Staff
The Collaboration for Early Childhood consists of community stakeholders and education stakeholders. Click below each staff members' name to view their professional experience.
Carolyn Newberry Schwartz, Executive Director
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Hired as the Collaboration's first executive director in July 2009, Carolyn brings almost 30 years of experience working in the not-for-profit sector developing and administering programs for children and teens. She served on the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Board of Education from 2001-2009 including 2 years as president where she distinguished herself as a leader in strategic planning and fiscal management. Carolyn helped to establish the Collaboration in 2002 and has served on the Illinois Early Learning Council since 2004.
Diana Rosenbrock, M.Ed., Professional Development Coordinator
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Diana serves as the professional development coordinator for the Collaboration. She brings 38 years of professional experience in Early Childhood ranging from children's classrooms to the college classroom. Diana retired as the chair of the Education Department at Triton Community College in June 2009. She also led the Early Childhood Education Division since 1994. Diana served on the Illinois Community College Board's committee that developed the Associate of Arts Degree in Teaching, the Advisory Board for Early Childhood Education at Kendall College and many other statewide committees.
Karen Baldwin, Administrative Assistant
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Karen joined the Collaboration in September of 2009 as administrative assistant. Current projects include planning the annual Symposium and coordinating the Hearing & Vision Screening Program, along with other administrative duties. She is an editor and in 1996, formed MK Communications and continues to freelance for trade and consumer publications.
Penny Williams Wolford, M.Ed.
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The Collaboration contracts with Penny to provide professional development training and to facilitate the Directors Round Table. Penny is the owner and director of Mz Pennyz Child Care. Penny's program was the first family child-care program to achieve Illinois Star Level IV in the Illinois Quality Rating System. She holds a Master's in Early Childhood Leadership from National-Louis University, an INCCRRA Level I Credential, ECE Credential Level 5 and an Infant Toddler Credential Level 4. She has been an INCCRRA professional development advisor since 2008.
Christina Wolf, Database Clerk
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Christina joined the Collaboration in June of 2011. Christina retired after 30 years in several secretarial positions within the Elmwood Park secondary education system.
Leslie Watts
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The Collaboration contracts with Leslie Watts to provide mentoring to centers entering the Illinois Quality Rating System. She is the assistant director and a classroom teacher at First United Church Nursery School in Oak Park, Illinois, accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Leslie has a deep understanding of children, birth to 6 years of age and uses effective teaching strategies in her work. She has been involved with the Collaboration since 2005 in the areas of curriculum development and professional development training.
Tiffany Kelly
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The Collaboration contracts with Tiffany Kelly to conduct hearing and vision screenings. Tiffany is a licensed Hearing and Vision Screening Technician. She has extensive experience screening preschool and school-aged children and has worked for the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health to train other technicians.
