The Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center employs a diverse and well-qualified staff that plans, coordinates and provides services to urban, rural and suburban communities across Pennsylvania.
Mark S. Lewis, Ed.D., Director
E-mail: mlewis@csc.csiu.org
Phone: 717.763.1661 ext. 137
Mark S. Lewis, Ed.D. has thirty-three years of experience in the public school setting. He started his career as a secondary English teacher in Central Pennsylvania prior to moving to New York in 1981 where he served as a school administrator in six school districts over a twenty-seven year span, sixteen of which he served as a superintendent of schools. Dr. Lewis has extensive experience working with parents, teachers, administrators, and community members in the area of school improvement planning, professional development, technology integration, and community outreach. In 2004 he was recognized as New York State Superintendent of the Year by the New York State Computer and Technology Educators. Dr. Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Penn State University, and his master’s degree and doctorate in educational administration from Bucknell University and Syracuse University, respectively.
Becky Blue, Early Childhood and Family Development Program Manager
E-mail: bblue@csc.csiu.org
Phone: 717.763.1661 ext. 162
With nearly 30 years experience in the field of early childhood education and early childhood program delivery and administration, Becky provides guidance for quality program implementation and the delivery of high quality trainings. She has management and supervisory responsibilities for training and technical assistance of Parents as Teachers programs, Parent Child Home Program grantees, and Children’s Trust Fund grantees. Becky holds two master degrees: one in Early Childhood Education and one in Instructional Technology. Becky has been certified as a Parents as Teachers (PAT) National Trainer since 1993. She has served as Pennsylvania’s PAT State Systems Leader since 2001.
Karen Shanoski, Family-School-Community Partnerships Project Manager
E-mail: kshanoski@csc.csiu.org
Phone: 717.763.1661 ext. 139
Karen brings twenty-seven years of experience in both public and private human service sectors. Her current work focuses on family-school-community partnerships with an emphasis on effective family engagement. It includes development of training and tools that support cross systems work and meaningful participation of consumers, parents and residents in community collaborative partnerships. Her work experiences include: director of a private non-profit that helped low income people meet basic human needs, a planner with a county children and youth agency, and a home visitor. She has been an active community volunteer since high school when she was an advocate for people with mental retardation through today in her service as a school board director. She holds a BSW and a master’s degree in Management, from Pennsylvania State University.
Caroline Allen, Parent Information & Resource Center Coordinator
E-mail: callen@csc.csiu.org
Phone: 717.763.1661 ext. 205
Caroline Allen has 16 years experience working as a parent advocate. For many years, she has trained parent and community organizations, including higher education, about effective family engagement practices and standards. She recently completed her term as president of the Pennsylvania PTA. She has served in numerous capacities with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and many state educational associations. Currently she serves on the National PTA Legislation Committee, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Pennsylvania PTA and the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education. In addition, she is a co-leader of an Ambassador Girl Scout Troop in the Harrisburg area. Caroline holds Bachelor’s degrees in both History and French from Gettysburg College and is a graduate of the Education Policy and Fellowship Program. She resides in Harrisburg with her husband and two children.
Kathy Kurpeikis Education Specialist
E-mail: kkurpeikis@ADI.org
Phone: 412.487.8517
Kathy has spent the last ten years working in comprehensive school reform. Other professional experiences include elementary school teacher, and assistance in establishing a school district department for professional development. Her work in school reform included advising school teams and parent councils; training district administrators, principals, teachers and parents in research-based improvement strategies; and analyzing data to direct and increase program implementation. She has written and presented educational materials for program delivery and specific needs of individual school communities. Currently, she works as an Education Specialist for the PA PIRC to help establish and enrich partnerships between families, schools and communities in Western Pennsylvania.