Teaching & Resource Staff

The staff at Mardan is committed to our mission of helping students find success at school.

Teaching Staff

Meg McLean

Megan McLean
Primary Grades Teacher
Meg graduated from Sonoma State University with a BA in Psychology. She has extensive experience working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers as a Preschool Director and teacher for 15 years. As she worked with children and families, she began identifying children who needed the extra support or services. In 2015, she went back to school to obtain her MA degree and credential in Early Childhood Special Education, Mild/Moderate,  with added authorization in Autism. She loves spending time with her family and her cat, Olivia, as well as reading and exercising.

Anie Cooper

Anie Cooper
Elementary Teacher
Anie graduated from CSU Fullerton with a B.S. in Child and Adolescent Development and an M.A. in Education. She holds Multiple Subject and Special Education credentials. Anie has worked at Mardan since 2005, starting as a teaching assistant while going to school to earn her teaching credentials. Her favorite thing about teaching at Mardan is the opportunity to teach children with different needs and figure out the best and most effective ways to help them learn. She is a wife and the mother of two energetic and loving little girls.

Antoinette Bergstedt

Antoinette Bergstedt
Elementary Teacher

Bio pending.

Jayden Silva

Jayden Silva
Teaching Assistant

Bio pending.

Cailynn James

Cailynn James
Teaching Assistant
Cailynn attended CSU Santa Barbara and received a B.A. in English Literature. She has been working in the field of education for the last five years, with plans to pursue a Master’s degree and Marriage/Family Therapist license. In her free time, Cailynn enjoys reading books, cooking, and spending time with her dogs.

Sarah Riggs

Sarah Riggs
Teaching Assistant
Sarah is currently working to obtain her certification in American Sign Language. She has 3 children between the ages of 5 and 10. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys crocheting, going to the beach, cooking with her children and jogging. She loves her job because of the difference she makes every day!

Zach Stein

Zach Stein
Middle School Teacher
Zach graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2014. He started working at Mardan after graduating and fell in love with the school and the students. Since joining the Mardan family he attended California State University Fullerton where he earned his Special Education credentials and Masters in Special Education. In his free time, Zach enjoys playing sports, watching movies, and going to the beach.

Annie Eckelberg

Annie Eckelberg
Teaching Assistant
Annie came to us all the way from her home state of Minnesota to join the Mardan family. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Elementary Education while working as a nanny. In her free time, Annie enjoys pilates, taking care of her health, and cooking. She is very excited to be working with Mardan students and looks forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Jon Farmer

Jon Farmer
Middle School Teacher
Jon loves teaching middle school students and feels that he is custom built for the job. As a younger man, he faced many personal challenges and hurdles in his educational experiences, and these have helped to deepen his compassion and commitment to his students. He has earned degrees in a variety of fields (A.A. in Horticulture, B.A. in Sociology, M.S. & Clear Credential in Special Education), and tries to impart his love of learning and life, and his curiosity to all of his students.

Julissa Cuevas

Julissa Cuevas
Teaching Assistant

Julissa has been an instructional aide for 8 years and has enjoyed each one. She loves to visit mountain views such as Mount Rubidoux in Riverside when the sun sets. She also enjoys driving with her music at the highest volume. Hear music? That’s Julissa!

Anastasia Burchette

Anastasia Burchette
High School Teacher
Anastasia is a retired Tustin Unified School District special education teacher. She possesses a Master of Science in Special Education degree from National University, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and an Education Specialist Teaching Credential. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California School of Business at age 19. She enjoys fashion, inspirational reading, and nonfiction writing.

Robert Nguyen

Robert Nguyen
High School Teacher
Robert spent most of his youth in Vietnam. He obtained a B.A. in Special Education from the University of Nebraska. He has worked at Mardan since 1987 and besides enjoying the dedication and wonderful team work of all the staff, Robert loves the satisfaction of working with students who need extra attention because of their disabilities. Robert has a wife and two grown sons. Outside of Mardan, he enjoys playing tennis, playing the keyboard and singing, and practicing martial arts.

