Susan Tachau

Executive Director

Susan Tachau serves as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF). She is responsible for the overall management of the Foundation, helps determine its policy priorities, and raises funds to support its operations.

Prior to joining PATF, Ms. Tachau was the policy analyst and policy coordinator for the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University. In that position, Ms. Tachau assisted with the Institute's "systems change" efforts by developing coalitions among various disability organizations and people with disabilities and their families. Ms. Tachau also helped develop and introduce legislative and regulatory initiatives, both in Harrisburg and in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Tachau was a founding member of PATF’s Board of Directors. Currently, she serves on the PA Department of Public Welfare´s Home and Community-Based Stakeholders Planning Team and she represents PATF on the PA Disability Budget Coalition. Ms. Tachau is also on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Council and the PA Center for Adapted Sports. She also serves on the Technology Subcommittee of the National Council on Independent Living.  For sixteen years, she was on the Board of Directors for United Cerebral Palsy of Pennsylvania and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Philadelphia.

Ms. Tachau is the mother of three children, two of whom have disabilities. She has a B.A. from Colorado College and a M.A. from the Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University.

Tracy Beck

Operations Director

Tracy Beck serves as Operations Director for the Foundation.

Ms. Beck has over 25 years experience in the human service and education field. Her area of expertise is in program design and evaluation, and housing for people with disabilities.  Ms. Beck is responsible for implementing policies and procedures that expand opportunities for accessing assistive technology devices as well as managing the day-to-day operations of the loan program.

Prior to joining PATF, Ms. Beck was the Executive Director of Residential Living Options, an organization that assists people with disabilities in creating housing options. She also serves on numerous committees and boards that promote independent living for people with disabilities. Ms. Beck is the immediate past president of the Self-Determination Housing Project of Pennsylvania and also a board member of the Center on Hearing and Deafness.

Ms. Beck recently married and resides in Wilmington, DE. She and her husband are world travelers.

Gretchen Schubert

Senior Program Manager

Gretchen Schubert serves as Program Manager for the Foundation. Her primary responsibilities include helping individuals through the application process and educating applicants so that they understand their creditworthiness. Ms. Schubert offers basic financial education, assists with the underwriting of loan applications, and compiles and manages the loan data. In addition, she also provides information and assistance regarding other possible assistive technology funding resources.

Ms. Schubert is a graduate of Penn State and Temple University. She is a notary public, an elected auditor for Amity Township and an active member of PA Serv, a volunteer program for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Schubert worked in the for-profit sector and then spent ten years working with children with disabilities.

Jeanne Koehler

Operations Manager

Jeanne Koehler is the Operations Manager. She provides administrative support for PATF, manages the overall data collection set, and she helps consumers with the application process for the Mini-Loan/Mini-Grant Program. Ms. Koehler is married and has two sons (Kyle and Jon).  Kyle uses an augmentative communication device and some sign language to help him communicate.  He recently upgraded his AT to an iPad and iPod Touch with the Proloquo2go application.  Ms. Koehler has two dogs – Ellie is a certified therapy dog and Holly is a puppy in-training!