Meet our Staff
The Stern Center has a diverse professional staff of diagnosticians and master instructors. We work as partners with parents, teachers, and medical professionals to build bridges for learning.
Blanche Podhajski, Ph.D., President
Dr. Blanche Podhajski founded the Stern Center for Language and Learning in 1983 with a clear mission: she envisioned a literacy center that combined direct services for individuals, training for educators, and research on learning differences. Thanks to her vision, the Stern Center has become a respected literacy resource for our region and for the nation.
Dr. Podhajski has over thirty years experience working with individuals with learning differences. She teaches and consults with educators throughout the country and is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences. Learn more.
Sally Conant, M.S., SLP, Program Director of Educational Services
Sally Conant brings significant classroom, special education, and leadership experience to the Stern Center. She has held positions in the public schools, at the University of Vermont - Communication Science and Disorders Department, and was most recently a Case Manager and Speech and Language Pathologist in the Williston School District, Williston, Vermont.
John Connell, M.B.A., Chief Financial Officer
John Connell began his affiliation with the Stern Center in 1998 and has more than 35 years of experience, including 20 years in senior financial and business management in nonprofit, education-related organizations. John's former positions include Business Manager for Pine Ridge School, a residential high school for adolescents with learning differences, and Fiscal Director for Burlington College, an alternative 4-year college dealing primarily with adult learners. He has held similar positions in the for-profit world.
Janna Osman, M.Ed., Program Director for Professional Learning
Janna Osman comes to the Stern Center having spent 8 years as the Learning Disabilities Consultant at the Vermont Department of Education. She spent 18 years as a special education practitioner and a practicum coordinator at St. Michael's College. Her collaboration with the Stern Center, in her role with the DOE, led to the development of The VT Lab School, and a Tier 3 assessment and instruction design for students with learning disabilities. Her new position at the Stern Center enables her to design and provide outreach professional learning opportunities for educators and families, to enhance the lives of all learners, on both a state and national level.
Edward R. Wilkens, Ed.D., Development Director
Ed Wilkens comes to the Stern Center having spent 19 years as a public school principal in Vermont serving populations from preK-12. Ed also worked for the US Department of Education for six years providing technical assistance and policy consultation relating to special and general education. After a year as the Stern Center’s Community and Education Liaison, Ed was named Development Director in September 2007.