In February of 2009, we held our annual meeting and board elections.   All of our board members are extremely involved in and knowledgeable about Pattison’s Academy and its mission and we thank them for their time and financial support.  However, we most appreciate our board members’ commitment and passion to improve the lives of children with disabilities.  Our advisory board will continue to grow as we apply for charter school status and utilize the valuable resources of the very talented and highly qualified people within our community.

Board Members

• Dr. Kim Caristi - President
• Dr. John Rowe, Jr. - Vice President
• Maggie Michael - Secretary
• David Brown- Treasurer
• Tracy Blanchard
• Patricia Coker
• Carrie Cormack 
• Carmel Dodds
• Cindy Dodds - Founder
• Sally Edmunds
• Dr. Neil Herring
• Maurice Johnson
• Gerry Kelly, PhD.
• Debbie Lamb - Founder
• Bonnie McAlister
• Julia Schrecker
• Beth Sharp
• Pamela Sloat - Founder
• Kimberly Wilson - Founder

Advisory Board Members

• Elizabeth Grubbs
• Sam Hines
• Dr. Denis Keyes
• Beth Rucker
• Althea Salter
• June Todd

Sloan Todd Cooper, Executive Director
Sloan Todd Cooper has over 12 years of experience working with children and adults with varying developmental disabilities.  After obtaining a BS in sociology from the College of Charleston, she been working for the Disabilities Board of Charleston County and eventually became a Service Coordination Supervisor.  As a Supervisor,  she managed Medicaid waiver budgets and supervised a team to ensure over 325 families and consumers received quality services.  She has served on several local charity boards and has received the Outstanding Service Award from Protection and Advocacy.  She and her husband of 13 years have 2 boys William and Nathan.

Cindy Dodds, Founder and Director of Physical Therapy
Cindy Dodds has over 20 years of experience as a physical therapist.  She obtained a BS in Physical Therapy from the Medical College of Virginia in 1985 and a Masters in Health Science from the Medical University of South Carolina 2000.  She has experience in pediatric neurodevelopmental treatment and hippotherapy. Cindy is a member of the Neurodevelopmental Treatment Association, is a registered hippotherapist, and is a member of the American Hippotherapy Association.  She is adjunct faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina and is currently working on her PhD. She most enjoys working with children impaired with multiple handicaps. 
 
Debbie Lamb, Founder and Director of Occupational Therapy
Debbie Lamb has over 15 years of occupational therapy experience.  She attended Clemson University prior to obtaining her BS in Occupational Therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1989.  She is certified in neurodevelopmental treatment and sensory integration praxic testing.  Formerly she served as president of the Low Country South Carolina Occupational Therapy Association.  She is currently a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the South Carolina Occupational Therapy Association. 
 
Kimberly Wilson, Founder and Director of Education
Kimberly Wilson has nearly 10 years of experience working with children with disabilities and specializes in teaching students with mental retardation and profound mental disabilities.  She has a B.S. in Special Education from the College of Charleston.  She organized a support group for parents of children with disabilities and served in the Peace Corps for two years in Morocco.  While with the Corps, she taught orientation and mobility to children who were visually impaired.  She currently teaches children with profound mental disabilities in Mt. Pleasant and is the volunteer coordinator for Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding.
 
Pamela Sloat, Founder and Director of Operations & Programming  Pamela Sloat is Pattison's mother and also the mother to Pattison's sisters Amelia and Mariana.  She has almost 10 years of experience with fundraising organizations and over 5 years of project management and research experience as a software designer for non-profits.  She previously served for three years as the Executive Director of Pattison's Academy. She has served on the Charles Webb/Ed Croft Committee of the Coastal Community Foundation and has served on the board for Carolina Children's Charity.