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 [15 MB, 40 Pages, 508]

Alabama

Tish MacInnis
Alabama Strengthening Families Coordinator
Alabama Partnership for Children (APC)
Email: tmacinnis@apcteam.org

Alaska

Carmen Wenger
Help Me Grow Alaska Director of Programs
All Alaska Pediatric Partnership
Email: Carmen@helpmegrowak.org

Arizona

Megan Wills
Chief Community Programs Officer
Easterseals Blake Foundation
Email: Mwills@blake.easterseals.com

Arkansas

Amanda Fender
Family Navigator Program Manager
UAMS/James L. Dennis Developmental Center
Email: afender@uams.edu

California

Patricia Moore
Director, Help Me Grow Santa Barbara County
Family Resource Centers Network of CA
Family voices of California
Help Me Grow
Email: PJmoore@alphasb.org

Michele Rogers, PhD
Executive Director, Community Trainer, Certified Childbirth Educator, Lactation Specialist
California Early Learning Institute
Email: Michelerogerseli@gmail.com

Colorado

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

Connecticut

Bethanne Vergean
Early Childhood Project Coordinator
University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Email: Vergean@uchc.edu

DC

Yetta Myrick
Executive Director/President
DC Autism Parents
Email: Ymyrick@dcautismparents.org

Delaware

Sarah Mallory
Assistant Professor and Director, Health and Wellness Unit
University of Delaware Center for Disability Studies
Email: smallory@udel.edu

Florida

Christina Smith
Early Interventionist/ Behavior Specialist
The Village Early Learning Center
Email: christinas@villageelc.com

Liz Randall
Statewide Director of Help Me Grow Florida
The Children’s Forum
Email: lrandall@thechildrensforum.com

Federated States of Micronesia

Clare Camacho
Speech Language Pathologist and Early Childhood Interventionalist
FSM Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program
Email: clare671joy@gmail.com

Georgia

Bridget Ratajczak
Child and Family Development Supervisor
GA Department of Early Care and Learning
Email: bridget.ratajczak@decal.ga.gov

Guam

Elaine Eclavea
Guam Early Learning Chairperson
Guam Early Learning Council
Email: eeclavea@gmail.com

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: Jokamoto@hawaii.edu

Idaho

Melissa Crist
Core Director
University of Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development
Email: mcrist@uidaho.edu

Illinois

Cari Roestel
Nurse Care Manager and ECHO Autism Program Coordinator
Pediatric Development Center, Advocate Children’s Hospital, Illinois Masonic Center
Email: Caroline.Roestel@aah.org

Jean Davis
Health Policy Coordinator
Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development
Email: jean.davis@illinois.gov

Indiana

Stephan Viehweg
Associate Director of Indiana LEND
Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Email: sviehweg@iu.edu

Iowa

Michelle Holst
State Coordinator, 1st Five healthy Mental Development Initiative
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Email: michelle.holst@idph.iowa.gov

Kansas

Peggy Kemp
Professional Development/Trainer
University of Kansas
Email: pkemp@ku.edu

Kentucky

Christine Hausman
Content Coordinator of Training
University of Kentucky
Email: christine.hausman@uky.edu

Louisiana

Julie Emory
EPSDT Coordinator
Burea of Family Health
Email: Julie.emory@la.gov

Leslie Lopez
Assistant Professor
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Email: llope4@lsuhsc.edu

Maine

Nancy Cronin
Executive Director
Maine Developmental Disabilities Council
Email: nancy.e.cronin@maine.gov

Maryland

Kristen Paul
Early Childhood Specialist
The Parent’s Place of Maryland
Email: kristen@ppmd.org

Massachusetts

Kate Barlow
Associate Professor
American International College
Email: Kate.barlow@AIC.edu

Michigan

Ashley Shayter
Board-Certified Behavioral Analyst
Pathways Community Mental Health
Email: ashayter@up-pathways.org

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: Hall0440@umn.edu

Mississippi

Leslie LaVergne
Assistant Director
The University of Southern Mississippi, Institute on Disability Studies
Email: Leslie.lavergne@usm.edu

