PROFESSIONAL, EXPERIENCED, AND COMMITTED

Judith Winters Spain, J.D., CCEP®

Judy is a licensed attorney and member of the Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania Bars. She has been involved in higher education for over 30 years and is Professor Emeritus from Eastern Kentucky University, serving as MBA Director, AACSB Coordinator, and Associate Dean, College of Business.  Judy serves on the Board of the Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics.  She is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional, a certification designation from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics.

Judy is the author of three books; two of which are focused on higher education - Higher Education Compliance: Blueprint for Success” and “Higher Education Compliance:  What Governing Boards Really Need to Know”.  She is also the author of “Compliance Risk Assessment: An Introduction” published by the Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics.  She is the author of over 25 peer-reviewed journal articles in the field of ethics and social responsibility. Judy frequently speaks and trains on the topics of designing and implementing compliance initiatives, employment law, risk mitigation, Title IX, and effective human resource management.

Judy presently serves as the Georgia Independent College Association Compliance Collaborative Program Consultant.  This is the first and only program of its kind in the nation. Established in 2016, the CCP is comprised of 17 GICA member institutions. Judy provides consulting advice, training, policy reviews, and monthly newsletters to the members.  

Judy served as University Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Eastern Kentucky University, a large regional public university in Richmond, Kentucky, with over 16,000 graduate and undergraduate students.  As University Counsel, Judy spearheaded the effort to establish a compliance program; assuming the role of Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer to implement the initiative.  In that role, she initiated, created, and implemented a compliance program that assessed the university’s compliance with over 200 federal laws.  Judy coordinated an extensive publicity campaign to encourage compliance initiatives including instituting an ethics hotline.  

Judy also served as General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Manhattanville College, a private liberal arts college outside of New York City with over 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students.  At Manhattanville College, Judy designed and implemented the first compliance initiative, identified and trained 68 Compliance Partners, developed a self-assessment survey, assessed compliance with applicable federal laws, and implemented a risk management program.    She developed the first ever College policy webpage, revised multiple handbooks and Board of Trustees documents, and coordinated writing teams for policy development.   

Judy is a graduate of Grove City College and Capital University Law School.  

Disability program specialist

Teresa Belluscio M.A.

Teresa’s twenty-five plus years in Higher Education at the University of Kentucky and at Eastern Kentucky University has led to a specialization in the fields of disability law and disability services administration. Currently Teresa works at the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute as a Disability Administrator of several projects; serving on a team to provide statewide technical assistance to Supported Higher Education Programs (SHEP TAC), as a researcher working in collaboration with other universities, and as the director of a transitional program for high school students with disabilities.

At Eastern Kentucky University, Teresa served as the Director of the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities (OSID) for twenty-one years, managing disability services for 600+ students, managing a team of disability service professionals, and developing new and innovative programs to ensure that students with disabilities succeed at the college level.

Areas of expertise include creating ADA policy, regulations, and processes. One such policy and process included Service and Assistance Animal Policies. Teresa served on the ADA Appeals Committee, working with university administrators in ensuring that new buildings not only met ADA standards but exceeded them. Teresa established employee ADA accommodations and collaborated with statewide partners on matters that affected all Kentuckians with disabilities.

Serving as the EKU ADA Compliance Officer, Teresa offered invaluable ADA guidance, led cases of ADA Compliance resolution, and was trusted by Administrators, Faculty and Staff.As an expert in the field of disability law and compliance, Teresa, in a consulting role, evaluates college disability offices, policies and protocol. Teresa is known statewide for exemplary leadership, knowledge and expertise as well as developing unique and fruitful partnerships within the disability arena.

Teresa is also a Board-Certified Life Coach and consultant. She has a long association with the National Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). She has been a speaker and presenter at numerous conferences including keynote speaker for the 2017 Annual KY AHEAD Conference through the keynote address,” Crossroads; an Opportunity to Take a New Path, Make Decisions and Envision More”, and presented on “Building Revenue Streams and Opportunities” and co-presented: “Don’t Get Bitten by the Snake In Your Residence Hall; Using Best Practices to Build a Solid Assistive Animal Process and Policy” at the 2017 SCCE Higher Education Compliance Conference. She has co-authored numerous published articles including “Animals in Interviews? Don’t Get Bit by Non-Compliance” February 2017 issue of Compliance & Ethics Professional and in 2023 co-authored, “Perspectives on the implementation of pre-ets services: identification of barriers facilitators to early career planning for youth with disabilities”, published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling.

Instructional Design and Educational/
TechnoloGY training Consultant

Mandy Eppley, M.S. 

Mandy  has over 20 years experience in the higher education environment serving as an educational technology trainer, e-Learning consultant, Instructor, and Student Success Program Director of EKU GURUS. Her online and face-to-face student success retention/collaboration GURU program has received national awards and recognition from First Lady Michelle Obama. Her extensive experience as an adjunct faculty and an online learning consultant, working with students, faculty and administrators combined with student success programs, gives her a unique perspective for using higher education technology tools to their full potential.