As the Executive Director of BBF and Vermont’s Early Childhood Data and Policy Center, Dr. Crossman is responsible for leading the vision and strategic plan of Vermont’s early childhood system and serving as the primary advisor to the Governor and Legislature on the well-being of children from prenatal to age 8 and their families, using evidence and data to inform policy and service provision.

As Deputy Director, Beth manages the comprehensive infrastructure of the State Advisory Council, seven Vermont Early Childhood Action Plan Committees, and 12 Regional Councils and works with individuals, organizations, and agencies to develop the best approaches for an integrated system that advances data-driven progress for all of Vermont’s young children and their families. Beth works to carry out the vision outlined in Vermont’s Early Childhood Action Plan to improve outcomes for children and families. Beth joined the BBF team in 2014, and since then, she has served as the Interim Executive Director, VECAP Director, and Chittenden Regional Coordinator. Previously she worked for the City of Burlington managing the city’s community engagement, AmeriCorps, and cultural competency programs. Beth’s skills are in strategic systems change, organization development, creating more equitable systems, engaged decision-making, and facilitation. She lives in Burlington, Vermont, with her partner, Tracy, and their two daughters.

Ali Dieng is a passionate and dedicated community leader who supports BBF’s Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle regions. Ali joined the BBF team from the education sector, where he engaged parents, educators, and community partners by running Parent University and served in various roles for the Burlington School District over 13 years. Ali is committed to building more equitable and accessible systems and brings his expertise engaging diverse perspectives, especially those from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Ali also brings an understanding of the early childhood, after-school, and social service systems and a desire to cultivate connections across the three regions he serves in Northern Vermont. Ali is a 2016 graduate of the Snelling Center for Government’s Early Childhood Leadership Institute. His education background is in international law, which he studied at the University of Mauritania in Africa. In addition to his work with BBF, Ali loves being involved in the community in various capacities. He currently serves on the board of directors at the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunities (CVOEO) and is in his second term as a Burlington City Counselor. He resides in Burlington with his wife, Angela, and their two daughters.

As Policy and Program Director, Anna Brouillette supports BBF’s efforts to utilize evidence and leverage partnerships to improve well-being for Vermont’s children and families. Anna joined the BBF team after holding a number of roles in the early childhood policy field, most recently with the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, where she analyzed and supported states’ progress towards implementing effective policies for young children and their families. Anna holds an MEd from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studied education policy and management and served as a Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative Fellow. Prior to graduate school, she worked with Let’s Grow Kids as a Policy and Research Analyst. Anna brings a background in early childhood systems analysis, data and statistical analysis, and Vermont’s policy landscape to the team. Anna is an avid reader, a native Vermonter, and enjoys spending summers at her family’s camp in the Northeast Kingdom.

Courtney serves as the Regional Manager for Southeast Vermont, the Springfield Area, and Northern Windsor & Orange counties. Courtney has a passion for creating social change and improving the lives of children and families and the early childhood workforce. She brings diverse skills in community outreach, public health, prevention, marketing, and community problem-solving to this role, which builds on her work most recently as a Community Outreach Specialist in community health with Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center. Her passion is in providing equitable access to services, particularly building quality child care with a universal foundation of social and emotional support. Courtney devotes time volunteering as a member of the Windsor Rotary Club and enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, and finding other adventures throughout New England’s stunning landscape. Courtney holds a MA and a BA in Communications and Media Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Cavendish, Vermont, with her two sons and two cats.

Darla serves as the Regional Manger for Bennington, Addison, and Rutland counties. She works to support collaboration among families, educators, community partners, and others dedicated to creating the best outcomes for children and families. Darla has spent much of her career working in community service, first as a volunteer, then as a Recreation Director for 17 years, and most recently as a newly elected Selectboard member in the Town of Bristol, Vermont. Working on projects that bring communities together is when Darla finds herself most energized. Darla can often be found working in her gardens, regularly accompanied by her cat Angus.

Dora serves as the Research and Data Director for Building Bright Futures and Vermont’s Early Childhood Data and Policy Center (Vermontkidsdata.org). In both roles, she works with the most high-quality, up-to-date data and evidence to inform policy and practice. She continues to find inspiration in seeing the impact that effective policies and community collaboration have in shaping the lives of children and families. Dora lives in Dummerston, Vermont, with her partner, toddler, and dogs and enjoys hiking, cuddling, cooking, and building community.