Patty Devlin

Patty Devlin
High School Teacher
Patty loves teaching whether it’s swim lessons, writing, history or English as a second language. She earned her credential from CSULB with a focus on science, the arts, and special education. When she’s at home, she enjoys swimming, solving puzzles and movies with her family.

Josh Huber

Josh Huber
High School Teacher
Josh moved from the Midwest to Southern California in 1999.  He married in 2006 and has two daughters and a son.  He has a B.A. from California State University – Dominguez Hills, majoring in Sociology, minor in Psychology.  He has a Masters in Special Education from National University in Costa Mesa.  Josh has also been a coach for over 30 years, and loves to watch college and high school sports.

Diamond Hebdon

Diamond Hebdon
Teaching Assistant
Bio coming soon.

Andie Reyes

Andie Reyes
Teaching Assistant
Bio pending.

Stephanie Alagna

Stephanie Alagna
Teaching Assistant
Stephanie graduated from CSU Fullerton with a B.S. in Child and Adolescent Development in 2009. She fell in love with working with kids with special needs during her time volunteering at an Easter Seals summer camp, and went on to earn her M.A. in Special Education and Autism Certification at Claremont Graduate University. Stephanie worked at Mardan as she was earning her degree, then took a break as she and her husband grew their family to four daughters. She has since returned to Mardan, excited to meet new students and create a positive space for everyone!

Carlene Dietz

Carlene Dietz
Floating Teacher
Bio coming soon.

Eric Martiny

Eric Martiny
Physical Education Teacher
Eric has a B.S. in Physical Education, Health Education, and Coaching as well as an M.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Curriculum Development and Adapted Physical Education. He has been a part of the Mardan family since 1995. He enjoys participating in a variety of physical activities and strives to maintain a healthy lifestyle. His favorite Vince Lombardi quote is: “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

Karissa Gervais

Karissa Gervais
P.E. Teaching Assistant
Karissa has been involved in teaching P.E. for the past two years, and is very happy to now be part of the Mardan team! She has a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in fitness, so being active is a huge part of her work life and social life. Karissa’s hobbies include skateboarding, yoga, and weightlifting.

Sheila Tseng

Sheila Tseng
Testing Coordinator
Sheila obtained her M.S. in Special Education at Indiana University – Bloomington and has worked at Mardan since 2001. She believes that working with students is very meaningful and rewarding as she sees them grow and improve! Her favorite hobbies include biking and going to bookstores on weekends with her family.

Dana Stein

Dana Stein
Art Coordinator
Dana earned her B.F.A. in Graphic Design from San Diego State University in 1985 and began working at Mardan in 1987. She enjoys helping her students channel their inner artist! In her free time, she likes to take long walks and spend time with her family.

Bonnie Erick

Bonnie Erick
Librarian
Bonnie majored in English Literature at a small, liberal-arts college in the Los Angeles area. She and her husband are both second-generation native Californians: he bleeds Dodger blue, and she wishes she could spend more time at the beach. Mardan became an integral part of their lives in 1991 when they enrolled their son. A few years later, after Bonnie volunteered some hours in the library, David hired her! She feels it’s a joy to work with Mardan’s fabulous students, and if she were a speed-reader, she would devour all the books THEY recommend to HER!

Clinical Staff

Ashley Grampp

Ashley Grampp
Speech & Language Pathologist
Ashley is excited to be a part of the Mardan School team. Prior to joining Mardan, she worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist at a private practice. Ashley received her Bachelor’s degree from California State University Fullerton, and Master’s degree from Chapman University. Outside of work, Ashley loves to spend time with her husband, new daughter, and two dogs. They enjoy watching sports, spending time with friends and family, and relaxing at home.

