Child Care Center, Vanderbilt University

Meet Child and Family Center

Diane Neighbors, EdD, Director--Diane is the director of the Vanderbilt Child and Family Center. Her first job was as a Head Start assistant teacher. Her thirty-five year career in early childhood education has included work for the Appalachian Regional Commission, Associated Child Care Services of Metropolitan Boston, and as director of child care services for the Tennessee Department of Human Services. She has worked as a teacher at West End United Methodist Day School and director of the Jewish Community Center Preschool program and The Children's House Montessori Preschool.

Diane has served on the Governor's Task Force on Child Care, Governor's Task Force on Tort Reform, and the Governor's Task Force on Day Care, and she previously chaired the child care centers standard revisions committee.

She is a member of the Nashville and Tennessee Associations for the Education of Young Children and has served as president of both organizations.

She received her masters' degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her doctorate from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. She currently serves as Vice Mayor of Nashville and on various boards and commissions including the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth.

Diane and her husband Steve live in East Nashville where they have renovated three homes. Their son Josh is a graduate of the Vanderbilt Child Care Center and enrolled the first year it was open!

Mary Beth Adgent, Site Manager, Belcourt Center --Mary Beth attended UT and Peabody. She worked at Children’s House of Nashville Montessori School for 17 years. She has been at Vanderbilt Child and Family Center since November, 1991. Mary Beth loves working with and getting to know the families of VC&FC. She has been married for a long, long time and has two daughters.

Elaine Gallagher--Elaine attended Middle Tennessee State University. She joined Vanderbilt as an Administrative Assistant in July, 2007. She has experience working as an AA since 1985. Elaine has been taking care of and babysitting for her nieces, nephews, and godchild since 1982. Before that she babysat for neighbors, friends, and co-workers. She says that talking to the children and listening to the outrageous things they say keeps her laughing all year. In her spare time she likes to read, bake, and travel. She has an avid interest in elder care as she assists her mother in the care of her grandmother.

Rhonda Laird, Site Manager, Edgehill Center--Rhonda Laird has worked at the Vanderbilt Child Care Center since October 1990. She was a teacher in the pre kindergarten class for three years and in 1993 began working as a site manager at Edgehill. Rhonda has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Michigan State University and a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from Vanderbilt University.

Rhonda has served on several boards and committees that advocate the needs of young children. She is the past president of the Nashville Area Association for the Education of Young Children. Rhonda sits on the current board of directors for Nashville Area Association for the Education of Young Children as well as the Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children as a Public Policy Co Chair. She teaches early childhood courses at Nashville State Community College in the evenings and on weekends.

Rhonda enjoys working for Vanderbilt University and all it has to offer. She finds working with the families of the Vanderbilt Child and Family Center very rewarding. “Knowing that our families trust us to care for and educate their children while they go to work for Vanderbilt is at the core of what we do each day.”

Rhonda is married to Joe (since 1982) and they have two grown children, David and Allison. She has a dog named Bruno who walks her several times a week. She also enjoys watching football (NFL and college).

Jennifer Smithson--Jennifer received her BS in Elementary Education from MTSU. She will receive her Masters in Education in December, 2007. She started working with children in 1994. Since that time she has worked with children ranging from infants to school-age. She also has experience being an Assistant Director of a child care center. She joined Vanderbilt in 2002. Jennifer takes pleasure in seeing the children’s faces light up when they accomplish a goal or learn something new. She is the mother of an eight year old daughter named Jocelyn. She enjoys reading, sports, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.

Mary Telford Williams, Site Manager, 18th Avenue Center--Mary holds a BS in Early Childhood Education from Vanderbilt. She has worked on a Masters at NYU in Psychology. She began her teaching career at Vanderbilt Child and Family Center in 1985. From there she taught in the Public Schools and then moved to private education. She has worked at University School of Nashville, Ensworth, and Belmont Weekday School. She was also Head of Early Childhood at Grace Church School in NYC for over a decade. Mary admires the honesty and humor of young children. She believes deeply in play and development of the imagination. She loves listening to their language and she is a big fan of storytelling and reading. She is the mother of 3 boys – Isaac (11), Jackson (5), and Lucas (3). Her husband Hyram is a Commercial Real Estate Broker. They live in West Meade and have a dog named Lola. They love the outdoors, traveling, & camping. They have recently learned how to be beekeepers and have their 1st hive.

Mary Yarbrough, MD, MPH--Dr. Yarbrough is the Director of Health and Wellness at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. She has responsibility for faculty and staff services in both the University and Medical Center at Vanderbilt.These services include the Occupational Health Clinic; HEALTH Plus, Vanderbilt's health promotion program; Work/Life Connections-EAP, including Faculty, Physician and Nurse Wellness Programs; and the Child Care Centers. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt, Dr. Yarbrough served as the Director of Environmental Epidemiology for the State of Tennessee. She received her BSc in Biomedical Engineering and her MD from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Yarbrough completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt and in Preventive Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. She is an Assistant Professor of both Medicine and Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt, is boarded by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in both Occupational Medicine and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, is boarded by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a former Luce Scholar. Dr. Yarbrough has served as President of the Tennessee College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and is currently the Tennessee Delegate to the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). Dr. Yarbrough also serves on ACOEM's Board of Directors.

