Press Releases

Protulis Joins ACES as New Department Director

July 31st, 2019

(North Haven, CT – July 31, 2019) Eric Protulis has been named Director of Area Cooperative Educational Services’ (ACES) Pupil Services and Collaborative Programs Department. ACES Executive Director Thomas Danehy made the announcement. Protulis comes to ACES from EastConn Regional Education Service Center (EastConn) where he was Director of Special Services. EastConn serves the Nutmeg State’s northeast section as one of Connecticut’s regional educational service cooperatives (RESC) and member of the RESC Alliance. ACES is also a RESC Alliance member serving 25 communities in south-central Connecticut. 

“We are extremely excited that Eric has taken over this important and successful program. He is uniquely qualified to take the role due to his education, training, and experience,” said Danehy. “His combination of understanding the functions of a RESC and practical experience of overseeing all EastConn’s agency divisions supporting students with special needs including: two clinical day treatment programs, an autism program, psychological, behavioral consultation, transition, assistive technology, and nursing services should prove to be invaluable. ”

Protulis takes the helm of ACES Pupil Services and Collaborative Programs that provides ACES internal schools with specialized services such as social work, developmental guidance, and a variety of other physical and mental counseling services. The department also offers AT evaluations for individual students as well as classrooms to determine how to improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. Consultations and continuation of services provide ongoing training and support of the student’s AT supports to increase effective utilization of assistive technology. The Connecticut native assumes the department’s direction from Vanessa Taragowski who retired after more than 15 years at the helm in June. Before EastConn, Protulis served as the Director of Special Education and Pupil Services for Connecticut’s Regional School District #8 in Hebron, Connecticut.

In 1995, Eric graduated from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and subsequently awarded a Masters of Arts Degree in School Psychology. In 2010, Protulis attended Sacred Heart University where he received his Sixth Year Degree in Educational Leadership.

About ACES:

Area Cooperative Educational Service’s (ACES) is to transform lives through education, innovation, and leadership. One of six Connecticut regional educational service centers, ACES is the regional educational services center for the twenty-five communities in New Haven and is both a school district and a non-profit services agency. ACES serves 2,300 students from fifty-seven communities throughout Connecticut at its three magnet schools and nine special education schools. ACES service divisions include international educational programs and services, technology, transportation, translation, behavior services and autism programs, extension therapy services (occupational and physical therapy), assistive technology, collaborative programs, professional development, human resources and financial services, and ACCESS, a vocational and life skills program for developmentally and physically challenged adults. ACES also runs the Open Choice program for New Haven County as well as a magnet school parent choice program for its Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School and Thomas Edison Middle School. Additionally, ACES runs the Middlesex County Early Head Start Partnership program. For additional information, go to www.aces.org.