Linda F. Bell holds concurrent positions as a member of our faculty and as the coordinator of the CDCG field-based program. Linda received her B.S. degree in child development from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and her Masters of Science degree in early childhood from the Emporia State Teachers College. Immediately after college, she started her career as a teacher for Penn Valley Community College's Child Development Center and then assumed the director's position-which she held for 27 years. Linda is doing what she loves to do: teaching others to help children become lifelong learners.
Etola Berry has a Bachelor's in Child Development from San Jose St. University. Currently she is a Professional Development Specialist and Quality Improvement Coach for the Francis Institute. She has 16 years experience working with children and families and shares her knowledge with professionals in early childhood centers and homes who care for and educate children.
Rebecca Curtis , M.S.Ed., has a bachelor's in early childhood education and a Master's degree in Public School Policy and Administration from Kansas University. She is currently seeking her doctorate degree in Training Development Leadership from North Central University. She has been in the early childhood field for over twenty-five years. Her work includes: an infant/toddler teacher, preschool teacher, school-age teacher, Director of a child care center, Education Coordinator for Head Start, Youth Counselor, and an adjunct faculty at Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley and Johnson County Community College. She is the Coordinator for the Francis Institute Resource Center. Her passion is assuring all teaching adults become lifelong learners in order to provide the best education for our children.
Sheryl Godsy Sheryl Godsy has been a Professional Development Specialist at the Francis Institute Resource Center since 1993. She has a Bachelors degree in Child and Family Development from the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduate work in Adult and Continuing Education. She brings over 30 years of experience working with children and youth in a variety of capacities, from a classroom teacher to the executive director of a multi-site program. Sheryl's philosophy of learning includes a strong value of creativity and play as an integral part of the learning process for both children and adults. Sheryl serves on the Missouri AEYC Play, Policy and Practice Interest Forum.
Joy Humbarger holds a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She has over 35 years in the field of early learning as a teacher, director, program owner, and professional development specialist. She currently provides coaching and training to early childhood and school age professionals for the Francis Institute for Child and Youth Development in Kansas City, MO. She is the author of the Institute's curriculum, Strengths-Based Coaching™. Ms. Humbarger serves on local and state AEYC boards, as well as several area preschool boards. She is a seasoned trainer at the local, regional, and national level, and is a certified trainer with Missouri OPEN.
Jerry Kitzi
has dedicated his work over the past thirty years to programs and services in support of healthy child and youth
development. Prior to his current position as Associate Dean and Director of the Francis Institute for Child and Youth
Development, he spent twenty years in philanthropy with a focus on children and youth. Kitzi was the Vice President for
Youth Development at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Director of Venture Philanthropy at the Greater Kansas City
Community Foundation and Director of the Francis Family Foundation. His focus has been on developing a system of early
care and education, and pathways for professional development for early childhood, school-age and youth development
professionals.
Kitzi earned his Bachelor's degree in education from Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri. Subsequently, he earned
an M. Ed. from the University of Missouri at Columbia and an MBA with the Executive Fellows Program at Rockhurst University,
Kansas City, Missouri. He has served on local and national boards of directors, his work has been published, and he has
recently contributed to two new books on social entrepreneurship and social enterprise development.
Terrell Mann is a Professional Development Specialist for the Francis Institute Resource Center in Kansas City, Missouri. With over 25 years in the Early Childhood field, she currently provides technical assistance, training and coaching to child care programs in the Greater Kansas City area. She is also an Adjunct Instructor for the Early Childhood Education Program at Kansas City Kansas Community College. She has been center director, program director and lead teacher providing childcare for infants, toddlers and preschool age children. She has also provided Early Intervention Special Education services for children birth to age five. Her personal goal is to provide adults with the tools and information they need to create developmentally appropriate environments and experiences that promote young children's development.
Susan Meador has an associate in arts degree from MCC-Penn Valley, and has been with Francis Institute since 1991. She is currently the program specialist for the child growth and development field-based program and is committed to excellence in all aspects of her position.
