Act Early Ambassadors

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.

View the contact information below to connect with your state or territory’s Ambassador!

Alabama

Tish MacInnis
Coordinator of Family and Community Partnerships
Alabama Partnership for Children (APC)
tmacinnis@smartstartalabama.org

Alaska

Carmen Wenger
Program Director
Help Me Grow Alaska
carment@helpmegrowak.org

Arizona

Kyle Lininger
Board of Directors, Training Coordinator
Autism Society of Southern Arizona
Kyle@AS-AZ.org

Arkansas

Alan Mease
Medical Director of Child & Adolescent Health
Arkansas Department of Health
Alan.Mease@arkansas.gov

California

Debra Sarmento
Manager
Family Resource Centers Network of California (FRCNCA)
debrasarmento@comcast.net

Monica Adrian
Behavior Support Specialist/Early Education Special Programs Manager
Merced County of Education
MAdrian@mcoe.org

Colorado

Eileen Auer Bennett
Executive Director
Assuring Better Child Health & Development
eileen@coloradoabcd.org

Connecticut

Ann Gionet
Title V CYSHCN Director
Connecticut Department of Public Health
ann.gionet@ct.gov

DC

Yetta Myrick
President/Executive Director
DC Autism Parents
Ymyrick@DCAutismparents.org

Delaware

Brittany Powers
Project Coordinator
Early Childhood Autism Initiatives
University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies
bblument@udel.edu

Florida

Alexandra Goldberg
Program and Training Manager
Help Me Grow Florida
agoldberg@thechildrensforum.com

Georgia

Jennie Couture
Director of Practice and Support Services
Bright from the start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Jennie.Couture@decal.ga.gov

Guam

Leone Williams Rohr
Executive Director
Parents Empowering Parents of Children with Disabilities, Inc.
lrohr@peptalkdisabilities.com

Hawaii

JoAnn Yuen
Director
University of Hawaii, Center on Disability Studies
joyuen@hawaii.edu

Idaho

Ling-Ling Tsao
Associate Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences
University of Idaho
ltsao@uidaho.edu

Illinois

Janet Patterson
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
SIU School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics/IL LEND
jpatterson46@siumed.edu

Iowa

Rachell Swanson-Holm
Family Navigator Coordinator, Regional Autism Assistance Program
Regional Autism Assistance Program, Child Health Specialty Clinics, Division of Community and Child Health, Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
rachell-swanson-holm@uiowa.edu

Indiana

Stephan Viehweg
Associate Director
Riley Child Development Center, Indiana
LEND
sviehweg@iu.edu

Kansas

Peggy Kemp
Technical Assistance Provider, Kansas In-service Training System (KITS)
University of Kansas Center on
Developmental Disabilities
pkemp@ku.edu

Kentucky

Christine Hausman
Content Coordinator
Child Care Aware
University of Kentucky, Human Development Institute
Christine.hausman@uky.edu

Louisiana

Fiona Ritchey
Developmental Screening Coordinator
Louisiana Department of Health
Fiona.Ritchey@LA.gov

Maine

Nancy Cronin
Executive Director
Maine Developmental Disabilities Council
Nancy.E.Cronin@maine.gov

Maryland

Sunyoung Ahn
Senior Policy Associate/Assistant Professor
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
sa1442@georgetown.edu

Massachusetts

Roula Choueiri, MD
Chief, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
UMass Medical School & UMass Memorial Children’s Hospital
Worcester, MA
Roula.Choueiri@umassmemorial.org

Michigan

Candida Bush
Director Family Center for CYSHCN
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, CSHCS Division
BushC9@michigan.gov

Minnesota

Jennifer Hall-Lande
Psychologist/Research Associate
University of Minnesota
hall0440@umn.edu

Mississippi

Leslie La Vergne
Parent Navigator; Trainer
The Institute for Disability Studies
leslie.lavergne@usm.edu

Missouri

Alicia Curran
LEND Family Faculty, Research Grant Coordinator, ECHO Autism Expert Panelist
University of Missouri
CurranA@health.missouri.edu

Montana

Ann Garfinkle
Associate Professor of Special Education
University of Montana, College of Education and Human Sciences
Ann.garfinkle@mso.umt.edu

