About
Mission Statement
To operate a pooled special needs trust and act as trustee and administrator for individual special needs trusts with diligence and respect for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Vision Statement
Anchor for Special Needs envisions an efficient and humanized process that empowers individuals with special needs to have agency over their lives.
Value Statements
Anchor for Special Needs envisions an efficient and humanized process that empowers individuals with special needs to have agency over their lives.
Empathy: We lead with compassion as we establish your trust and act as your trustee and trust administrator.
Transparency: We ensure that all our client’s questions and concerns are addressed.
Availability: We are a longstanding team dedicated to providing personal and responsive communication with our clients.
Learning: We place value on education and strive to create programming that strengthens financial literacy for individuals with disabilities and we provide continuing legal education courses for attorneys.
Quality of Life: We believe that trust funds should be available to help enrich your life and our clients should be equipped with the resources to have agency over their lives.
Board of Directors
Anne Chambers – Treasurer
Timothy Schaedig – President
Mary Thompson – Secretary
Staff
SueAnn Schaedig – Executive Director 
SueAnn Schaedig serves as Executive Director at Anchor for Special Needs, Inc., with over two decades of expertise in the field of special needs trust representation, settlement planning, and coordination for disabled adults and children. She specializes in assisting attorneys and their clients with government benefit eligibility issues, Pooled Special Needs Trust advancement and administration. Her accomplishments in the industry include co-founding and developing two national pooled special needs trust organizations.
Prior to her work at Anchor for Special Needs, Inc., SueAnn had a successful career in the financial services industry, beginning as a stockbroker and later co-founding a financial planning practice. This practice served both investment advisory clients and Special Needs legal and planning professionals. Her extensive background in financial planning combined with her expertise of special needs trusts and government benefits has made her an invaluable asset to the clients she serves. SueAnn’s commitment to ensuring individuals with disabilities and their families maintain their financial security is evident in her long-standing and successful career in the industry.
Diana Ghiata – Trust Administration Director
Diana Ghiata acts as the Trust Administrator Director for Anchor for Special Needs Inc. She has been with Anchor for Special Needs, Inc. since March 2017, where she has worked closely with beneficiaries to manage their trust and investment accounts ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
As Trust Administrator Director, Diana is responsible for a wide range of responsibilities including, processing receipts, providing monthly funding, reconciling beneficiary accounts, conducting reporting for new accounts with Social Security Administration and Medicaid, performing Medicaid estate recovery and account closing processes, and providing leadership support for marketing, programming, and fund development.
Before joining Anchor for Special Needs Inc., Diana spent over 16 years in various roles at Alpena Public Schools, including substitute teacher, instructional assistant, and marketing paraprofessional at Alpena High School. Diana holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Lake Superior State University. She is a 1st degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and co-owned and managed Northern Tiger Karate Club, where she was responsible for business operations, marketing, and instruction. Diana is a dedicated family person and a cross-country skiing and running enthusiast. In her spare time Diana enjoys reading, gardening and walking.
Nicholas Modglin – Director of Operations and Programming
Nicholas Modglin is a nonprofit professional who is fueled by his passion for promoting equity and justice in our society. With a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Journalism and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management, Nick brings a wealth of expertise to the organizations he serves. He is also a certified Nonprofit Professional through the Alliance Management Institute.
As the Director of Operations and Programming, Nick’s focus is on managing the “Be Your Own Anchor” Financial Literacy Program, ensuring its success and effectiveness in helping those with special needs achieve financial stability as well as structuring the organization and creating policies and procedures that reflect the nonprofit sector’s best practices.
Outside of work, Nick is an avid reader, writer, and cinema and music enthusiast, who believes in the power of lifelong learning. He is driven by a strong desire to make a positive impact on the world and uses his skills and experience to help nonprofits achieve their goals.
Edie Kerr – Accountant/HR Manager
Edie Kerr is the Chief Financial Director for Anchor for Special Needs, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to operating a pooled special needs trust and acting as trustee and administrator for individual special needs trusts with diligence and respect for individuals with disabilities and their families.
With over 30 years of experience in a governmental organization dealing with grant fundings, Edie has a strong background in financial management and reporting. In her role at Anchor for Special Needs, Inc., she is responsible for providing accurate and timely financial reports and information to support the organization’s operation and growth.
Along with her professional achievements, Edie enjoys spending time with her family, including her 13 grandchildren. In her free time, she can be found reading, playing games, and keeping in touch with loved ones. Edie’s commitment to financial excellence and her passion for serving others make her an invaluable member of the Anchor for Special Needs team.
Jan Dullack – Bookkeeper
Jan Dullack serves as the Bookkeeper for Anchor for Special Needs, Inc., and is a trained professional in special needs trust rules and regulations. Jan provided education to potential special needs trust beneficiaries and their families and interacted with law firms and their clients regarding trust establishment, and settlement distributions. Currently Jan is responsible for staff payroll and is the certified Financial Counselor in Anchor’s Financial Literacy Program “Be Your Own Anchor”.
Jan concurrently maintains financial expertise in all aspects of lending, including mortgage and HELOC loans, VISA cards, closed and open-end loans as well as in-depth knowledge of IRA and HSA accounts. She is a certified Credit Union Financial Counselor who offers financial education to members and the community and is dedicated to continuing her financial education maintaining certification and keeping up to date with the latest industry trends.
Beyond her work, Jan is an avid fly fisherman, plays pickleball, reads, spends as much time as possible in the woods, takes lake photography from her boat, and is a grill master.
Donate through PayPal – For every $30 donated, a student can be given our financial literacy program.
