2023 Prenatal-to-Three County Leaders Academy: Speaker Bios
Joint Session with Opioid Solutions Leadership Network: Family-Centered Approaches to Care
Alissa Copeland, Early Learning Program Manager, Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families
Alissa is the statewide Intake and Early Learning Program Manager for child welfare programs in Washington State. Alissa has worked for children and families involved with child welfare for over twenty years; in community-based, public service, and academic settings. With several projects centered around families with young children, Alissa’s current work focuses on statewide implementation of the Plan of Safe Care; early learning connections in child welfare; and standing up Safe Baby Courts across Washington.
Christine Ullstrup, Special Projects Advisor, Meta House
Christine Ullstrup has over 25 years of experience in substance use disorder treatment. She is a Meta House graduate and joined the staff in 1995. Before becoming Special Projects Advisor, she served as both Director of Programs and Vice President of Clinical Services. She provided oversight and leadership for all Meta House programs and was responsible for the vision, goals and coordination of services across the continuum of care. Ms. Ullstrup presented at the 4th National Conference on Women Addiction and Recovery on a growth-based contingency management system for women that she personally developed and implemented at Meta House. She frequently speaks at public forums on the need for gender-specific treatment, reducing the stigma of substance use and the need for more treatment options. Ms. Ullstrup obtained her Master of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Local Strategies to Build and Sustain Child Care Supply
Manpreet Sarkaria, Vice President of Government Demand, Wonderschool
As the Vice President Government Strategy at Wonderschool, Manpreet specializes in driving quality early education in the states of Florida, California, and Texas. Wonderschool provides comprehensive educational solutions to a network of 43,000 child care providers. He has over 14 years of experience in sales, marketing, and business development, with a focus on the education sector. He is passionate about addressing the US child care crisis, which affects not only children, families and providers, but our economy as a whole. His mission is to partner with state leaders, local organizations and employers to provide real-time data and visibility into the child care landscape, and to create solutions that are affordable, attainable, and sustainable.
Hon. Julie Ehemann, Commissioner, Shelby County, Ohio
Commissioner Ehemann holds the distinction of being the first woman elected Commissioner in Shelby County. In her 13 years on the Shelby County Commissioners Board, she has contributed to multiple boards and committees focused on economic development, recovery and public safety. Her journey began as a volunteer EMT, later transitioning to local government as a Councilmember and becoming the first woman Mayor of the Village of Anna. Julie's extensive involvement includes leadership roles in various boards and clubs such as Shelby County CASA, American Red Cross, and SCARF. Julie's passion extends to the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohio, where she served as President in 2019, and her vice-chair positions on NACo’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and Rural Action Caucus.
Lynette Jacoby, Director of Social Services, Johnson County, Iowa
With a BA and MSW from the University of Iowa, Lynette boasts over 30 years in the human service field. Her background includes more than two decades at a non-profit youth services organization, focusing on young parents and homeless teens. Since 2011, Lynette has directed Social Services for Johnson County. She's deeply involved in community coalitions and committees, contributing to initiatives like the Hunger Task Force and Poverty Summit. Lynette's leadership extends to the National Association of Counties' Human Services and Education Steering Committee, which she has served on for the past four years.
Leveraging Intergovernmental Partnerships to Support Prenatal-to-Three Efforts
Sarah Diedrick-Kasdorf, Director of Outreach and Member Engagement, Wisconsin Counties Association
Sarah Diedrick-Kasdorf holds the position of WCA Director of Outreach & Member Engagement. She joined WCA in 1991 as a Legislative Associate, initially focusing on taxation, finance, labor relations, and public safety issues. Progressing to Deputy Director of Government Affairs, she worked extensively in health and human services matters. Sarah's educational background includes a BA in political science and history from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.
Priya Bhatia, Administrator, Division of Early Care and Education, Department of Children and Families
Priya Bhatia, now the administrator of the Division of Early Care and Education, initially served as the policy initiatives advisor within DCF’s Division of Early Care and Education since 2020. Her efforts have been pivotal in advancing the division's mission of enhancing access to affordable, high-quality early care and education for Wisconsin families. Priya has led policy and programs for pandemic relief initiatives like the Child Care Counts payment program. Before joining DCF, she contributed to a housing nonprofit's leadership, focusing on homeownership for Milwaukee families. Trained as an attorney, she practiced commercial litigation and immigration law, advocating for vulnerable families.
Ruth Schmidt, Executive Director, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association
Ruth Schmidt is the Executive Director of Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, a position she has held since 2002. Her influence extends across local, state, and national levels as a prominent advocate for early care and education. With a wealth of executive leadership experience, Ruth collaborates with diverse organizations, associations, and government entities. Her involvement in ECE-focused organizations and coalitions underscores her commitment to enhancing the field through policy and systems enhancements. Ruth is an alumna of Grinnell College, holding a bachelor's degree.
