Learning Education & Achievement Foundation Board Members
Board Certified Behavior Analyst Doctorate Gwen Johnson brings a passion for equitable education and achievement to Accelerated Learning Academy. With almost 30 years of experience with autism and special education, Dr. Johnson is committed to progress for every student.
A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Dr. Johnson attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, before earning her graduate degree from The Ohio State University. She joined the autism field after seeing an advertisement encouraging her to “come to make a difference in a life of a child.” Despite knowing nothing about autism, she fell in love with her work after hearing a child struggling with speech say her name for the first time.
“I had no idea what I was getting into but would not trade it for the world,” says Dr. Johnson. “To watch a child grow and see all the steps of their success makes all the tough moments worth it. Our field has evolved greatly from when I started, and I continue to see great strides in how we teach the kids we serve and what we learn and gain from them in return."
With experience across administrative medical and clinical research operations and clinical design, Co-Founder Jennifer Samuel brings knowledge surrounding financial operations to Accelerated Learning Academy. Jennifer was born in Masan, South Korea, and raised in Southern Oregon, and attended American College.
Jennifer has spent almost three decades in the medical field, working from the basement to the boardroom as a medical administrator, former CEO, and consultant for specialty medical groups. She credits her adult son with ASD for inspiring her to switch careers to invest and build a better community for special needs education, therapies, and vocational training.
“Providing a supportive learning environment for children with diverse learning abilities is at a deficit in Las Vegas,” says Jennifer. “Our children are outliers in mainstream school environments, and parents continue to search for services and a socially inclusive environment. This project is a monumental step to creating a neuro-diverse social and educational environment needed for children with all learning abilities.”
Mr. Carrick comes to us with over 25 years of preK-12 educational experience. Having taught every grade from PreK through dual-enrollment high school/college classes, James brings extensive knowledge and experience in best practices for teaching, curriculum design and implementation, and assessing student learning and retention. In addition to teaching ELA, science, social studies, US History, Am/AZ Government, and physical education; James served as a school administrator at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels.
Mr. Carrick also brings a great deal of practical experience working with local and international non-profits. James spent thirteen (13) years traveling with and working for People to People International. He served on the Executive Board of Directors for Fountain Hills Sister Cities for three years and served as the Vice President of the Executive Board of Directors for one year as well.
Mr. Carrick is excited to join the Board for L.E.A.F. and shares a passion for education and ensuring that ALL students have access to the highest quality educational opportunities.
Kelly A. Schackmuth is the Business Performance Director for NV Energy’s service territories and is based in Las Vegas. She joined the Company in 2008 and has over 20 years of experience in multiple disciplines in the energy industry. Her primary responsibilities today include optimizing and innovating business processes for customers and employees. Kelly is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and found her way to Nevada. Her family includes her husband Mark and their son John. Kelly has a both professional and personal passion for advancing the inclusion of neurodiverse adults and children.
Steve Orrico is the Community Relations Manager for Republic Services and is a 52-year Las Vegas Resident. He is married and has two sons, David, who is a Dermatologist in Las Vegas, and Sean, who is a Freshman at Southern Utah University. He is a Veteran of The United States Navy where he served as a Nuclear Propulsion Engineer. He is the Program Co-Chair for IREM, a former member of the Board of Directors for BOMA, and is on the Board of Directors for The Accelerated Learning Academy.
He enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and playing drums.