Rose Munoz , a bilingual professional development specialist, holds a Master's of Arts degree in Integrating the Arts into Curriculum. Her Baccalaureate of Science degree combines both the fields of Psychology and Social Work. Previous positions held range from Teacher Aid to Director of Child Care Facilities. She maintains an ongoing career as a Professional Development Specialist, Instructor and Resource Specialist in the Early Childhood field. Her list of specializations includes offering Child Development Associate (CDA) training to Spanish participants. In addition, Rose has served on the Missouri Accreditation, Mid-America AEYC, Missouri AEYC, and Foster Grandparent boards. Her commitment to extending quality care to children has led her to receive extensive training in curriculum (Creative Curriculum and Highscope) as well as Denver Developmental Screening Tests (Denver III). She is a CDA Council Representative and CDA advisor as well as an NAEYC validating authority, NAFCC Observer, and Command Spanish Instructor.
Donna Nelson completed her undergraduate study at Central State University with a Bachelor of Social Work/Child Development Technology Degree. She received her Masters in Curriculum & Instruction from Lesley College, and holds a Vocational Certification. Donna has worked for Penn Valley Community College for over 28 years in a variety of capacities: as Education Specialist for the Pre-School classroom, as family advocate and currently serves as the Francis Institute Liaison and CDCG Academic Advisor.
Amanda Schwartz holds a B.S. in Child and Family Studies from Northwest Missouri State University, with a minor in Psychology. She has been in the field of Early Care and Education for 17 years, having had experience being a classroom teacher, director, Parent Educator, and Education Coordinator. She is currently a Professional Development Specialist, working with emerging Educare sites new to the Early Care and Education field. She provides technical assistance, training and coaching to home providers, and faith-based centers based on the C.D.A Competencies and the Missouri and Kansas Core Competencies. Amanda also provides training seminars throughout the year for the large group Educare Seminars in the Kansas City region.
Pamela Simmons received her B.A. from Creighton University in Psychology with emphasis in child care. She is a recent graduate from Lesley University with her Masters in Education in integrating the arts in curriculum. She has worked for over 26 years to support improvements in the lives of children. She is a Professional Development Specialist for the Francis Institute as well as adjunct faculty for the CDCG. She currently works with the Francis Institute offering support to the after-school programs by coaching, training, mentoring and educating staff in the Metro area. She is an educator/trainer in the Kansas City Metro area where she also has a consulting company.
Vicki Stein holds a M. Ed., Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has worked at the Francis Institute for Child & Youth Development, Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley since 2000 as a Professional Development Specialist providing training and technical assistance to after-school programs. In addition, she teaches courses to prepare students for the Missouri Youth Development Credential. Vicki has presented workshops for state and national after-school conferences. She is an Endorser for National Afterschool Association Accreditation and a national trainer for Afterschool KidzLit and Afterschool KidzMath. She was a member of the board of Missouri School Age Community Coalition for ten years serving as president, treasurer and conference chair. Currently she serves on the Professional Development committee, overseeing the Youth Development Credential and building a state-wide professional development network.
Mary Svoboda-Chollet has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Elementary Education and Speech Pathology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an M.S. degree in Deaf Education from the University of Kansas. She has worked with young children, their families, and educators in a variety of roles including the public school sector, private school setting, and in not-for-profit organizations. She served as an Assistant Director for a national replication project, was a Parents as Teachers Center Manager for ten years, and has been full-time faculty in the Child Growth and Development/Education Division for ten years. Mary is also an Adjunct Professor at Park University. She has facilitated numerous Lunch and Learn presentations for parents who work at area businesses and corporations including Hallmark and H & R block. Her passion for teaching has motivated her to secure two Action Plans that initiated the group Teaching Tidbits which brings area child growth and development educators together for sharing and inspiration. She recently received another nomination to Who's Who Among America's Teachers and Educators and just received the 2008 Missouri Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Cynthia Trupka holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development and a Master of Science degree in Family Life Education, both from Kansas State University. She has 27 years of experience in the field of child development. The first 17 years of her career were spent providing home based treatment to families with issues of child abuse and neglect, and supporting associated child care providers via training and consultation. In addition, she supervised programs including multicultural and teen parents in the urban core of Kansas City, KS. She created and utilized systems to implement the Head Start Performance Standards and provided technical assistance services to child care partner community programs at an Early Head Start Program. As a Professional Development Specialist she provides training and technical assistance to community child care providers through on-site coaching and consultation model of services, including coaching services for child care programs participating in the Quality Rating System Pilot. She develops and presents training modules based on the Missouri/Kansas Core Competencies and the CDA/YDC Fundamental Areas. She is also adjunct faculty for Kansas City Kansas Community College teaching a variety of Early Childhood Education classes.