Charge Forward

Meet the Team

Our team of knowledgeable, experienced, and attentive educators are ready to help you take your student support program to a new level.

The right experience

About Dean Lesicko

Dean Lesicko has over 35 years of experience in education as a teacher, school counselor, administrator, and university adjunct professor. While serving as a central office administrator, Dean and his team successfully garnered over $3 million in grant funding to help develop two award-winning programs: a district-wide student assistance program, and a district-wide elementary school counseling program. He held a state elected position as president of the California Association of School Counselors and continues to serve that organization as a mentor to new school counselors

The right knowledge

About Teresse Lewis

Teresse Lewis brings over a decade of experience in effectively and compassionately working with at-risk youth, families, and educational service providers. Teresse, a former at-risk youth herself, brings passion, knowledge and skills to the clients she serves. She is dedicated to providing education and training that positively impacts the trajectory of students, families, and communities. This passion has led her to serve in the role of Executive Director of The Empowerment Center – a non-profit family training center.

The right support

About Linda Rieger, Ph.D.

Linda Rieger, Ph.D. worked as an elementary school counselor for Los Angeles Unified School District for 15 years. Before becoming a school counselor, Linda worked as a special day class teacher and a resource specialist. She also taught first grade at the American School in Guadalajara, Mexico. Linda is also bilingual Spanish. Through Boulden Publishing she has authored “Something Scary Happened to Me”, “Foster Forward”, “Someone I Love Is in Prison” and “Where is Home?” four workbooks for mental health professionals to use with elementary school children. She has also published a board game for children in crisis entitled Kit Kat’s Tool Kit for Tough Times. Recently, she has opened a Counselors section on Teachers Pay Teachers website with several other counseling materials.

The right perspective

About Renée Cobb

Renée Cobb has served in secondary schools for over 22 years as a teacher, counselor, school administrator, and district administrator in Lynwood, Compton, and Beverly Hills Unified School Districts. In addition, she spent over 5 years as an adjunct professor in the Counseling Department at Santa Monica College, and as a college counselor for the Los Angeles Community College District. She has utilized her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy working with individuals ranging from school-age children to adults within the court system. Renée loves helping people and families untangle the “ropes” of life in order to stand up and create positive change in their lives.

The right approach

About Frank Fravel 

Frank has served as a school counselor for twenty years, and has worked with all levels, kindergarten through college. He has a passion for working with diverse populations and enjoys each unique story, culture, background, and more. He has a restorative, culturally sensitive, and non-judgmental approach and is exceptionally skilled at listening, generating “outside-the-box” ideas, and building on student strengths and assets to help them towards their path to success and happiness. Frank has received employee of the year recognition from all three districts he has worked for due to his work in implementing innovative programs and services such as the founding of “Onward Murrieta.” This was a partnership between the city and school district aimed at shifting the community paradigm from college prep and A through G only, to promotion of trades, apprenticeships, and other post-secondary plans as equally valued options as well.

The right consultant

About Bob Tyra

Bob Tyra retired from the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) in 2011 after twenty-seven years of service as a counselor, assistant principal, consultant and project director. His consultant and project director positions centered on technical support for K-12 counselors in eighty LA County school districts, with two of his projects involving statewide publications and advocacy work. Previous to his work at LACOE, he worked as a middle school and high school counselor and Adult School ESL instructor and as a school counseling program adjunct professor at CSULA from 1987 to 2000.

The right talent

About Leilani Richardson

Ms. Richardson’s experience as an educator, military liaison and therapist makes her a uniquely qualified and talented school counselor. Her clinical training is a tremendous asset in supporting students and families experiencing trauma, loss and difficult life transitions or events.

The right support

About Melissa Hacker

Mrs. Hacker has been a School Counselor for 9 years. She received her Master’s in Educational and Clincal Counseling. Prior to becoming an elementary school counselor, Mrs. Hacker was an educator in Child Development for 10 years. Mrs. Hacker’s experience as an educator in Child Development has provided her valuable knowledge and training that she utilizes each day in her counseling work with students. Mrs. Hacker loves being a school counselor and enjoys her interactions with students, staff, and parents. She believes it is important to provide support in all areas: social/emotional, academic and career/college.