Daniel Baumgarten: Board President. Since 1997, Daniel Baumgarten has been the Executive Director of Community-Minded Enterprises, formerly the Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), a growing alliance of citizens and organizations dedicated to facilitating and enhancing community well being.  In this capacity, he has led numerous collaborative initiatives designed to improve community-wide capacity in child care, access to healthcare, youth development, welfare to work, community information systems and other fields. He cultivates for Community-Minded Enterprises the role of “neutral convener”-- through which it has become a leader of collaborative innovation in the Northwest and beyond.  Mr. Baumgarten understands his work to be the protection and strengthening of the “community factor”—or advancing the role of the community as the critical unit in the quest to build a better world.

Debbie Ham, Vice President, Director of Child Care and Early Learning, ESD #112, Vancouver, WA

Tom Kelly, Treasurer; Finance Committee Chair, is the Superintendent of North Mason School District.  Prior to this, he was the Deputy Superintendent at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.  After retirement from military service, he became vice president and general manager of an electrical sign company.  Highlights from his U.S. Army career include teaching at the U.S.  Military Academy, chief of staff for several organizations, operations chief for the Army Strategic Simulations Center, and conducting peacekeeping operations in the Sinai between Egyptian and Israeli forces.  His Army service included duty in Europe, Asia, Central America, and Africa.  He has two master’s degrees – one in education and another in business – from Purdue University

Robin Boehler, Public Policy Committee Chair; Fund Development Committee Co-Chair, is an award winning educator and leader with over 20 years of experience in curriculum development, teaching, training and leadership. After receiving her degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University in 1978, Robin began her career in elementary education in an innovative open setting in Cincinnati. Later in her career, Robin moved to adult education and training, including work with large public and non profit organizations, such as guiding field service for the 100,000 members of National Council of Jewish Women, which included developing special curriculum which she presented across the country.

In the early 1990’s Robin’s adult education efforts evolved towards diversity training and leadership development of groups like Planned Parenthood, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, Seattle Public Schools, Mercer Island Schools, and large government organizations like Washington State DSHS. Robin’s work has focused recently on police operations in the Northwest, including police agency clients in Seattle, Portland and Tacoma. Robin created and guided SPD’s Community Police Academy; created, staffed and developed curriculum for a Community Policing Action Council and trained and coached in-house instructors. Robin also helped create and served as Executive Producer of “Beyond The Badge”, Seattle Police Department’s award winning public awareness/education cable television program. Her work was recognized in 1999 via a Seattle Police Department Employee Recognition Award for Innovation.

Robin is active in her community and brings her leadership and training expertise to many non profit Boards and organizations.  Robin has actively served on over two dozen local and national non profit Boards over the past decade.  Robin’s volunteer work has been recognized with awards such as Cornell University’s “Outstanding Volunteerism Award”, 1978, being named a Wexner Heritage Foundation Scholar in 1997, and receiving the Spitzer Young Leadership Award in Recognition and Appreciation of Outstanding Service from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle in 1994.

As Vice President in the Commercial Real Estate Division at Frontier Bank, my primary responsibilities revolve around originating, underwriting and closing commercial real estate transactions in Washington State.  These transactions can range in size from $1mm to $50mm with an average of approximately $5-6mm.  I have worked in the same capacity for several lenders in Washington State.  My commercial real estate career began over 13 years ago when, upon completing my education at Temple University in 1992, I began working for PNC Bank in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Christine Rosenquist, Secretary; Finance Committee; Southwest Region Representative, has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, and a Masters of Education in Counseling.  She spent 10 years working in foster care, group care, and transitional housing for homeless girls, 50% of which were pregnant and/or parenting.  In her last position, she was Executive Director of Faith Homes, based in Tacoma, managing a budget of 1.6 million, and a staff of 50.  She is now a Human Services Supervisor with the City of Tacoma, running the Tacoma Pierce County Child Care Resource and Referral section.  She has been there since August of 2001.

Wilanne Ollila-Perry, Professional Development Committee Chair; Board Development Committee; Northwest Region Rep., represents the North West Region.  She is Director of the Child Care & Family Resources Division of the Opportunity Council, a Community Action Agency serving Whatcom, Island and San Juan Counties.  She has been with the agency for over 17 years.  Along with the Child Care Resource and Referral program, she also supervises the Whatcom County Infant Toddler Early Intervention program and Interagency Coordinating Council, the CACFP/ Family Child Care Nutrition, and the Homeless Child Care Subsidy Program.

Wilanne's involvement in the field of early childhood has been rich and varied.  Beginning oh-so-many years ago as a family child care provider, she has been the director of a child care center for children living in homeless situations, and an Early Childhood/Parent Education instructor for Whatcom Community College.  From 1996-2001 Wilanne served as Network Board President.  She has also served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, and Co-Chaired the System's Sub Committee of the Washington State Child Care Coordinating Committee.  She is currently president of the NW Association for the Education of Young Children and sits on various local boards and committees. 

