Our Team
Joan Wittan
Joan Wittan is a founding member of the College Consulting Collaborative. She helps students with a wide variety of learning differences and neurodiversity prepare for and find the right fit for college. Joan loves the challenge of building on students’ strengths to maximize their potential. Joan has developed a manual and materials and frequently speaks to parents, professionals, and students about college planning based on her leadership roles with the GTLD Network, Montgomery County Public Schools, The Barker Foundation Adoption Agency, and the Montgomery County Business Roundtable on Education. Joan has served on the Independent Educational Consultants Association’s (IECA) Board of Directors, chaired the LD/ND Committee, and currently serves on the faculty of the Summer Training Institute. Joan attended the University of Maryland where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Kyle Kane
Kyle@CollegeLD.com
Kyle, a Founding member of the College Consulting Collaborative, is a former private practice attorney and law instructor. She first came to the consulting world by volunteering to work on the college process with first generation students at her local high school. Kyle has earned Professional status within her professional association, the Independent Educational Consultants’ Association (IECA) and carries the Learning Disability specialty designation. She is a past Chair of the Learning Disabilities Committee of IECA. In addition to her work with students, she also trains other consultants, gives presentations throughout the country and publishes articles on the college process for students with learning differences.
Kyle earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Miami University of Ohio and a JD degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Lori Vise
Lori loves helping high school and college students identify colleges where they can thrive. Cited as an expert by CNN and US News and World Report, she guides students with different learning styles through every aspect of the college process. Lori deliberately limits the number of students she works with so she can give each of them, and their parents, the attention they deserve. “You are excellent at what you do, and we literally could not have done this process without you,” said one client. “Your patience, advice and endless support have been a blessing for our whole family,” said another.
Lori’s goal is to help students find colleges that are the best fit and have the right learning support. She visits colleges frequently to determine whether they live up to their promises about student support. After Lori’s students graduate from high school, she assists them with their college transition.
Active in the Washington, DC community for years, Lori served on the board of Martha’s Table and other academic and community groups. She is an honors graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and remains at the cutting-edge of college consulting by engaging in numerous activities and initiatives.
Sue Cook Christakos
Sue@CollegeLD.com
Sue is one of the founders of the College Consulting Collaborative. With her legal expertise in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Sue has helped numerous neurodivergent students and their families over the years navigate the complicated college process. Her goal is to reduce the stress often involved in this process and give the student the essential tools needed to find a college where they will be successful and happy. Sue enjoys speaking at community events sharing her knowledge with students and families. She is a member of the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County (LDA), and the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). She earned a BA in Psychology from Bucknell University and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center.
Elizabeth Cooper
Elizabeth (Liz) Cooper works exclusively with students with learning differences and neurodiversity as they navigate the college admissions process and the transition to college. Liz loves guiding her students to find colleges where they can be challenged, supported, and thrive.
Liz is a leader in the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), where she has served as Chair of the Learning Disabilities/Neurodiversity Committee. She is a faculty member for the Summer Training Institute, educating newer educational consultants on the special considerations for working with students with learning differences.
Liz frequently shares her expertise with professionals and parents, and also co-founded MILD, a professional group of Massachusetts-based IECs who work with students with learning differences.
Liz is a graduate of Brandeis University and Boston University School of Law, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.
Jennifer Hambleton
Jen@CollegeLD.com
Jennifer (Jen) Hambleton is passionate about supporting students with a variety of learning differences and neurodiversity on their paths towards college. Jen is an active Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and is currently Chair Ex-Officio of the IECA’s Learning Disabilities/Neurodiversity (LD/ND) Committee. Jen regularly contributes to educational initiatives for the association’s members, including college tours, webinars and published articles. She is also an active member of the Portland Area College Counselors Consortium (PACCC). Additionally, Jen has served on the boards of and/or volunteered with numerous arts and education organizations.
Jen graduated with her BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Lewis & Clark College and her MA in International Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, where she went on to direct programs and advise students for over twelve years.
