Find Your Act Early Ambassador

Act Early Ambassadors expand the reach of the “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program and support their respective state’s work toward improving early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, including autism.

Since 2011, professionals with medical, child development, developmental disability, special education, and early intervention expertise have been selected to

• Serve as a state or territorial point-of-contact for the national “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program;
• Support the work of Act Early Teams and other state/territorial or national initiatives to improve early identification of developmental delay and disability; and
•  Promote the adoption and integration of “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” resources into systems that serve young children and their families.

See how Ambassadors and others across the nation are promoting early identification of delays and disabilities using LTSAE.

Ambassador Bios [32 Pages, 13 MB, Print Only]

 

Alabama

Tish MacInnis
Alabama Strengthening Families Coordinator
Alabama Partnership for Children (APC)
Email: [email protected]

Alaska

Carmen Wenger
Director of Programs
All Alaska Pediatric Partnership
Email: [email protected]

Jessica Davis (Tribal Ambassador)
Manager, Child and Family Developmental Services Organization
Southcentral Foundation
Email: [email protected]

Arizona

Megan Wills
Chief Community Programs Officer
Easterseals Blake Foundation
Email: [email protected]

California

Patricia Moore
Director, Help Me Grow Santa Barbara County
Family Resource Centers Network of CA
Family Voices of California
Help Me Grow
Email: [email protected]

Michele Rogers, PhD
Executive Director, Community Trainer, Certified Childbirth Educator, Lactation Specialist
California Early Learning Institute
Email: [email protected]

Colorado

Eileen Auer Bennett
Executive Director
Assuring Better Child Health & Development
Email: [email protected]

Connecticut

Bethanne Vergean
Research Associate
University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Email: [email protected]

DC

Yetta Myrick
Executive Director/President
DC Autism Parents
Email: [email protected]

Delaware

Ashley Steinbrecher
Health Promotion Implementation Coach
University of Delaware
Email: [email protected]

Florida

Sarah Fabrizi
Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy Program
Florida Gulf Coast University
Email: [email protected]

Liz Randall
Senior Director
Help Me Grow Florida
Email: [email protected]

Georgia

Bridget Ratajczak
Child and Family Development Supervisor
GA Department of Early Care and Learning
Email: [email protected]

Guam

Elaine Eclavea
Guam Early Learning Chairperson
Guam Early Learning Council
Email: [email protected]

Hawaii

Jeffrey Okamoto
Chapter President
American Academy of Pediatrics, Hawaii Chapter Inc.
https://health.hawaii.gov/cshcn/hiileihawaii/
https://health.hawaii.gov/cshcn/files/2013/12/Hiileiwebsitelist4_10_14.pdf
Email: [email protected]

Idaho

Melissa Crist
Director of Early Childhood Programs
University of Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development
Email: [email protected]

Illinois

Courtney Hill
Team Lead
DeKalb County Regional Office of Education
Email: [email protected]

Shannon Dault
Early Childhood Navigator
Early Childhood Forum of Central Illinois
Email: [email protected]

Indiana

Stephan Viehweg
Associate Director of Indiana LEND
Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Email: [email protected]

Iowa

Michelle Holst
Wellness & Preventative Health Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
Department of Health and Human Services
Email: [email protected]

Kansas

Peggy Kemp
Director
Kansas Inservice Training System
Email: [email protected]

Kentucky

Christine Hausman
Content Coordinator of Training
University of Kentucky
Email: [email protected]

Louisiana

Julie Emory
EPSDT Coordinator
Bureau of Family Health
Email: [email protected]

Maine

Nancy Cronin
Executive Director
Maine Developmental Disabilities Council
Email: [email protected]

Maryland

Kristen Paul
Director of Early Childhood Programs
The Parent’s Place of Maryland
Email: [email protected]

Massachusetts

Danielle Thibodeau
Clinical Supervisor
Meeting Street Massachusetts, Inc
Email: [email protected]

Michigan

Jennifer Kay Koenigsknecht
Public Awareness Supervisor
Clinton County RESA, Early On Michigan
Email: [email protected]

Minnesota

Jennifer Hall-Lande
Researcher/Principal investigator on MN ADDM (Autism and Developmental
University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration (ICI) and Minnesota LEND
Email: [email protected]

