Hello

Wow, I am thrilled to share that I have been working in the field of early education for over 30 years! I started as an aide in an infant classroom in 1990 while I completed my Associate of Arts Degree. I worked in center-based care as a Lead Teacher with all ages before taking my first administrative role in 2000. From 2003-2006 I worked for NAEYC as an Assessor, where I had the opportunity to visit hundreds of programs seeking Accreditation throughout the United States. In 2006 I took a position at Head Start where I completed my BA in Metropolitan State University's Urban Teacher Program. In 2012 while completing my MA in Early Childhood at Concordia University, I opened my first early childhood  program in Saint Paul and it has been an incredible journey ever since.  Other experiences in the field include being a CLASS observer, an ECIPs Revision Committee Member, a MNAEYC Board Member, a Parent Aware Coach Observer and a Mentor Trainer. In 2018 I completed the MN Relationship Based Professional Development Credential. I am currently approved by the Minnesota Center for Professional Development as a Course Writer and Expert Trainer. In 2023 I left the day-to-day operations of my early childhood programs to focus on coaching and training early childhood providers through in-person training events, live web-based sessions, on-demand courses and through one-on-one coaching sessions. 

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In May 2024 I joined The Center for Inclusive Child Care as a part-time Early Childhood Coach and in November 2024, with my husband Keith,  we opened CRAFT Thrift Store in West Saint Paul. CRAFT stands for Creating Resources And Funding for Teachers and our mission is to generate funds from our thrift store to support early childhood teacher training and classroom initiatives.  For more info you can go to www.craftindustries.org.