Advisory Board

National Advisory Board

CONNECT is guided by the wisdom and experience of many agencies and leaders. The members of the National Advisory Board are leaders in the fields of early childhood, early intervention, and related services. They bring early childhood, early intervention, and related services expertise in PD, inclusion, issues related to the accountability movement (e.g., standards, competencies), collaboration, families, and diversity.

National Advisory Board Members

•     Pam Anderson, Chapel Hill Day Care Center
•     Sophie Arao-Nguyen, Family Voices
•     Lisa Backer, Minnesota Department of Education
•     Sharman Davis Barrett, Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers
•     Carol Dennis Betts, Teacher, Inclusive Classroom
•     Jane Bisantz, Jane Bisantz & Associates
•     Harriet Boone, UNC Chapell Hill
•     Linda Brekken, SpecialQuest
•     Mary Jane Brotherson, Iowa State University
•     Barbara Buswell, Parent Training Information Center (PTI)
•     Maureen Casey, Early Intervention & Family Alliance
•     Merilee Chesney, Durham Children’s Developmental Services Agency (CDSA)
•     Maggie Connolly, Fairview Child and Family Center
•     Lori Connors-Tadros, The Finance Project
•     Betsy Crais, UNC Chapel Hill
•     Carol Brunson Day, National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)
•     Johnna Darragh, Heartland Community College
•     Shelley deFosset, FPG Child Development Institute
•     Brenda Dennis, FPG Child Development Institute
•     Samtra Devard, Part C – Birth to Three
•     Laurie Dinnebeil, University Of Toledo
•     Nancy Divenere, Parent 2 Parent (P2P)
•     Cheryle Dyle-Palmer, Parents as Teachers National Center
•     Larry Edelman, University of Colorado at Denver
•     Ardith Ferguson, Colorado Department of Human Services, Division for Developmental Disabilities
•     Janice Fialka, Parent, consultant
•     Barbara Hanft, Occupational Therapist, consultant
•     Deborah Hatton, FPG Child Development Institute
•     Connie Hawkins, Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center
•     Mary Louise Hemmeter, Vanderbilt University
•     Barbara Huff, Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
•     Marilou Hyson

•     Jane Johnson-Chavis, The Arc of Durham
•     Carolyn Kiefer, Idaho Head Start Collaboration Office
•     Karen LaParo, University of Virginia
•     Tricia Luker
•     Christine Lindauer
•     Alison Lutton, NAEYC
•     Sarah Mansfield, Elizabeth Seawell Elementary School
•     Susan Maude, Iowa State University
•     Phyllis Mondak, VA Department of Education (Office of Special Education)
•     Susan Moore, University of Colorado at Boulder
•     Sarah Mulligan, Division for Early Childhood
•     Sam Odom, FPG Child Development Institute
•     Nancy Peeler, Michigan Department of Community Health
•     Clara Pérez-Méndez, University of Colorado at Boulder
•     Julie Peters, Prentice Hall – Pearson Education
•     Ruth-Ann Rasbold, Head Start Quality Initiative
•     Lourdes Rivera-Putz, United We Stand
•     Aisha Ray, Erikson Institute
•     Margaret Sampson, Just Kids Foundation
•     Sylvia Y. Sánchez, George Mason University
•     Catherine Scott-Little, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
•     Marty Smith, Minnesota Department of Education
•     Judy Smith-Davis, IRIS Center – East
•     Lisa Stein, Atlantic Cape Community College
•     Patricia Snyder, University of Florida
•     Cherie Takemoto, Parent Education Advocacy Training Center
•     Flo Thompson, Wake Technical Community College
•     Eva Thorp, George Mason University
•     Ann Turnbull, University of Kansas
•     Naomi Tyler, Vanderbilt University
•     Joseph Valenzano
•     Barbara Wolfe, University of St Thomas