Meet Our Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Beth White - President

Beth was born and raised in Seymour. Beth has served on our board since 2013. She has seen the progress that has occurred since the late '60s with regards to Special Education and how services and care for our local handicapped citizens have progressed. A little over 30 years ago Beth and her husband were blessed with a gorgeous baby girl. Within 4 hours of her birth, she was at Riley Hospital. Beth and her family have maneuvered Early Intervention Services, Special Education Services within the school system, and then waiver services and caregiver challenges. Progress has happened all along the way, but there is still a lot that needs to be addressed for the disabled community. Beth desires to try to be a part of that continued progress for her daughter and other Jackson County people that need support.

Lisa Whitson - Vice President

Lisa has served The Arc of Jackson County since 2022. She has been a direct service provider staff member for the past nine years, providing care for clients in Jackson and Jennings Counties. Lisa's journey serving people with special needs began with the birth of her daughter, Kourtni, in 1990. Kourtni was profoundly disabled and required complete care. When she passed in 1992, Lisa decided to devote her adult life to people with special needs. She has previously worked in the school, special needs classrooms, setting for 26 years.

Destiny Schneider - Secretary

Destiny became a board member of The Arc of Jackson County in August of 2024. Destiny holds an associates degree in Elementary Education and is currently working on her bachelor's degree. Destiny has been a youth worker, in Jackson County, for 7 years, previously working for Blue River Services, Boys & Girls Club of Seymour, Child Care Network Inc, and Headstart through Human Services Inc. She is currently a special education teacher at Brownstown Middle School. Destiny is very passionate about serving the youth, in our community, and providing quality educational opportunities. In Destiny's spare time, she enjoys her role as a Provider Council Member for the Indiana Afterschool Network and a Youth Worker Fellowship. In addition to this, Destiny enjoys volunteering, within the community, traveling, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Zoie Cooley - Treasurer

Zoie became a board member in September 2025. She co-leads our Art Force Club, a group that encourages self-expression and connection through creativity. She is passionate about creating a space where individuals can explore their artistic talents and feel supported.

Zoie works as a dispatcher for Seymour Public Transit and serves as the Assistant Director of the Color Guard for Seymour Community Schools. She enjoys mentoring students and helping build confidence and teamwork.

Outside of her professional and volunteer roles, Zoie enjoys painting, dancing, spending time with her cats, and going on walks. These activities give her a chance to relax, recharge, and stay creative.

Board Members

Ashley Burkhart

Ashley Burkhart joined The Arc of Jackson County board in September 2025. She has two children and has worked for Partners in Opportunities for 15 years. Ashley is involved with Special Olympics Jackson County as a volunteer and unified partner in track and volleyball. She is a mentor for Special Olympics Indiana ALU, the county coordinator for Special Olympics Young Athletes and a coach for youth soccer.

In Ashley's free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends and animals.

Susanna Contreras

Susanna is a positive and caring person who enjoys helping others and making a difference in her community. She loves learning new things, meeting people, and being part of something that brings support and joy to others. She believes that kindness and teamwork can make amazing things happen.

Dee Hess

Dee joined as a board member of The Arc of Jackson County in December 2023. She has been a nurse for 20 years. She has worked at Schneck Medical Center, Doctor Calhouns's office, and currently works as a liaison nurse at the Health Department going into the schools. She is married to her husband, David. They have one daughter, Heather. She is a grandmother to two grandchildren, Spencer and Chloe. She began with The Arc of Jackson County through board member, Beth White and Beth's daughter, Kayla.

Angie Holtsclaw

Angie joined as a board member of The Arc of Jackson County in January 2024. Angie has worked in the field of special education since 1994 as a classroom teacher, autism coordinator, instructional coach, and a university faculty member. Angie returned to the classroom as a developmental preschool teacher in August of 2023. She came to The Arc of Jackson County through the Night to Shine event and is excited to be growing her involvement in the community.

Grace Kruse

Grace previously served as a Special Education teacher at Seymour Community Schools and currently works as a substitute teacher in both general and special education settings. She values this role for its flexibility and the opportunity to support students with diverse learning needs across Jackson County.

Grace was first introduced to The Arc of Jackson County during her time in special education at Redding Elementary. Since then, Grace has developed a deep appreciation for the organization’s commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. Joining the board in February 2026, Grace is honored to be part of this mission and actively volunteers her time at the office, assisting with yard sales and volunteer events.

Outside of her professional work, Grace and her husband enjoy traveling overseas, exploring different cultures, and experiencing a variety of cuisines. In her free time, she also enjoys gardening throughout the seasons, as well as cooking and creating new recipes.

