Amber Latta

My name is Amber Latta.  I have been married to my husband, Brian, for 22 years, and we have 3 biological children, 3 adopted children, and 1 child who is almost officially Latta #7.  I obtained my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education K-9 at Kansas State University followed by 2 Master's degrees from Emporia State University; Adaptive Special Education K-6 and Educational Leadership (building and district level endorsements).  After teaching special education in Goddard and Cheney, I worked as an IEP Specialist (SCAESIC #618) and an Administrative Liaison (USD #259), after which, I worked for 3 years as an Assistant Director of Special Education (SCKSEC).  When not involved in fostering, mentoring, or working as an educational advocate, I enjoy family time and traveling.  My current position with WebKIDSS allows me to network with fellow educators and administrators throughout the state of Kansas.  I love being able to have discussions that can help lead to change for the best possible outcome for all students.

Angi Mitchell

This is my first year with CKCIE as a special education teacher at Ell-Saline Elementary School.  I am currently working on my second masters degree in special education at Kansas State University.  I graduated from University of California; Riverside with a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in education.  I have taught for almost 20 years including teaching in Florida, Oklahoma, and California.  I enjoy spending time with my family, cruising, and reading.

Christina Scherberger

I have been employed with Central Kansas Cooperative in Education since 2017 as a psychometrician. I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Emporia State University. My previous employment history includes working as a vocational counselor, case manager, job coach, and rehabilitation counselor. I enjoy outdoor activities such as swimming, biking and running. I enjoy doing all of these activities with my husband, daughter, and son.

David Robinett

David has worked for the Cooperative 2012 in various positions.  He started as a paraprofessional, then taught an EBD classroom and currently is serving as one of our Autism–Behavior Consultants.  He has a Masters Degree in Building Leadership.

Eileen Webster

Eileen started her journey in special education in 2008, working for the Turner School District in Kansas City, KS for five years.  She received a BSEd in Psychology with a minor in Special Education in Fall 2008 and then went on to complete a Master's degree in Special Education (K-12, Adaptive & Functional) with a Dual Certificate in Autism in Spring 2011, all at Pittsburg State University.  Eileen has taught in the resource room setting, general education setting as a co-teacher, life skills/FLC setting, as well as self-contained autism & behavioral settings in both elementary and secondary.  Her work experiences include Turner, Blue Valley, Emporia, Olathe, and now Salina.  She was recognized as a Master Teacher 5 years in a row with TASN's Summer Institute where they host a full-week boot camp on Structured Teaching for other teachers in Kansas. Eileen recently completed a certificate program to become a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA) through the Florida Institute of Technology and passed the BCBA exam in December 2021 to officially become a Licensed Behavioral Analyst (LBA).  This is her 5th year as an Autism/Behavioral Consultant for CKCIE.  Eileen currently lives in Chapman with her husband of 6 years, 4-year-old daughter (Kinsley), and 2-year-old son (David). Her husband is the head football coach in Chapman, hence all the different school districts she has worked in due to his coaching career moves.  Eileen is also the head softball coach at Chapman.  When they are not working for the schools or coaching, they enjoy visiting family in Kansas City, where they are originally from; or going to Table Rock Lake, where their parents have retired.

Jeff Hayes

Jeff is the executive director of Central Kansas Cooperative In Education. He has served as the assistant director for four years and In addition to serving as assistant director, Hayes has worked with the district for 28 years, including 14 as the CKCIE program coordinator and 10 years as a school psychologist. He has a bachelor's degree from Bethany College and a master's an specialist in education degrees from Emporia State University. Hayes also obtained a building leadership license from Baker University and district leadership license at Fort Hays State University.

Jennifer Svaty

Jen is a Speech-Language Pathologist for Central Kansas Cooperative in Education. This is her 12th year at CKCIE. In that time, Jen has worked with preschool through middle school students in homes, community preschools and in USD 305 schools. Currently, Jen works at Schilling Elementary, on the preschool evaluation team, and serves as the Department Head for the Speech-Language department at CKCIE. Jen received a bachelor of fine arts in Communication, with a minor in music and theater performance from Ottawa University. She received her Masters of Science from Fort Hays State University in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Jen has also received Autism certificates from Pittsburg State University. She has completed the Building Level Administrative program from Fort Hays State University. Jen discovered her passion for helping others communicate while teaching preschool and working with a speech-language pathologist during her undergraduate degree. Watching her students gain confidence and new skills through communication fostered her desire to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. 

Kim Specht

Kim Specht is an early childhood behavior specialist with USD #305 Salina and the Central Kansas Cooperative In Education. In this role,  Kim provides supports for both teachers and students struggling with challenging behaviors in the classroom. With 25 years of early childhood experience and a passion for the importance of early learning, Kim has continued her education to include a Masters of Science in Elementary Education and has endorsements in the areas of Reading Specialist, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Unified and ESOL. Kim is also a Certified Autism Specialist and has joined the adjunct faculty at Barton Community College and Southwestern College.

Megan Lady

Megan has been working in the field of special education for 17 years.  She currently serves as an Autism Behavior Consultant.  Prior to this role, she was a special education classroom teacher in Wichita Public Schools, the Auburn Washburn District, and most recently with CKCIE in Abilene.  Megan completed her undergraduate work at Tabor College, Master’s degree in Special Education from Washburn University, and a Graduate Certificate in Leadership in Special and Inclusive Education from the University of Kansas.

Samantha Moran

Samantha currently serves as the Assistive Technology Specialist for Central Kansas Cooperative In Education and has been working in Special Education for 12 years. In addition to her current role, she has also taught high incidence and low incidence special education. Samantha received her Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education from Kansas State and completed her Master’s in Special Education from Fort Hays State University. Her love of technology and finding solutions for students with disabilities has fueled her passion for assistive technology and all the possibilities that it can provide.

Sarah J. Loquist

Sarah J. Loquist graduated magna cum laude from Pittsburg State University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree.  She received her legal education at Washburn University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude in 1997.  While in law school, she was a member of the Washburn Law Journal and served as its Business Editor.  Following graduation from law school, Ms. Loquist served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Dale E. Saffels in U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas for two years.  Upon completing her tenure as a Judicial Law Clerk, Ms. Loquist joined Hinkle Elkouri Law Firm LLC where she worked as an attorney for nearly 8 years, practicing primarily in the areas of education law, employment law, and civil litigation.  In 2007, Ms. Loquist moved in-house with the Wichita Public Schools as its Assistant General Counsel.  In 2011, she left the Wichita Public Schools and opened her own practice in Wichita.  In 2012, Ms. Loquist moved to Topeka and accepted a position as an attorney with the Kansas Association of School Boards.  In 2018, Ms. Loquist left KASB to accept a position as General Counsel with the Sedgwick County Area Educational Services Interlocal Cooperative #618.  In 2021, Ms. Loquist became General Counsel for the Central Kansas Cooperative in Education (CKCIE) in Salina.  Ms. Loquist is a past president of the Kansas Women Attorneys Association and a past president of the Kansas School Attorneys Association.  Ms. Loquist is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals – Tenth Circuit, and the state and federal courts of Kansas and Missouri.

Trooper Ben

Trooper Ben has over twenty-three years of law enforcement experience with the Kansas Highway Patrol, and he currently serves as the Public Information Officer of Troop C, covering North-central Kansas. He keeps a continued and forward-thinking approach to ways to inform and educate the public and media through his Twitter account at @TrooperBenKHP. Over his many years of using Twitter, he has gained more than 84,000 followers across Kansas and around the world. His approach is to be “real, honest, and open” with hopes of building a positive relationship with everyone.