Shelda Ambuehl--Shelda has worked with children since 1984. She had a daycare class in her junior & senior years of high school consisting of one hour of classroom instruction and one hour of child care daily. She has completed TECTA orientation. She has worked with infants, toddlers, two’s and three year olds. She has been working with infants since 1993. Shelda enjoys watching children grow and develop. She loves nurturing the children and interacting with them. She is married and has two daughters and one son. One daughter is 26 and the other is 27. Her son is 18 and a freshman at MTSU. She enjoys going to Arizona and visiting family every year. She also enjoys camping with her children and 3 grandsons, ages 9, 7, and 2.

Melissa Barnes--Melissa graduated from Glencliff High School and has taken the Para-Professional test to work in Tennessee Schools. She has worked with children since 2002. When she was in the Rutherford County School System she worked with ages four to twelve. She has been a Pre-K Teacher Assistant and a Reg Educational Assistant. Her favorite part of working with children is seeing their faces and expressions when they’ve done something for the first time. Melissa is the mother of two boys, Justin (15) and Ryan (10). She has been married since 1987. They have two dogs. She really enjoys spending time with her family.

Katie Batte--Katie attended Vol State from 2005 to 2006 with an emphasis in Education. In 2006 she began taking Early Childhood Education classes at Nashville State and continues today. She has been working with children since 2005. Her favorite part of working with young children is watching the kids grow and learn. She says “You never know what they will say next”. Katie is an only child so she loves being around kids. She likes to shop and eat.

Brittany Beard--Brittany has completed TECTA orientation. She has been working with children since 2002. She loves seeing each child grow and learn new things daily.

Audrey Bender-- Audrey went to Maplewood High School and graduated in 1976. She has worked in several child care centers but Vanderbilt is her favorite. She enjoys all the workshops she attends. She is currently going to school to further her education in child care. Since 2002 she has kept children in her home and loved every minute of it. Audrey has been at Vanderbilt Child and Family Center since 1996 and has really enjoyed her time here. She loves teaching the children songs, ABC’s & numbers. Basically she just loves everything about teaching. Her favorite part of working with children is watching them grow into wonderful children. Audrey says “I love working with children because I learn so much from them and listening to them tell their stories. Most of all I just love children. You can’t go wrong doing that.”

Amy Runyeon Blihovde – Amy attended Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has previous experience working with children at Woodmont Christian Preschool and Hillwood Playcare. Her most valuable learning experience in child development comes from raising three children: Jarett, 17, Cody, 16, and Alex, 14. She maintains that from the start, the boys have taught and continue to teach her the paramount importance and the art of mothering. She recognizes that to hold a place in a child’s life brings many things: responsibility, commitment, and joy. Amy says “Children help everything in the world make sense to me!” Her family members are Vandy fans.

Angela Miller Bond--Angela has CDA Certificate. She has been working with children since 1993 in ages ranging from infants to preschool. She says “Children bring me a lot of peace and joy. I love to see children gaining their independence. They are so honest and humble.” Angela has two children, Angelo (age 20) & Savannah (age 13). She also has twin brothers for which she cares. Her favorite hobbies are volleyball and dancing. Her spare time is spent going to women homeless shelters and reading books to the children. She also has a small dog called Butch.

Lauren Brownlee--Lauren earned her B.S. in Communication from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She is certified in Infant & Toddler Quality Care by the Colorado Department of Education. She was the infant room teacher at the Early Learning Center in Aspen, Colorado, from August, 2006 to September, 2007. Lauren’s favorite part of working with young children is the children’s joy over simple things and the wonderment of experiencing everything for the very first time. She grew up a country girl on a farm in Pennsylvania. She is one of five children & spent her youth caring for babies and small children. Lauren loves reading, writing and volunteering. People are her passion and helping them experience a better quality of life is her mission.

Tonya Byrns--Tonya has an Early Childhood Diploma from Nashville Tech. She has been working with children since 1993. Her favorite part of working with young children is that she gets to teach and learn from “the little people of the future”. Tonya enjoys going to her daughters’ softball games, reading, shopping, motorcycle races, old Chevy’s, and hanging out with family and friends.

Ginette Cambronero--Ginette holds an Associate of Science degree and a CDA. She is a candidate for a Bachelors of Science. She is a mentor for the TECTA program and has been a Spanish instructor for the Woodbine Community Organization since 1999. Ginette has been an infant, toddler and two year old teacher since 1986 and a preschool teacher since 1992. Her favorite part of working with young children is getting to know the children and their families and working to provide a good, safe, and healthy environment for the children in her care. Ginette received the Distinguished Vanderbilt University Commodore Award in 2000.

Pamela Clackley--Pam has a certificate in infant care from Nashville Area Vocational School. She has also completed 6 hours of TECTA training. She enjoys workshops on Child Development, music, movement, and art. She has worked for Vanderbilt Child Care Center at the Edgehill site since 1998. Pam relishes watching children grow and change through the months and years. She says it’s a great a feeling to know that she had a part in so many lives.

