Trainers & Consultants

Katie Emerson-Hoss, M. Ed.

Katie Emerson-Hoss, adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz, is an early childhood special educator. Katie has enjoyed working for over 20 years as a teacher, trainer, consultant, and therapist with young children, their families and the professionals that support them.  She provides regional and local trainings, and ongoing support, to schools, Head Start, and Early Head Start on integrating children with special needs and supporting young children’s mental health and positive behavior.

Katie teaches at SUNY New Paltz and is a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology and Methodology at the University at Albany. She received her master’s degree in Early Intervention and Family Support at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the UNC-Chapel Hill. Katie also completed post-graduate work in infant/parent and early childhood mental health at the Institute for Infants Children and Families at the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services in NYC. Her practice and research focus is on child-caregiver relationships, high quality teaching, and early childhood mental health.

Cel Gleason, Ph.D.

Cel Gleason, Professor of Special Education at the College of Saint Rose, is a trainer and consultant with Tinsley. She has extensive experience in the field of education as a teacher, evaluator, and trainer. Dr. Gleason has been a service provider and staff development specialist for Capital District Beginnings located in Troy, New York, and also served as the former Director of the Tinsley Institute.  Dr. Gleason consults with school programs to support young children with challenging behaviors and works with agencies and teams to create system change that benefits children and staff. 

Dr. Gleason received a master’s degree in special education from the College of Saint Rose and her doctorate in Educational Psychology and Methodology from the State University of New York at Albany.  She has taught courses on child development and special education at area colleges and has provided technical assistance to Head Start programs through New York University’s Center for Quality Improvement and Tinsley Institute. Dr. Gleason was formerly the director of the Montessori School of Albany in Albany, New York.

Tom McKee

Tom is currently a Special Education Teacher and Assistive Technology Consultant for Capital District Beginnings, Inc. His teaching experience includes work in self- contained classrooms, an integrated program with Head Start, and in Beginnings community based early intervention program. Tom has been a Master teacher for SUNY Albany Master’s degree candidates in special education, and has taught an Early Childhood Curriculum graduate level course at the College of St. Rose.

Tom is a seasoned trainer who has presented on many Assistive Technology topics to Beginnings staff, CASHA, Tinsley Institute, LEICC in Poughkeepsie, NY, and at several school districts. He is a 1979 graduate of Union College and 1985 graduate of SUNY Albany.