Graham Sciarra

Graham joined our board in February 2026. and is deeply passionate about helping others recognize their potential. He is continually growing as both an educator and an artist. Graham co-leads The Art Force Club.

He is a teacher in the SOAR program at Emerson Elementary School, where he supports his students through encouragement, connection, and compassion.

Outside of the classroom, Graham enjoys playing music, painting, and spending time with his cats and his girlfriend, Zoie.

Jim Shepherd

Jim has worked in the disability field since 1985. He is currently a Behavior Specialist and owner and president of Enhance Inc. His company provides Behavior Management, Habilitation Services, Personal Assistance and Care, and transportation. He has been a member of the Arc of Jackson County for many years, previously serving as a board member, treasurer, and president.

Jim is married and has four adult children. All of his family members work in the field as well. His three sons are all behavior specialists and his daughter is a mental health counselor.

Dawn Tierney

Dawn has an early childhood degree. She ran a daycare with 180 kids, in Avon, and counseled at a special needs camp for 15 summers.

Dawn has two daughters and enjoys scrapbooking and baking. She volunteers for the Eagles, Boy Scouts, Airfield Museum, Veteran's events, and for her church.

Lisa Williams

Lisa became involved with The Arc of Jackson County by volunteering at FestAbility and Night to Shine. She then got involved in classrooms, helping with our Achieving Right Choices program. She joined the board in May of 2024.

Lisa moved to Seymour when she was three years old. Lisa is employed at Cummins. In her free time, she loves to travel with her husband and their blended family of five. Their family has three dogs. Lisa has a soft spot, in her heart, for her special friends.

Melissa has been married to her husband, Joe, for 30 years. They have one adult son, Casey, who works while attending college to study music therapy. Melissa is also a devoted foster parent to two young daughters, Rose and Norma.

After dedicating 30 years to her career, she made the life-changing decision to leave her job so she could focus on working with children and becoming a foster parent — a role she embraces with compassion and heart.

For 14 years, Melissa has been a proud member of the Pythian Sisters fraternal organization. She is an active and dedicated member of Trinity United Methodist Church, where she faithfully serves in many ways. Melissa has a passion for multitasking, problem-solving, and giving back to others. Inspired in part by her sister Andrea, who has a disability, Melissa strives to make a positive impact in the community every month. She believes that life continues to get better because difficult seasons can be overcome through faith and perseverance. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and crafting.

Melissa joined the board in February 2026 and is already making a difference through her faithful Wednesday volunteer work. She often brings her sister along to volunteer days and says she loves being part of the ARC family and getting to know so many amazing people. Her goal is to continue expanding her outreach and helping as many people in the community as possible.

Melissa Wilson

Self-Advocate Board Members

Dylan Bridges

Dylan Bridges joined our Board as a self-advocate in 2021. Dylan graduated from Brownstown Central High School in May 2021. Dylan volunteers at Hickory Hills Golf Course in Brownstown two days a week. He is learning how to play golf, loves to travel, and sees new places. Dylan is excited to be on the Arc Board as a Teen Advisor. Dylan wants to help others and make a difference in his community. Dylan has volunteered at social events for Mental Health America of Jackson County and The Arc of Jackson County for the past several years.

Chelsie Keith

Chelsie joined our board, as a self-advocate, in October of 2024. Chelsie was born with cerebral palsy. She has faced many challenges in her life and has overcome them all with grace and positivity. Chelsie's family feels she has grown so much since she began to volunteer for The Arc this past year. She is an artist and has a part-time job she loves. Chelsie is now using her experiences to help advocate for others with disabilities.

Alex LaMaster

Alex LaMaster joined The Arc of Jackson County Board, as a self-advocate, in March 2023. She volunteers at nursing homes, handing out quarters at Christmas at Aldi's, and at The Arc of Jackson County office. She enjoys baking and delivering sweet treats to the first responders in Jackson County.

Lorie Miller

Lorie Miller joined The Arc of Jackson County Board, as a self-advocate, in January 2024. She has a heart of gold. When she grows up, she wants to be a police officer. She LOVES the men and women in blue. In her free time, Lorie enjoys baking, playing games, dancing, singing, and WWE.

Kayla White

Kayla White joined The Arc board, as a self-advocate, in Dec. of 2023. She has participated and volunteered at numerous events The Arc has sponsored over the years. She volunteers with her sorority to raise money for Camp Riley and St. Jude hospital and many local charities. She loves to attend parties and give hugs to anyone that might need one. She likes to text "Good Morning" to many of her family and friends, daily, and she has many baby dolls that several of her friends babysit for when she is gone on trips. She attends Trinity United Methodist Church where she loves her church family and all of the fun they have together.