About Us

Meet Our Staff & Executive Board

Helen Roussel

Executive Director

Helen Roussel founded the Dyslexia Advocacy Action Group to advocate for students with dyslexia and bring effective evidence-based literacy programs to public schools. She is also one of the founding members of Decoding Dyslexia New York. Helen was appointed to the New York State Department of Education Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Task Force, which works to bring vital literacy policies and laws to ensure all children learn how to read and receive a proper education. Additionally, she is a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates and the New York Council of Nonprofits.

Helen's dedication to her field is evident in her continuous pursuit of knowledge. She has received training in the Orton-Gillingham approach and The Writing Revolution, and her advocacy skills were honed at Wright's Law, New York City Bar, and Long Island University. Helen holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Studies. She is pursuing a Master's Degree in Social Work to further enhance her ability to advocate for students with learning disabilities.

Helen resides with her husband and three children in New York.

Suzanne Schneider

Director of Public School Programs

Suzanne Schneider, M.S. Ed. is a Literacy Specialist, advocate, academic tutor, and literacy evaluator. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Boston University in 1993 and a Master’s Degree from Hunter College in Special Education, with a concentration in learning disorders, in 1995. Suzanne started her career as a public school teacher first in NYC, then in Westchester County. During her 12+ years in public education, she served as a general education classroom teacher, special education integrated co-teacher, a reading specialist. and is a consultant at Southern Westchester BOCES.
Suzanne provides professional development training to teachers, administrators and parents in public schools. She trains teachers to incorporate multi-sensory techniques into all content areas, executive function training, dyslexia awareness, phonological awareness training, structured literacy approaches and the science behind teaching reading. Her training includes, but are not limited to, several Orton-Gillingham approaches, Lindamood-Bell, and The Writing Revolution. She has utilized these approaches to help students with learning disabilities and special needs for over 25 years.

Sarah McCandless Quinn

Treasurer

Sarah McCandless is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Suffolk Federal Credit Union and was previously Vice President and Controller for Bridgehampton National Bank. Recently honored as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business Sarah McCandless is recognized for her professional leadership and business acumen, mentoring and community involvement. Sarah is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)and New York State Society of CPA’s.
Sarah’s community leadership and service include; serving on the Board of Directors for the Girls Scouts of Suffolk County, treasurer for Sag Harbor Elementary School PTA, former volunteer of the Finance Committee at Most Holy Trinity Church, the Ernst & Young LLP Mentoring Program, the JPMorgan Corporate Challenge, the Association for Retarded Citizens and the Children's Museum of the East End.
Sarah resides in Sag Harbor with her two daughters.