Meet The Presenters At UPAS'24
Duncan Wyeth
Duncan Wyeth was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant. His parents were strong advocates for his full inclusion in a wide range of community programs and services long before federal and state legislation mandated these rights for persons with disabilities. Duncan obtained his undergraduate and master's degrees from Michigan State. He has taught at both the high school and university levels and has held administrative positions in national and state programs that serve persons with disabilities. Duncan's many volunteer activities have included programs that address disability civil rights, quality of life, education/training, sport/recreation, and community access. Duncan is a resident of Eagle Harbor and a tireless advocate for ensuring physical and programmatic access for ALL.
Jen Shaud
Jen Shaud was diagnosed with mobility impairments resulting from a congenital endocrine disorder as a young toddler and Lupus as a teenager. She sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of a serious surgical error when she was 26.
Her dedication to special education marks Jen's academic journey. She earned her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in special education from Towson University. Her pursuit of knowledge continued as she obtained a Master’s degree in Teaching At-risk youth and a reading teacher certificate from Goucher College. Her Master’s research delved into the impact of teaching empathy on students' behavior in a therapeutic school.
For most of her teaching career, she taught early childhood special education, mainly in preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade classrooms. When her disabilities made teaching in a classroom setting too dangerous, she served as an adjunct professor of graduate education at Goucher College, where she taught classes on teaching reading, the evaluation and interpretation of special education assessment, and coached pre-service teachers. She also served as the executive director of a charter school and IEP chairperson. Since moving to the Keweenaw, she has volunteered to make the Keweenaw a more accessible place as part of Equipment Loans of the Keweenaw and the Accessible Keweenaw Initiative. In her spare time, she enjoys adaptive sports such as swimming, hand cycling, cross-country sit-skiing, gardening, and reading.
Susan Estler
Susan started her career as a graphic designer and transitioned to destination marketing with the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau for seven years as a Marketing Director. She was then hired as the Vice President of Marketing or Visit Panama City Beach. She navigated the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and the opening of a new airport in her six years with the organization.
Susan took up a position as the Executive Director in Scranton Pennsylvania and then recruited for her current position as CEO of Travel Marquette. During her seven-year tenure, she has launched Respect Marquette County, a partnership with Leave No Trace, to educate locals and visitors on best practices for enjoying the county in sustainable ways. Susan and her team have also launched a strong accessible program with SAIL, the Superior Alliance of Independent Living.
Dr. Michelle Morgan
Dr. Michelle Morgan worked as a psychiatrist for more than 25 years at Copper Country Community Mental Health Services. Dr. Morgan's patients were people of all ages living with serious mental illness, developmental disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. She learned a tremendous amount from them.
Since her retirement five years ago, she has focused on community-level prevention of mental health and substance use crises. Dr. Morgan is a founder of Keweenaw Support 4 Healthy Minds, a group that promotes mental health "through connection and community". We aim to reduce stigma, educate the public, and support those at risk for suicide and other crises.
Karyn Juntunen
Karyn Juntunen taught at the Copper Country Intermediate School District for 25 years. She developed the Community Transition Program for adult students with Moderate Cognitive Impairments which was the first one in the Upper Peninsula. In this community-based program, she taught adult living and work skills and developed work-based learning contracts with local businesses for her students to learn hands-on job skills. Karyn produced fundraising projects such as beaded ornaments and soy candles and used a greenhouse with her students to sell plants to the community. Karyn became the CCISD Greenhouse Coordinator in 2019 to develop a program for all CCISD students to utilize a donated greenhouse structure, raised beds, a perennial garden, composting bins, and apple cider presses.
Karyn is now retired from teaching; however, after nine days of retirement, she started working for Copper Shores Community Health Foundation as the Farm-to-School Coordinator for a pilot program. This is an opportunity to continue her passion for teaching in a gardening setting toward the goal of increasing healthy eating with students in the local school districts.
Jerry Juntunen
Jerry Juntunen is a lifetime resident of the Copper Country. He is a Vietnam Army Veteran, former C&H Copper Miner, and Copper Range White Pine Copper Miner. He worked 25 years as a Journeyman carpenter for local construction businesses Gundlach Campion, Mattila Construction, and Tribal Construction. Jerry left the construction business to become the Houghton County building inspector. He was involved with all construction phases of both commercial and residential including blueprint reading, ADA compliance, layout of projects, and supervision. He has been happily retired for 12 years.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessibility is an important topic for Jerry. His son, Derek, was involved in an accident at the age of 10 that resulted in Derek being on a ventilator and using a power wheelchair. Derek lived independently with private nursing care and attended Michigan Technological University until his passing in 2012.
Sue Anderson
Sue Anderson is an Accessibility Services Coordinator at SAIL, the Disability Network of the U.P. She works with state and federal agencies and other entities to create an Absolutely Accessible U.P. -- an Upper Peninsula where physical environments and services are barrier-free.
Sue has lived in the U.P. for nearly 25 years and is a graduate of NMU's Teacher Education Program. She came to SAIL after working for Gwinn Schools as a special education teacher for about 15 years. Sue and her late husband, Eric, have two children, Lydia and Aidan. In her free time, Sue enjoys spending time with friends and family, walking, practicing yoga, reading, researching her genealogy, and brushing her cats.
Meet Our Panelists At UPAS'24
Jamie Glenn
Jamie Glenn is an Accessibility Advocate at SAIL, the Disability Network of the U.P. She is working to make our UP communities more accessible for all. Jamie also assists with SPAR recreation, independent living skills, and workshop events.
Jamie graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2018 with a degree in creative writing and journalism. During that time, she volunteered within the Marquette community and brought about change within the university setting. She was an elected representative for the Committee on Diversity, helped create the NMU food pantry, and advocated to create change within the NMU transportation system. She served as a Down Campus representative and was the Chair of the Academic Affairs for the Associated Students of Northern Michigan University.
As a former "Bay Cliff Kid", she understands how important a support system can be. Jamie values people and the environment and seeks to advocate and create system change within all diverse populations.
Zach Edgerton
Zach Edgerton was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 1996. Zach dealt with intrusive, debilitating symptoms that included social anxiety and impaired concentration. Zach accepted his mental illness when he discovered that recovery is possible; "I could thrive, not merely maintain. I could achieve and regain goals and dreams that I had before my diagnosis". Zach pursued treatment that introduced him to effective medications and helped him acquire valuable coping skills that helped him prosper through the challenges and adversities.
Through treatment and experience, Zach was able to concentrate and function better in social situations. He achieves recovery. Recovery granted many opportunities for Zach including employment, graduating high school, and graduating from Michigan Technological University with a degree in Communications.
"I discovered that I could use my recovery and my degree in Communications for several purposes." Zach has had the opportunity to lead support groups for people with mental illness, speak to the public about his experiences with mental illness, and write as an advocate for others struggling with mental illness. He notes "I am fortunate to live a high-quality life".