HONOLULU, HI, October 09, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Ladona Beth (Holder/Scott) Schimmelfennig with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Ms. Schimmelfennig celebrates many years experience in her professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process. Moving in and out of several roles over the course of almost five decades, Ms. Schimmelfennig continues to gain speed in her field.
A former chapter president of the Council for Exceptional Children, a former member of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the National Information for Special Education Management, the Southwest Deaf/Blind Association, the Pacific Basin Consortium, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Special Olympics, the Association of American Educators, among many other organizations, Ms. Schimmelfennig has been continuously devoted to taking leadership roles in education. Working together with parents, administrators, principals, teachers, doctors, lawyers, mental heath professionals, therapists and many other service providers, Ms. Schimmelfennig has consistently worked towards goals that empower and encourage the growth and well-being of students with special challenges to their education.
Prior to graduating from the University of Tulsa in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education, Ms. Schimmelfennig volunteered and worked with youth in various related supporting roles in Sarasota, Florida or Tulsa, Oklahoma. Immediately following her graduation, Ms. Schimmelfennig landed her first teaching position with the Special Education Center of Oahu (SECO) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Returning to Oklahoma for the next three years, Ms. Schimmelfennig taught special education students at Monroe Junior High School in Tulsa and volunteered for the Tulsa Mental Health Hot Line, the Lloyd Raiders Juvenile Detention Center, and/or the Hissom Memorial Center after work. Upon her return to Hawaii, Ms. Schimmelfennig was selected for teaching positions with the Honolulu Community Action Program (HCAP), Project Head Start, where she taught preschool students at Makaha Elementary and Kaewai Elementary before she eventually became Head Start's first Special Education Coordinator for the entire Island of Oahu.
After receiving her Master of Arts in Education Administration from Pepperdine University in 1976, Ms. Schimmelfennig ventured to American Samoa where she became the Director of Special Education for the Department of Education in the territory of American Samoa, where she served as both principal of the Special Education Center and director for overall services to children with special needs. During the next three years, Ms. Schimmelfennig worked tirelessly writing grants and state plans to bring financial support as well as programs and services to American Samoan children. Among many other accomplishments, Ms. Schimmelfennig established and was the Director for the first American Samoa Special Olympics, formed in collaboration with the local Rotary Club.
Beginning in 1979, Ms. Schimmelfennig served the Hawaii State Department of Education as the principal administrator for special education services in the Windward District of Oahu as the District Education Specialist (DES) for Special Education supporting 33 schools and State programs until 2002, when she moved into a position in the State's Superintendent's Office as a State Civil Rights Compliance Officer. For the past three years Ms. Schimmelfennig served as the Acting Director for Civil Rights Compliance, until December 2016.
School Year 2016-2017, Ms. Schimmelfennig built stronger connections and relationships to Hawaii's schools through completion of the first State Office Leadership Academy (SOLA) cohort. In addition, she received State recognition and was honored at the annual Education Leadership Institute as a State Recognition Awardee, selected by her peers. Currently, Ms. Schimmelfennig continues to work in the Superintendent's Office as the Civil Rights Compliance Specialist where she has proven her on-going commitment to services for disabled children, adults and the overall compliance of federal, state, board of education administrative rules, and policies, that impact non-discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, and/or disability, among other protected classes.
Additionally, since August 2011, Ms. Schimmelfennig has been actively involved as an adjunct instructor, teaching Master's level and Bachelor's level evening classes for Hawaii Pacific University, continuing her on-going support for the preparation of teachers of exceptional learners.
In her free time, Ms. Schimmelfennig enjoys traveling with her beautiful daughter Malia, and enjoying the music and beauty of her Hawaiian home with family and friends.
Continuously learning, growing, teaching, and sharing Ms. Schimmelfennig has been listed in many editions of Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in the West, and Who's Who of American Women since 1999.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to her profession and the Marquis Who's who community, Ladona Beth Schimmelfennig has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
About Marquis Who's Who :
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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