About Virginia CEC

Kristen Wilkins, Ed.D.

Dr. Kristen Wilkins serves as the President of Virginia CEC. She additionally serves as a Special Education Coordinator with Isle of Wight County Schools. Dr. Wilkins has experience as an assistant principal, instructional coach, and special education teacher. Dr. Wilkins holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Elementary and Special Education from Hofstra University, as well as an Education Specialist and Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. Her dissertation research focused on the lived experiences of novice administrators tasked with supervising special education programs.

Regina Frazier

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Regina Frazier is an experienced public school administrator and special education teacher with a Master’s in Education in Administration from Virginia State University. She is a doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education and Disability Policy as an OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) and PRISE (Policy & Research Intensive Special Educator) scholar. Her professional activities address teacher preparation and retention, reading instruction, and policy advocacy, particularly related to the education of students with disabilities. Regina holds a Virginia Special Education postgraduate professional license (General Curriculum K-12), with an administrative (PK-12) and division superintendent endorsement.

Tameka Burroughs, Ed.D.

Dr. Tameka Burroughs is an education professional with over 15 years of experience having served as a special education teacher, Career and Transition resource teacher, and special education department chair. Dr. Burroughs currently serves as a Procedural Support Liaison in the Office of Special Education Procedural Support in Fairfax County Public Schools providing guidance and leadership related to the implementation of compliance with federal, state, and local regulations in accordance with special education guidelines and procedures. Dr. Burroughs holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from James Madison University, a Master of Education in Special Education from Old Dominion University, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Burroughs also serves on the National Council for Exceptional Children’s Diversity Committee and the Virginia State Special Education Advisory Committee.

Dr. Lisa Rose Johnson, Ed.D.

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Dr. Johnson is a full-time lecturer at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia. Additionally, at ODU she serves as the program coordinator for the Adaptive Curriculum Certification track where she helps advise graduate students seeking an endorsement or master's degree in special education. Dr. Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Loyola University Maryland, a Master of Education degree in Elementary Education from Louisiana Tech University, and an Ed.D. in Special Education from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Dr. Johnson currently serves as the co-chair of the Teacher as Researcher Special Interest Group (TAR-SIG) of the American Education Research Association (AERA) where she works to facilitate the process of peer review and selecting the programming for the annual conference. She also serves as the current President of the Tennessee Valley Toastmasters Club and is an Ocean Friendly Gardens Lead Volunteer for the Virginia Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.

Dr. Kevin Hogge

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Kevin teaches the moderate to severe students with disabilities class at his local high school and serves as his division's transition coordinator. He is responsible for ensuring students with disabilities are prepared with services as they graduate from high school and move into their local communities. Kevin completed his Ph.D. at Liberty University in June 2022 in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. His dissertation was titled “Perceptions Regarding Reading Comprehension and Self-Efficacy in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Rachel Bowman

Rachel Bowman is a Ph.D. candidate in Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she is an OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) and PRISE (Policy & Research Intensive Special Educator) scholar. She earned her M.A. in Deaf Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and worked for seven years as a teacher of the Deaf in NYC, D.C., and Virginia. Her research interests include mentorship to retain a diverse teaching force and culturally sustaining teacher retention practices.

As a leading advocate for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents, CAN Coordinators play an integral role in advancing federal policy. CAN Coordinators support CEC policy initiatives by building a strong grassroots network capable of effectively communicating policy priorities. Each Unit and Division has a CAN Coordinator.

CAN Coordinator responsibilities include:

• Development of an effective network of advocates at the state and local level
• Regular communication with the network to keep members informed about policy and advocacy
• Activation of the network for CEC calls to action via our online letter-writing campaign tool, the Legislative Action Center
• Attendance and participation in CEC policy and advocacy webinars and events
• Attendance at CAN trainings offered virtually and at the annual convention, if in attendance
• An effective CAN network is pivotal to making progress on Capitol Hill, in federal agencies, and state government by elevating the voices of the special education profession to connect lawmakers with local experts.