leadership and staff
DR. Patricia J. Dukes (owner/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Dr. Patricia J. Dukes, CCC/SLP is the owner and executive director of Loveland Academy. She has expertise and 50 years of experience in speech-language pathology, audiology, psychology, reading and learning disabilities. She is retired from university teaching, having taught for over 30 years in the areas of speech-language pathology, psychology and special education at six major universities, most recently at the John Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. She started Loveland Academy in 1999 (18 years ago) in Makiki, but had the dream to move the campus to a more therapeutic environment, surrounded by mountains and ocean. In the summer, 2015, her dream became a reality and the program was moved to her property in Waiahole, which provides a healing and peaceful environment for those with sensory and/or mental health needs. Her most recent accomplishment was the establishment of Loveland Academy's CARF Accredited Employment Services Training Program.
Dr. Dukes’ background includes work in public schools, clinics, hospitals, home care and private practice. She has designed, established and managed rehabilitation departments for physical, occupational and speech therapies. Her commitment is to excellence in teaching and to the development and implementation of transdisciplinary, state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment methodologies. She felt it was important to seek out international accreditation to certify that her program remained on the cutting edge. CARF Accreditation (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) was obtained in 2001 and has been re-awarded on a regular basis to this day. Dr. Dukes previously owned and operated The Center of Learning in St. Louis Missouri.
When not at work, Dr. Dukes enjoys playing with her 8 Labrador retrievers; ballroom dancing; listening and dancing to Oldies music; attending concerts; snorkeling and watching Detroit Tigers baseball.
Dr. Dukes’ background includes work in public schools, clinics, hospitals, home care and private practice. She has designed, established and managed rehabilitation departments for physical, occupational and speech therapies. Her commitment is to excellence in teaching and to the development and implementation of transdisciplinary, state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment methodologies. She felt it was important to seek out international accreditation to certify that her program remained on the cutting edge. CARF Accreditation (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) was obtained in 2001 and has been re-awarded on a regular basis to this day. Dr. Dukes previously owned and operated The Center of Learning in St. Louis Missouri.
When not at work, Dr. Dukes enjoys playing with her 8 Labrador retrievers; ballroom dancing; listening and dancing to Oldies music; attending concerts; snorkeling and watching Detroit Tigers baseball.
Andy, who has his masters degree in education, has been with Loveland Academy for over 11 years. Over this time, he has taught elementary through high students. He currently teaches in the vocational program, providing instruction and mentorship to youth and young adults, primarily in the areas of nursery plants, yard and landscape maintenance, aquaponics and culinary arts. His expertise is in hands-on teaching, combining academics in interesting ways with vocational education to motivate students to learn. Andy also has experience training new skills trainers and personal assistants (and takes on a supervisory and leadership role in teaching interns, volunteers and new skills trainers) as they learn to work with youth and young adults with special needs.
dr. patricia j. dukes (speech and language pathologist)
Patricia J. Dukes, PhD, CCC/SLP
In addition to her role as the Executive Director of the Academy, Dr. Dukes is also a practicing speech-language pathologist. With younger children, she works to promote skills in the areas of receptive and expressive language, articulation, voice, fluency, auditory processing, and social language. She has expertise working with children with a variety of diagnoses, including deaf and hearing impaired, cerebral palsy, cleft palate, autism, Down's Syndrome and a wide variety of other neuro-developmental disorders. Dr. Dukes believes in a transdisciplinary approach to therapy and prefers to work in real-life settings so that her clients will have an easier time of transferring their new knowledge into practical real life situations (the ones in which they actually need to use their speech and language skills). For this reason, she is typically seen doing therapy outside the confines of a therapy room.
With adolescents and young adults, the focus in speech therapy often shifts to targeting the communication skills necessary for getting and/or keeping a job. Sometimes, students have speech articulation or language issues that create a barrier to employment. Other times, their speech and language skills are adequate, but they lack the social language skills necessary to interview well, get a job and then keep the job after they have been hired. Communication in the workplace is a difficult skill to master, even for workers who do not have any diagnosed speech, language or communication issues. Dr. Dukes uses a hands-on approach, working with each client as s/he directly faces the communication challenge in the workplace. She believes that teaching these skills outside the natural context is not worthwhile and that students cannot learn workplace communication skills in a therapy room.
