Meet the Team: Region 1
2023-24 School Year
As schools welcome students back this fall, we’d like to take this time to introduce members of the Nebraska Multi-tiered System of Support (NeMTSS) team. NeMTSS serves five regions across the state to ensure personalized support to schools and programs in their MTSS implementation efforts.
Regional Support Team Roles
Each Regional Support Team includes four individuals who work together and serve in the following roles to support schools/programs within their region (click the links to watch short videos about what each team member does):
- Regional Support Lead
- Early Childhood Implementation Facilitator
- Social, Emotional and Behavioral Learning (SEBL) Specialist
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coach
Visit the blog each week in August to learn about the individuals on the five regional support teams.
Region 1 Team Members
Region 1 is located in southeast Nebraska and includes ESUs 4, 5 and 6, as well as Lincoln Public Schools.
Regional Support Lead
Heidi Farmer
Heidi Farmer is in her 15th year of education. She grew up in Fairmont, Nebraska and graduated from Fillmore Central Public Schools. Heidi earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Nebraska Wesleyan and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Doane University. Previously, Heidi served as an MTSS coach at ESU 6, Title I teacher and a first grade teacher at Fillmore Central. She is excited to work alongside the Regional Support Leads and the Region 1 team to support districts in implementing a strong MTSS framework that empowers teachers and students. Heidi’s interests include Universal Design for Learning, literacy instruction and building a continuum of support for students.
Early Childhood Implementation Facilitator
Amy Colwell
Amy Colwell has been in education for 28 years. She served Lincoln Public Schools for 23 years, first as a middle-level English teacher, then as a middle-level instructional coordinator, and finally, as an elementary assistant principal. Amy transitioned to the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska as an educational facilitator and equity coach, where she served Omaha Public Schools and Westside. She is thrilled to return to the southeast corner of the state to serve communities with Early Childhood MTSS.
Social, Emotional and Behavioral Learning Specialist
Mackenzie Riedel
Mackenzie Riedel grew up in Lincoln and moved to Wisconsin for her undergraduate work in psychology and at-risk child/youth care. She then moved to North Carolina where she earned a specialist degree in school psychology before moving back to Lincoln in 2018. This is her sixth year in education. She is excited to help school districts create and implement systems to support social, emotional and behavioral well-being among students and staff.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Coach
Susan Wiggins
Susan Wiggins has worked in Nebraska education for over 30 years. Her early years as a teacher were spent as a family and consumer science teacher with a few duties as assigned, including teaching algebra and sponsoring the cheerleading team. While working on her counseling degree, she worked as an educational specialist for the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute. Susan used her counseling degree at Ralston Middle School for the next 25 years. For the past decade, Susan has continued to support students and staff by working with schools to implement the PBIS process.
