Current Parent Cabinet Members and Alumni

Jenny is a mother of two who has been active in the community for more than two decades as a volunteer in different organizations that support children and families. After Jenny graduated from the Parent Supporting Educational Excellence Class in 2018 (Parents SEE), she focused on helping parents learn to navigate the school system and provided support in the areas they needed. She also motivated other parents to speak up and advocate for their children’s rights, and their own, at both local and state levels. She joined the Parent Cabinet because she believes that it’s during the early years of a child where we must work and plant the seeds. Email Jenny.

Regan is a mom of four children who all participated in Birth to Three. She joined the Parent Cabinet because she knows the power of early intervention. She is also a graduate of and currently coordinates the Parent Leadership Training Institute in Stamford. Regan has a bachelor’s degree in American Civilization with a concentration in Race and Ethnic Relations, and a master’s degree in Elementary Education. Before becoming a mom, she taught kindergarten and first grade. As a stay-at-home mom for almost 20 years, she volunteered for education-related nonprofits and was president of her children’s school PTOs. In her spare time, Regan enjoys letterboxing, traveling, and reading. Email Regan.

Raquel is a mom to a 2-and-a-half year old son. Raquel is a Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) May 2024 graduate who joined the Parent Cabinet because she loves being resourceful and helping parents learn about different services that can help their children and family. Raquel would love to help parents enroll in services, and learn about the concerns they have about services to help them improve. She currently goes to college and is pursuing a variety of majors. Raquel is bilingual and was born in Costa Rica. In Raquel’s free time, she enjoys going to events with her son, playing with him, reading psychology and nutrition books, listening to music, journaling, aromatherapy, and more. Email Raquel.

Shannon is a mom to a son, a bonus son, and is awaiting the arrival of another child. Her journey with one child’s special needs led her to explore various resources and connect with the OEC. By joining the Parent Cabinet, Shannon aims to amplify the voices of Melanated families, address their needs, and ensure timely and effective delivery of information and resources. With her roles as a doula, holistic consultant, community health leader, and co-founder of the nonprofit Golden Radiance Village, Shannon passionately supports families through major life transitions. Email Shannon.

Tiffanie is a parent of two who both benefited from early intervention programs, including Birth to Three. She has been an appointed parent member of the CT State Interagency Coordinating Council for the OEC and Birth to Three for seven years; a graduate of Partners in Policymaking and Voices For Families Parent Leadership Program; a volunteer for Brooklyn Schools PTO; and was the secretary of the Special Education PTO of Northeastern CT. Tiffanie has worked in special education as an elementary paraeducator for five years, and enjoys supporting, empowering, and advocating for children and families. In her spare time, Tiffanie enjoys spending time with her family, going to her son’s soccer games, and performing in musical theater with her daughter. Email Tiffanie.

Christina is a mom of two girls, ages 2 and a newborn. She joined the Parent Cabinet to be an advocate for parents and to discover new resources for families in the community. Christina has over 10 years of experience in the social services field, and is currently employed as a Family Resource Center Coordinator at an elementary school in CT. In her spare time, she loves swimming and spending time with her family. Email Christina.

Cris is a dedicated father of two young children. Passionate about making a difference, he joined the Parent Cabinet to represent the perspective of parents with adopted children and to advocate for positive change for children across Connecticut. As a Hispanic person with multiracial children, Cris brings a deep understanding of the state’s diverse community. He actively serves on the Tolland Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and chairs the Tolland Democratic Town Committee, demonstrating his commitment to community involvement and leadership. Professionally, he serves as an office supervisor at a pediatrician’s office. In his spare time, Cris enjoys baking and cake decorating. Email Cris.

Tricia is a certified school psychologist in New York and Connecticut, with a sixth-year degree in administration. Tricia has worked with school-aged children since 2000, and recently chose to leave her position in Mansfield to stay home with her two young children. She loves working with children and families, and supporting caregivers as they advocate for the needs of young children. Tricia is a 2022 graduate of the Parent Leadership Training Institute. She currently volunteers for the Manchester Early Childhood Collaborative and the PTO at her child’s school. She is also a member of All In! Early Childhood Educators for Equity. In her free time, she loves reading, traveling, making crafts, and visiting her family. Email Tricia.