Dr. Dukes has 50 years of successful experience helping her clients master the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. Her extensive experience is cited elsewhere in the leadership section of this website. Additionally, since speech communication skills are used throughout the day across all life scenarios, Dr. Dukes also teaches those who live and work with her clients to communicate with them more effectively. She knows that communication is a "two-way street" and that all persons in the client's environment should be trained in ways that will encourage successful communication.
In addition to her role as the Executive Director of the Academy, Dr. Dukes is also a practicing speech-language pathologist. With younger children, she works to promote skills in the areas of receptive and expressive language, articulation, voice, fluency, auditory processing, and social language. She has expertise working with children with a variety of diagnoses, including deaf and hearing impaired, cerebral palsy, cleft palate, autism, Down's Syndrome and a wide variety of other neuro-developmental disorders. Dr. Dukes believes in a transdisciplinary approach to therapy and prefers to work in real-life settings so that her clients will have an easier time of transferring their new knowledge into practical real life situations (the ones in which they actually need to use their speech and language skills). For this reason, she is typically seen doing therapy outside the confines of a therapy room.
With adolescents and young adults, the focus in speech therapy often shifts to targeting the communication skills necessary for getting and/or keeping a job. Sometimes, students have speech articulation or language issues that create a barrier to employment. Other times, their speech and language skills are adequate, but they lack the social language skills necessary to interview well, get a job and then keep the job after they have been hired. Communication in the workplace is a difficult skill to master, even for workers who do not have any diagnosed speech, language or communication issues. Dr. Dukes uses a hands-on approach, working with each client as s/he directly faces the communication challenge in the workplace. She believes that teaching these skills outside the natural context is not worthwhile and that students cannot learn workplace communication skills in a therapy room.
Dr. Dukes has 50 years of successful experience helping her clients master the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. Her extensive experience is cited elsewhere in the leadership section of this website. Additionally, since speech communication skills are used throughout the day across all life scenarios, Dr. Dukes also teaches those who live and work with her clients to communicate with them more effectively. She knows that communication is a "two-way street" and that all persons in the client's environment should be trained in ways that will encourage successful communication.
kathryn hurd (vocational EDUCATION COORDINATOR)
Kathryn (Katie) Hurd is Dr. Dukes' daughter and basically grew up at Loveland Academy. She began working in the office and helping in the classrooms during breaks from Kaiser High school and during her undergraduate and graduate years at the University of Hawaii. Katie holds an undergraduate degree in Biology and a graduate degree in Microbiology. Her master's research focused on Bacterial Genetics with an emphasis on cell differentiation. In addition to being the farm manager she supervises the vocational training programs. She is passionate about public education and awareness around GMO's, living sustainably, leaving a small footprint, maintaining an ocean-friendly Bistro and growing food organically. She teaches courses in Aquaponic Farming and helps our interns and students earn a Certificate in Aquaponic Farming. She wrote the curriculum and lesson plans so they can be used by a wide array of students from graduate students in biology to high school students in special education. Katie enjoys going to the beach, the company of good friends and being continually amazed by her daughter, Ava, and son, Lincoln.
elena hamm (SPECIAL EDUCATION teacher)
Elena has been a teacher at Loveland Academy for over 15 years. She received her degree in education from Brigham Young University. Elena began her career as a preschool teacher at Central Union Church and later became a kindergarten teacher in the Hawaii Department of Education. She has worked as a special education resource teacher in the DOE for elementary grades, as well as at Loveland Academy. In recent years, Elena has been teaching vocational education to older youth and young adults with special needs. She has a long history of working with young adults, both typically developing college student interns and student teachers, as well as with special needs youth and young adults. She has been an instructor, supervisor and role model to many young adults learning to become skills trainers and personal assistants.
Her role in our vocational education-training program has been varied, and includes teaching child development, culinary arts, housekeeping skills and commercial arts and crafts (making items for sale in our gift shop, including flower lei and greeting cards).
Her role in our vocational education-training program has been varied, and includes teaching child development, culinary arts, housekeeping skills and commercial arts and crafts (making items for sale in our gift shop, including flower lei and greeting cards).
ANDY FOX (vocational teacher)
Andy, who has his masters degree in education, has been with Loveland Academy for over 11 years. Over this time, he has taught elementary through high students. He currently teaches in the vocational program, providing instruction and mentorship to youth and young adults, primarily in the areas of nursery plants, yard and landscape maintenance, aquaponics and culinary arts. His expertise is in hands-on teaching, combining academics in interesting ways with vocational education to motivate students to learn. Andy also has experience training new skills trainers and personal assistants (and takes on a supervisory and leadership role in teaching interns, volunteers and new skills trainers) as they learn to work with youth and young adults with special needs.
jennifer tano (Assistant teacher)
Jennifer has worked at Loveland Academy since right after it opened its doors in 1999 and has served Loveland Academy and its clients for 16 years. She has recently been teaching clients both pre-vocational and vocational skills related to working in a nursery gift shop and restaurant. Pre-vocational skills include the teaching of time management, organization, oral and written communication skills, work ethic, sanitation and cleanliness, work safety rules, safe food handling practices and customer service.