Dawn Crago --Dawn went to school in Franklin, TN, and attended college at Owen. She loves doing workshops especially the ones about self esteem and character development, personality profiling, and nurturing. To her, art and sensory activities are the most fulfilling. Dawn has been in child care since 1985 including three years as a director of a church center, several years as a Sunday school teacher and on the Board of Ministries. She has been teaching at Vanderbilt Child and Family Center since 1993 in the Two’s classroom with Miss Erin. She says working with the two’s allows her to have the enjoyable experience of helping them go from dependent infancy to speaking and expressing their personal individualism. “Each child is so full of life and curiosity.” Dawn is the mother of three boys. Her oldest has finished college and works for an engineering company, the middle one is a sophomore at MTSU majoring in Math and her youngest is a junior at Hillsboro High; he is the musician/sports guy! Her leisure time is spent sailing and competing in Dart tournaments. In the winter months she sits in front of a sewing machine getting ready for the Renaissance Festival.

Melody Crossland--Melody has had her CDA since November 1999. She is currently enrolled in the last of three classes to obtain her Technical Certificate. Her favorite workshops are any that focus on young toddlers! She worked in a family child care beginning in 1992 before coming to Vanderbilt in 1994. She also taught a couple of Journey of Hope classes in the mid to late 90’s. Melody has many favorite things about working with young children. They include providing the children with the type of environment and care that encourages them to try new things and watching them finally succeed. She loves the close relationships that she forms with both the children and their families. She has a 26 year old son Josh, who got married June 16, 2007, and a 16 year old daughter named Abby. Abby attends Davidson Academy and is a junior. Melody and her husband have three horses, 3 donkeys, 5 dogs, and one cat. They also share six grandchildren (all from his 1st marriage).

Tara Davis--Tara holds a BS in Psychology. While pursuing her bachelors she interned at the Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County in Murfreesboro. There she helped facilitate the child therapeutic groups for children who had been abused. Tara started as a nanny in 2003 working out of her home with children that ranged from seven months to two years old. She then worked at Northwest YMCA as a Lead Teacher of two and three year olds. While working there she also worked as an In-Home Counselor working with children who were in Foster care and/or at risk of going into State’s custody. She left the Northwest YMCA and began working at The Gardner School of Nashville in November 2005. There she was Lead Teacher of two and three year olds. She stayed with The Gardner School until September 2007. Tara’s favorite part of working with young children is watching them learn something for the first time and the wonderful feeling that arises when she sees that smile that says “I did it!” She is a new mom and wife and enjoys spending all of her free time with her family.

Anna Diehl--Anna graduated from Overton High School in 2006. While there she took three years of ECED classes in which she was able to aid teachers at Judson Baptist Church. Because she had that opportunity she developed a love for young children. She started working at Pied Piper Child Care Center in 2003. She was a floater with experience in ages six weeks to five years. She joined Vanderbilt in 2008 and loves being here. Anna’s favorite part of working with young children is watching them develop and learning each one’s very unique personalities.

Rebecca Driebliebis--Rebecca has an AAS degree in Early Childhood Education from Nashville State Community College. She enjoys all the Music & Movement classes. She has worked with children of all ages but her favorites are the infant/toddler age group and Pre-K. Rebecca’s favorite part of working with young children is making them laugh and watching the expressions on their faces. She loves running, cats and all types of music.

Brittany Ebey--Brittany will complete her Technical Certificate in Early Childhood Education in 2008. She has been in this field since1998 and has experience working with children from ages one to twelve. Her favorite part of working with children is being able to watch them grow. Brittany believes that children love new information and learning the how and why of their world. It is very rewarding for her to be able to watch and know she assisted in their growth and development. Brittany also enjoys being able to bring her love for creativity and share it with the children and watch them experience it for themselves.

Pam Epps--Pam has finished 1 year of college and has been in child care since 2005. She says she can’t choose one workshop as her favorite as they are all her favorite because they all offer her the chance to learn new things. She takes pleasure in watching the children grow and learn new things themselves. She loves to go fishing, camping, and bowling.

Clair Gant--Clair has been with Child Care since August 1987.

Cheryl Gates--Cheryl holds an Associates Degree in Child Development from Itawamba Community College. She is currently attending TSU studying Psychology and Social Work. She began working with children ages three years to school age in 2001. In 2007 she expanded to caring for infants and toddlers and has learned a lot about the children. She says “My favorite part of working with young children is watching how much information the children absorb and begin to use more and more each day; Loving how children do not discriminate. They don’t care who you are nor how you look. They just want your time and attention.” Cheryl is the youngest of three children. She is from a small town in Mississippi by the name of Aberdeen. She has an extended family of 2 sisters that were born in 2002 & 2003. She has an older brother who just started his own business in 2007. She is a DIE HARD Steelers fan!! Cheryl loves to read books, shop, meet new people, travel, and dance.

