SUPAC Staff
The SUPAC has full time experienced and knowledgeable staff many who have personal and professional experience with the special education process.
Lisa Finnerty Coggi, Parent Center Director
Lisa Finnerty Coggi is a life long resident of Central New York, a graduate of West Genesee High School, Onondaga Community College and graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Oswego. Lisa has been involved with social justice and advocacy most of her life, however, her true understanding of advocacy and the necessary skills needed to be an effective advocate came after the birth of her first child. Her son Kyle was born with cerebral palsy and developed a life threatening brain infection at 7 years old. First learning the developmental disability world and then the medical world and trying to get the two systems along with the education system to meet her sons needs has been a long process of ups and downs with continued perseverance on everyone’s part. Lisa believes strongly in meaningful parent involvement and has always been a strong presence in her children’s education. She was a volunteer advocate for parents of children with disabilities in various districts, a parent member of the CPSE/CSE for her district, held several roles on PTA committee’s and was instrumental in fundraising and building an accessible playground at Stonehedge Elementary and was consulted for other accessible playground projects, began a support group for parents of children with disabilities in her district and is currently the co-president of the Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association. Lisa currently or previously serves on several committees including The Golisano Children’s Hospital Speakers Bureau and Family Resource Committee, Town of Camillus Febfest, University Hospital Parent Advisory Council, The Special Education Parent Advisory Council and the IDEA Partnership Family School Collaboration Learning Community. Prior to joining SU as the Director of the Parent Advocacy Center, Lisa was a Parent Advocate and training coordinator with Arc of Onondaga through the Advocacy Center, Federal based Parent Training and Information Center. Lisa and her husband Gino have two children. Their daughter Capri is 11 years old and in middle school. Capri loves life, has a great sense of humor and also a great insight to social justice. It was Capri who first instilled Lisa’s involvement in Sibling issues and became a certified Sibshop facilitator addressing the individual and unique needs of children who have siblings with disabilities. Their son Kyle is 18 years old and recently graduated from high school and will be attending OCC in the fall to begin his journey to be an inclusive special education teacher. Kyle also has a great sense of humor, is engaging and has a love for teaching! Kyle is a strong self advocate and assists others in developing self advocacy skills. Kyle’s success is due in part to his perseverance, sense of humor and self advocacy skills in knowing and understanding his disability, his strengths and areas of need and also knowing and understanding the strengths and areas of needs within the systems he is involved with (education, medical etc) Both of Lisa’s children inspire her every day in her personal and professional endeavors.
Cyndy Colavita, Office Coordinator
Cyndy Colavita is the Office Coordinator at the SU Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies. She has worked at the Center for 24 years. In addition to her day-to-day job of overseeing the various projects housed at the Center, she finds time to be involved with in community. She is currently the advisor of the local self-advocacy group, The Self-Advocacy Network and provides supports to the state self-advocacy office housed at the Developmental Services Office. She is the project assistant to the Florida Grassroots Self-Advocacy Project. Cyndy and her husband Rob and son David, live in Fairmount.
Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri, Information Coordinator
Rachael Zubal-Ruggieri is Information Coordinator at the SU the Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies. In 24 years working at the Center, her work has evolved into being responsible for the coordination of informational materials for the Center and its funded projects, including websites, email account(s), Internet mailing lists, and most especially the design and production of promotional materials, including posters, flyers, and brochures. She is also knowledgeable about web design and accessibility for people with disabilities, and has published two articles on web accessibility for people with developmental disabilities. Mother to a 7-year-old child with special needs, Rachael is currently enrolled in the Child and Family Studies program at Syracuse University.