Board of Directors

Samantha Varadarajan, MAT, CALT, LDP

President

Samantha Varadarajan has worked in public education serving in several roles including reading interventionist, English as a second language coordinator, dyslexia interventionist, English as a second language interventionist, and lead dyslexia evaluator. Samantha privately provides therapy to students who struggle with reading and writing and enjoys being able to see the significant growth students make in reading and writing from a one-on-one setting.

Samantha values making learning accessible and engaging for all learners. She is a Wilson Certified Dyslexia Practitioner and Certified Academic Language Therapist. Samantha is certified in Multisensory Teaching Approach through Southern Methodist University’s Learning Therapy Program. Samantha graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2010 with a B.S. in Business and Marketing Education where she served as President of the College of Education and Human Development, and later as a Board Member for the University of Minnesota Alumni Society. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Hamline University.

Samantha enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and their very needy and lovable rescue dog, Buddy.

Misty Clack, M.Ed.
Vice-President

Misty Clack is currently a private Academic Therapist in the Richardson area. She received her Master’s Degree in Special Education from Texas Woman’s University and is a Texas certified Educational Diagnostician. Misty has twenty four years of professional experience in working with students with learning differences. Misty has held positions in both academic and in administrative settings. Mrs. Clack is experienced in working with a variety of learning differences including, but not limited to, dyslexia, reading, writing, and math processing difficulties, as well as Asperger’s Syndrome. Misty is trained in various multisensory reading strategies such as the Orton-Gillingham program.

As a Dallas IDA board member, Misty is passionate about providing education and support through the monthly Dallas Dyslexia Information Group meetings, chairing the TeamQuest committee, the IDA national fundraising and endurance training program, in the North Texas regions, promoting literacy for children and adults and bringing awareness of the importance of dyslexia identification.

Mrs. Clack joined the board of the Dallas IDA in 2014 and was elected as Secretary in 2015. She was appointed to her current role as Vice-President in the fall of 2019.

Mandi Davis Skerbetz, EdD

Secretary

Mandi Davis Skerbetz is currently the Principal of a private school for students with learning differences in Dallas. She has focused her career as a teacher, school administrator, professor, researcher, and consultant in the area of implementing evidence-based practices for students receiving Special Education for over 19 years.   

Dr. Skerbetz holds an Ed.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in the Education of Students with Mental and Physical Disabilities, a M.Ed. in Special Education and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Duquesne University. Mandi is experienced in working with a variety of individuals with special needs and age groups. She has worked with individuals, with Specific Learning Disabilities, Processing Disorders, ADHD, Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, as well as Dual Exceptionalities.

Mandi enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending time with her husband. Dr. Skerbetz joined the board of the Dallas Branch of IDA in 2022 and is looking forward to supporting students and families with understanding evidence-based practices for individuals with Dyslexia and comorbid disabilities.

Emily Visinsky, M.Ed.
Immediate Past-President

Emily Visinsky has worked in private practice as an Academic Therapist specializing in working with students that have learning differences for the last twenty-one years.  Emily received her Bachelor of Science from Purdue University and her Masters of Education from Concordia University.  Emily believes that there is little else more important than helping students realize their worth and potential. Although many of her students have dyslexia, she does not exclusively work in that field. Reading, comprehension, written expression, and math are the subjects she covers.

Having had the opportunity to grow up overseas, Emily has a profound appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities that abound in the United States.  Travel is an important part of her life and she enjoys experiencing new cultures and experiences.

Ms. Visinsky joined the Dallas IDA board in the fall of 2014, held the Scholarship Chair position 2015-2017, served as Vice-President 2016-2017, and was appointed to her current role as President in 2018.

Courtney Clemmons, MA, LPC
Director

Courtney Clemmons is a licensed professional counselor with over 18 years experience primarily working in criminal justice and public behavioral health systems. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Anthropology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Southern Methodist University.

Prior to her concentration in criminal justice, she spent time researching and working in the area of learning differences. Courtney’s interest in the field of dyslexia-related disorders began with her own struggles as a child, and she became an eager advocate as she has witnessed the challenges her own sons face in school due to their dyslexia. She is especially interested in the sociological implications of unremediated reading disorders and the devastating effects it can have on a child’s emotional well-being. She joined the Dallas Branch of the IDA in 2018.

Hercules Gray, MBA

Director

Hercules Gray is the Director of Operational Risk at Independent Financial Bank and is responsible for leading efforts to identify, anticipate and mitigate regulatory and operational risks. He accomplishes this through close partnerships with functional leadership and experts across all lines of defense.  Hercules works closely with functional heads to ensure effective execution of risk management challenges, operational control frameworks, and processes. His areas of expertise include identifying, designing and implementing enhanced control-related tools and monitoring processes and his strategic, analytical, and operational insights to improve our business economics, reduce process defects and enhance operational and compliance risk profiles. Hercules joined Independent Financial in June of 2022. 

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Millsaps College, Jackson, MS and a Master in Business Administration  (MBA) from Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, TX. 

