2022 - 2023 NSPAC Officers
Alyssa Degon, President, NSPAC
Alyssa Degon is originally from New Jersey, but became familiar with the Boston area as an undergrad at Boston University. After 11 years working in publishing in NYC, she and her husband settled in Northborough in 2009. Alyssa joined the board of NSPAC in 2018, inspired by the progress and dedication of previous NSPAC board members and eager to continue to work with the district and the special needs community. Alyssa's family has since moved to Southborough where her 2 children attend public schools Trottier and Neary.
Johanna Sheyner, Vice President, NSPAC
Johanna Sheyner is a resident of Southborough where she resides with her husband and two daughters. Originally from Connecticut, she studied at the University of Connecticut and worked as an IT Manager and Project Manager for over 15 years. She held various manager positions in the insurance, retail, and technology industries until 2017; when she took a sabbatical from the corporate environment to focus her attention and energies on supporting her younger daughter who was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. Johanna joined the board of NSPAC in 2019 holding various positions. She has a passion for educational equity for individuals with a disability and social inclusion for those individuals who are marginalized based on their disability. Additionally, Johanna has a desire to help support families in navigating the sometimes confusing world of special education.
Nikol Maher, Secretary, NSPAC
Nikol Maher grew up in Connecticut and went to Loyola College for her Bachelors and Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology. Her passion to work with underprivileged children led her to work for New York City and Boston Public Schools as a speech pathologist. Nikol and her family moved to Northborough in 2012, where she continued her work as a speech pathologist until the birth of her son. She now has three children in the Northborough Public Schools, including one with significant special needs. Nikol hopes that her unique perspective will be an asset to the NSPAC board, which she joined in 2021.
Joelle Gilmore, Treasurer, NSPAC
Joelle is a mom of three who currently works as the Testing Coordinator at St. Mark's School in Southborough. In that role she organizes the logistical operations of standardized testing for this prestigious independent high school. Joelle also works as a College Essay Reviewer for Bright Horizons College Coach where she helps students to hone their messages and highlight their written voices in college application essays.