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Perspective Newsletters
Summer 2007
Hellos and Good-Byes
Page 7
 We
have three very important changes to announce. The first change actually occurred
last year when Gail Alexanderwicz became the Program Director at Leary School, Prince
George’s County. Ms. Alexanderwicz succeeded Ms. Deni Brancheau, who had been the
director since the program started in Maryland. Ms. Alexanderwicz is a long time
member of the Leary School family. She initially joined the staff at Leary School,
Prince George’s County in April of 1997. She was a teacher assistant for the first
few months until a teaching position became available during the Extended School
Year (ESY) during the summer of 1997. She was then a classroom teacher for 10 years.
She became a program specialist in the 2002-2003 school year and then, following
Ms. Brancheau’s move, became the program director in the summer of 2006.
Ms. Alexanderwicz was born in Washington, D.C. but grew up and went to school in
Florida, ultimately graduating from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s
degree in elementary education. She received her masters degree from Trinity University
in Washington, D.C. in administration.
Most of her work prior to coming to Leary School was with children and families with
therapeutic needs, including preschool children. Following the birth of her son,
Ms. Alexanderwicz operated a family child care home so that she could be a stay at
home mom. She eventually went to work for a county early intervention program whose
purpose was to help the children in the program avoid the need for a special education
placement when they reached kindergarten. After working with early intervention programs,
she was drawn to work with adolescents.
In Virginia, there has also been a change in the school leader position. Following
the retirement of Ms. Francesca Creo at the end of the 2006-2007 school year, Ms.
Leigh Simpson was appointed Program Director for Leary School of Virginia.
Ms. Simpson is also an established member of the Leary School programs, having joined
the staff in the fall of 2000. Ms. Simpson attended Boston University and earned
a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She worked in the human services field for two
years and then returned to school to earn her master’s degree in social work.
She moved to the Washington, D.C. area where she was the clinical manager of Second
Genesis, a residential drug treatment program in Alexandria, Virginia before joining
the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. She became the Clinical Supervisor
in the Case Management Department at Whitman-Walker. Following her completion of
the two year program in Clinical Psychotherapy at the Washington School of Psychiatry,
Ms. Simpson became a staff psychotherapist at the Eugene Meyer Treatment Center and
then started a private practice. In October of 2000, she left Whitman Walker and
joined the Leary School of Virginia.
Ms. Simpson replaces Francesca Creo, who was with the Leary School programs for 25
years prior to her retirement at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. During her
years with us, Ms. Creo held a number of positions. She initially was hired in 1982
as a part time art therapist before the position eventually became a full time position.
In 1990, after eight years in art therapy and counseling, she became a Program Specialist,
assisting with intakes, case management and administrative duties.
Then, in 1994, she assumed the role of Program Director of the Virginia campus and
ultimately the Director of Programs for the Foundation programs overseeing all the
programs the Foundation operates.
Ms. Creo grew up in Rome before returning to the United States at the age of 14.
After earning her associates degree in Florida, she worked as an art teacher and
exhibited her own work while completing her bachelors degree in psychology and art.
She came to this area in 1980 to attend George Washington University’s graduate Art
Therapy Program.
Now, after 25 years of service to special education, Ms. Creo will be returning to
her art “roots”. We all wish her the very best and, at the same time, welcome both
Ms. Alexanderwicz and Ms. Simpson.
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