Ellen is the Project Co-Director for the Rural Institute’s Transition & Employment Projects and the Montana DeafBlind Project at the University of Montana, where she has worked since 1996 on Transition and Employment for youth with significant disabilities. She is currently working as a consultant to NCDB in the area of Transition to Employment and Community Life for students with DeafBlindness and Intellectual Disabilities, as well as a consultant with Marc Gold & Associates (MG&A). Ellen has worked in the field of Developmental Disabilities since 1986. Prior to coming to Montana her experiences included hands-on service delivery, program development and program management in community residential and supported employment programs. She received her Master’s degree in Special Education from Boston College in 1990 after completing course work in Transition and Supported Employment. At the Rural Institute she has served as the Principal Investigator and Project Director for numerous Federal and state-funded grants. She provides technical assistance, training, and on-site support to schools, agencies, and individuals and families predominantly in the areas of customized employment, transition,and systematic instruction.