Stephana Giannetti--Steph attended Coastal Georgia Community College from 2002 to 2004 and graduated with an AA degree. She then moved to North Carolina where she attended Brevard College until 2006. She graduated with a BA degree in Integrated Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. She would like to go back to school to get her masters in Elementary Education and plans on doing so in 2008. She has worked in child care since 2001 and was also a substitute teacher for Pre-K through 12th grade. She did her internship in Brevard, NC, at Lighthouse for Little Folks child care center in 2006. Steph loves working with young children because she loves to watch them grow and learn many new things and she loves being a part of that. She says “The children are wonderful to be around and no matter how my day is going they always seem to put a smile on my face.” Steph loves to play fast pitch softball and did so for 15 years. When she graduated from college and softball was over for her she went on to coach a travel team in South Florida. She also gave pitching lessons. She moved to Nashville in November, 2007, and joined the Vanderbilt Child and Family Center. She loves Nashville and plans on staying for a long time.

Kristin Gore--Kristin went to Belmont University for Music Business. She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Business Administration. She is also a licensed Real Estate Agent. She has worked with children for the past several years, both as a one-on-one nanny and in a daycare setting. She is planning on a return to school to pursue a Masters in Education. Kristin’s favorite part of working with young children is learning. She says “We have so much to learn from children, especially how to not take things too seriously, and to live in the moment. I also love this age group as they are learning about themselves & the world around them as they develop their own identities.” Kristin lives in Nashville with her husband Ryan, dogs Mason & Keira, & cat Mr. Jones.

Katherine Graham--Katherine attended The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her major was in Family Studies with a minor in Adolescent Health. She was a UT Practicum Student working with toddlers, pre-school, Kindergarten and camps K-4 age groups and has been a Nanny for all ages. Katherine says she loves teaching children and watching their development throughout the year. She loves interacting and working with children everyday.

Ronala Graves--Ronala has been working in child care since 2004. In 2004, she was a lead infant teacher at Tendercare Learning Center in Pittsburgh. She moved to Nashville in 2005 and worked with infants at Bright Horizons for Dollar General Corp. in Goodlettsville. After moving to Thompson Station in August, 2006, she started working at VCCC in November, 2006, in infants. Before entering child care professionally, Ronala occasionally cared for children in her home while she was raising her three children, now aged 23, 22, and 17. She also spent several years working with children at her church as a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher. She savors watching children learn and grow daily. She believes the children are all incredibly smart little people. She loves getting Baby Kisses too! Ronala lives in Thompson Station with her partner Theresa and sons, Matt (23) and Seth (17). She enjoys antique shopping, the outdoors (hiking), and music. She plays the guitar, bass, and drums and is teaching herself to play the banjo. In quieter times, she loves to read and snuggle up with her two cats, Sang & Oliver.

Kristy Greer – Kristy graduated from Dickson County High School in 1995. She has attended workshops in Multicultural Education, Talk Time, ITERS-R, ECERS-R, Infant/Toddler Literacy, and Fitness. Fitness was her favorite workshop because she wants to make sure children are healthy and happy. She worked in daycare after her graduation until her first child was born in 1997. From 1998 to 2004, she chose to be a stay at home mom while also keeping two children in her home aging from 16 months to 4 years. She returned to daycare work in 2005 at Goose and Gander Daycare in Pegram, TN. She worked there until she came to Vanderbilt in February, 2008. Kristy loves seeing each child grow and learn new things. To see the joy on their face when they are learning something new gives her a feeling of great accomplishment. Kristy is married and has two boys, ages 9 & 11. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their boys on the family farm working with horses, school sports, and martial arts. She enjoys scrap booking, taking pictures, and learning new things.

Dorris Harris--Dorris attended the Early Childhood classes at Tennessee Technology. Her favorite workshops are on arts and crafts, music and movement, and science. She has been working with children since 1994. She loves watching the children’s overall accomplishments during the course of the year. Her hobbies include reading, movies, and leisure time with family and friends. She was born on September 4.

Linda Harrison--Linda graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1971 & Martin College in 1973 with an Associates Arts degree. She did additional studies at George Peabody College for Teachers in 1975. From 1987 through 2006 she also presented workshops for local, state, regional, and national Early Childhood Education conferences on: art; conflict resolution; multi-sensory materials; dinosaurs; conservation; animals in the classroom; anti-bias curriculum; and teacher-made materials. Linda’s experience working with children includes: West End Day School from 1977 to 1983 as a sub; part-time; and assistant teacher for the four and five year olds; VCCC from 1983 to 1991 as Lead Teacher (four year olds and three-four-five mixed age grouping); VHCCC/VCCC from 1991 to present as Preschool Teacher for three to five year olds. Her favorite part of working with young children is learning from them. She says “Every day they teach me something new and help me keep my mind open. And every day I strive to make use of this to offer good learning experiences for them.” “Aunt Linda” has four nieces, two nephews, one great-niece, and six great-nephews at last count! She shares her home with three cats – Olympia (11 years old) and twin brothers Romulus and Remus. She enjoys reading, gardening, and puzzles (crossword, jigsaw, Sudoku, and cryptics). Linda’s “heroes” are Fred Rogers and Yoda.☺

