Current Board Members

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.

“Diane “DC” Colburn, CVRT works at Maryland School for the Blind as the Director of Statewide Services.  Prior to moving to Maryland in 2022, she lived in Florida where she taught students across the lifespan while developing a healthy fear of snakes, alligators and brackish water.  She likes making spreadsheets in her spare time and has been told she has awful taste in music, particularly, Coldplay.

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!

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.

With a passion for empowering students with visual impairments, I am a dedicated Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired. Since beginning my career in Special Education in 2002, I have focused on providing comprehensive support to students with low vision and blindness. My specialization lies in working with learners who have multiple disabilities and complex medical needs, ensuring each student receives individualized attention and care.

Al Kaufman, COMS, is extremely bald. He is an O&M Specialist for PG County public schools. He has served as Treasurer and President of DC-MD AER in the past. He is from Boston and loves the Celtics, but has learned how to pronounce his “R”s. He hates the band Coldplay for reasons he doesn’t even understand.

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.

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.