinician in an innovative program for children and mothers infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Dr. Motola went on to write his doctoral dissertation in the area of the challenges faced by adolescents with special needs.
Dr. Motola and his partner currently live on a farm in Sonoma County with their adopted daughter, who is challenged with a neurogenetic condition. He has first-hand experience with the struggles of families with children with special needs, especially in relation to the educational system. He is deeply committed to developing Oak Hill to be a model community which meets the clinical and educational needs of its students and families.
Barbara Kalmanson Ph.D.
Barbara Kalmanson Ph.D., Clinical Consultant and Founding Clinical Director, brought Oak Hill’s founding families together to create the school. Barbara holds doctoral degrees in psychology and special education from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a licensed psychologist and educator, with credentials in teaching the severely handicapped and learning handicapped, and in administration and supervision. Dr. Kalmanson has taught and supervised at the Infant-Parent Program in the Department of Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco; the Child Development Center, California Pacific Medical Center; and the Child Development Program, San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute.
Dr. Kalmanson is on the board of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL), leads their summer training institutes, and has spoken at conferences nationally and internationally. Her publications focus on affective development, early intervention with children with difficulties in relating and communicating, and the importance of family-provider relationships. She has worked in special education and with families as a psychotherapist for more than 30 years.
Catherine Ainsworth
Catherine Ainsworth, Speech-Language Pathologist, earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech and hearing science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her Master of Science in communication disorders at San Francisco State University. She worked for ten years in acute and rehabilitation hospital settings before shifting her professional focus to work with school-age children who have a variety of communication impairments. Cathy has completed numerous specialized trainings, including P.R.O.M.P.T. and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).
Kelly Checo
Kelly Checo, Special Education Teacher, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Sonoma State University, where she is also working towards moderate/severe credential in special education. Kelly entered the field of special education in 2001when she began private work for families. She has received training in DIR/Floortime.
Emil Heiple
Emil Heiple, Special Education Teacher, earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in literature and creative writing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Master of Education degree and secondary teaching credential in English from Argosy University. He has worked in various youth arts programs and schools throughout the country, using artistic expression and education as a therapeutic tool to build self-confidence.
Maria Kuvetakis
Maria Kuvetakis, Occupational Therapist, completed her Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California in 2001. She has worked with clients in a variety of settings such as a sensory integration clinic, and public and private school programs. Maria has worked with children from preschool through high school ages with a variety of special needs.
Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald, Special Education Teacher, earned his bachelor’s degree at Harvard and his Master of Education degree at Eastern Nazarene College. He has been a special educator in public and private settings, ranging from pre-school through high school. Michael also has been a teacher of teachers, providing mentorship and consultation to teachers of students with emotional disturbances, learning disabilities, and behavioral disorders. Before coming to Oak Hill, Michael served as the special education director of the Cornerstone Therapeutic Preschool in San Francisco. His areas of interest include post-secondary transition planning and general education curriculum access for students with special needs.
Elizabeth McDonough
Elizabeth McDonough, Psychotherapist and Drama Therapist, graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies with a degree in counseling psychology. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a registered drama therapist. Liz has presented at numerous conferences on drama therapy with a variety of populations and served as guest speaker at several Bay Area universities. She began her career as an actress and singer and has performed professionally Off-Broadway, in Europe, and the Bay Area. She has a small private psychotherapy practice and is earning her certification as a Floortime practitioner.
Brett Mitchell
Brett Mitchell, Special Education Teacher, earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Cal State East Bay and his training at Eastern Washington University and Sonoma State University, earning a special education moderate/severe credential. Brett has been working with children with special needs in school settings since 2001. Brett is also and experienced physical education teacher and coach, and is currently an assistant coach for the College of Marin men’s basketball team.
Kevin Skidmore
Kevin Skidmore, Special Education Teacher, earned his bachelor’s degree and art education credential at the Ohio State University, and his mild/moderate special education credential at San Diego State University. Prior to teaching at Oak Hill, Kevin worked as an art teacher, an ABA tutor for children with autism, a teacher’s assistant in a variety of school settings, and a classroom lead instructor.
Tammie Winter
Tammie Winter, Occupational Therapist, completed her master's degree in Occupational Therapy at Nova Southeastern University in 2003. A licensed and certified yoga instructor, she has been practicing pediatric OT for over 7 years. Tammie applies her yoga training and OT experience to bring an integrated approach to children and families.
Christine D'Agostino
Christine D'Agostino, Teaching Assistant, holds a bachelor's degree in American Sign Language with a minor in special education. Since earning her degree in 2004, she has worked with children with disabilities and their families in Massachusetts, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Christine has worked as an autism family advocate at a non-profit resource center, a social skills group facilitator and movement teacher at a holistic children's center, and a teacher's aide in a variety of classroom environments. She hopes to earn her credential as a special educator in California.
Allison Flam
Allison Flam, Teaching Assistant, graduated from Chico State University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She is currently enrolled in the Master of Arts program in counseling psychology at Argosy University. Allison has been working with children who have various developmental challenges since 2003.
Rachel Jaffe
Rachel Jaffe, Teaching Assistant, is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has experience working in a variety of educational and community-based programs dedicated to the social, emotional, and physical well-being of children. Rachel brings her experience as a youth advocate, residential counselor, and cooperative teacher in a special education classroom to Oak Hill.
Sara Macarchick
Sara Macarchick, Teaching Assistant, is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. She has worked with children who have a wide range of developmental disorders in home and school settings since 2003. She has also worked in the administration of a nonprofit early education quality improvement program.
Kathleen O'Hara
Kathleen O'Hara, Teaching Assistant, is a student at Sonoma State University’s School of Education, pursuing both her mild/moderate and moderate/severe teaching credentials in special education. Kathleen has a professional background in theatre and film, and has worked extensively with adults with physical disabilities.
Nina T. Schultz
Nina T. Schultz, Teaching Assistant, is completing her Master of Science degree in occupational therapy at Dominican University of California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and communications and media methods. While at UCSD, Nina worked as a home therapist for the school’s Autism Research Lab. She has a special interest in sensory integration and plans to earn her certification in neurodeveleopmental therapy (NDT) and hippotherapy.
Dan Weil
Dan Weil, Teaching Assistant, earned his bachelor's degree in English with a focus in creative writing at San Francisco State University. Dan has worked with at-risk children in the public school system, both tutoring in math and developing a theater program. An actor and writer, Dan ran an independent theater in San Francisco for one year and teaches an acting class for animators at Expression Center for New Media in Emeryville.
Michael Weil
Michael Weil, Teaching Assistant, earned his bachelor’s degree in world literature and cultural studies at University of California, Santa Cruz, and enrolled in a master's degree program in English at the University at Buffalo. Before coming to Oak Hill in the summer of 2008, Mike had worked and lived with adults with developmental disabilities for HOPE Services in Santa Cruz and has worked with children with disabilities as a camp counselor at Camp Newman in Santa Rosa.
