OUR BOARD MEMBERS

For over two decades, Dr. Alyssa Ford-Heywood has served in organizations that advocate for the well-being of children and families. Dr. Ford-Heywood has experience in the K-12 education sector and in the non-profit arena, providing both direct and managerial support for programs focused on addressing the needs of children and families. Presently, she is the Director of Performance Management in the Office of Human Resources at Pittsburgh Public Schools. 

Dr. Ford-Heywood’s strengths include leading cross-functional teams, refining programs for continuous improvement and leading/supporting change management within organizations. These skills are bolstered by her strong project management skills, strategic communication abilities, and expertise in process standardization. 

Dr. Ford-Heywood received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. Additionally, she has earned her doctoral degree in Administration and Leadership Studies with a concentration in Nonprofit and the Public Sector from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Further, Dr. Ford-Heywood is a recent graduate of the TALI Leadership Academy.

Dr. Tamara Durant is the Program Director of Instructional Design and Technology at Relay Graduate School of Education. With a strong background in systems improvement, project management, and instructional leadership, she has spent over a decade refining educational practices and empowering others to achieve high-quality results. As a former classroom teacher, Dr. Durant received the New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Award in 2016, a recognition of her ability to engage and inspire students while driving academic success.

Throughout her career, Dr. Durant has demonstrated an exceptional capacity for leading educational initiatives. By leveraging data and research-backed strategies, she has worked to improve instructional practices and foster environments where both educators and students thrive. She is deeply committed to ensuring educational equity, particularly by addressing the needs of underrepresented communities. Dr. Durant is passionate about driving systemic change in education through social justice initiatives. 

She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on Social Justice from Duquesne University. Dr. Durant also has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Howard University (Washington, D.C.), and a master’s degree in adolescent special education from Long Island University (Brooklyn, NY).

Michael E. Weber is an accomplished tax professional and dedicated advocate for education, currently serving as Board President of the ACLD Tillotson School. With over 15 years of experience as a trusted advisor in the accounting and legal professions, Michael is a Tax Partner at a Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP, where he focuses on serving the needs of middle-market businesses and high-net-worth individuals—particularly those in family-owned enterprises.
Throughout his career, Michael has developed a reputation for delivering thoughtful, strategic, and technically sound tax advice tailored to closely held businesses navigating growth, succession planning, and evolving regulatory landscapes. His ability to bridge the gap between complex tax matters and practical business needs makes him a valuable resource to his clients and peers alike. His practice spans federal, state, and local taxation, with a focus on long-term value creation, compliance, and minimizing risk. Michael is both a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and an Attorney, bringing a comprehensive and multidisciplinary perspective to the clients he serves. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Duquesne University in 2007, and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law in 2011. In addition to his client work, Michael is an adjunct professor of tax at Carlow University, where he mentors future professionals and shares his passion for tax policy, law, and planning. Active in the professional community, Michael is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), the Allegheny Tax Society, and is a past president of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Tax Section. His leadership in these organizations reflects his commitment to advancing the profession and staying engaged with the latest developments in tax law and accounting. Michael’s role at the ACLD Tillotson School is a natural extension of his passion for education and lifelong learning. He believes deeply in the mission of empowering students through individualized education and support, and brings a thoughtful, mission-driven approach to board leadership. His blend of strategic insight, professional experience, and dedication to educational advancement make him a proud and effective steward of the school’s vision and goals.

Brayden Kameg, PhD, DNP, PMHNP-BC is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) and an enthusiastic advocate for children and adolescents with mental health and neurodevelopmental problems. Dr. Kameg works with children and adolescents at a private practice in the South Hills of Pittsburgh and serves as an educational resource/consultant to local school districts surrounding best educational practices for children with mental health and neurodevelopmental problems.

Dr. Kameg is currently an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, where she coordinates the PMHNP Program. She also coordinates the PMHNP Residency Program at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. 

Dr. Kameg has served on the ACLD Tillotson Board since 2022 and currently serves as Board Secretary. She is passionate about allowing children and adolescents to meet their educational and psychosocial potential and is enthusiastic about ACLD Tillotson School’s work.

Dr. Kameg holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh, and also earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a professional certificate program in gender-affirming care at Columbia University.  

Mr. Breisinger is a retired Information Technology executive with 35+ years of progressive experience covering a wide range of business applications, technology and infrastructure. He held roles of increasing responsibility at Westinghouse, Giant Eagle, Thermo Fisher Scientific, TRACO, the Eaton Corporation and Guardian Protection. With strengths in strategy, leadership, project management, communication, planning, employee development and recognizing emerging technologies he has a proven track record leading large IT departments, conceiving, developing and implementing solutions to support the business and achieve competitive advantage.

In retirement, Mr. Breisinger has focused his time on his immediate family (wife Debbie and adult children Allie and Dylan), large extended family, travel, DIY projects and charity.

The ACLD Tillotson School is delighted to announce the election of Rodrick (Rick) Mason to the ACLD, Inc. Board of Directors. ACLD, Inc.—the Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities—serves the Greater Pittsburgh Region, and its Board provides strategic leadership and guidance to the Tillotson School.

Rick, the executive director of The Pittsburgh Project, brings a wealth of expertise and an unwavering commitment to supporting children, families, and communities. His extensive experience as a community leader, advocate, and fundraiser for diverse student groups and families positions him as an invaluable asset to the ACLD Board. Known for his dedication and widely respected in his field, Rick has consistently worked to improve lives through education, the provision of resources and outreach.

With Rick’s leadership, the ACLD Board is well-positioned to enhance the transformative impact of the Tillotson School, which provides exceptional educational opportunities for students with complex learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. His contributions will further strengthen the school’s mission of fostering growth, success, and inclusion for every student it serves.

Dr. Joseph (Joe) Ashenden, SLPD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. In this role, his primary responsibilities include providing clinical education and classroom teaching in the undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Ashenden’s areas of academic focus include child language development and disorders, neurodiversity-affirming approaches when supporting autistic people, and best practices in educational service delivery. Dr. Ashenden’s clinical and research interests are centered on educational speech-language pathology, and teaching and learning in the field of communication science and disorders. 

Dr. Ashenden joined the University of Pittsburgh from Pittsburgh Public schools, where he served as a speech-language pathologist for students in grades kindergarten through 12.  Dr. Ashenden is passionate about supporting the communication needs of children with disabilities and training future clinicians to be evidence-based and patient-centered in their clinical approach. Dr. Ashenden received his Doctorate in Speech-language Pathology from Northwestern University. Both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in speech-language pathology are from the University of Pittsburgh.