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Board of Directors

2011-2012 Board of Directors

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Simon Blackburn is a principal with McKinsey & Company where he focuses on the public sector and working with government to help inform and implement policy initiatives. His experience spans issues from strategy to operations to organization.

A native of Australia, Blackburn holds bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and in computer science from the University of Sydney and a doctorate in information engineering from Cambridge University.
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Christopher "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator who has been a longtime supporter of Parents as Teachers and advocate for families and children. Bond enrolled his sone in the Parents as Teachers home visiting model during the organization's pilot stage and understands the important role Parents as Teachers plays in strengthening families. Ultimately, his experiences as a young dad shaped his position on early childhood and parent education throughout his political career.

Bond, currently a partner at Thompson Coburn LLP. served four consecutive terms for Missouri in the United States Senate, from his first election in January 1987 to his retirement in January 2011. Prior to his career in the Senate, Bond served as Missouri's youngest governor, holding office from 1973-1977 and again from 1981-1985.

Through these roles Bond was instrumental in shaping state and federal policy for children, and was a tireless advocate for Parents as Teachers. With his influence, the Missouri General Assembly passed the Early Childhood Education Act to establish the Parents as Teachers program statewide in 1984, a success Bond refers to as his greatest accomplishment as governor, and through his continued advocacy as senator he helped expand Parents as Teachers into a national and international program.
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T. Berry Brazelton is Clinical Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. He established the Child Development Unit, a pediatric research center and the Brazelton Touchpoints Center (BTC) at Children’s Hospital Boston. Dr. Brazelton has been president of the Society for Research in Child Development and one of the founders of the Zero to Three. He is a strong parent advocate, appearing before Congressional committees in support of parental and medical leave bills and continues to promote strengths-based, family-centered care in pediatric and early education settings around the world.

One of Dr. Brazelton’s most notable achievements in pediatrics is his Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), an evaluation tool used worldwide to assess not only the physical and neurological responses of newborns, but also their emotional well being and individual differences.
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Sheila Casey is chief operating officer of The Hill Newspaper, a paper that reports on the U.S. Congress. Prior to joining The Hill in 1997, she was director of finance at the Texas Council on Family Violence in Austin, Texas. She also spent seven years at Grant Thorton, a national CPA firm, were she was an audit manager. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in accounting.

Casey is a member of the Board of Governors of the National Military Families Association, a nonprofit organization that is the voice for military families, and on the advisory boards of The Discovery's Military Channel and ThanksUSA.

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 C. K. (Chip) Casteel is senior vice-president for public policy with the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association. Prior to that he was with Express Scripts Inc.

Casteel has more than 17 years in the telecommunications industry, serving as vice president in law and public policy for MCI Worldcom amd as legal and legislative counsel to Missouri Governor Christopher S. Bond where he was responsible for developing and managing the governor's budget and legislative programs. He holds a law degree from the University of Missouri.
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Luis A. Hernandez has served on the board of the Parent Services Project in California, the Florida Children’s Forum, the Child Care Workforce, NACCRRA and the Advisory Council for Accreditation at NAEYC. Currently, he serves on the board of the National Latino Children’s Institute and the Advisory Board of the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

Hernandez holds a master of bilingual/multicultural education degree from the University of San Francisco. He speaks at many national, state and local conferences on early literacy, second language learning, collaboration and partnerships, changing demographics and diversity, adult learning, and ECE management topics.
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Stephanie Jones is an assistant professor of education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also serves as a faculty affiliate at the Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University. 

Dr. Jones holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Yale University. Her research focuses on the effects of poverty and exposure to violence on social and emotional development in early childhood and adolescence. In addition, she conducts evaluation research on the developmental impact of school based interventions. She was awarded the Grawemeyer Award in 2008 for her work on A Vision for Universal Preschool Education.
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Melissa Kelley is executive director of the Colorado Parent & Child Foundation in Denver, Colo., where she works to advance two evidence-based early childhood home visitation models statewide: Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) and Parents as Teachers. She also consults with a variety of state departments and associations on social service programs and services. Kelley chairs the Colorado Home Visitation Coalition and is currently involved with the board of the State Advisory Council on Parent Involvement in Education, the HIPPY USA Board of Trustees, and the Colorado Early Childhood State Systems Team.

Prior to her leadership of the Colorado Parent & Child Foundation, Kelley served in the national service arena overseeing Colorado’s AmeriCorps programs for the Governor’s Commission on National and Community Service under both Governor’s Romer and Owens. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Mary Baldwin College and a master of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.
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Patricia Kempthorne is founder and president of the Twiga Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit corporation dedicated to promoting family consciousness at home, in the workplace and in the community. The Foundation works on several projects funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation that focus on workplace flexibility and its impact on work and family.