Amber is a mother to a 11-year-old son. She has a bachelor’s degree in ECE with a concentration in Program Administration and Leadership. She joined the Parent Cabinet to advocate for and be a resource for parents or guardians in her community. She is a community leader who sits on boards; facilitates a summer camp; and founded a nonprofit called Five Ducks Foundation Inc. that focuses on youth development. In her spare time, Amber enjoys spending time with her family, working in partnership with families, and learning something new. Email Amber.

Mallory is a mother to six beautiful girls ages 5-19, a private chef, and a parent leader in Danbury, CT. She joined the OEC Parent Cabinet after being made aware of the opportunity by the director of her daughter’s Head Start program at Policy Council meeting. She currently serves as secretary of that Policy Council. Early Childhood Education has been an interest of hers ever since she witnessed the benefits inside a classroom setting at a young age with peers and seeing the growth in learning firsthand.  She hopes that her voice in the community and on the OEC Parent Cabinet helps bridge the gap in education. She looks forward to broadening the space for early childhood education within her community with resources, networking opportunities, and creating a safe space for questions and answers. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, reading, writing, and serving her community through acts of kindness and love. Email Mallory.

Jocelyn is a mom of a preschool aged boy. She spends most of her days juggling everything that work and life balance brings her way. She is a small business owner. She is a 2023 PLTI graduate. She moved from Miami, Florida to CT a few years ago looking for a sense of community and a place to call home. Education was at the forefront of her decision-making process, as she wanted to make sure that not only her child, but all children in the state are able to receive an adequate education that sets them up to thrive! It is her mission as a cabinet member to do her very best to support each individual child and build quality relationships with parents and teachers alike. Email Jocelyn

Stephanie is a mom of two. She has an extensive background teaching in early childhood education. She wanted to further her advocacy work, which sparked her interest in becoming a part of OEC. She is the founder of a large online parent group in her community that helps parents find resources and support for their children. She is a part of the PTA in her district and is a coach for her daughter’s soccer team. She is a member of the Kappa Gamma Pi national Catholic College graduate honor society, an organization with the motto “Church and Community.” In her spare time, she enjoys working on her children’s book series and reading mystery novels. Email Stephanie.

Bianca joined the Parent Cabinet because she wanted to ensure that the different voices in her community were being heard loud and clear about early childhood issues. She wanted to amplify those voices. For Bianca, the most important issue is ensuring equitable access to child learning spaces, including cost, which should not be a barrier that prevents young children from accessing services. In her spare time, Bianca enjoys indoor gardening.

Kaitlyn is a mom of three. She joined the Parent Cabinet after being motivated by a parenting course to apply for opportunities like this one. Kaitlyn wanted to set a good example for her daughters as a parent leader. Kaitlyn received her associate degree in early childhood education. Having children of her own, OEC was all the more important to her. In her spare time, Kaitlyn enjoys hiking with her daughters.

Steven is a dad of two. He joined the Parent Cabinet to increase the flow of communication between the parent community and the services and programs that are provided by the Office of Early Childhood. He served on the Parent n Cabinet for a 1.5 years. Steven is a Pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in New Haven and serves on the New Haven Fire Department Board of Commissioners, as well as the Executive Board of the CT Anti Defamation League. In his spare time, Steven is a league bowler.

Symone Maguire joined the Office of Early Childhood’s Parent Cabinet to be a resource for parents, to discover new/untapped resources in the state, and to play an active role in deciding new pathways for ECE in Connecticut. Symone is the mother of three children. Symone and her family have personally benefited from OEC’s Birth to Three services and this experience helped her to gain more insight to further assist other parents. She is a member of her children’s elementary school PTA, the Hamden Partnership for Young Children, and sits on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit organization. In her spare time, Symone enjoys reading and is an avid sports fan, especially of football, basketball, and volleyball. 

Marinda is a mom of a 2. She joined the Parent Cabinet to advocate for parents to have equitable access to resources. Marinda’s daughter was enrolled in a School Readiness preschool program, and early child care and education programs continue to be important to her. She is a board member for the Connecticut Women and Education Legal Fund and a member of the Greater New Haven Women United Chapter, the New Haven Club of the National Association of Negro Business, and the Professional Women’s Club’s Inc. In her spare time, Marinda enjoys reading — she read 146 books during COVID.

Ruth-Ann is a mom to one daughter. She joined the Parent Cabinet because she wanted to be the change she wanted to see. Ruth-Ann wanted to take action to contribute a change to issues affecting children and families in her community. She also joined to elevate the voices of families in Connecticut. She and her family have utilized OEC services, including Home Visiting (Nurse Family Partnership), Birth To Three, and Care 4 Kids. She was active in the Sisters in Motherhood in her community. In her spare time, Ruth-Ann enjoys helping others, spending time with her family, and shopping.

