Staff Announcement - December 10, 2019

Welcome Talyia and Colin to Golden Apple!

We are pleased to announce two new members of our Golden Apple staff. Effective December 9, Talyia Eve Riemer, Ed.D., a 1993 Golden Apple Scholar and a 2011 Teacher of Distinction, joined Golden Apple as Director of Placement and Alumni Relations. Effective December 10, Colin McLaughlin joined as the Recruitment and Relationship Manager for the Golden Apple Accelerators Program.

Talyia Eve Riemer, Ed.D. - a Golden Apple Scholar (1993) and Teacher of Distinction (2011) - has joined Golden Apple as our new Director of Placement and Alumni Relations, filling the role Corey Richardson held as he assumes the role of Director of Strategic Partnerships. Talyia brings to Golden Apple 23 years of experience as an educator and administrator in Chicago Public Schools. Most recently, she served as Assistant Principal and International Baccalaureate Program Coordinator at Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies. Prior to that, Talyia taught Language Arts at Daniel Boone Elementary School. As Director of Placement and Alumni Support, Talyia will work with Scholars to find best-fit placements in school districts across the state, and build and maintain relationships with Golden Apple Alumni to support the ongoing work of the Foundation.

Colin McLaughlin is joining Golden Apple to spearhead the recruitment for the new Golden Apple Accelerators Program, the new teacher residency and licensure program that will expedite the preparation of highly-qualified teachers in southern, central, and western Illinois. Prior to this role, Colin served as the Director of Admissions at Greenville University in Illinois and as an Academic Advisor at Metro East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville, Illinois. As Recruitment and Relationship Manager for the Accelerators Program, Colin is responsible for recruiting 50 Accelerators to participate in the program’s inaugural year. Colin holds a B.S. in History and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Congratulations to Golden Apple Staff’s New Roles!

In addition to our new hires, please join us in celebrating the following staff who have changed roles within Golden Apple this fall.

Neal Grimes has assumed the role of Director of Scholar Institutes and Curriculum.

Neal joined Golden Apple in 2018 as the Director of Scholar Institutes, but he was first introduced to the organization in 2005 when he became a Golden Apple Scholar. Neal now manages the curriculum and logistics at Scholar Institutes across Illinois. Prior to joining Golden Apple full-time, Neal participated in Scholar Institutes as a Liaison, Reflective Seminar Leader, and instructor. Neal is a Completed Scholar who has worked as a special education teacher and instructional coach. Neal has a Masters in Multi-categorical Special Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership.

Cristen Lain is now the Director of Research, Analytics, and Accountability.

Cristen joined Golden Apple in September 2018 as the Director of Scholar Analytics and Summer/STEM Institute K-12 Relationship Management. In Cristen’s new role as Director of Research, Analytics, and Accountability, she leads data collection and analysis to support decision-making and policy development within Golden Apple. Cristen brings over 10 years of education work experience to the team. Prior to Golden Apple, she served as the National Director of Alumni Programming for Spark, designing programming for middle school students across the nation. Prior to Spark, she served as the Academic Center Director at one of the nation’s largest public, selective enrollment high schools, Lane Tech. Cristen began her educational career as a mathematics teacher after earning her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Minors in Statistics and Actuarial Science from Loyola University and a Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning and a Middle Grades Endorsement in Mathematics from DePaul University.

Corey Richardson has assumed a new role at Golden Apple - Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Corey Richardson joined Golden Apple in 2014 as the Assistant Director of Recruitment and Placement and was promoted to Director of Placement and Alumni Relations in 2016. Corey has since assumed the Director of Strategic Partnerships role - a newly created position at Golden Apple. In this role, Corey will focus on growing our revenue for the Scholars program, increasing and strengthening partnerships with school districts in the state, deepening mutually beneficial university partnerships as we grow the Scholars program and expanding Golden Apple’s fundraising footprint. Before joining Golden Apple, Corey served as the Regional Admissions Counselor for Western Illinois University and Northwestern Business College. Corey received his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Saint Francis and his M.A. in Leadership Studies in Higher Education Administration from North Central College.