Eighth Edition Marquis Who’s Who INSIGHT 7 KATY DIBBLE Exceptional Children’s Teacher Durham Public Schools Durham, NC https://marquistopeducators.com/2025/07/14/katy-dibble/ How do you feel your industry has changed/evolved? I noticed that when I switched from a resource classroom that uses a researchbased program to facilitate learning, my students can obtain their goals. However, the adaptive curriculum for elementary schools, while structured, does not account for the general curriculum for students. I understand that my district, like many throughout America, lacks funding resources and needs more qualified teachers and instructional aides. Therefore, by being short-sighted on the part of federal and state lawmakers, you're making me teach two curricula. Everyone is different, so I can't provide the proper instructional needs for each student as stated in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). What innovations or technologies do you feel will shape the future of your industry? I love the program that North Carolina uses for IEPs, the ECATS, because it provides smooth translation without losing instructional time when students move from one county in North Carolina to another. This has helped streamline necessary paperwork and significantly decreased delays What excites you the most about your industry? Seeing my students, who face unique challenges, obtain the goals that were set for them in the IEP. I love seeing them gain confidence in themselves and get excited about the next instructional step. I love how the education industry embraces new technologies and creates and expands this area. Not only does this benefit teachers, but it also helps align students with personalized instruction. SHANNON J. DOBBS Founder Food System Hackers PBC Fountain, CO www.foodsystemhackers.com/ How have you navigated disruptions in your industry to remain a top professional? When I first entered the food movement, I aimed to put a grocery store in downtown Reno. I found out the hard way that retail lobbyists in Nevada are working at every level of government to maintain the food system’s status quo. After much pushback, I realized real change isn’t likely through the nonprofit sector because corporate interests control funding mechanisms. Charity programs depend on donations from the wealthy, who then tend to dictate operations via their checkbook. It’s not a sustainable system. If we want to tackle the root causes of food waste and access inequality, we have to empower communities from the bottom up. I'm showing people how to create grassroots initiatives using market-aligned strategies to make them sustainable and scalable. Empowerment is key – how do we put impactful tools and strategies into the hands of communities? We leverage existing community resources and crowdfund equipment to begin rescuing food and then scale up. With the right strategy, local advocates can start a grassroots program anywhere in the country. What excites you the most about your industry? Food is the heart of the community and touches all our lives deeply. We make all our major decisions as a family and as a community around the kitchen table. Food and housing are the core of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – we all have to eat. Being able to rescue food resources, place them in a community, and use them as a catalyst creates more connections. That’s exciting.
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