Our Board Members
These amazing people have been nominated to our board for the upcoming term.
Lindsey Chandler
Vice President
Lindsay Chandler is the parent of a 9-year-old deaf child who will start 4th grade in the fall. She has been an interpreter for 20 years in primarily the K-12 setting and higher education. As a parent of a deaf child, she works hard to ensure her child as well as those in the community have access to same activities and experiences as their hearing peers.
Kristin Pfeiffer
Secretary
Kristin Pfeiffer is the Education Specialist for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Region 4 Education Service Center (ESC) in Houston. With 31 years of experience in special education, including 20 years dedicated to deaf education, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role.
Before joining Region 4 ESC, Kristin served as a Program Director for Special Education, where she managed evaluation/assessments and was the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD) administrator for the fiscal agent for 11 years. Prior to that, she worked as an Educational Diagnostician for 10 years, with one of her key assignments being at an RDSPD intermediate site campus. She also has experience as a Special Education teacher, a role she held for five years earlier in her career.
Kristin joined the Statewide Conference on Deaf Education (SWCED) planning committee in 2022, where she assisted with the silent auction, then moved to Registration for SWCED 20224. She is currently overseeing the Registration subcommittee for the upcoming conference.
Anne Darr
Director of Educators
Anne Darr is a wife, a mother of three young adults, and a lifelong educator. She currently serves as a Special Programs Coordinator at the Education Service Center Region 11. She earned her B.S. in Deaf Education in 1989 and her M.Ed. in Educational Administration in 2011, both from Texas Christian University. Anne has taught students in the middle school and elementary settings, as an itinerant teacher, as a Parent Advisor working with families of deaf/hard of hearing children ages 0-3, and as a teacher of homebound students. She is a writing project trainer for Abydos Literacy and Learning, and she has presented at conferences and in school districts throughout the state of Texas. Anne is passionate about literacy and the teaching of reading and writing; she actively seeks out new, innovative, hands-on ways to inspire student and teacher learning across the curriculum; and she excels at finding ways to incorporate parents and community members into the learning process.
Kristina Ford
Director of Parents
Kristina Ford is the parent of a 3-year-old who has a progressive vision and hearing loss. She has worked in deaf education for 27 years. For the past 5 years she has been serving as the coordinator for the Temple ISD Regional Day School Program for the Deaf. She has a master's degree in special education from the University of St. Thomas, and a bachelor's degree in deaf education from Stephen F. Austin State University. She received her principal certification from Lamar University.
Angela Belding
Director-At-Large
Angela Belding recently completed her 38th year in the field of deaf education. She is currently the facilitator of the RDSPD Program Review Process, a program to evaluate the RDSPD programs in Texas. Angela served previously for 13 years as the program coordinator of the Brazos River RDSPD in North Texas. She has been honored to serve on the TAPED Board for 16 years serving as Secretary, Director of Educators, and currently Director at Large. Angela has not missed a single Statewide Conference on Education of the Deaf since 1986.
Laura Cothran
Co-Treasurer
Laura Cothran, a graduate of Baylor University, just celebrated her 15th year as a dedicated teacher of the deaf. With experience in both self-contained settings and itinerant roles, she has a deep passion in supporting the diverse learning needs of students with hearing differences. Currently serving as the Region 4 RDSPD Lead Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf in Deer Park ISD, Laura also provides parent advising services, helping families navigate their child’s journey with hearing loss.
Dan Diffee
Co-Treasurer
Dan Diffee has taught deaf and hard of hearing students from grades K-12 and has been the director of Regional Day School Programs for the Deaf in Brownsville and McAllen. He was a consultant to school districts in Texas in the areas special instruction and communication access for DHH students. He has coordinated Signing Exact English Skillshops and RDSPD Program Reviews. He is also a BEI Certified Interpreter.
T.A.P.E.D.
Want to donate to T.A.P.E.D scholarships or become a SWCED sponsor? Great! We truly appreciate your contributions. Through donations, we are able to provide scholarships to students and educators, as well as maintain a quality biennial statewide conference.