Linda Henkel--Linda has two years of education at Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska, under her belt. She has also completed 20 hours of State of Washington STARS training. She enjoys all science workshops but her favorite was from a keynote speaker on “The Effects of Television on Children.” Her experience working with children includes: babysitting from age 10 (in the old days), Second Grade Teacher for three years, permanent sub for the two and three year old combo for two years, Sunday School Superintendant for eight years, Sunday School Teacher for 15 years, Preschool Teacher of ages two through five for nine plus years in Seattle and Nashville, and raising a son! When asked what is her favorite part of working with young children Linda replied “Observing the process of discovery. ‘Look! Pink and blue make purple!’ ‘Look at this fossil I found!’ Giving them a song to sing and the joy of music. Naptime stories (without looking at pictures in a book) to help them develop imagination and introduce them to old and new children’s literature.” Linda’s family consists of her husband since 1968, John, her son, Paul, and her daughter-in-law, Marketa. They share a split house with a Finnish Hound and two cats. She comes from a family of five siblings so has many “Little Linda” stories to share with the children. She is a self described storyteller, a children’s song writer, a scrapbooker, and an art card maker. She’s also something of a rock hound.

Jesse Hoover-Dempsey--Jesse received her BS in Psychology from The University of Georgia in 2002. She is continuing work on a Master’s in Elementary Education at Tennessee State University. She started working at VCCC as an assistant teacher in January of 2003 and has been the lead teacher in the 3 & 4 year old classroom since June of 2003. Jesse enjoys fostering the development of the children’s confidence and self-esteem as they master new skills and gain independence.

Gail Horton--Gail graduated from Stratford High School in 1983. She is attending Nashville State Community College where she expects to receive her CDA from in December 2007. She enjoys attending the NAEYC music workshops. She has worked with children since 1995. She has been with Vanderbilt since 2000 in the infant rooms. Gail takes joy in knowing she made a difference in the children’s lives. She believes children are like flowers waiting to bloom. She says “The love given and received is a joy that ones heart can not measure.” She has three beautiful children, ages 25, 17, and 9. Her oldest son (25) serves in the U.S. Air Force and he has just been promoted to SGT. He has made her a proud grandmother Sydney who is one year old. Gail is the Vice-Secretary of the Evangelist Ministry at South Inglewood Church. She works hand in hand with Habitat For Humanity and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Cheryl (Shelley) Howard--Shelley has had CCPT Training in Tennessee. She attended TSU for TECTA classes and has had training in Music and Movement. She has been working with children in a day care setting since 2005. Her favorite part of working with young children is watching them interact, learn, grow, and have fun. Shelley loves working with children of all ages and sizes. She is the mother of two and the grandmother of five.

Mini Ingram--Mini has worked at the Vanderbilt Child and Family Center since September, 1994. She is a teacher in the Busy Bee’s classroom and works 6:00 – 3:00 each day. She has vast experience working with children of all ages. She has worked with two year old’s since 2000 and has also been working with at-risk children since 1996. In the past Mini has been a critical care certified NT, Licensed Cosmetologist, cook, and a member of the Chief Association but is happy she has chosen children with whom to spend her time.

Dori Johnson--Dori graduated from Job Corps in 2000 with a G.E.D. and certificate for Medical Secretary. She enjoys the workshops that use music or art to help children learn and the ones on Personality Profiling. She has been working as a floater at Vanderbilt Child Care Center since 2002. Her favorite part of working with young children is the children, which is not a surprise since she has lots of children in her family.

Beth Karamon--Beth graduated from Ohio University in March, 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Business Administration. She observed a variety of classrooms and ages through her lab experience at college and she student taught two year olds and second graders each for 11 weeks. Her work experiences include being a three year old teacher at Kinder Care for two summers; the Ohio University Campus Recreation Office receptionist for three years; a summer camp counselor for ages seven to thirteen at YMCA Camp Kern; and a toddler teacher in summer 2007 for My Father’s House Child Care Center. Beth is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an International Honors Fraternity in Education. Her favorite part of working with children is watching them learn and grow. She loves that every child is unique and every day is different. Beth grew up in Dayton, Ohio, but wanted to leave and randomly picked Nashville, TN, where she relocated to in August, 2007. Beth is looking forward to getting to know her new city, co-workers, students, and parents!

Catherine Lavender--Catherine graduated from Whites Creek Comprehensive High School. She has been working with children for over 10 years. Her grandmother raised her and operated a daycare out of her their home her whole life. She has also worked at Head Start and Children First. Catherine is quoted as saying “Most children have a great sense of humor and being able to make a child laugh just warms my heart”.