Mississippi

Leslie LaVergne
Interim Associate Director
The University of Southern Mississippi, Institute on Disability Studies
Email: [email protected]

Missouri

Alicia Brewer Curran
Instruction and Research Specialist Lead
University of Missouri School of Medicine
Email: [email protected]

Montana

Lora Cowee
Healthy Montana Families Home Visiting Program Specialist
Montana Department of Health and Human Services-Early Childhood and Family Support Division
Email: [email protected]

Nebraska

Rachel Schumacher
Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Professor
Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Email: [email protected]

Nevada

Swetha Wolfson
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
University of Nevada, Reno
Email: [email protected]

New Hampshire

Jennifer Pineo
Lead Trainer/Family Leader
NH Family Voices
Email: [email protected]

New Jersey

Deepa Srinivasavaradan
State Parent Lead & Director of Early Childhood Initiatives
SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
Email: [email protected]

New Mexico

Alyx Medlock
LEND training director/speech-language pathologist
New Mexico UCEDD/LEND
Email: [email protected]

Nicole Loveless (Tribal Ambassador)
Parent Leader for Indigenous Community, New Mexico
Early Relational Health
Email: [email protected]

New York

Liz Isakson
Executive Director
New York Docs for Tots
Email: [email protected]

Romina Barros
Chief, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
NYU Long Island School of Medicine
Email: [email protected]

North Carolina

Amanda Berry
Program Director
FIRSTwnc
Email: amanda@firstwncorg

Laura Hiruma
Psychologist, Clinical Assistant Professor
UNC Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities
Email: [email protected]

North Dakota

Brooke Lynn Rosenau
Early Interventionist, North Dakota Region 2 Assistant Program Director
Minot State University
Email: [email protected]

Ohio

Steph Weber
Clinical Psychologist; LEND/UCCEDD Training
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: [email protected]

Dawn Greathouse
Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Nationwide Children’s Hospital & The Ohio State University
Email: [email protected]

Oklahoma

Bonnie McBride
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of OK Health Sciences Center
Email: [email protected]

Oregon

Sherri Alderman
Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician
Alderman Boreal Consulting, LLC
Email: [email protected]

Palau

Francesca Morei-Misech
Executive Director
Palau Parents Empowered
Email: [email protected]

Pennsylvania

Angela Caldwell
Assistant Professor
University of Pittsburgh
Email: [email protected]

Shelley Chapin
Consultant for Early Intervention Technical Assistance
Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA)
Email: [email protected]

Puerto Rico

Giannina López-Pérez
Associate Director
PR-UCEDD
Email: [email protected]

Rhode Island

Jennifer Sanchez
Early Intervention Technical Assistance Specialist
Rhode Island College
Email: [email protected]

South Carolina

Tiffany Howard
Pediatric Support Network Manager, Help Me Grow SC
SC Infant Mental Health Association
Email: [email protected]

South Dakota

Lisa Sanderson
MCHB Family to family Health Information Center Project Director and Grants Coordinator
South Dakota Parent Connect Inc.
Email: [email protected]

Tennessee

Toni Whitaker
Division Chief Developmental Pediatrics
University of TN Health Science Center, Department of Pediatrics
Email: [email protected]

Texas

Andria Horton
Executive Director
Champions for Children
Email: [email protected]

Alison Queralt
Pediatric Physical Therapist
MGA Homecare
Email: [email protected]

Utah

Janel Preston
Program Coordinator
Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice – USU
Email: [email protected]

Vermont

Janet Kilburn
Early Childhood Director
Vermont Department of Health
Email: [email protected]

Virginia

Deana Buck
Early Childhood Consultant
Early Childhood Consultant and Affiliate Faculty Member VCU, Retired
Email: [email protected]

Washington

Azucena Salazar
Early Care and Education Partnership Manager
WithinReach
Email: [email protected]

West Virginia

Jackie Newson
Division Director
West Virginia Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health
Email: [email protected]

Wisconsin

Morgan Conti
Program Manager- Medial Home Initiative
Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin
Email: [email protected]

Wyoming

Cari Glantz
Senior Project Coordinator
Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND), University of Wyoming
Email: [email protected]

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