2024 Elections

ASPP Elections 2024

We are pleased to announce that the annual election process for the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania (ASPP) will begin October 1, 2024! This is your opportunity to play a vital role in shaping the future of our association and ensuring that the voices of school psychologists across Pennsylvania are represented.


Positions Open for Election:

**President-Elect**

**Secretary**

**Regional Delegates (NorthWest, NorthCentral, NorthEast,)**


Voting Period:

The voting period will begin on October 1st, 2024 and conclude on October 25th, 2024.

Please contact Jason Pedersen, Nominations and Elections Chair, at jpedersen@hershey.k12.pa.us with any questions.


2024 Candidates



Presidential Candidate : Shannon Dressler


Shannon Dressler is in her twenty-second year as a school psychologist for Upper St. Clair School District, outside of Pittsburgh.  Throughout her tenure at Upper St. Clair Shannon has worked at all levels K-12.  She is starting her eighth year of working exclusively at the high school level and is co-facilitator of the high school MTSS Team.  She is the sponsor for Hope Squad and No Place for Hate at Upper St. Clair High School, supporting mental health and anti-bias initiatives with students.  Shannon is beginning her third year as the Executive Board Secretary for the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania (ASPP) as well as serving on the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Professional Communications Committee.  She is also an adjunct professor at PennWest University-California in the school psychology program and provides contracted services at Psychological Perspectives, LLC conducting evaluations with adults.



Secretary Candidate: Tomeka Farrar


I have been a practicing school psychologist in the public-school sector for 14 years.  Before becoming a school psychologist, I received my M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Millersville University and worked for several years as a Family-Based Therapist and Behavioral Specialist for nonprofit agencies. 

In addition to being a school psychologist, I am the Sole Proprietor of Farrar’s Martial Arts, in operation for 23 years (still going strong).  I have learned much about business management during the past two decades of operating my own business.  I am a Grandmaster, 7th Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, and sit on several prestigious martial arts Boards (Universal System of Martial Arts Organization, Philadelphia Historic Martial Arts Society, and the PA Karate Hall of Fame).  I have experienced the multiple functions of Boards and the interactions between Executive, Trustees, and Advisory Board members. I have been an active participant on these martial arts Boards for approximately 7+ years, and currently serve as Vice President for the Universal System of Martial Arts Organization Board and Trustee for the PA Karate Hall of Fame Board.

During my tenure as a school psychologist, I have worked for 2 school districts.  I have been with my current district, Harrisburg School District for 6 years.  I have been and currently am the Lead School Psychologist for the District and have advocated at the central administrative level for changes for my team of school psychologists. 

Over the past 6 years as the Team Lead School Psychologist, I have:

  • Shared the importance with administrators of having interns every year and negotiated a $5,000 increase in the internship stipend (from $10,000 to $15,000) from the district.
  • Created district-wide threat screening and suicide screening procedures and manuals, and trained administrators in following best-practices when completing these screenings.
  • Wrote a proposal to increase the school psychologists’ team from 6 school psychologists to 13 school psychologists utilizing NASP ratio, and the district approved increasing our team to 10 school psychologists.
  • Assisted in creating consistent MTSS practices and guidelines, and I am now the district’s MTSS Coordinator to assist elementary schools with data analysis, consultation, trainings, etc.
  • Developed and wrote the first official Therapy Dog Policy in the summer of 2023 that was approved last school year.  I am the first in my district, with my dog (Miss Sadie), to use this policy to implement animal assisted interventions in school buildings.
  • Transitioned school psychologists from only using paper assessments to using paper or digital options, and currently monitor and keep track of the yearly school psychologists’ budget and supplies for 10 school psychologists.
  • Participated in the state Mentor-Mentee Program for the APR Initiative.
  • Attended monthly consortium meetings with neighboring school districts school psychologists.
  • Facilitated district training for administering linguistically and culturally relevant assessments.

At this point in my career, I believe that it is time for me to become more involved with advocacy at the state level.  I am looking forward to growing personally and supporting all school psychologists on a broader level.  I am hoping that the role of Secretary for ASPP will be a perfect fit for this opportunity for growth.



NorthWest Delegate Candidate: Marissa Peiffer


Marissa M. Peiffer, PhD, NCSP completed her graduate work in the NASP-approved and APA-accredited program at Texas A&M University. She has trained and worked in public school districts in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon, California, and Texas, as well as pediatric hospitals in Pittsburgh PA, Portland OR, Providence RI, and Houston TX. Dr. Peiffer completed her postdoctoral fellowship at UPMC Children’s Hospital and UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinics. She has experience serving as a school board member for Carlynton School District (PA) from 2014-2021. Dr. Peiffer’s expertise areas include neurodevelopmental disorders, mental health treatments and interventions, school-home-provider collaboration, and parent training.

Dr. Peiffer is the school psychologist at Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit #27 where she serves to strengthen school psychological and mental health services in Beaver County. Currently, she is advocating to improve support and networking amongst Beaver County school psychologists. Dr. Peiffer’s husband, Gary, is the superintendent at Chartiers-Houston School District in Washington County. They have three children who attend Waynesburg University, University of Pittsburgh, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. They also have the sweetest bullmastiff dog, Ohana.



NorthEast Delegate Candidate: Dr. Christina Marco-Fies

Dr. Christina Marco-Fies, NCSP has been employed as a school psychologist at Muhlenberg School District for the past 17 years. She earned her B.A. in psychology from Lebanon Valley College and her M.Ed. in educational psychology, Ed.S. Certificate in school psychology, and D.Ed. in school psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Dr. Marco-Fies has served as the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania’s Northeastern Delegate for the past 10 years and has served as an Assistant Editor for the Insight for two years while attending IUP. She also has served as the Treasurer of the Berks County School Psychologists Association for the past 16 years. Dr. Marco-Fies has presented at the local, state, and national level on topics including self-care, treatment fidelity, multi-tiered systems of support/response to intervention, parenting, school psychology, ethics, and mandated reporting. In her spare time, Dr. Marco-Fies enjoys running, scrapbooking, ice skating, watching ice  and baseball, attending her son’s sporting events, and spending time with her family.


NorthCentral Delegate Candidate: Sarah Rochette

Dr. Rochette has been a practicing school psychologist in Pennsylvania for over 18 years, and has K-12 experience. She currently works at the elementary level in the State College Area School District, and has been involved in district-level initiatives for MTSS (including RtII and PBIS), the English Learner pre-referral process, and Trauma-Skilled Schools. She is an elementary Equity Advocate and BAR-WE co-facilitator at the building level. Dr. Rochette’s role encompasses the domains of the NASP practice model, and she provides system-level and individual consultation for academic and behavioral interventions for general education, ELD services, and learning, emotional, and autistic support services. Dr. Rochette is a Tier 2/Tier 3 PBIS coach, provides evidence-based mental health services, and supports families in meeting the needs of their children in the school setting, as well as collaborating with community mental health agencies. She has been a long-time NASP and ASPP member, and is passionate about advocacy and networking of school psychologists in Pennsylvania.



Volunteer on our Board!

ASPP is also looking for volunteers for the following board positions:

ASPP InSight Co-Editor

  • Supports co-editors with the tri-annual publication of ASPP's newsletter
  • Recruit InSight submissions on  activities, practices, and research that advance school psychological services
  • Review submissions
  • Organize materials for publication


Nominations and Elections Chair

  • Arrange, implement, and oversee annual elections of ASPP officers and regional delegates
  • Participate in quarterly meetings of the ASPP Executive Board