Jenn Schollmeyer’s background is in human services and education. Jenn believes that the data and individual stories of those served by programs and organizations have an incredible ability to inform, build understanding, and build community connections to support people. In 2014, Jenn earned her M.Ed. from Saint Michael’s College with a focus in Special Education. She brings her background in education and personal values around engaging, lifting, and amplifying the voices of vulnerable people and populations to her role at BBF.

As Network Manager, Kate helps foster accessible and efficient systems of communication and impact across the BBF Network. Her areas of expertise include making sure all voices are heard, appreciative inquiry, and meeting facilitation. She holds a master’s degree in Health Advocacy with a focus on equity-based health policy and community organizing. Before BBF, Kate worked at Vermont Legal Aid, where she helped Vermonters navigate the complex worlds of health insurance and public benefits. She moved to South Burlington in 2017 and currently serves on the city’s school board. Kate is an advocate for reproductive justice and works to support each person’s right to have a child or not and to raise children in a safe, healthy environment. Kate lives with her spouse, dog, and cat and enjoys biking, quilting, and traveling.

As the Office Manager for BBF, Katie wears many hats, and her tasks range from accounts payable and receivable to event planning to human resources to maintaining day-to-day operations for BBF. Katie has over 20 years of experience in this field; before coming to work for BBF, she worked for the Visiting Nurse Association for many years. In her free time, Katie enjoys spending time with her family exploring the woods of the Northeast Kingdom.

Kelly Hayes brings extensive experience to our team of Regional Managers. She has over 20 years of experience as an early childhood professional, having worked as an infant/toddler teacher, an early interventionist, a home-based provider, and a center director. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Plymouth State College and an M.S. from Wheelock College’s “Birth to Three: Development and Intervention” program. Kelly graduated from Vermont’s Early Childhood Leadership Institute and is a member of the Advancing the Profession Task Force with the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC). Kelly lives in Waitsfield with her two children, Daniel and Lily, and their dog, Bailey. She enjoys hiking, biking, and camping with family and friends.

Kitty supports the work of the Data and Policy team to make data-informed decisions about Vermont’s Early Childhood System. She first became involved with community engagement and nonprofit work as a project lead for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. Following this role, she worked as a research assistant for The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, which supported data collection for a nationwide data set on brain development and child health. In her role as a research assistant, she was able to coordinate with a nationwide consortium that included a Center for Data Analysis and Informatics and Resource Center.

Linda is the Building Bright Futures Regional Manager for Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties. She has devoted her career to early childhood education, starting as a preschool teacher, Head Start director, and most recently, the Early Childhood Program Coordinator for the Caledonia North Supervisory Union. Linda serves on the boards of directors of Northeast Kingdom Learning Services, the Lake Region Union High School, and elementary and middle school boards. She is also a Justice of the Peace and is on the Board of Civil Authority for the Town of Westmore, where she resides. She enjoys living in the NEK and taking advantage of all the great outdoor natural resources it has to offer!

Michelle Kersey is thrilled to join the Building Bright Futures team as the Vermont Early Childhood Fund Grant Manager. She comes with more than two decades of fundraising experience and looks forward to using her understanding of the grant application process to create a strong program for BBF. Most recently, she has worked for a nonprofit affordable housing organization, raising funds to help create homes and provide housing-based services for community members with low and moderate incomes. She started her professional fundraising career at the Montshire Museum of Science, where she enjoyed the sounds of joyful children exploring hands-on science exhibits.

Tanya LaChapelle is a compassionate leader who supports BBF’s family leadership and partnership efforts, including the Families and Communities VECAP Committee. Tanya has a background in early childhood education, with recent fieldwork coaching and advising early childhood programs toward better outcomes for children and families. She is dedicated to building informed systems and brings expertise in instruction, administration, and mentoring. Tanya has served in various committee roles focused on workforce development, quality improvement, partnership development, child health, and nutrition. She eagerly joined the BBF network to nurture parent partnerships and elevate parent leadership. Outside of work, Tanya loves reading and dabbling in art and nature. She resides in Colchester with her two children and tropical fish.

Valerie brings expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation methods to her role as Early Childhood Systems Evaluator. She leads BBF’s effort to monitor and report on Vermont’s progress towards building an integrated, well-resourced, data-informed early childhood system that ensures all children have a healthy start, families and communities play a leading role in children’s well-being, and all children and families have access to high-quality opportunities that meet their needs. As a parent herself, Valerie understands the importance of centering the experiences of children and families in this work, and appreciates the critical role the early childhood system plays in supporting healthy child development, family well-being, and community-building.