Jen's teaching of vocational skills in the gift shop includes teaching her clients to: work the POS machine and credit card machines; count the drawer prior to and after each shift; take inventory; label and price merchandise; merchandise the products to have customer appeal; maintain cleanliness in the floral design, gift shop and on-line sales areas; care for gift plants; check in merchandise and stock shelves.
In a Farm to Table Bistro, Jen teaches her clients: food preparation; safe food handling practices; taking orders; delivering food; cleaning dishes and following commercial kitchen standards while preparing and serving food to customers.
Jen's teaching of vocational skills in the gift shop includes teaching her clients to: work the POS machine and credit card machines; count the drawer prior to and after each shift; take inventory; label and price merchandise; merchandise the products to have customer appeal; maintain cleanliness in the floral design, gift shop and on-line sales areas; care for gift plants; check in merchandise and stock shelves.
In a Farm to Table Bistro, Jen teaches her clients: food preparation; safe food handling practices; taking orders; delivering food; cleaning dishes and following commercial kitchen standards while preparing and serving food to customers.
karen kalawe (Administrative assistant)
Karen first worked with Dr. Dukes as a therapy assistant and skills trainer in her private practice and later helped open Loveland Academy in 1999. Both of Karen's children (the oldest now in high school) went to preschool at Loveland Academy's preschool, Lokahi Montessori School. Karen has worked with our youth and young adults in many capacities. Initially, she served as a teacher assistant in the classroom, working with children and teens with developmental disabilities. Later, she became our biller and administrative assistant. Currently, she not only manages both accounts payable and accounts receivable, but also teaches office skills and restaurant skills. In the office, she teaches our vocational educational students to: file documents, invoices and client records; perform data entry; type letters; do mailings; take inventory; prepare orders for vendors and stock shelves when supplies are delivered. In the restaurant, she teaches clients to: follow serve safe guidelines for commercial kitchens; prep food; bake breads, muffins and pastries; do food prep for the chefs; and keep the kitchen clean according to health standards. Not to leave anything out of this "Jill-of-All-Trades'" daily life, Karen also serves as Loveland Academy's Intake Coordinator and is the person who makes initial contact with all prospective students.
Dr. George bergholz (mental health and art therapist)
Dr. "George", as he is affectionately called by staff and students alike, has his doctoral degree in psychology and is one of the only (if not the only) practicing art therapists in the state of Hawaii. He is also trained in martial arts. Dr. Bergholz uses a combination of methods and strategies to reach a wide variety of clients and address their concerns. He has been working with Loveland Academy students off and on for the past 17 years and has been practicing in the field of mental health for many years before joining Loveland Academy.
Dr. Bergholz uses a combination of individual and group therapy to address students' mental health needs, according to their needs. He is very open to self-referral. Dr. Bergholz also works with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation so he has the right background to help students develop the skills and behaviors that are needed to successfully compete in today's workforce. Dr. George targets those goals as well as any others that the individual student requests help with, including those that affect the social and emotional aspects of their life, both at home and in the community. Additionally, he has expertise in addressing the student's recreational and leisure time skills as needed or requested. Through art and other therapies, Dr. Bergholz is able to address a unique variety of issues, including those related to history of abuse, PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, adult ADHD, and developmental disabilities. He has truly made a significant difference in the lives of many of our clients. It is truly amazing how far some of our clients have come. Many, who were previously thought to be unemployable, now have steady jobs with good benefits and an above average quality of life.
