Meet the Trainers
KMIC Trainers bring a wealth of experience in the field of mentoring and new teacher
training.
Dr. Deanna Gooch, Director, Trainer and Facilitator
Dr. Gooch brings almost four decades of experience as a secondary classroom teacher, building and district administrator, and is presently the Director of the District Leadership Program at Wichita State University. Deanna also serves the department of Intervention Services & Leadership in Education as practicum facilitator in the Building Leadership Program, and mentors pre-service teachers as Success Coach in the Teacher Apprentice Program™. She has served WSU as an adjunct since 2011, and faculty member since 2018. Deanna is dedicated to mentoring and providing support for administrators and novice teachers. She spends her free time having fun with her three grandchildren.
Dr. Deb Ham, Lead Trainer and Facilitator
Dr. Deborah Hamm, WSU Assistant Clinical Faculty & KMIC Facilitator has over 30 years of experience educating students and leading, coaching, and mentoring educators in public schools within several Kansas districts. Her background is in elementary education, but she has been in leadership roles at the secondary level. She served as superintendent in both Newton and Oxford school districts and has been an instructor in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership at WSU since 2003.
Dr. Hamm holds a BA in Elementary Education, a ME in Educational Administration and Supervision, and an EdD in Educational Administration. In addition to her work at WSU, she is an Agency Trainer for Adaptive Schools with Thinking Collaborative.
Traci Holder, Trainer Support
Mrs. Traci Holder is the Director of Instruction and Intervention for Andover Public Schools where, among other responsibilities, she coordinates professional learning, mentoring, MTSS, and instructional materials adoption processes. She previously served as principal at Robert Martin Elementary School in Andover, KS. Her career started as an elementary school teacher in Arizona and then Wichita USD 259. She transitioned from classroom teaching to consulting following the birth of twin boys in 2002. As a consultant she supported school districts in designing credit recovery programs and using technology applications to support student learning goals. Following a move to Texas, Traci started a new role as an education specialist for Education Service Center Region 12 in Waco, TX. There she supported teachers and districts in the areas of literacy and ESOL/bilingual education. After returning to Wichita in 2013, she rejoined Wichita USD 259 as a curriculum coach supporting literacy and social studies. In that role, she served on the district's new teacher induction team and discovered a passion for serving new educators. She currently adjuncts in the WSU Teacher Apprentice Program™ (TAP) and serves as a success coach where she mentors preservice teachers. Traci and her husband, Chris, have twin sons, Ethan and Kaleb. They also have to miniature schnauzers, Roxie and Harley. Traci holds multiple degrees, all from Wichita State University. She is a Shocker through and through!
Erin Nichols, Lead Trainer & Facilitator
Ms. Erin Nichols is the principal at El Dorado High School, she has previously served as assistant principal at El Dorado High School and Northeast Magnet at Wichita USD 259. She also taught at both El Dorado and Wichita USD 259 where she taught both elementary and middle school students, was a literacy coach, and as a full-release new teacher mentor. In addition to her work at El Dorado, she adjuncts in the WSU TAP Program as a success coach and instructor. She has been a trainer with KMIC since its beginning in 2014. She has mentored more than 100 teachers and provides a passionate approach to her work. She lives with her husband, Jason, and has two daughters. Madeline and Riley. They spend the majority of their free time at sporting events.
Andrea Palmer, Trainer & Facilitator
Andrea Palmer is the Executive Director of Professional Learning in USD 266, Maize Public Schools. She previously served as the Coordinator of Special Services and Communications at USD 263, Mulvane Public Schools. She graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and taught at the elementary level in Wichita USD 259. She also holds an endorsement in English as a Second Language as well as a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. She mentored new and veteran teachers for six years prior to leading the New Teacher Mentoring and Induction Program in Wichita USD 259. In 2019 she obtained her District Level License and started her position in Mulvane as Coordinator of Special Services & Communications, where she lives with her husband Gary and twin boys, Kaden and Keaton.
Janci Ramirez, Trainer & Facilitator
Ms. Janci Ramirez is serving as an instructional coach and lead teacher at Irving Elementary Winfield, Kansas. She has been in the elementary environment since 2007. She also is a Lecturer/Adjunct at Wichita State University and a TAP Success Coach at Wichita State University. She holds Masters’ degrees in both Early Childhood/Special Education and Curriculum and Instruction and a Building Leadership Licensure from WSU. She serves on the School Redesign Committee and provides leadership to her colleagues both in district and across the state of Kansas. She has mentored novice teachers for the past several years and brings positive growth to the profession.
Rachael Shipley, Trainer Support
Rachael Shipley is the District Behavior Specialist for El Dorado Public Schools. She previously served as Learning Support Specialist for Rose Hill Middle School, and she has also taught high school English in Mulvane and Derby and middle school English Language Arts in Wichita. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in English and she also holds a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Wichita State University and an Educational Leadership Certificate from Fort Hays State University. She has mentored new and preservice teachers and facilitated professional learning for the last six years. She lives with her husband, Clint, and her two cats, Ralph and Lionel.
Dr. Sherry Goodvin, (Retired Director & Trainer)
Dr. Goodvin brought over 40 years of experience as a teacher, mentor and administrator to her role as the Director of the Kansas Mentor and Induction Center (KMIC). Dedicated to supporting early career teachers in a variety of contexts, she applied her expertise in online mentoring and program administration to develop and deliver mentor training to over 300 teacher leaders and success coaches across Kansas. In addition to her role with KMIC, she was a faculty member in the School of Education at Wichita State University since 2010 and had taught in the Teacher Apprentice Program™ since 2017. She is collaborative and dedicated to mentoring and coaching for personal and professional growth. If you desire to contact Dr. Goodvin, please contact current director, Dr. Deanna Gooch.