Firelands Elementary School

Chad Heileman is the Director of the Center for Out of School Advancement (COSA) at Open Doors Academy. He leads a team of seven Regional Specialists dedicated to elevating the field of out-of-school time education and programming by supporting over 300, 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grants—and their teams of staff—across the state of Ohio. COSA provides technical training, on-site and virtual consultations, and staff development to all of Ohio’s 21st CCLC Program Managers, Site Coordinators, and front-line staff, indirectly impacting the lives of over 40,000 Ohio students every year. In addition, Chad oversees ODA’s nine custom afterschool locations in Lima (4), Mansfield (2), Firelands (2), and Sandusky (1).

Chad has worked with out-of-school time organizations, school districts, youth, and families for over 12 years. Before joining ODA in August of 2023, Chad was the Senior Director of Programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Ohio Alliance and Director of School-Based Initiatives for Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio. Over 10 years of service to communities across the state of Ohio have taught Chad the power of afterschool programs to connect students not just to fun, unique experiences, but to caring adults, creating a safe place for meaningful relationships to be built, and resulting in a life-changing impact.

Chad earned his Master of Science degree in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction from Concordia University in 2012 and his Bachelor of Science in English from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2006. He and his wife, Kim, have three children and enjoy spending their time fellowshipping with family and friends, camping, fishing, kayaking, tending to their vegetable and flower gardens, and supporting their children as they pursue their passions.

Anastazja Kotowski is the Program Coordinator at Firelands Elementary School in Oberlin, Ohio, and a paraprofessional at Firelands High School during the day. She joined ODA in the fall of 2023. Anastazja graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and later transitioned into the field of education. She is passionate about showing young scholars how capable they are of achieving whatever they set their minds to. In her free time, Anastazja enjoys working on home projects with her husband.