Sharon Mansourian--Sharon holds a BS degree in Early Childhood Education and has credits toward a Masters in Elementary Education from TSU. She has had years of training through NAEYC and TAEYC conferences. Her favorite workshops are reading, art, or music based, or especially anything new and exciting. She has worked at Vanderbilt since 2000. She has been working with children since 1995, not counting the years she babysat for her own siblings and neighborhood children. About working with children she says “Where else can you play, be enlightened, delighted and amazed all day and still call it work?” Sharon is the proud mother or a 16 year old daughter, Morgan. Her hobbies include watching Morgan play soccer and run track. In her free time she enjoys hooking rugs, making earrings and other crafty things, and especially reading. One of her favorite authors is James Patterson.

Kim Maskill--Kim enjoys attending the NAEYC conferences. She has been working in the Michigan school district for over 2 years as a Teacher Assistant. Kim’s favorite part of working with young children is being able to watch them grow and learn. She has always loved being around children and believes you can learn something from them as well on a daily basis. She moved to the Nashville area from Michigan over summer 2007 and absolutely loves it here. She loves to scrapbook and go off-roading with her family. Kim has been married for 16 years and has two boys; Tyler, 9, and Joshua, 6.

Wanda Medley – Wanda graduated from Glencliff High School and attended Lipscomb University. She has been working with children ages six weeks to Pre-K since 1990 as a Teacher and as an Assistant Director. She teaches 1 & 2 year olds on Sunday night at Wingate Church of Christ. Wanda says “My favorite part of working with small children is seeing the smile on their faces when they have accomplished something they have been trying to do. Also, knowing that I have the trust and love of each child for whom I care.” She has two sons and a daughter-in-law with whom she enjoys spending time. Wanda likes to read and go camping.

Laura Messamore--Laura graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in May 2007 with a Child Development & Family Studies degree and a minor in Education. She will soon be a Certified Family Life Educator. She worked with children of all ages throughout her college years and she delights in watching the children grow and learn. Laura is engaged and will be getting married on April 12, 2008. She loves to hang out with her friends and family. She is a HUGE Blue Raiders fan (Uh Oh!) and loves going to all home games!

Irene Moore--Irene graduated from East High School in 1980. She attended Tennessee State for 2 years and has registered for TECTA orientation class. She has worked with children since 1992 including working as a nanny for family members. She joined Vanderbilt in 2001. She savors watching young children grow from infants to preschoolers. Irene is married and has four stepchildren. Her hobbies are shopping, watching sports on TV, traveling, listening to music, and reading. She attends Beech Creek Baptist Church.

Joyce Morton--Joyce’s favorite workshops are the ones that provide training for life’s (little or big) emergencies, CPR, and all the workshops that help you identify not just with the children but with your co-workers and, on a larger scale, with yourself. Defining and relating to specific colors was a truly wonderful one for her. Her experience in working with children began in 1991 when she became a Memaw. She has been working at Vanderbilt since 2003 with what she terms “A cross section of the most interesting and wonderful children I could hope to meet.” Her favorite part of working with young children other than getting those great smiles and the reaching out to her and the cuddling while humming those no name tunes that put them to sleep is hoping to make a difference. Joyce loves arts and crafts from Beading to scrapbooking. She is hoping to leave a little something to some that remember the love they have shared during their time together.

Kelly Moser--Kelly earned her BS in Psychology from MTSU and is currently working towards a Masters. She first came to Vanderbilt in 2002 but she left in 2003 to work for the Department of Children’s Services. She returned to the Commodore fold in 2006. She loves teaching the children new things and making messes. Kelly got married in 2006 and loves to scrapbook and go camping.

Emily Mount--Emily has a BA in Religious Studies from Harding University and is currently taking classes at Nashville State to get her CDA. She taught Sunday school and babysat as a teenager. In 2001 she started working at a preschool as a summer job. From 2003 to 2007 she worked at Minds in Motion dayschool in the toddler room. Emily loves the messy toddler stage, especially doing art and sensory activities with the children. She loves the flexibility and wide range of things she gets to do as a toddler teacher. Emily enjoys cooking and gardening. She has 2 cats. This is her first season singing with Nashville in Harmony.

Debbie Murphy--Debbie is a graduate of Crothersville High School in Indiana. She has attended many workshops since the beginning of her work with young children in 1999. Some of her favorites have been Baby Signs, Interaction Skills, The Purposes of Positive Guidance Skills, Relaxation and I Love You Rituals, The Caring Classroom, Storytelling, Sids, and How Children Develop and Learn. She worked for the Williamson County YMCA as an assistant Site Director in the Before and After School Program for five years. She also worked as a toddler teacher at The Peanut Gallery in Spring Hill for three years. Debbie’s favorite part of working with young children is the interaction. She loves singing songs and finger play. Debbie says “It is wonderful to see their faces light up, and it is especially rewarding when you can watch them learn something like where their nose is!” She has been married to Mike since 1972 and they have a married daughter who lives in Indiana. Her hobbies are reading, biking, and running. Debbie finished her first marathon in January, 2007.

Gaby Navarro--Gaby finished high school in 2003 with emphasis on elementary education. In 2004 she started college studies in English as a Second Language at NSCC. In 2006 she received her technical certificate in Early Childhood Education at NSCC and in 2007 she finished her Associate of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has been working with children since 2001. Gaby taught first, fifth, and sixth grades and loved it. She started working with young children in the Au Pair in America program in 2004 and continued for two years. Her favorite part of working with young children is seeing how they can have fun and learn in a healthy environment. She enjoys knowing that she can give them the opportunity to explore and learn about the world. Gaby is from Guatemala City. She came to the States in May, 2004.