As first lady of Idaho from 1999-2006, Kempthorne was instrumental in the implementation of Parents as Teachers in that state. She also serves on the St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital board of directors, University of Idaho College of Business and Economics advisory board and SPANUSA, among other activities. Kempthorne has a degree in business management from the University of Idaho.
Losos_bw Carolyn Losos is a senior consultant to FOCUS St. Louis, an organization formed from the merger of The Leadership Center of Greater St. Louis and Confluence St. Louis. For 17 years she directed the Leadership St. Louis Program. She was the first chairperson of the Commissioner of Education's Statewide Advisory Committee on Parents as Teachers.

Losos serves on the boards of many local nonprofits such as the Missouri Botannical Garden, the Regional Arts Commission, OASIS and SSM Health Care. Her awards include the International Women's Forum's Women Who Make a Difference Award, the National Conference of Christian and Jews Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award, Washington University's Founder's Day Award, the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis Women of Distinction Award and Thanks Badge, and the community advocate award from St. Louis Children's Hospital.
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Arthur Mallory served as Missouri commissioner of education from 1971-1987. Prior to that he served as president of Southwest Missouri State University, dean of faculties at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and assistant superintendent of the Parkway School District in St. Louis County.

During Mallory's years as commissioner of education, legislation for special education and the gifted was passed. Public Law 94142, federal legislation for special education, was modeled on Missouri's programs. When the Parents as Teachers pilot project results were released, he was instrumental in promoting legislation requiring that every Missouri school district offer a Parents as Teachers program.
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Thomas Melzer is a managing director and co-founder of RiverVest Venture Partners. He has extensive leadership experience in finance, management, economic policymaking and board of directors service. Presently, he is a member of the board of directors of Goldman Sachs Bank USA. He also serves on the national council for the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University and the Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research Advisory Board.

Previously, Melzer was president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and a managing director of Morgan Stanley. While at the Fed, he served on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Federal Reserve System’s chief monetary policymaking body. He received his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
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David Morley is a business consultant and former chairman of Dazor Manufacturing Company, leader in industrial lighting and microscopy. Prior to that he was the president and chief operating officer of The Falcon Companies and senior vice president for Monsanto Company. In this position, Morley led the development and integration of company–wide strategy, emphasizing emerging opportunities in the life sciences industry.

Morley holds degrees from Indiana University and Purdue University. He is past chairman and current board member for Wyman Center, Inc., a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to giving underprivileged children the opportunity to reach their full potential. He also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University.

Janet Newton is the education program consultant for Parents as Teachers at the Kansas Department of Education. Her leadership and coordination for the state's Parents as Teachers programs provides her with a deep knowledge and perspective of Parents as Teachers and its operations. Newton's rich experience in early childhood education includes service to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Bureau of Child Care and Health Facilities. Newton also served as the executive director of the Kansas Head Start Association.

In addition to her work experience, Newton has furthered early childhood education through her work with professional associations, including the Kansas School Readiness Initiative, the Kansas State Interagency Early Childhood Team, and the Kansas Core Team for the state's home visiting grant application.
Nicastro_bw Chris Nicastro has been a teacher and administrator in Missouri public schools for 33 years. She began her career as a high school social studies teachers in the Northwest R-I School District. She later served as assistant to the superintendent at Northwest R-I and at Ritenour School Districts, and as a superintendnt of the Riverview Gardens and Hazelwood Shcool Districts. She is the fifth person -- and the first woman -- to serve as Missouri's Commissioner of Education, since the office was created.

Dr. Nicastro earned a master's degree in educational administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a Ph.D. in educational administration at St. Louis University.

 

Nixon_bw Jeremiah (Jay) Nixon was elected as Missouri's 55th governor in November 2008 after serving a record four terms as Missouri's attorney general. Prior to becoming Attorney General, Nixon served as a state senator for six years. He is a native of De Soto, Mo., and earned his political science and law degrees from the University of Missouri–Columbia.
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Jane Paine is an active community volunteer and was instrumental in establishing several inner-city preschool programs prior to Head Start. She served as an urban education consultant for the Danforth Foundation in both public and private schools and initiated programs which dealt with teen pregnancy, parent education, family support and school and community collaboration. She was also the first executive director of the Conference on Education.

Paine has received a number of awards, including the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Early Childhood and Parent Education Distinguished Service Award, and was the first recipient of the Association of Junior League International's Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award.
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Julie Palmer-Blackwell is a senior program advisor for The Bounce Learning Network at the Ounce of Prevention Fund in Chicago where she supports the expansion, development and implementation of the network’s Educare Centers. She is also associate professor at DePaul University where she plans and implements child development courses. Palmer-Blackwell is founding officer and executive director of the children of Mother Hale Coalition, Inc., and serves on the board of directors of foster Care Alumni of America.

