Faculty Information
Executive Director
Dr. Barbara Thronson, Superintendent of Schools in Richfield, ID
Dr. Barbara Thronson has been an Elementary and Secondary Teacher in addition to being a Principal. She has also been a Superintendent in three districts in Montana and one in Idaho. In two districts, her schools won national awards for excellence with their N.W. Lab's Onward to Excellence school improvement program. Dr. Thronson was selected to represent "rural America" at an International Leadership Conference in Oxford, England in 2001. In 1995, she attended the Harvard Leadership Institute's, "Leadership - an Evolving Vision" with educators from around the world. She earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio; M.A. in Special Education from Michigan State University and her Doctorate at the University of Montana. Download letters of praise for SVLI.
Program Directors
Cindy Clabby, Program Director
Cindy has over 30 years experience teaching elementary school in Idaho schools. While she has taught most of the elementary school grades, her passion is for 4th and 5th grade. A master teacher, Cindy was nominated for the Walt Disney American Teacher Award, helped design both the language arts plan and the technology plan for her district, was a state grader for the Idaho Direct Writing Assessment and has written numerous school and district grants. She currently supervises student interns for the University of Idaho.
Michael Clabby, Program Director
Michael Clabby is the winner of the 2007 National Teaching Award for the State of Idaho. He has been a teacher for the past 32 years. His experience and wisdom are the driving force behind developing a program of "Best Practices" in the use of technology in the classsroom. Mike is the example of an Educator as a Leader. His creative and innovative drive proves what a powerful concept this can be in building a classroom environment dedicated to seeking excellence in all aspects of learning. Featured in Hewlett Packard's Big Success Stories Magazine in 1999, Mike's program at Lake City High School, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho was one of five institutions recognized. The others he shared this honor with were: Michigan State University, Stamford University, Yale University and the Universtity of San Diego.
Faculty
Kitty Brunn
Kitty graduated cum laude in 1973 from the University of Idaho with a degree in elementary education. Beginning her teaching career in northern Idaho, she has taught for 31 years in public schools, grades K-3. Kitty's unique teaching abilities and her passion for education led her to becoming involved in faculty leadership and development roles including these successful programs: RTI ( Response to Intervention ) and Site Council. She has been involved as a Read Naturally faculty and volunteer trainer as well as an instructor for the Accelerated Reader Program. At the Idaho State level, she has been chosen to be one of the graders for the Idaho District Writing Assessments. In 1996, Kitty was named Teacher of the Year, an honor given to her by the Post Falls Education Association, for developing and implementing a sustainable after school activity program involving well over 100 students. This program became a model adopted by other schools because of its success. In 2000, she was selected as a Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year. Kitty continues keeping children close to her heart by being a member of The Sun Valley Leadership Institute's coaching faculty. In this role, she is able to leverage her teaching wisdom by helping others in education find their true potential for creating magic in their classrooms and inspiring their students to become life long learners committed to excellence in all they do.
Michael Johnson, Ph.D.
Dr. Johnson brings to the Sun Valley Leadership Institute his extensive experiential background in K-12, Higher Education, Foundations and Business. He has been an educator in Idaho, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Iowa, California and Texas. When serving as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Western Region Higher Education for Apple Computer, Inc., he was working with governors, legislatures and university systems for program development and evaluation, technology planning and technology integration. Dr. Johnson has served on the faculty and as department chair of Educational Leadership at Drake University, Eastern Washington, Pepperdine University, University of Alaska. In August 2006, he joined the Educational Leadership faculty at the University of Idaho, Boise Center where he is engaged in teaching courses examing change trends in higher education being brought about by technology and economic forces — what he has termed the Wal-Martization of higher education.
Karla Kay Shaffer
Karla received her degree from Boise State University in Elementary Education. She had such a rewarding experience teaching middle school language arts, drama, math and all subjects K-8 in a "one room" school that it inspired her to continue her education at Brigham Young University, where she earned her Masters in Guidance and Counseling. She is an Idaho Licensed Professional Counselor and worked as a counselor at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. Karla returned to full time teaching in the fall of 2005, and she has been actively engaged in kindergarten, middle school math, and physical education in the Richfield School District. She has recently changed positions, expanding her role to the new school counselor for students K-12 in the Richfield and Dietrich School Districts.
Cathy Weyen
Cathy Weyen graduated from the University of Idaho and has taught for 33 years in three Idaho School Districts: Rathdrum, St. Maries and Kendrick. For most of her teaching career Cathy has taught first grade, developing a passion for helping her student's learn the excitement , personal satisfaction and joy of learning. One of her specialties is helping young students learn to become highly competent readers. Recently retired, Cathy has worked as an education specialist with an emphasis on reading at the Lee Pesky Learning Center in Boise, Idaho. Cathy's experience with elementary students and her wide ranging experience makes her an important and valuable addition to our SVLI Team.
Clients
Michael J. Smith, Principal of the Richfield School
Michael J. Smith is the Principal of the Richfield School in Richfield, Idaho. In August of 2004 he received his Master of Education Degree with a major in Administration from the University of Idaho at Moscow. Mike has extensive experience as a Middle School, Junior High School and High School Teacher as well as an athletic coach. He is an active participant in ongoing professional development through a number of programs he has attended around the country. Mike has been the principal of the Richfield School since 2003. Under his vision and leadership, Richfield has continued to raise it's educational excellence, making the school one of the best institutions of secondary education in the State of Idaho.