Fireside Chat – Understanding the Importance of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Hon. David Crowley, County Executive, Milwaukee County, Wis.
Hon. David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive, understands the community deeply as a lifelong resident. Sworn in as the youngest county executive in May 2020, David is the first Black leader in this role. Under his leadership, Milwaukee County is focused on a strategic plan for racial equity, aiming to become the healthiest county in the state. He has diversified leadership positions and streamlined government for improved services. His dedication to service continued as he worked with various community organizations, ultimately leading to his role as County Executive. David is an active member of community organizations including the ACLU, Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals and the Milwaukee NAACP.
Hon. Janet Thompson, District II Commissioner, Boone County, Mo.
Janet M. Thompson was elected as Boone County District II Commissioner in November, 2012, and was sworn into office January 1, 2013. Janet was re-elected in November, 2016. She served as an Assistant Public Defender for the Missouri State Public Defender System for almost 25 years and is an arbitrator for FINRA, resolving securities disputes around the country. She has also served as a Disciplinary Hearing Officer for the Missouri Bar. Janet is currently liaison to the Boone County Purchasing Department and Facilities Maintenance Department and the Boone County Community Services Department, which includes the Boone County Children’s Services Board, Community Health and the Community Services Advisory. She has received a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree in Spanish, law degree, and her Master's in Alternative Dispute Resolution, all from the University of Missouri.
Heather Rotolo, LCSW, Director of Behavior Clinic, Penfield Children’s Center
Heather Rotolo, LCSW has been leading the Behavior Clinic since 2010. The Clinic’s three core missions are: to serve children birth to six who are experiencing behavioral and emotional concerns, with a strong emphasis of treating young children who have been exposed to potentially traumatic events; to train master and doctoral students to create the next generation of therapist in early childhood mental health; and to lead cutting edge research on their evidenced-based model Early Pathways. The Behavior Clinic is a two-time recipient of 5-year SAMHSA grants through the National Child Traumatic Stress Institute (NCTSI), which specifically targets the 0-6 population and their caregiving system to address traumatic stress. The Behavior Clinic are the creators of their own nationally recognized evidenced-based model, Early Pathways. Early Pathways also works with both the child and the caregiver to promote safety, development of coping skills, and promote healing after a traumatic/stressful event has occurred.
Addressing the Social Determinants of Health to Improve Outcomes for Young Children
Dr. Hailey Gibbs, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for American Progress
Dr. Hailey Gibbs is a senior policy analyst for Early Childhood Policy at American Progress. Her expertise lies in advocating for the social and economic benefits of investing in early child care and education. She's dedicated to promoting equity by improving child care access and infrastructure while also focusing on innovative learning approaches for the 21st century. Hailey has shared her insights through platforms like Medium, The Conversation, and the Brookings Institute’s Education Plus Development blog. Her academic contributions include publications in esteemed journals such as the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Cognitive Development, and Child Development. Before joining American Progress, Hailey served as a postdoctoral researcher at Temple University's Infant and Child Lab, concentrating on equity-based learning initiatives.
Hon. Carly Cooke, Commissioner, Guilford County, N.C.
Commissioner Carly Cooke has been serving on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners since 2020. In this role, she has focused her efforts on support for public education, Infant Mortality and early childhood environments, and health equity in our community. She is currently participating in several committees including the Joint Facilities Committee in concert with Guilford County Schools to collaborate on capital needs for K-12 public schools, the Access to Healthcare workgroup to explore healthcare deserts in the county, and she is chairing the Transportation and Mobility work group to better understand how transportation can be a barrier in our community for our most vulnerable citizens. She graduated from UNCG with her Bachelors degree in Business Administration in 2003 and returned for an MBA from the Bryan school, graduating in 2010. She lives in Greensboro with her husband and two sons.
Hon. David Crowley, County Executive, Milwaukee County, Wis.
Hon. David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive, understands the community deeply as a lifelong resident. Sworn in as the youngest county executive in May 2020, David is the first Black leader in this role. Under his leadership, Milwaukee County is focused on a strategic plan for racial equity, aiming to become the healthiest county in the state. He has diversified leadership positions and streamlined government for improved services. His dedication to service continued as he worked with various community organizations, ultimately leading to his role as County Executive. David is an active member of community organizations including the ACLU, Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals and the Milwaukee NAACP.
Amy Cunningham, Deputy Commissioner, Onondaga County, N.Y.
Amy Cunningham is the Commissioner of the Onondaga County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Formerly the Deputy Commissioner for the Child Welfare Division, she led the division through the pandemic, reinforced kinship programs and initiated Family First federal legislation implementation. Amy's diverse roles also include managing data analytics, contracts, the Youth Bureau and budget analysis. Amy has actively contributed to Onondaga County’s Early Childhood Alliance since 2016 and is a co-chair of the Help Me Grow committee.