Missouri

Alicia Curran
Director of Strategic Initiatives, ECHO Autism Communities; Program Director
The Curators of The University of Missouri
Email: CurranA@health.missouri.edu

Nebraska

Kerry Miller
Assistant Professor
University of Nebraska Medical Center – Munroe Meyer Institute
Email: Kerry.miller@unmc.edu

New Hampshire

Jennifer Pineo
Lead Trainer/Family Leader
NH Family Voices
Email: jsp@nhfv.org

New Jersey

Deepa Srinivasavaradan
State Parent Lead & Director of Early Childhood Initiatives
SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
Email: deepas@spanadvocacy.org

New Mexico

Alyx Medlock
LEND training director/speech-language pathologist
New Mexico UCEDD/LEND
Email: almedlock@salud.unm.edu

New York

Liz Isakson
Executive Director
New York Docs for Tots
Email: liz@docsfortots.org

Romina Barros
Chief, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
NYU Long Island School of Medicine
Email: Romina.barros@nyulangone.org

North Carolina

Rebecca Edmonson Pretzel
Professor, Psychologist
University of North Carolina
Email: becky.edmondson@cidd.unc.edu

North Dakota

Hilory Liccini
Associate Director/ Assistant Professor
North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities, UCEDD/Minot State University
Email: hilory.liccini@minotstateu.edu

Northern Mariana Islands

Chrislaine Manibusan
Family Support Specialist
Family 2 Family HIC
Email: chrislaine.manibusan@chcc.health

Ohio

Steph Weber
Clinical Psychologist; LEND/UCCEDD Training
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Stephanie.Weber@cchmc.org

Oklahoma

Bonnie McBride
Associate Professor of pediatrics
University of OK Health Sciences Center
Email: bonnie-mcbride@ouhsc.edu

Oregon

Sherri Alderman
Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician
Alderman Boreal Consulting, LLC
Email: actearlyoregon@gmail.com

Pennsylvania

Ilecia Voughs
Consultant for Home Visiting and Family Support Programs
Early Intervention and Technical Assistance
Email: ivoughs@pattan.net

Puerto Rico

Nancy Nieves-Muñoz
Health Policy Consultant
Puerto Rico Department of Health
Email: Nancy.nieves@salud.pr.gov

Rhode Island

Jen Sanchez
Early Intervention Technical Assistance Specialist
Rhode Island College
Email: jsanchez@ric.edu

South Carolina

Taylor Bagwell
Care Coordinator, Developmental Screening Lead
Help Me Grow South Carolina
Email: TBagwell@scimha.org

South Dakota

Lisa Sanderson
MCHB Family to family Health Information Center Project Director and Grants Coordinator
South Dakota Parent Connect Inc.
Email: lsanderson@sdparent.org

Tennessee

Toni Whitaker
Professor of Pediatrics, Developmental Pediatrician, LEND Director
University of TN Health Science Center, Department of Pediatrics
Email: twhitak1@uthsc.edu

Texas

Laura Kender
Chief of Child and Family Services
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County (MHMR Tarrant)
Email: Laura.Kender@mhmrtc.org

Julie DiGirolamo
State Child Health Coordinator
Texas Department of State Health Services
Email: Julie.DiGirolamo@dshs.texas.gov

Utah

Janel Preston
Special Educator and Autism Specialist
Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice – USU
Email: Janel.preston@usu.edu

Vermont

Janet Kilburn
Early Childhood Director
Vermont Department of Health
Email: Janet.Kilburn@vermont.gov

Virginia

Deana Buck
Early Childhood Consultant
Early Childhood Consultant and Affiliate Faculty Member VCU, Retired
Email: deanabuck@gmail.com

Washington

Chris Gray
WithinReach
Pregnancy & Early Childhood Development Program Manager
Email: chrisg@withinreachwa.org

West Virginia

Jackie Newson
Program Director
West Virginia Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health
Email: jackie.j.newson@wv.gov

Wisconsin

Kris Barnekow
Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Associate Professor
Emeritus UW-Milwaukee, Families First, LLC
Email: barnekowkris@aol.com

Wyoming

Peg Monteith
Education Consultant
University of Wyoming, Wyoming Institute for Disabilities
Email: Psherar2@uwyo.edu
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