Melissa Palmer--Melissa earned her AS from Nashville State Technical Community College with the area of emphasis in ECED. Her experience in child care begins in 2001 with five years working in a group-home child care environment working with ages from six weeks to five years old. She also worked at Easter Seals Child Development Center with infants and toddlers for five months. Melissa appreciates watching the children learn and grow each day and enjoys playing and having fun with young children.

Mary Parker--Mary received her AAS in Early Childhood Development in Virginia. She is an ABA Therapist, which is Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy used with children with autism. She has lots of experience working with children, a 1 year internship at the Autism Center, 18 months of One to One therapy with autistic children, and working in child care facilities. Mary relishes watching the light bulb go off when young children figure something out for the first time. She says it gives her a warm & cozy feeling. She grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. Mary has an older brother living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a younger sister in Richmond, Virginia. She loves going out with friends and singing.

LaQuisa Patterson--LaQuisa is currently enrolled at Nashville State Community College where she is taking Early Childhood Education classes. Her favorite workshop is Are You Prepared For An Emergency? She has been working with children since 1996. She enjoys watching the children grow from infants on up to preschoolers. LaQuisa has a daughter and a small dog. She loves to play and watch sports, and read.

Roslyn Perry-Strain--Rosalyn has a CDA from TECTA. Her favorite workshops are the ones that give you creative ways to perform more than one task at a time and to enjoy doing it. She is a grandmother of 10, almost 11. She has been working at Vanderbilt with infants since 1989, loving each and every year. She takes pleasure in many aspects of her job, including watching the babies as they learn to do new things such as learning to pick up foods while sitting in the high-chair, watching them try to escape from another child while that child is trying to take a toy, taking them on walks, and watching their expressions when people come over to admire them. Rosalyn loves to sing and really loves to fish. She spends most of her weekends going to the zoo, swimming, or cooking something special with her grandchildren.

Erin Roberts--Erin has had YMCA training in Childhood Development, First Aid, and CPR. Her favorite workshops are on music, storytelling, and special needs children. Erin has been in child care since 1987. She started at Holly Tree Child Care where she worked for five years. She came to Vanderbilt in 1992 and loves it here working with two year olds. Her favorite part of working with young children is teaching them and watching them grow. She loves greeting each child with a smile in the morning and has ample opportunities to indulge as she opens the center at 6:00 each morning. She enjoys family hobbies such as walking, bowling, Holiday gatherings, going to the movies and shopping.

Tanga Russell--Tanga has been teaching at Vanderbilt Child and Family Center since February, 2003. She has experience working with infants, toddlers, preschool, and school age children dating back to 1993. Tanga also works with the youth at her church. Her favorite part of this job is being able to make a difference in a child’s life. She likes going to church, the movies, spending time watching movies, family gatherings, and reading novels. She prides herself on helping others. Tanga says “Seeing someone else happy makes my day. So whatever is needed; talking, giving, laughing or crying, I can help.”

Lynn Sanders--Lynn received her BA from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in Pre-Teaching Human Behavioral Development. Her minor is in Elementary Education. She holds a MS in Elementary Education. She has been working with children since 1997. Lynn says her favorite part of working with young children is when a student learns a new skill.

Joyce Shannon--Joyce holds an Associates Degree in Word Processing. She has been working with children from infants to preschoolers since 1994 and with school agers since 1992. She loves to watch children grow from infancy to the preschool age and see the changes that take place within their growth. Joyce says she is entertained by the things children do. She also enjoys reading and watching movies.

Teresa Stastny--Teresa has a CDA and an Associates of Applied Sciences in Early Childhood Education. Currently she is attending APSU working toward her B.S. in Social Work. She has been working with children since 1989. Teresa loves children and enjoys watching them develop and grow while learning new and exciting experiences. She is married and has a dog and two cats. She enjoys reading and spending quality time with her husband.

Juanita Steiger--June 2008 marks Juanita’s thirty-first year in licensed child care. She has been at Stallworth Center since August, 2003. Before then she operated a licensed family child care center since 1976 in British Columbia, Canada. Her husband is a Professor of Statistics at the Peabody Campus of Vanderbilt. They have two daughters. The older girl is completing a PhD in Child Clinical Psychology. The younger is a family doctor practicing in Calgary Alberta, Canada. Juanita has always loved working with children of all ages. Since her daughters have been too busy pursuing their post-graduate education to provide her with grandchildren, she feels she has made an excellent career choice.

Robin Stewart-- Robin has her CDA credential. She is certified in CPR/First Aid and is a member of the NAEYC. She plans on working toward an Associate Degree in the future. She started working with children in 1999. She was a floater for about a year until a position became available in the toddler classroom. She’s been working with toddlers ever since and she absolutely loves it! Robin’s favorite part of working with young children is the smiling faces that she sees every day. She derives satisfaction from knowing that she makes a difference with the children with whom she works.

