Carlene Chavez is the Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative (WSPEI) Family Engagement Coordinator for Cooperative Educational Service Agency 2 (CESA 2) in southern Wisconsin. Her role is to create stronger connections and engagement between schools and the families that they serve.
Carlene has been working as the WSPEI Family
Engagement Coordinator at CESA #2 since 2014. Carlene grew up on a Wisconsin
Dairy Farm where she cultivated her rich work ethic. Upon graduation from Valders High School, she
began her studies at UW-Oshkosh where she earned an Associate’s Degree. She then returned to the Lakeshore area and
received her Medical Assistant Diploma through Lakeshore Technical College. Using her Medical Assistant knowledge, she put
herself through UW-Milwaukee earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in
Accounting and subsequently was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant. In 2007, Carlene went back to working as a
Medical Assistant in an office that treated underlying medical issues to an
underserved population, our special kids.
This is where she fell in love
with each and every child or young adult that walked through the door. It is where her passion for all those special
began.
This passion led to her involvement with Angel Inc., a
non-profit which helps families afford therapies. There, she spent many years volunteering as
an event coordinator. More recently,
Carlene has been involved with Wisconsin Independent Learning College, an
autism specific college. She served on
the Board of Directors for three years and now continues to be an active fund
raiser. The students inspire her often with
the positive synergetic effects they seem to have on each other.
Carlene currently resides in Waterford Wisconsin
with her two children, Katie (21) and Michael Paul (20). Katie has been working with our special kids
since she was 15 (15 officially, since she was 4, unofficially.) She has learned much from her brother about patience,
acceptance and love. Michael Paul was
diagnosed with autism at 2 years old and subsequently started a journey of ABA,
IEPs, ISPs, RPM, GFCFSF and way too many other Acronyms to list. He currently attends Richardson School in
West Allis and Wisconsin Independent Learning College. He recently went through Guardianship and was
transitioned to adult services. Carlene
and Michael Paul are currently working with DVR and he will be working
soon. They are also working to prepare Michael for life after high school and are excited
to see where this journey will take them next!Carlene's contact information:
CESA 2
Carlene Chavez
1221 Innovation Drive Ste 205
Whitewater, WI 53702
Phone: (414) 791-0837
E-mail: carlene.chavez@cesa2.org