Wilanne lives in Bellingham with her dear husband who works for Everett Community College.  She is the parent of two extraordinary young adults-Shayne, a Deputy Prosecutor for King County, and Sarah, an Associate Case Manager for King County YWCA.

Caterina Tassara-Vaubel is the  Director of Family and Children's Services for Volunteers of America Western Washington.  Prior to serving in this position, Caterina worked for the Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC) where she was responsible for working with the WA Division of Child Care and Early Learning (DCCEL) in the management of the State Training And Registry System (STARS).  Previous to her work in Washington, she lived and worked in Southern California where she served as Director of Operations and Organizational Management for the Los Angeles County Children's Planning Council - a public private planning body of the LA County Board of Supervisors.  She has also worked as the Child Care Resource and Referral Program Manger at Connections for Children - a child care resource and referral agency.  Caterina has been active in AEYC and the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network where she served as the southern regional vice-president.  She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology, with course emphasis in Education, from the University of Southern California and has completed Masters level coursework in organizational management at Antioch University.  Caterina is fluent in Spanish speaking, reading, and writing and is also "mommy" to a 3 year old pre-schooler who amazes and inspires her work on a daily basis.

Jean F. Kelly is a Research Professor with the Department of Family and Child Nursing at the University of Washington.  She also serves as Director of Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training Programs at the School of Nursing.  Her achievements in research include ten years participation in “The NICHD Study of Early Child Care” (funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development).  She has also directed the following projects: “Promoting Parent-Child Relationships in Early Intervention Settings” (funded by Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program, Department of Social and Health Services); “Promoting Young Children’s Mental Health in the Early Childhood Setting: A Training Project for Early Head Start Service Providers” (funded by Region X Early Head Start); and “Promoting Young Children’s Mental Health in the Child Care Setting: A Training Project for Child Care Consultants” (funded as a subcontract with the Washington State Department of Health).

Jean has published over 30 studies in her career, including numerous articles as a co-author reporting results from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care; The development of toddlers with special needs in relation to child-care experiences, co-authored by C. L. Booth and published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly; and The early child care study of young children with special needs, also co-authored by C. L. Booth and published in International Review of Research in Mental Retardation, Vol. 25.

Jean currently serves as Chair of the State Interagency Coordinating Council, the Governor-appointed Advisory Council to Washington State's Infant-Toddler Early Intervention Program; Chair of the Early Intervention Task Force, Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington; and is a member of the School of Nursing Research and Intramural Funding Committee.

Melinda M. De Lanoy, Fund Development Committee Co-Chair,  is an attorney with the Cairncross & Hempelmannn law firm specializing in Litigation, Bankruptcy and Employment law practice groups. Her litigation and bankruptcy experience includes advising individuals and corporations on a variety of commercial disputes, as well as providing counsel on bankruptcy-related matters, including insolvency and workouts. In her employment law practice, Melinda counsels businesses on a range of personnel issues, such as disability accommodation, employment policies and procedures, compliance with leave laws and employee-privacy issues.

Melinda is a member of the WSBA, serves on Seattle Art Museum’s Decorative Arts and Paintings Council and speaks on employment law-related issues. 

While attending the University of Puget Sound, Melinda interned for two years as a work-study student with the Washington State Child Care Resource and Referral Network.  Upon completion of her undergraduate studies she joined the Network Staff full time for two years. Melinda received her Juris-Doctorate from the Seattle University School of Law (Cum laude, 2000).

Elaine VonRosenstiel, Public Policy Committee, has over 25 years experience in education and health care public policy.  Currently, she is Special Assistant to the State Superintendent for Public Instruction on early learning issues.  Prior early learning work experience includes serving as Early Education Liaison for the League of Education Voters (where she led the development of the Great Beginnings Preschool Partnership Program as the early education component of I-884) and directing the early learning policy agenda for the Economic Opportunity Institute.  Before focusing on early education, Elaine was vice-president of public policy and strategic planning for Group Health Cooperative and Kaiser-Group Health.

Elaine’s community service includes serving two terms on the Bainbridge Island School Board, being a member of the parent team that wrote Initiative 728 (to increase state funding of public schools) and volunteering as the I-728 campaign manager.  Currently, she is on the boards of the League of Education Voters and the Bainbridge Island Health, Housing and Human Services Council.

Kathy Thamm, Director of Child Care Resource & Referral of Spokane, Gerry, Stevens, Pend Oreille and Lincoln Counties.

Layne Barndt, President, Network Administrative Services, 4719 Slayden Rd NE, Tacoma , WA 98422.