IDA Oregon ♦ Board of Directors
Shelbe Park – President
Shelbe Park is a native Portlander and now lives in Vancouver Washington with her husband. She has two grown children. She became active in the Oregon branch of IDA when her daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia at age nine. Shelbe has served on the Board of Directors, as Vice-President, and two terms as President. Her daughter is now a successful engineer and Shelbe contributes that to the support she received from IDA. Shelbe is a full-time tutor for students with Dyslexia and believes that it is important to teach students with dyslexia to advocate for themselves. She is the mentor of the IDA Oregon Student Empowerment Group. She is in awe of the amazing students she has met and mentored.
Jim Snyder – Vice President
Jim spent the last 17 years in the education field as a marketer and researcher working with educators around the world. He has presented at conferences throughout the world (EARCOS, CEESA, NESA, WAFLT, ACTFL, Fusion, and AAIE, QM Connect) speaking on how growth measures, longitudinal data, assessments and online course design can support educators. He spent 8 years with the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) focused on competency-based assessment for core content areas. and with Quality Matters since 2013 working to market quality assurance in online education to Higher Ed and K12 institutions. His focus is on expanding Quality Matters presence in K-16 education space.
Jim has a BA in physics and mathematics from Kenyon College, an MS in Physics from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from Portland State University. He earned an Ed.D. in 2010 from George Fox University and his dissertation was on the use of audio in computerized adaptive assessments. In addition, since 2003, Dr. Snyder has been the director of the NW Education Cluster. The cluster is a collection of more than three dozen Portland area companies who meeting regularly, networking to learn about each other’s businesses, discover synergies, and explore the potential of the education/training industry as an economic driver for Portland and its metro area. From 2019 to 2023 Dr. Snyder was the Treasurer for the Oregon Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and in 2024 he became the Vice President. Jim is married with 2 kids and enjoys running and playing soccer in his free time.
Tanya Haas – Treasurer
Tanya is a graduate of the University of California, Davis (BS) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (MS), and has had the privilege of living and traveling around the world for both work and pleasure. As a proud mother of 2 boys with dyslexia provided first-hand experience of living and navigating the world (and public school) with learning differences. For the last 30 years Portland, Oregon has been home and Tanya’s mission is to help, educate and support the next family that finds themselves on a similar journey with dyslexia.
Lynn Lamping – Secretary
Lynn became interested in learning about dyslexia when one of her four children struggled to learn to read, write, and memorize math facts. She discovered a genetic marker for dyslexia in her family history. Over the next decade, Lynn learned effective methods to help her child learn how to read, write, spell, and achieve success in math. She is a licensed K-12 Special Education Teacher in the state of Oregon. Lynn earned her Fellow Level with the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) in November 2018, and her Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist with the International Dyslexia Association. Lynn is the director and trainer for the Oregon Dyslexia Institute. She spends her time training Oregon teachers how to recognize dyslexia, understand the foundational skills of the English language, and how to intensify instruction to meet the needs of struggling readers, including dyslexia, in compliance with the Oregon State Approved Dyslexia Training.
Jesse Cox – Director
Sharyn Hoffert – Director
With over 25 years of experience as a teacher in Oregon, Sharyn has cultivated a profound understanding of literacy education’s transformative power. She is a Professional Learning Coach for ORTIi at NWRESD, Additionally, she is also an adjunct instructor at EOU and ESD-U 112 where she strives to instill a deep understanding of literacy principles. Additionally, she is also the proud mother of a son with dyslexia, which fuels her commitment to advocacy. This drives her to advocate tirelessly for students with diverse learning needs, ensuring that educators are equipped with the tools and resources necessary to foster engagement and empower all students.
Gareth Hood – Director
Gareth Hood lives in Happy Valley, Oregon, with his wife, two children, and two dogs. His personal experience with dyslexia has driven his commitment to advocacy and support for others facing similar challenges. Since 2013, he has been involved with the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Oregon Branch, contributing to various initiatives, including mentorship programs and workplace training sessions aimed at raising awareness and understanding of dyslexia in the workplace.
With nearly a decade in the tech industry, Gareth has worked as a Product Manager and most recently an AI consultant. He focuses on developing user-friendly tools and improving processes across various industries. His recent work includes building LLM (large language model) tools and educational resources to help individuals and companies better understand and apply generative AI. In addition to his work in tech, Gareth is also an accomplished graphic designer and muralist. His creative projects include designing logos, murals, and branding for companies, schools, and community organizations. In his free time, Gareth enjoys outdoor adventures with his family and dogs.
Kimberly Ferrell – Director
Amy Lay – Director
Amy lives in Vancouver, Washington, a wife and a mother of 4 boys, the youngest with dyslexia. Her journey started with dyslexia when her son was diagnosed in 3rd grade. Finding IDA Oregon and the volunteers changed her life and the lives of her family. The Oregon IDA Student Empowerment group introduced advocacy and fostered confidence for her growing son. Now Amy wants to give back and help the next family that is struggling with a similar situation. This is Amy’s first time serving on a Board for a non-profit and she hopes to continue for many years volunteering for the community.
Elena Mendoza – President Elect
Elena began her career working for Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes® during graduate school, and went on to train clinicians in their learning centers across the country. She later became a consultant for Lindamood-Bell®, overseeing the training for their programs in public schools. In 1998 Elena founded a private enterprise assisting students with learning differences in Georgia. Elena returned to San Diego in 2008 and founded Integrative Learning, LLC. Also trained in Orton-Gillingham and Wilson Language Training®, Elena has been on the forefront of the dyslexia and hyperlexia arena over the past decade and a half. In 2008 Elena was invited to serve on the Board of Directors for the International Dyslexia Association, San Diego Branch. In 2012, while serving on the IDA Executive Board of Directors, she Co-Chaired the 3rd Annual Spring Conference – Dyslexia: Understand & Interventions.
Anna Myers- Director
Anna Moriah Myers is an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Portland. Prior to coming to the University of Portland she received her PhD in Special Education from the University of Virginia in 2022. Her previous experience includes 18 years as public-school special education teacher in Virginia, teaching and coaching in urban, suburban, and rural schools, and teaching undergraduate courses at the University of Virginia and Mary Baldwin College. Dr. Myers is a certified dyslexia therapist through the International Dyslexia Association. Her research and work focus on dyslexia and teacher preparation. She is specifically interested in dyslexia interventions that use multimodal instructional strategies. Dr. Myers is also an active presenter and has presented her work across the nation for the International Dyslexia Association, The Council for Learning Disabilities, The Council of Exceptional Children, and The Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Myers teaches courses in both the reading and special education endorsement programs at the University of Portland. Additionally, she provides continuing education Level 1 training in the Wilson Reading System at the University of Portland.
Marla Resnick – Director
Marla Resnick, MS Licensed Speech Language Pathologist began her journey working with children during her undergraduate studies at Gonzaga University. She was drawn to the model of teaching one child at a time. Marla worked as a speech-language pathologist for Clackamas ESD, West-Linn-Wilsonville School District, and Oregon City School District before discovering her passion was helping struggling readers and their families. She earned her Master of Science degree in education from Western Oregon University. She currently is in private practice specializing in assessment and remediation of students who struggle with reading, spelling, or language. Marla finds it rewarding to help families navigate the maze of dyslexia and find positive solutions that work for students and families while fostering students’ high self-esteem. Since 2015 she has refined her skills assessing children and adults who struggle with reading and spelling. Her passion is in helping struggling learners overcome their hurdles to become students who love reading and learning.
Myrna Soule – Director
Katie Vincent – Director
For more information on IDA Oregon…please email: info@orbida.org
