Marie Willins has over 20 years of experience as an early childhood professional—as a teacher, trainer, and childcare administrator. Currently, she serves as a Manager for the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency. Within her role, she also has the opportunity to support a variety of center and family childcare programs as a Quality Improvement Coach for Cincinnati Preschool Promise. She has a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Administration and Leadership and has a passion for advocacy within the field. It is important to her that all teachers and families have equitable access to quality practices for children to achieve their fullest potential.

Dr. Morgan Wilson has worked in the field of education for over 25 years with experience in both the public and private school settings. She was formerly Principal of Dayton SMART Elementary. She completed her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Liberty University in 2021. She also has a Master of Education in teaching and learning from Liberty University, a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies as well as family and consumer science from Eastern New Mexico University, and an Associate of Arts degree in marketing from Eastern New Mexico University. She is passionate about urban education and considers it her calling to provide high quality, diverse, inclusive, and equitable education to all students in urban communities. Meeting those needs through innovative, culturally responsive practices, professional development, and processes driven to inspire change in the community.

Lisa Garofalo is a career early childhood education professional with expertise working collaboratively with teachers, school administrators, parents, and community agencies with a focus on supporting early learning, development, and connections to support school readiness. Lisa has worked in a variety of roles including as a Preschool Teacher, Ohio Child Care Licensing Specialist, and Early Childhood Education Manager with Cincinnati Public Schools and School & Community Manager with 4C for Children. Throughout her career, she has served on multiple boards, associations, and state committees including Ohio AEYC, Ohio Help Me Grow Advisory Council. She has also served on a variety of Ohio Department of Education committees and workgroups including Ohio Teacher Licensure and Standards Revision, Ohio Regulatory Rules Revision Workgroup, and Special Education Rules Revision. Lisa is now retired and works as an independent coach and consultant.

Steven Argentiero currently serves as Treasurer for SWOAEYC. After spending multiple years on the finance committee, he was appointed as Treasurer in 2021. He is a banker with U.S. Bank in Cincinnati and has a degree in business administration from Xavier University. He appreciates the opportunity to volunteer his time to forward the mission of high-quality early learning.

Kathy Benkert is an Early Childhood Specialist for Learning Grove located in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She has been working in the early childhood field for over 40 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University. During her career, she has been a classroom teacher, a school age coordinator, and a center director. As a center director, I lead my team in achieving NAEYC accreditation and receiving and maintaining a 5-star rating under Step Up to Quality. Part of her role as an Early Childhood Specialist is to coach others in the various areas of early childhood education. This requires her to keep abreast to current happenings in the field and advocate for the early childhood profession. To do this, she joined NAEYC and became active on the SWOAEYC board where she currently serves as Cincinnati Regional Committee Chair. Being a part of this professional group allows her the opportunity to share information with Learning Grove staff and other early childhood professionals in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Garri Davis is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. She has an MSM Degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in organizational management, where she graduated cum laude. Garri owns Water Lily Learning Center where she employs of 25 staff members and serves over 150 children. She is the CEO of the Garri Davis Agency and, as a transformation strategic business coach for childcare owners, she provides business development and leadership consulting and training. She is also a speaker and is the author of the international best-selling book CEO In Stilettos. Garri also serves as Board Chair for Dress for Success and Portulaca and as a Board Member for the African American Chamber of Commerce.

Cynthia Douglas is CEO and Director of Today’s Babies Tomorrow’s Future Early Learning Program. Cynthia obtained her associate degree in early childhood education from Sinclair Community College in 2010. She will receive her bachelor’s degree from Central State University in 2023. She enjoys family time, shopping. bowling, skating, and traveling. She has been a family child care provider since January of 2007. Her program is 5-star rated and is partnered with Miami Valley Child Development Centers (MVCDC), Preschool Promise, Help Me Grow, 4C for Children, and Northwest Partnership Group. She loves what she does for the children she serves. She is looking forward to more upcoming projects and doing all that she can to serve within her community.

Amie Earls is a Lecturer at Miami University, where she has proudly taught at her alma mater for the last 17 years. She has taught in the Education & Society Department and served as a Student Teaching Supervisor for candidates in the ECE program. Recently, she has been teaching literacy courses in the Primary Education program and serving as an advisor, helping to guide students as they pursue their dream of teaching. She started her professional career as a Kindergarten/First Grade teacher and has dedicated her life to the education of young children by teaching them herself or by guiding the teachers of tomorrow. Amie is eager to work with SWOAEYC, so that she can inspire her teacher education students to become more engaged in promoting high quality early learning for all children.

