Staff Directory

Executive Team

The Executive team is responsible for upholding and enhancing the vision of the organization, executing the organization’s policies and programs and directing all Coalition activities with emphasis on implementing effective, efficient business practices, meeting contractual requirements and developing effective community partnerships.

Matt Guse Chief Executive Officer (850) 385.0504 ext. 309 mguse@elcbigbend.org

Finance Team

The Finance team is responsible for the overall fiscal management of the operating budget including accounts payable, procurement of materials and services, provider reimbursement and payroll.

Travis Gordon Finance Director (850) 385.0504 ext. 347 tgordon@elcbigbend.org

Fred Lee Financial Analyst (850) 385.0504 flee@elcbigbend.org

Jackie Wood Financial Analyst (850) 385.0504 ext. 349 jwood@elcbigbend.org

Information Technology Team

The Information Technology team is responsible for providing technical tools used by staff. Additional responsibilities include providing reliable access to secured data, computers, phones and applications that empower the organization to be accountable to the community served. The ELC contracts this service out to Inspired Technologies.

Operations Team

The Operations team is responsible for performing administrative and operational activities that support efficient day- to-day operations, including facilities management, logistics management, telephone management and Human Resources.

Liz Murphy Director of Operations (850) 385.0504 ext. 359 lmurphy@elcbigbend.org

Barbara Howard Operations Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 358 bhoward@elcbigbend.org

Rebecca King Operations Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 300 rking@elcbigbend.org

Samali Lima Operations Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 366 slima@elcbigbend.org

Outreach and Community Relations Team

The Outreach team works directly with volunteers and community partners to enhance community awareness of the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs as well as our Child Care Resource and Referral services. This team is responsible for coordinating internal and external events, recruiting volunteers and receiving donations.

Molly Lord Community Partnerships Director (850) 385.0504 ext. 313 mlord@elcbigbend.org

Nick Williams Outreach Coordinator (850) 385.0504 ext. 311 nwilliams@elcbigbend.org

Program Services

The Program Services Team is responsible for providing services to families and providers participating in the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs. Primary responsibilities include offering Child Care Resource and Referral services, determining eligibility of families, conducting child screenings and development assessments, providing technical assistance and training to contracted providers, and monitoring provider contracts for compliance.

Kelly Fitzgibbons Program Services Coordinator (850) 385.0504 ext. 317 kfitzgibbons@elcbigbend.org

Lisa Bethancourt Child Activities Coordinator (850) 385.0504 ext. 308 lbethancourt@elcbigbend.org

Program Services - Distance Education & Research Team

The Distance Education (Professional Development) & Research Team provides quality on-line and classroom trainings to contracted child care providers. The team is committed to providing courses that assist early care and education professionals in obtaining (1) Continuing Education Units to fulfill National CDA or FCCPC renewal hours, (2) In-Service Hours to meet licensing requirements and accreditation requirements, (3) Courses that meet the National CDA requirements for formal education and (4) VPK Florida Early Learning & Developmental Standards courses. The ELC offers In-Service courses at no fee.

Kathy Douglas Distance Learning and Research Director (850) 385.0504 kdouglas@elcbigbend.org

Becky Taylor Training Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 354 btaylor@elcbigbend.org

Program Services - Child Care Resource and Referral

The Child Care Resource and Referral Team is responsible for educating families, providers and the community about quality early education and care programs and community resources. Once the family needs are identified, the team connects the family to community resources that best supports the family needs.

Deborah Comer Program Services Manager - CCR&R (850) 385.0504 ext. 316 dcomer@elcbigbend.org

Anne Carpenter Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 315 acarpenter@elcbigbend.org

Program Services - Early Care and Education

The Early Care and Education team works directly with contracted child care providers to evaluate how to best serve children 0-5 in regards to development. The staff provides education and training to the child care providers on ways to best support the children developmentally in their centers. This team also performs hearing, vision and developmental screens on children enrolled in the School Readiness program and provide feedback to teachers and parents regarding the children's development. Once a child is identified as having a developmental concern, the team connects the family to community resources and community health providers to best support the identified children and their specific needs. This team is also responsible for the management of referrals from the state mandated Warm-Line, as well as the implementation of the state wide coalition accepted assessment tool, “Teaching Strategies Gold”.