Nebraska

Jennifer Burt
Pediatric Psychologist/Assistant Professor of Psychology
Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center
jburt@unmc.edu

Nevada

Debra Vigil
Co-Director & Clinical Training Director, NvLEND, State Team Leader NvLTSAE, Director UCAN
Nevada LTSAE, University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Associate Professor UNR Dept. of Speech Pathology
dvigil@medicine.nevada.edu

New Jersey

Deepa Srinivasavaradan
Family Resource Specialist and SPAN ACA Project Coordinator
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey
deepas@spanadvocacy.org

New Mexico

Nancy Lewis
Education and Outreach Manager NM Act Early Partnership
Center for Development and Disability,
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
NancyLewis@salud.unm.edu

New York

Lisa Heidi Shulman
Associate Director of RFK LEND/Director of Infant Toddler Services and Autism and clinical services at the RFK CERC program
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefore Medical Center
lisa.shulman@einstein.yu.edu

North Carolina

Rebecca Edmonson Pretzel
CIDD Associate Director; CIDD Director of Services; psychologist
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities
Becky.Edmondson@cidd.unc.edu

North Dakota

Hilory Liccini
Assistant Director for Program Management
North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities at Minot State University
hilory.liccini@minotstateu.edu

Ohio

Stephanie Weber
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics/Psychologist/LEND Training Director
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center / Cincinnati LEND / University of Cincinnati UCEDD
stephanie.weber@cchmc.org

Oklahoma

Bonnie McBride
Associate Professor, LEND Faculty
University of OK Health Sciences Center,
Development of Pediatrics
bonnie-mcbride@ouhsc.edu

Oregon

Sherri Alderman
Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician/AAP Chapter Child Care Contact
Oregon Pediatric Society
sherrialderman23@gmail.com

Pennsylvania

Shelley Chapin
Consultant
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network’s Early Intervention Assistance
SChapin@pattan.net

Puerto Rico

Nancy Nieves Muñoz
Educator
Children with Special Medical Needs Division
Puerto Rico Department of Health
nancy.nieves@salud.pr.gov

Republic of the Marshall Islands

Chinlla Peter
EHDI Coordinator for the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Junior Specialist, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii
chinilla@hawaii.edu

Rhode Island

Rebecca Hughes
Early Intervention Consultant
Family Service of Rhode Island
(401) 450-5791
Actearlyri@yahoo.com

South Carolina

Lorraine Cragan-Sullivan
Help Me Grow South Carolina, Developmental Screening Coordinator
Help Me Grow South Carolina
LCraganSullivan@helpmegrowsc.org

South Dakota

Lisa Sanderson
Project Director
Family to Family Health Information Center
South Dakota Parent Connection
lsanderson@sdparent.org

Tennessee

Toni Whitaker
Associate Professor Pediatrics,
Developmental Pediatrician, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities
twhitaker@uthsc.edu

Texas

Pauline Filipek
Professor of Pediatrics, CLI and Division of Child & Adolescent Neurology
University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston
Pauline.A.Filipek@uth.tmc.edu

US Virgin Islands

Karen Harris Brown
Associate Director, VI UCEDD, University of the Virgin Islands
Speech-Language Pathologist, Schneider Regional Medical Center
karen.brown@uvi.edu

Utah

Janel Preston
Early Intervention Autism Specialist
Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University
janel.preston@usu.edu

Vermont

Janet Kilburn
Child Development Coordinator
Vermont Department of Health, LLSW
Janet.Kilburn@vermont.gov

Virginia

Deana McGuire Buck
Early Childhood Content Leader
Partnership for People with Disabilities,
Virginia Commonwealth University
dmbuck@vcu.edu

Washington

Stephanie Orrico
Child Development Coordinator
Within Reach
stephanieo@withinreachwa.org

West Virginia

Susannah Poe
Professor
West Virginia University School of Medicine
spoe@hsc.wvu.edu

Wisconsin

Gail Chodron
Senior Outreach Specialist
The board of Regents of the UW System, Waisman Center, University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities
chodron@wisc.edu

 

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