Your HISRA Staff
From here you can get to know a little bit about HISRA’s staff.
To learn more about our Staff Members, click on their name:
Katie Hogan Van Cleve, Executive Director
Katie has focused her career serving individuals with disabilities for over 20 years. In 2002, Katie joined HISRA as Executive Director. Since that time, Katie has overseen the addition of two park districts to HISRA’s service area, the creation of the Peoria Wildcats, the only wheelchair basketball team between Chicago and St. Louis, and has been instrumental in the Access the Experience event run in conjunction with the IHSA March Madness Experience. Katie has dual degrees in psychology and social work with a minor in political science from Bradley University. She lives in Peoria with her husband and daughter.
Shelby Martin, Program Coordinator
Shelby Martin started working at HISRA in the summer of 2014. Over the years she has worked as a camp aide, camp leader, camp specialist, and night & weekend program leader. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2016 and finished her master’s degree in special education in July of 2022. Shelby taught first grade in the public school system for 5 years before transitioning into the role of a HISRA program coordinator. She is excited to combine her education experience with her special recreation experience to create meaningful and exciting opportunities for the HISRA community.
Ginger West, Focus Program Leader
Ginger joined Focus in 2019 as the Focus Program Leader and plans all the awesome activities Focus does throughout the week!
Aaron Barrington, Program Coordinator
Aaron has been an integral part of the HISRA family since 2018, bringing passion, dedication, and a deep commitment to our programs.
A retired teacher, Aaron spent 33 years inspiring students at Dunlap High School before dedicating more of his time to HISRA. He and his wife Julie — also a valued member of our team — have been married for 30 years and share a love for working alongside our staff and participants. Their daughter, Rachel, is a strength trainer in Normal, continuing the family’s passion for fitness and wellness.
Aaron is an avid sports fan (especially baseball!) and has a soft spot for classic country tunes. In his new role, he’s looking forward to supporting athletes and their families as they grow through competition, skill-building, and the joy of being part of a team.
