Current Board Members

Sharon Payne, COMS, CLVT
President
Sharon has been an Orientation and mobility specialist since 1984, teaching and traveling from Cleveland, Ohio to the Israeli-American Lighthouse in Haifa, to Miami, Florida, Philadelphia and lately in Maryland. She is now living in Baltimore and continuing to bring rehab services to people with vision loss, their family and friends.

Karen Frank
Past-President
Karen has worked at The Maryland School For The Blind for the past 40 years as a TVI and supervisor. Her current position is the principal of the Early Learning program. After graduating from Kutztown University (then known as Kutztown State College) as a TVI, she taught several years in a classroom before going “on the road” and providing statewide consultation services to families and school districts, including assessment of the developmental and literacy needs of young students. In addition to a Masters degree in Special Education and Administration, she is also certified in Orientation and Mobility. Karen lives in Baltimore County and enjoys watching her 5 grandchildren in their school and sports activities.

Joshua Irzyk, Ed.D.
President Elect
Dr. Joshua Irzyk started his career in the field of educating students who are blind or have low vision as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment and Orientation and Mobility Specialist for St. Lucie County Public Schools in Florida. He has been with The Maryland School for the Blind for 21 years as a teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal. He served two and a half years as the Statewide Vision/Low Incidence Specialist for the Maryland State Department of Education and The Maryland School for the Blind. Dr. Irzyk is currently the Director of Education at The Maryland School for the Blind and previously served as a DC/MD AER Board Member at Large, President-Elect, President and Past President.

Matt Spencer, TVI
Treasurer
Matt is a Teacher for the Visually Impaired. As a graduate of Kutztown University, Matt currently serves as a TVI for Prince Georges County Public Schools and has done so since February 2019. As a professional rather new to the world of teaching students with visual impairments, it is Matt’s goal to be a voice for all new TVI’s. It is his mission to try to provide them with the support they need to help them grow as professionals through AER. Fun Fact: Matt has played the cornet (similar to the trumpet) since he was eight years old! This lead him to being a member of a brass band for eight years!

Diane Ducharme
Secretary
I am a Pennsylvania native, growing up in Lehigh Valley. I was one of those feisty Retinoblastoma kids who grew into a feistier adult. I have a B.S. in Psychology from Kutztown University (Go Golden Bears), and a M.Ed. in Counselor Education majoring in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Penn State (Go Nittany Lions). I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and have been working in the field of services for people with sight loss for over 25 years. I have worked for Lehigh County Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, Sprint Accessibility, and am currently working for the Low Vision Shop and the LD Chesapeake Lighthouse. I live in Towson, Maryland with my husband and two sons. I am a fan of sports, Snoopy, and Nickelback. I look forward to meeting and learning from my fellow AER members.

Aimee Scheib
Member-at-Large
Aimee Scheib earned an M.S. in Visual Impairments from Florida State University. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist who has been a teacher for over 10 years in public schools. Currently, Scheib is an itinerant TVI and COMS in Montgomery County Public Schools. In the past, Scheib has served in the roles of board member at large as well as secretary of the board for the South Carolina AER. Other services provided have included: private contracting for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and O&M instructor at the Augusta Georgia Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Charlie Norwood VA.

Becky Hommer, Ed.D.
Member-at-Large
Dr. Rebecca Hommer, aka Becky, began her career as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment in 1999 after earning her degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She has served the birth through 21 population in both Howard and Frederick Counties and has taught in the Early Learning Program at The Maryland School for the Blind. Becky currently works as an Education Specialist for Connections Beyond Sight and Sound, the Maryland & DC Deaf-Blind Project. She believes that her time spent with students, peers, and colleagues has uplifted her, challenged her, and taught her how to be a teacher who is “hands on and all in.” Becky has an amazing wife, three wonderful children, and two beautiful grandchildren.

Kinyatti Gakuhi, TVI, COMS, CLVT
Member-at-Large
Kinyatti is a Teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialist in Prince George’s County Public Schools. He is originally from Kenya- “hakuna matata”. This is Kinyatti’s sixth year of teaching students with visual impairments and being an AER member. He joined the wonderful PGCPS Vision Program team in 2017. Kinyatti earned a B.S degree and MPH from Morgan State University and a M.Ed. in Blindness and Visual Impairments, and Certifications in Orientation & Mobility and Low Vision Rehabilitation Therapy from Salus University. In 2021, he spent his summer as an intern for Polytrauma BROS of Washington DC VA Medical Center as a low vision rehabilitation therapist. Kinyatti has been an MSDE transition committee member, volunteer braille proctor, Maryland Braille Challenge, Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) Delegate and a mentor for new TVI’s for the next three years (2022-2025). Kinyatti loves soccer and resides in Carney, Maryland.

Jacqueline Otwell, TVI
Member-at-Large
Jackie is from Maryland. She graduated from the College of Notre Dame with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. She is also a certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired. She currently works at Maryland School for the Blind as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Department of Statewide Services.
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