Nicole joined the Parent Cabinet because she hoped to make a difference in communities and for families throughout Connecticut. She served for almost a year. She also served as the District Wellness Manager for New London Public Schools where she helped bridge the gap between schools, communities, and families. Nicole found her calling working with young people — from preschool to high school — as she hoped to motivate, encourage, and embrace young people everywhere. While Nicole is a busy member of her community, nothing keeps her busier than mothering two boys. Her first and most important priority will always be her children, who she hopes will be the kindhearted, empathetic, compassionate change makers she teaches and encourages them to be.

Caitlin is a mom of two children. She joined the Parent Cabinet because she had a unique perspective, having worked in Child Care, Birth to Three, and as an Early Childhood Specialist. She’s also had first-hand experience in Birth to Three programming. She brought a parental and professional lens to the Cabinet and community connection. Caitlin works with the Manchester Early Childhood Collaborative and the PTA at her children’s elementary school. In her spare time, Caitlin enjoys hiking with her family and visiting the playgrounds in their area.

Krysta is a mom of two. She joined the Parent Cabinet to help parents access resources and improve services for working families in Connecticut. She navigated the system independently to obtain resources for her oldest (who is on the Autism Spectrum) and for her youngest, who needed supports but didn’t qualify. She is a supporter of Birth to Three and affordable childcare through subsidized high-quality child care centers and Care 4 Kids. Krysta is a Pre-K Special Education Teacher, and she participates in community youth outreach. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family.

Carla is a mom of two children. She was on the Inaugural CT Office of Early Childhood Parent Cabinet until 2023. She is passionate about effecting positive change for Connecticut families and the institutions that support them. Her family had participated in programs such as Home Visiting (Nurturing Families) and Birth to Three. Carla was a graduate and a facilitator at the CT Parent Leadership Training Institute. In her spare time, Carla enjoys cooking, swimming, and spending time with her family.

Maria is a mom of three. She joined the Parent Cabinet to bring the voices of her diverse Danbury community forward. Maria has been working with families with young children as a Parent Educator in the Greater Danbury community for 25 years. She is part of the Danbury School Readiness Council, a Positive Discipline facilitator, a CDA Council Professional Specialist, Pyramid Model Master Cadre and is a life coach for YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. She works for United Way of Western CT as an Educational Coach for Licensed Family Child Care Providers. As a bilingual, bicultural American, she understands the complexities families experience when entering children into early childcare programs. In her spare time, Maria loves spending time with family and traveling.

Joshua is a father of five. He joined the Parent Cabinet because he wanted to share his voice from a father’s perspective and to be a part of positive change for Connecticut families. Joshua was especially concerned about access to child care and the significant decrease in the number of child care providers during the pandemic, which continues to affect many parents. He is a part of CT Partnership for Children, the Naugatuck DEI Committee, and the ECE Parent Policy Table Planning Committee. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys time with his family.

Christina is a mom of two sons. She joined the Parent Cabinet to elevate parental voice and further advocacy efforts of parents and families in her community. Since her younger son is on the autism spectrum, Christina’s introduction to autism services was through the OEC’s Birth to Three programming. Christina is the director and founder of non-profit Torrington Area Families for Autism (TAFA). She is also on the Northwest Connecticut Regional Early Childhood Alliance (RECA) and the Northwest Connecticut Regional Parent Advisory Council (RPAC). In her spare time, Christina loves to craft.

Ivoni is a mom to three children. She joined the Parent Cabinet because she wanted to help new immigrant parents that are unfamiliar with the programs available to them, like she was when she first arrived in this country. Ivoni participated in the Wethersfield Early Childhood Collaborative (WECC), Crianza con Carino, and Parents Leading the Way to Social Emotional Learning program. In her spare time, Ivoni enjoys listening to music and exercising at the gym.

Casey is a mom of six children, whom she homeschools. She joined the Parent Cabinet to bring parent voices to the state level; and help get families what they need, with a focus on equity and justice. While her family hasn’t utilized OEC programs, they used state programs (WIC, EBT, Husky). Casey was a member of her church’s Racial Justice Team, as well as a member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice. She was also a founding member and administrator of the Connecticut Homeschool Alliance In her spare time, Casey loves finding new books at the library to read.