Lisa Hart

Lisa Hart
Speech & Language Pathologist
Bio coming soon.

Peter Candela

Peter Candela
Marriage & Family Therapist
Bio coming soon.

Neha Saluja

Neha Saluja
Marriage & Family Therapist
Bio coming soon.

Diane Gale

Diane Gale
Occupational Therapist
Bio coming soon.

Jennifer Lopez Guido

Jennifer Lopez Guido
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Bio coming soon.

Administrative & Support Staff

David Eisenman

David Eisenman
Executive Director
David is a native of Southern California and the Founder of Mardan. He received his Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from USC and is a member of the University Cardinal and Gold. He holds a Lifetime Teaching Credential from the state of California. He looks forward to challenges and opportunities ahead. Fight on!

Erin Rosenthal

Erin Rosenthal
Program Director
Erin obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education as well as a Master’s degree in Special Education from Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island and received her Autism Authorization from Cal Poly Pomona. She joined the Mardan family as an elementary teacher in 2004. Erin loves working with the students and staff at Mardan who make every day an adventure and really keep her on her toes! When she is not at Mardan, Erin enjoys spending time with her family.

Terrie Gero-Smead

Terrie Gero-Smead
Director of Finance & HR
Terrie attended UC Santa Barbara and has a B.A. in Business Economics. She is a certified public accountant and, since 1991, has loved working with the staff at Mardan to make a difference in the lives of students and their families. She has a husband, and three adult children; a daughter and two sons. She also has two loveable rescue dogs and three cuddly rescue cats. When not working, she loves spending time with her family and friends, gardening, reading, playing with the animals, and spending time at the beach. She is also involved in special needs sports.

Jordan Train

Jordan Train
Program Administrator
Jordan graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Special Education. She also obtained her M.A. in Special Education from Chapman University. She began working at Mardan in 2013 and her passion is working with children with special needs. She feels very lucky to do what she loves every day!

Eunice Lee

Eunice Lee
Administrative Coordinator
Eunice is an Orange County native who graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in English Literature (GO BRUINS!). Mardan was intended to be a temporary first post-college job but she loved the people and mission so much she ended up staying. She feels grateful to be able to work with such a wonderful community of students, families, and fellow staff. When not at Mardan, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, trying out new restaurants, and researching her next travel destination.

Amy Trenchuk

Amy Trenchuk
Accountant
Amy has a B.S. degree in Finance from Miami U. of Ohio. She started out with a career in branch banking before retiring to be a full-time Mom. Her daughter is now married with a son and Amy loves her new role as Mimi. Amy’s son is married and an officer in the Navy.  She and her husband enjoy going to the gym, hiking, reading, going on vacation and LA Kings hockey.

Rose Marie Kacic

Rose Marie Kacic
Administrative Facilitator
Rose Marie earned an MBA from UC, Irvine and an MS in Special Education from CSU, Long Beach. She has been a part of Mardan in some capacity since 2002. After retiring as Program Director in 2012, Rose Marie returned part-time to Mardan a few years later to assist with various “back office” functions such as Contracts, HR, and Development. Mardan is always in her heart!

Victoria Le

Victoria Le
Accounting

Bio coming soon.

Chris Yepez

Chris Yepez
Maintenance

Bio coming soon.

Richard Schnetzer

Richard Schnetzer
Coordinator of Business Services

Richard has worked more than 40 years with the Mardan in various capacities. He continues to assist part-time as Coordinator of Business Services. He is Past-President and Founder of the Childs-pace Foundation in Costa Mesa, a California State Department of Education funded child-care program serving children in low-income families with working parents. Active in special education policy groups and organizations throughout the State, Richard serves on the California Department of Education Special Education Personnel Qualifications Workgroup. Richard is also a Member Emeritus of the Board for The Institute for Effective Education. Twice a President of the California Association of Special Education Schools (CAPSES), he continues to consult to the association’s Government Affairs Committee.

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