Katie Stricker--Katie holds a BS in Child and Family Service. She has trained in Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Nutrition and Family Stress. She has a strong background in Psychology as well as Sociology. Her favorite workshops are the ones that revolve around the family and do not solely concentrate on the child. She was a nanny for four summers while in High School and College. After that she worked at St. Charles Hospital Child Development Center in Toledo, Ohio, for five years. From there she came here and joined Vanderbilt in July, 2007. Katie’s favorite part of working with young children is watching them grow over the course of the year that she has them in her classroom. She loves to compare what the child was doing when they entered her classroom against the things they are doing right before they move up to the next age group. She notes that the changes are drastic, especially with two year olds. During her life in Toledo, Katie coached a basketball team for seven years. She had fifth through eighth graders on her teams. She hopes to start working on a Masters degree within the next year.

Audrey Sweatt--Audrey has a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree. She has also has over 3 years of Education classes. She has been working with children since before 1987. Her favorite part of working with young children is seeing an infant progress from being an infant to being a school-ager.

Brenda Wallace-- Brenda has completed some college courses. She is a member of T.A.E.Y.C., N.A.E.Y.C., and S.E.C.A. She has attended numerous workshops and conferences over her many years of working with children. Brenda has been in child care since 1972. During that time she spent two years at Centennial CDC, five years at Meharry Child Care, seven years at First Christian Church (five of which she occupied the spot as Director), and six years at Children’s Guidance Center before joining Vanderbilt in 1993. She says “Children are her love. They love to learn new things and they bring joy to my days, knowing that I care and love them. They also keep me young and on my toes!” Brenda loves her son and daughter-in-law knowing they add so much to her life. She loves her pets, a Pomeranian name Mitsy and a calico cat named Cassie. She enjoys reading and watching old movies with a large bowl of popcorn.

Tiffany Warren--Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Family Relations/Child Development from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She has a minor in Social Welfare. Her favorite workshops are Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for the Young Child, and Positive Perspective. She has provided individual and group therapy to ages 4-12. Her other experience includes volunteering as a Substance Abuse Children’s Counselor with pre-school and kindergarten. Tiffany’s favorite part of working with young children is being a positive influence on them and making a difference in their lives is vital to her. She also enjoys watching each child grow into unique individuals. She has a husband, Booker, and an eight year old daughter, Aryhel.

Chelsa Washington--Chelsa is a native Nashvillian. She has been working in child care since 1997. She is the proud mother of two children, a daughter who is fourteen and a son who is eight. She is very excited to be working at VCCC and teaching at the 18th Avenue Center.

Angie Watson--Angie attended MTSU and was majoring in Early Childhood Education. She left in her junior year to raise a family. She is the mother of three – Tyler, 12, Caroline, 6, Neyland, 4. She taught preschool at Little Lambs Mother’s Day Out for 2 years and for years she taught Vacation Bible School. Her favorite part of working with young children is the look of excitement on their face when they master a skill or meet a developmental milestone. Angie has been married to Kip since 1993. She loves reading, cooking, spending time with her family and watching college football.

Kathryn Whitlow--Kathryn attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has 90 hours in child development and is a member of NAEYC, TECTA, and TAEYC. Her experience working with children includes five years as a lead teacher, two years at Morning Star Child Development Center in Knoxville, and six years in other development centers part-time. Her favorite part of working with young children is the pure innocence of children. She relishes the rewarding feel of teaching children basic skills and being a part of their experience of new things. Kathryn moved back from Knoxville to be in Nashville with her family. She enjoys reading, singing in choir, and playing with her puppy, Hefty.

Maecie Wilson--Maecie has always enjoyed the workshops that PBS gives. She has worked at VUCCC since 1997. She has also taught at her church since 1994. She says her favorite part of working with young children is everything. Maecie has a seven year old daughter. She loves football and auto racing, especially NASCAR.

Lindsey Winter--Lindsey will have an AA in Early Childhood Education from NSCC in December of 2007. In May 2008 she will have an AA in Spanish from NSCC also. She has attended 2 Applebaum training workshops but her favorites are the NAREA workshops. She was known as the neighborhood babysitter since she was a young teen. She spent one year at The Gardner School of Maryland in a two year old classroom. Lindsey values having a collaborative relationship with both the children and parents, laying a foundation for life long learning and fun. She enjoys reading, hiking, golfing, and watching old movies and episodes of Andy Griffith with her family.

Lisa Zaccarelli--Lisa has a CDA from TECTA and has attended numerous workshops on working with young children since 1992. Of those, she enjoyed the art and music workshops the best. When she started working with children, she began with infants, toddlers and preschoolers. She now teaches preschoolers and finds that working with them is lots of fun. She enjoys all the different ages of children but believes that with the preschool age you can do a lot more fun things with them such as expanded art and sensory activities. Lisa enjoys spending time with her family. She loves all kinds of running including trail runs and marathons on hilly trails. She also likes to read, cook and watch movies.