Morgan McRoberts Evers Early Care and Education Program Manager (850) 385.0504 ext. 330 mevers@elcbigbend.org

Anna Weismantel Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 318 aweismantel@elcbigbend.org

Jessica Browning Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 321 jbrowning@elcbigbend.org

Mary Lefstead Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 319 mlefstead@elcbigbend.org

Melanie Worley Program Services Coordinator- Child Assessments (850) 385.0504 ext. 322 mworley@elcbigbend.org

Program Services - Family Services Team

The Family Services team is responsible for determining eligibility and enrolling families into the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs. This team also provides Child Care Resource and Referral services for ALL families in the Big Bend Region.

Shawanda Bunion Program Services Manager - Family Services (850) 385.0504 ext. 329 sbunion@elcbigbend.org

Carol Johnson Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 302 cjohnson@elcbigbend.org

Cheri Cobb Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 326 ccobb@elcbigbend.org

Cindy Blonde-Torres Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 305 ctorres@elcbigbend.org

Glenda Sumner Customer Service Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 331 gsumner@elcbigbend.org

Patricia Candler Program Specialist (Wakulla and Liberty County) (850) 617.4586 pcandler@elcbigbend.org

Sharon Wright Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 325 swright@elcbigbend.org

Vicki Mezich Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 324 vmezich@elcbigbend.org

Program Services - Provider Services

The Provider Services Team works directly with potential and contracted child care providers to ensure they are meeting the requirements of the provider network.

Sarah Heath Program Services Manager - Provider Services (850) 385.0504 ext. 342 sheath@elcbigbend.org

Patti Kilgore Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 350 pkilgore@elcbigbend.org

Rae Stacy Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 344 rstacy@elcbigbend.org

Samantha Zadikow Program Specialist (850) 385.0504 ext. 343 szadikow@elcbigbend.org

Program Services - Satellite Office (Gadsden)

The Gadsden team is responsible for determining eligibility, enrolling eligible families into the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs and providing Child Care Resource and Referral services for ALL families in the Big Bend Region. This team performs hearing, vision and developmental screens on children enrolled in the School Readiness program and provide feedback to teachers and parents regarding the children's development. They also provide education and training to the child care providers on ways to best support the children developmentally in their centers.

Dedric Streeter Program Services Manager - Satellite Office (Gadsden County) (850) 627.2924 ext. 22 dstreeter@elcbigbend.org

Beth Morris Program Specialist - Gadsden County (850) 627.2924 ext. 21 bmorris@elcbigbend.org

Program Services - Satellite Office (Madison/Taylor)

The Madison/Taylor team is responsible for determining eligibility, enrolling eligible families into the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs and providing Child Care Resource and Referral services for ALL families in the Big Bend Region. This team performs hearing, vision and developmental screens on children enrolled in the School Readiness program and provide feedback to teachers and parents regarding the children's development. They also provide education and training to the child care providers on ways to best support the children developmentally in their centers.

Marsha Durden Program Services Manager - Satellite Office (Madison and Taylor County) (850) 584.5679 mdurden@elcbigbend.org

Quality Assurance and Accountability Team

The Quality Assurance and Accountability team supports ELC customers, including staff, by performing departmental process reviews to identify areas for improvements in operational efficiencies, by providing performance measurement tools and by providing organizational data analysis to ensure that ELC offers consistent and high quality customer service, clear expectations and accountability.

Kathy Hayes Quality Assurance and Accountability Director (850) 385.0504 ext. 314 khayes@elcbigbend.org

Kristine Parker Quality Assurance and Accountability Analyst (850) 385.0504 ext. 310 kparker@elcbigbend.org