Hercules is a native Floridian but has spent most of his career in Texas. Hercules and Michele are proud parents to Cristina, a junior at Washington State University, and Ethan, a sophomore at University of Missouri. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and using his private pilot license to fly around North Texas. Mr. Gray joined the Dallas IDA Board of Directors in 2022.

 Charlotte (Showalter) Gregor, CALT, M.Ed

Director

Natalia Lopez, MEd, CALT, WDT

Director

Victoria Mancuso

Director

Victoria Mancuso is a recent graduate from Texas A&M University (May 2020) where she graduated in Honors Communication and minored in Business. Growing up she was diagnosed with dyslexia in the second grade. She went through the Houston Neuhaus Dyslexia program for three years. From elementary to college, she always had to advocate for herself for the accommodation she needed to be successful in school. She became very close to her community and was asked to speak to other dyslexic children and parents of children with dyslexia. When she got to A&M, she continued her passion for advocacy by speaking on behalf of dyslexic students all around campus. Victoria is excited and honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the Dallas IDA starting in 2022.

LaShaila Mitchum

Director

LaShaila Mitchum is a well-versed and experienced Workforce Specialist and advocates for community inclusion and access for all.  She started her current role as Student HireAbility Navigator in 2019, supporting youth and families to gain access to vocational services and employment opportunities. Raised in the inner city of Dallas, Texas by way of Oklahoma, LaShaila developed a passion for service and studying the intricacy of ecosystems and the impact of programming at a young age. She is passionate about sharing knowledge obtained and developing innovative ways to serve a variety of demographics. She contributes over 12 years of experience serving young adults and families within various government and non-profit agencies. She attended The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work with concentrations in community development and urban planning. LaShaila serves as a board member of REACH Inc.- Resource Center for Independent Living and partners with a variety of non-profit agencies and community organizations to foster systems of program awareness and resource connections to support Greater Dallas Community Families. She relishes the opportunity to share local resources to assist individuals with meeting their personal and socio-economic goals to live their best life.

Ms. Mitchum joined the Dallas IDA Board Fall of 2021 and is excited to contribute to the great work that the organization is doing in the community to educate and share best practices for serving individuals living with dyslexia. 

Vaidehi Natu, Ph.D.

Director

Dr. Vaidehi Natu is a Research Scientist at Stanford University. She received her doctoral degree in Cognition and Neuroscience from University of Texas at Dallas and then pursued her post-doctoral work from Stanford University and University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center. Vaidehi is a developmental neuroscientist and has over 15 years of experience in scientific research and has published in several high-impact journals including Science, Nature, and PNAS. Her research answers questions about how the human brain matures from infancy to adulthood, as it acquires new skills and behaviors such as learning to recognize objects, reading books, and communicating in a social environment. Her work shows that the brain achieves these complex tasks by growing new tissue structures, forming robust neural fiber connections, fine-tuning brain activity, and learning from its social environment. Vaidehi has extensive experience in communicating scientific research and innovating novel methodologies in developmental neuroscience.

Vaidehi’s passion for dyslexia comes from her experience as a neuroscientist. The human brain undergoes several developmental changes in the primary years of life. It is plastic and can mold itself from early social and learning experiences. There are specific regions in the brain that process words and characters. In a typical developmental trajectory, as a child learns to read and write, these regions grow, become more active, and are well-tuned to focus on words and characters. These developmental changes are highly significant in a child’s life and have long-term consequences for a successful life in adulthood. Hence, early intervention and diagnosis of dyslexia are critical. As a Dallas IDA board member, Vaidehi’s goal is providing scientific education and awareness of the importance of early dyslexia identification. She plans to work with IDA’s fundraising and training programs to achieve these goals. 

Vaidehi enjoys traveling, gardening, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and her pup. Vaidehi is also the author and illustrator of a children’s picture book titled: “Once upon an idea”. Dr. Natu joined the board of the Dallas IDA in 2020 and is looking forward to working with a wonderful group of passionate individuals to spark the change.

Sheaneh Sattari, PhD

Director

Dr. Sheaneh Sattari is a Clinical Psychologist and the founder and director of Quantum Holistic Health Center. She treated a wide variety of patients with both neurological and mental health issues through biofeedback, neurofeedback, and other modalities. Sheaneh received her master’s degree in Clinical Neuroscience from University College London, her first doctoral degree in Holistic Natural Health and Healing, and her second doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Recently, her research has focused on effects of interoceptive body awareness and cognitive flexibility in individuals who have experience trauma. Her research interests lay in understanding how the brain and body heal through interoceptive practices such as breathing meditation and yoga. Sheaneh also has experience in assessment with children, specifically children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Currently, she is working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center of Autism and Neurodevelopmental disabilities at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.

Sheaneh enjoys scuba diving, traveling, camping, and spending time with her husband and puppy. She joined the Dallas IDA board of directors in 2021 and is looking forward to helping spread awareness and information about learning disabilities such as dyslexia.

Advisory Board

• Karla Bell
• Anna Burton
• Jone Bycel, M.S., BCET, FAET
• Tom Crain
• Shanara Hawkins, M.Ed., CALT
• John Hodges, MA, CALT
• Carla Proctor, Ph.D., NCED, LDT, CALT
• Harrian Stern, Ph.D., RPED, NCED