Kim Ginn is the Senior Vice President of Program Operations at 4C for Children, a non-profit child care resource and referral agency. Kim’s role includes focusing on the success, inter-connection and consistency of the programs that 4C delivers including assisting families in securing child care, professional development services such as training and coaching for child care providers and implementation of the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Prior to joining 4C in 2004, Kim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University of Ohio and spent 10 years in the early childhood field as a teacher and administrator. She has presented nationally at NAEYC’s Professional Learning Institute and at the state level at the Ohio Early Childhood Conference. Kim’s passion is helping others recognize the importance of the early years on a child’s development.

Lois Keil graduated from the University of Dayton with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and later added Ohio Certification for Kindergarten. After a few years, she received her Masters in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Concentration. Meanwhile, she directed a Sunday preschool religious education program for 7 years and a Bible school program for 14 years. She was director of the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) Preschool and Childcare Program for 24 years and Executive Director for 4 years for DLC and Cradles to Crayons, focused on infant to school-age care. She is past president of the Dayton Association for Young Children (DAYC) and has served on NAEYC affiliated boards for over 35 years. She is also a member of various community organizations.

Rachel Konerman is an early childhood educator, researcher, instructor and advocate with the Arlitt Center for Education, Research, and Sustainability at the University of Cincinnati. Her interests include exploring the processes of creativity and inquiry in teaching and learning, nature-based early childhood education, and child and teacher mental health. She is passionate about amplifying the voices young children and their educators. Her work has been featured in publications including Teaching Young Children, Early Childhood Research and Practice, and Children, Youth and Environments and through presentations at local, state, national, and international conferences.

Angela Faye Lyshe-Thierry has worked in the Early Childhood field as a Family Child Care Provider for over 26 years. She is the founder and owner of Kids Are Special People Family Child Care, a SUTQ 5-Star Rated program, where the first floor of her two-family home offers a warm, inviting, safe, and fun learning environment for children and community resources for families. A funny and touching part of her work is she has cared for six generational children. Angela is also an Executive Board Member of AFSCME Local 4023 Child Care Providers Union, on the 4C For Children Board of Trustees, and also a member of the 4C For Children Provider Advisory Group. She was the inspiration of recognizing the work of Family Child Care which lead to the creation of the 4C For Children Provider Relations Committee in which she serves as a member. She has earned her CDA from University of Cincinnati and has completed all but three courses towards an Associate’s degree.

Dr. William Mosier is Professor of Child Development in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Graduate Education Institute at Istanbul Gelişim University in Istanbul, Turkey and Child Development Specialist for Iradem Merkez Rehabilitation Center for children of Syrian refugees. He is also Director of Research at the Lynda A. Cohen Center for the Study of Child Development in Dayton, Ohio. He is former Professor of Early Childhood Education at Wright State University and Early Childhood Educator and Director of Head Start and Migrant Head Start programs in California. He completed doctorates in early childhood education from the University of Southern California and medicine from the Universidad Central del Este in the Dominican Republic. He completed post-graduate training from the University of Nebraska-College of Medicine and is Professor Emeritus of the American College of Disability Analysts. He served in the USAF as a Lt. Colonel in the Bio-Medical Science Corp as an International Health Specialist for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Missions throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Xiara Quinn (Ms./she/her) is an early childhood professional who has been educating, caring for, and advocating for children and families since 2015—inside the classroom, in the community, and nationally. Xiara spent nearly ten years as a toddler teacher. She is now a coach for family childcare providers. In 2022, Xiara was awarded Emerging Early Childhood Professional of the Year by the Southwest Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children (SWOAEYC). That same year, she joined Groundwork Ohio’s Early Childhood Leadership Fellowship and supported their launch of the Family Action Network. Xiara sits on the Governing Board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and serves on the Advisory Board for Queens Village Cincinnati. She is also a 2024 YWCA Rising Star Equity Leadership Program alumna. With a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Community Engagement from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Education from the American College of Education, Xiara uses her educational and field experiences to champion issues affecting young children and families.

Denise Steward is an early childhood professional with over 40 years of experience. She has served as preschool teacher, education coordinator, center director, Head Start Director, Operations Director and Director of Early Childhood Education for several nonprofit organizations. She recently retired as Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Learning Grove, a nonprofit that provides services to children, youth and families in both Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Denise holds a master’s degree in child development and family studies. She has served on the boards of 4C for Children, Cincinnati and Ohio AEYC’s, and currently serves as co-chair of SWOAEYC’s Equity Committee. She and her husband have four grown children, three grandchildren, and reside in Springdale, Ohio.