Dr. Bergholz uses a combination of individual and group therapy to address students' mental health needs, according to their needs. He is very open to self-referral. Dr. Bergholz also works with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation so he has the right background to help students develop the skills and behaviors that are needed to successfully compete in today's workforce. Dr. George targets those goals as well as any others that the individual student requests help with, including those that affect the social and emotional aspects of their life, both at home and in the community. Additionally, he has expertise in addressing the student's recreational and leisure time skills as needed or requested. Through art and other therapies, Dr. Bergholz is able to address a unique variety of issues, including those related to history of abuse, PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, adult ADHD, and developmental disabilities. He has truly made a significant difference in the lives of many of our clients. It is truly amazing how far some of our clients have come. Many, who were previously thought to be unemployable, now have steady jobs with good benefits and an above average quality of life.
lucy morelii (multimedia and vocational art Teacher)
Lucy has been an art teacher at Loveland Academy almost since its inception. For 16 years, students in Miss Lucy's art classes have developed self-esteem and self-confidence as they have engaged in the therapeutic activity of pounding, molding and modeling with clay. Students in her ceramics classes have produced many items for sale in the gift shop including pots, vases, garden markers, and decorative plaques and ornaments. Recently, a grand opening of Loveland Academy art work, in the form of mosaic tiles, was held at the Keiki Zoo entrance at the Honolulu Zoo. Lucy and her Loveland Academy students are currently working on a set of three massive mosaic tile scenes (animals on land, in the air and in the water) which will soon adorn the wall of the student's outdoor learning center at Waiahole Nursery & Garden Center. Lucy, herself, is an accomplished artist. She was won awards for Raku and has designed many textile and fabric prints, many of which have been made into clothing and sold locally. She has an art degree with an emphasis in textiles.
mark masaki (Skills Trainer, vocational training)
Mark has been with Loveland Academy for over a decade. He has a degree in psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has many years of experience as a skills trainer. Mark began with Loveland Academy in 2005 working with typical preschool children in the Lokahi Montessori Preschool. Later he began working with special needs children, youth and young adults as a skills trainer. He has been a role model for many young and inexperienced skills trainers and has proven his ability to lead them, both as a trainer and as a role model. In the current program, Mark provides vocational training to youth and young adults with disabilities, training them to work in the nursery, gift shop and bistro.
robbie currie (building trades and maintenance)
Robbie mentors volunteers, interns and students in the areas of building trades and maintenance. He has experience in all areas of building and has led many of the recent building projects on campus. When possible, he allows students to observe and to take an active role in his on-going projects. He also helps design projects, acquires materials and takes a leadership role getting projects started. He has been able to incorporate our adults with disabilities into building projects as they are able. This could include prepping the work area, cleaning up the area as work progresses and carrying materials needed for the job. Students like working with Robbie and take pride in seeing the finished projects. Interns from other countries have learned to build aquaponic systems with Robbie's help and have taken their newly gained knowledge back to their countries with the idea of starting sustainable farms.
leonora ching (occupational therapist)
Leonora has spent a lifetime working in the field of mental health as an occupational therapist. She has worked in psychiatric hospitals, day treatment programs and in residential treatment facilities helping clients with mental health issues address their occupational, vocational, emotional and daily living needs. She has worked with Loveland Academy students for several years and her treatment has been successful for a wide variety of mental health diagnoses.
Leonora currently also works as an OT at Kahi Mohala, a psychiatric hospital on Oahu.
Leonora promotes a trans-disciplinary and inclusive environment as she encourages Loveland Academy interns, volunteers, staff and students to all work alongside one another in a shared work environment. Each learns from the other. All have strengths to share. Modeling and hands-on teaching is an emphasis in her therapy sessions. People with disabilities work along side those who are neuro-typical. Leonora knows how to model appropriate work skills, as well as teach them directly. She has been highly successful in helping our young adult clients with autism to gain the skills necessary to enter the workforce and compete for jobs. Leonora is internationally known as the "Pickle Lady" and has been interviewed in magazines and on television. She has her own cookbooks and is in high demand for doing cooking demonstrations for a wide range of events. We are proud to have had her mentoring our students for the past 6 years.
Leonora currently also works as an OT at Kahi Mohala, a psychiatric hospital on Oahu.
Leonora promotes a trans-disciplinary and inclusive environment as she encourages Loveland Academy interns, volunteers, staff and students to all work alongside one another in a shared work environment. Each learns from the other. All have strengths to share. Modeling and hands-on teaching is an emphasis in her therapy sessions. People with disabilities work along side those who are neuro-typical. Leonora knows how to model appropriate work skills, as well as teach them directly. She has been highly successful in helping our young adult clients with autism to gain the skills necessary to enter the workforce and compete for jobs. Leonora is internationally known as the "Pickle Lady" and has been interviewed in magazines and on television. She has her own cookbooks and is in high demand for doing cooking demonstrations for a wide range of events. We are proud to have had her mentoring our students for the past 6 years.