St. Vrain Valley School’s Special Education Department is pleased to welcome Eric Neessen as one of the new Assistant Director’s of Special Education. He’ll be working with the following schools and programs to help oversee the special education process: Altona Middle School, Blue Mountain Elementary, Columbine Elementary, Fall River Elementary, Rocky Mountain Elementary, Launch ED, Long-term Homebound, and LSACE.
Read Eric’s staff bio below:
Let me first say how grateful I am to be a part of the St. Vrain Valley School District! What a great district this is and what a privilege it is to be a part of this family. Everyone here has been very kind and helpful to me. Thank you!
I was born and raised in Iowa (Cedar Falls and Bettendorf). After graduating from Cornell College (Mt. Vernon, IA), I moved to Colorado where my educational career began. I attended UCD where I earned my M.A. in special education and an endorsement in school psychology. I completed my practicum with Denver Public Schools and then moved back to Iowa to take a school psychology position for an Area Education Agency (AEA). After three years, I was hired by the Iowa Department of Education to be a school psychology consultant. I was involved in many initiatives and activities in the 10 years working at the state level. In 2012, I was hired by Green Hills AEA as a regional administrator for special education in the southern part of Iowa. Then in 2014, I began working at Norwalk Community School District as the Director of Student Services, where I was responsible for the special education, at-risk, and ELL programs.
My wife, Kim, and I moved back to Westminster this July to be close to her mother. We have three adult sons who live in Boston, Denver, and Des Moines.
What I like most about working in education is the positive interaction and impact I can have with students – especially those who are challenged with a disability. Additionally, I love working with educators and support staff. Those in education are some of the most caring and sacrificial people around. I value that. What other career allows a person to help influence and improve future generations on a daily basis? It is certainly a very high calling.
If I have not met you yet, please feel free to reach out anytime. I look forward to meeting you and hearing your story in the coming weeks.
Eric Neessen
Assistant Director of Special Education
[email protected]