Previously, Palmer-Blackwell spent her career managing and coordinating services for a variety of programs serving high-risk families in Florida, North Carolina and New York.  In addition, she is a National Head Start Fellow, class of 2004-2005. Palmer-Blackwell holds an undergraduate degree at Briarcliff College, a master’s degree in early childhood education and administration from Nova Southeastern University, and is ABD for her doctorate of education in human services from Nova Southeastern University.
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Karabelle Pizzigati is a consultant to national and local organizations on services and policies that impact children and families. Before assuming her current responsibilities in 2001, Dr. Pizzigati was the director of public policy for the Child Welfare League of America. From 1983 to 1993, she worked with the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, serving as staff director for the last three years. 

Dr. Pizzigati's experience includes teaching in an adjunct role at George Mason University, research and policy consulting with the University of South Florida on financing systems of care, and policy development with the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C. She served on the Maryland State Board of Education from 2001-2009 and was elected the President of the National Association of State Boards of Education for 2008.

Dr. Pizzigati holds degrees from Cornell University and served as a Congressional Science Fellow under the auspices of the Society for Research in Child Development and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She currently belongs to several professional and service organizations.
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Nila Rinehart is the lead site manager for the National Interim Grantee Projects, which oversees Head Start and Early Head Start programs nationwide. In this role, Rinehart provides administrative oversight to the management and staffing of Head Start programs, and also serves as an organizational development consultant for various other organizations. 

Rinehart's commitment to early childhood education has grown from her experience as a manager of Child Development Services for the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, where she administered regional early childhood education and family support programs such as Head Start, Even Start, Child Care Food Program and Alaska Native Home Base Project for Native Children. Rinehardt has served as both president and vice president of the National Indian Head Start Director's Association, as well as president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children for southeast Alaska and as a board member for the national organization. 
Roberts.D_bw Donald D. Roberts has a progressive financial management background that spans 30 years. He currently serves as vice-president and chief financial officer of Mississippi Lime Company. Previously he held similar positions with IMC Agribusiness, Inc. and Big River Minerals Corporation.
 
Roberts is on the boards of directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Good Shepherd School for Children. He has also served as president of the Neurofibromatosis Foundation. He holds a degree in accounting from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and is CPA certified.
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Richard Sems is regional president for St. Louis and Southern Illinois at PNC Financial Services Group (formerly National City Corporation). As the top executive in St. Louis, he oversees PNC's area operations, including retail banking, corporate banking, wealth management and community-based activities. One of PNC's community-based activities includes the Grow Up Great program, a comprehensive corporate-based school readiness program to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.

In addition to his role at PNC Financial Services, Sems serves as a member of the board of directors for Maryville University, United Way of Greater St. Louis, International Institute and Operation Food Search. He also helps foster economic growth and development among St. Louis businesses as a board member for the Regional Business Council and the Regional Chamber and Growth Association.

Sems hold an undergratuate degree in accounting from Grove City College and a master's degree in business adminstration with a concentration in corporate stategy from the University of Michigan.
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Josefina Tinajero is the dean of the College of Education and professor at the University of Texas in El Paso (UTEP). She has been a major force in shaping public policy in education and has founded programs to provide educators with skills to support linguistically diverse children and families. 

In addition to her role at UTEP, Tinajero provides advice to many U.S. school districts, aiding in the design of English as a Second Language (ESL), bilingual literacy and bi-literacy programs and as an author of several comprehensive reading programs used by school districts throughout the U.S. Her contribution to professional associations in education includes four terms as president of the National Association for Bilingual Educators and participation in several state and national advisory committees. In recognition of her service in education, Tinajero was named one of the 20 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S. by U.S. Hispanic Business Magazine. 
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Jack Tweedie is director of the children and families program at the National Conference of State Legislatures where he oversees NCSL's assistance to state legislatures on welfare and poverty, child welfare, early education and child care, and youth. He has written several articles on welfare reform, including recent articles on strengthening state welfare to work programs, the effects of the recent federal TANF changes, supports for parents moving from welfare to work, and other issues.

Prior to coming to NCSL, Tweedie taught political science and public policy at the University of Denver and the State University of New York at Binghamton. He has a bachelor's degree in political science from Washington State University and doctorate and law degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.
Zigler_bw Edward Zigler continues his lifetime interest in the motivational determinants of children's performance and the influence of life circumstances on children's behavior and development. This work includes the effects of socialization settings, child care, schools and schooling, intervention programs and family factors.

Dr. Zigler designed the School of the Twenty-First Century, a national program linking child care and family support services to the public schools, and has worked with the State of Connecticut to establish quality school readiness programs for low-income children. He continues his interest in the Head Start program, recently completing work with policy makers and administrators to revise the Head Start Program Performance Standards, establish Early Head Start for very young children and their families and design a research agenda. He is now working with Head Start leadership to develop assessment measures.

Dr. Zigler serves as a consultant to the Administration for Children and Families; the Administration on Children, Youth and Families; and the Government Accounting Office. He frequently advises members of Congress, Connecticut and other state legislators and the press.