Jeff Foster, MS, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000.  He received a Bachelor's of Science in Occupational Therapy from University of MS Medical Center, a Graduate Certificate in Vision Rehabilitation and a post-graduate advanced Master's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree from Valdosta State University in Curriculum and Instruction.  Jeff currently provides occupational therapy and assistive technology services in Madison County School District and has been using the Learning Without Tears curriculum since 2007.  He also has served as an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of MS Medical Center and as an adjunct professor of occupational therapy at Holmes Community College.  He holds a certification in the evaluation and intervention of children using the Learning Without Tears curriculum, and has specialty training and experience in the areas of vision and visual processing in children and adults.

*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears and receives salaries from Community Based Education and Development College and Madison County Schools where he is employed*

Hope McCarroll received her bachelor's degree in child development (BS) in 2010, her entry level master’s in occupational therapy (MOT) in 2011 and was part of the first graduating class of the post-professional occupational therapy clinical doctorate (OTD) in Texas in 2016 at Texas Woman's University.  She currently holds her board certification in pediatrics as an occupational therapist.  Her specialty is in school-based pediatric therapy services with published research focused on handwriting and the effects on academic success using the LWT screening tool. Hope has been using the LWT curriculum with her students and her own children since she started as a therapist in 2011.

*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears and receives a salary from University of St Augustine for Health Sciences where she is an employee*

Christina Bretz is an Occupational Therapist from Lexington, Ky. She has extensive pediatric experience providing services to children in school settings, early intervention, home health care and private tutoring. Christina established an annual summer handwriting camp utilizing the Handwriting Without Tears® program. Christina began working for Learning Without Tears in 2002 and currently works as a Program Specialist and National Presenter. Additionally, she balances her time with tutoring children who are experiencing difficulties with handwriting and pursuing her doctorate in Occupational Therapy.

*Receives a salary from Learning Without Tears where she is an employee*

Cheryl Lundy Swift is a 1993 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she double majored in Sociology and Rhetoric & Communication Studies. She received a Master of Education in Administration & Supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Cheryl is currently pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Kean University in Union, NJ. 

Cheryl has been a dedicated educator for over 20 years.  Cheryl has worked in leadership and executive roles for various educational organizations including public schools, post-secondary institutions, and education companies including several leading tutoring and supplemental education service companies. Cheryl is the founder and CEO of EduPower, an education consulting firm that empowers school and business leaders, teachers, parents, and students to reach their fullest potential through professional development, coaching and curriculum.  Cheryl is an award winning educational leader, curriculum developer, motivational speaker and trainer.  She has developed and delivered leadership, team building, and a variety of instructional topics to help transform leadership teams and instructional practices to improve culture and climate, instructional effectiveness, parent involvement and student outcomes for thousands of school leaders and teachers across the country.  She has designed, developed and delivered literacy and math curriculum to benefit thousands of students, teachers and parents across the country.  She served as the Lead Curriculum Developer for Learning Without Tears’ Get Set for School’s Language and Literacy curriculum, which received an AEP Distinguished Achievement award.  In 2017, Cheryl was awarded the Investor Bank’s Educator of the Year Award. 

While Cheryl continues to support schools around the country, most recently, Cheryl took on a principalship of one of her clients, Summit Academy Charter School in Brooklyn, New York.  She led turnaround efforts to improve the overall school culture, parental involvement and state assessment scores.  Summit Academy Charter School has recently received national attention on the Ellen DeGeneres Show where Ellen DeGeneres and Walmart awarded the school $25,000 and the biggest award ever given by the Ellen DeGeneres Show- 4 year scholarships for the entire senior Class of 2017. Ellen DeGeneres and Walmart have continued to pour into Summit Academy and its scholars by following six of Summit Academy’s scholars to college.  Cheryl has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show five times. 

Cheryl enjoys playing golf, singing, dancing, reading, traveling and spending quality time with her family and friends.  Cheryl resides in Westfield, NJ with her husband, Hassan.  They are proud parents of their nephew, Sid and their calico cat, Dashboard.

*Receives a salary from Learning Without Tears where she is an employee*