Alpha School school director and transition specialist retire

By Ron Petersen

Clint Reid and

Gail

Klimek are both stepping down from Alpha School at the same time in 2023.

Reid who was the Alpha School director for the past 15 years, decided after working at Alpha School for a total of 36 years, that it was a good time to retire.

“There have been no complaints – it’s been a good ride and I am ready to get off,” Reid said. “I appreciate the opportunity they give me to do this job.”

For the first 11 years at Alpha School, Reid was a teacher and then became a program coordinator for the next 11, before he took on the director role. Over the last 36 years, Reid has seen plenty of change including changes in the program and adding staff.

“When I started working here, there were 18 employees, but now there is 32,” Reid said. “I’ve tried to add staff almost every year.”

Along with working with the rest of the staff and kids that have gone through Alpha School, Reid have made plenty of memories including being promoted twice.

“It was a big move for me when I was promoted to my first administrative job because I was in the classroom for 11 years. I wasn’t looking at going into administration, but then the opportunity provided itself,” Reid said. “It was quite a turn going from a teacher to advising people I had been peers with. It was a good move and when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. It was great seeing kids make progress through the years.”

One of the people Reid worked with when he first became a director, was transition specialist, Gail Klimek.

“Gail’s been my right hand – he’s the stabilizing factor and I am a loose cannon,” he laughed. “He keeps me grounded and he’s helped me keep focus.”

Klimek has been working at Alpha School since May of 1984, where he started out as an intervention specialist and later became the transition specialist.

Klimek said he’s enjoyed working with Reid as his ‘right-hand man’ and he said Reid was one of his favorite directors to work with over the last 15 years.

“Clint’s been a great director – I would have to rank him right at the top of the directors that I have worked with,” Klimek said.

“We just work hand and hand – we know what each other is thinking and we bounce things off each other all the time.”

Klimek told Reid in 2022 that the 2022-2023 school year would be his last year at Alpha School, so the two both knew that 2023 was going to be the last year together.

“I’m just fortunate to be a part of Alpha School for so long. I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years with changing of offices and leadership,” Klimek said. “It’s been a good career and It’s been a good ride.”

Alpha School is already prepared to replace Reid and Klimek.

Jenni Allen, a former Alpha School employee, will take over as school director, while Kylee Starmer-Wilson will be the new transition specialist.

Volunteers needed for research study

The Department of Gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is looking for individuals who are 50 years and older that are currently serving as an unpaid, family caregiver to an individual with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease or Frontotemporal Dementia.

The study will involve one virtual visit for one hour and will be conducted over the internet. Compensation for study participation is available.

The experiment involves completing online questionnaires, interviews and computer tasks.

To be eligible for the study, you must be 50 years of age or older and currently serving as an unpaid family caregiver to an individual who is 40 years of age or older with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Fronto- temporal Dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease, for five hours a week or more, for at least six months.

In addition, to be eligible you should have comprehension of written and spoken English and have completed a minimum of two years of high school or higher.

You are not eligible for the study if you have a diagnosis of a neurological or psychiatric disease (e.g., stroke), history of drug abuse, vision, hearing, cognitive, or motor difficulties, or if you are currently pregnant.

For more information about the study, please contact: Naomi Adjei at the Aging Brain and Emotion Lab (402-554-5961) in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha or by email at (ABELabUNO@gmail.com).