SFI Leadership Team
The Strengthening Families Leadership Team consists of one executive level representative from each of the partner organizations, the chairs of Strengthening Families work groups, senior staff of DCFS, the lead from each of the pilot sites, and 5 parent representatives.
Convener / Chair:
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: Erwin McEwen
Members:
Action for Children:
- Leonette Coates
- Maria Whelan
Carole Robertson Center for Learning: Leslie Janes
Gail Nelson
Center for the Study of Social Policy: Judy Langford
Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago: Deborah Daro
Chicago Children’s Museum: Keith McCormick
Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services: Mary Ellen Caron
Chicago Safe Start/Department of Public Health: Marlita White
Chicago Metro AEYC: Gail Conway
Chicago Metropolis 2020
Chicago Public Schools: Barbara Bowman
Childcare Network of Evanston: Martha Arntson, Chris Baer
Elizabeth Kennedy
Child Care Resource and Referral Agency at John Logan Community College: Lori Longueville,
Lisa McCuan
Children’s Home + Aid: Karen Selman
Crittenton Centers: Keri Hartwig, Donna Ashley
El Valor: Vince Alloco
Erikson Institute: Linda Gilkerson
Healthy Emotions: Gail Conway
Illinois Association for Family Child Care: Ida Butler
Illinois Center for Violence Prevention: Debbie Bretag
Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition: Anne Studzinski
Illinois Department of Human Services: Joanne Kelly
Linda Saterfield
Ralph Schubert
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: Nancie Brown
Andrea Ingram
Diane Jackson
Cynthia Moreno
Denice Murray
Gina Ruther
Judith Zaleski
Illinois Family Partnership Network: Lina Cramer
Illinois Federation of Families: Patti Leppala-Bardell
Illinois Head Start Association: Lauri Morrison-Frictl
Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA): Jan Maruna
Beth Knight
Illinois State Board of Education: Kay Henderson
Illinois Violence Prevention Authority/ Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership: Barbara Shaw
McCormick Tribune Foundation: Sara Slaughter
McHenry County Youth Service Bureau Janice Connelly
Metropolitan Chicago Information Center: Joan Frankel
Midwest Learning Center for Family Support, Family Focus, Inc.: Cynthia Stringfellow
Ounce of Prevention Fund: Karen Freel
Harriet Meyer
Parent Leaders: Renee Jackson, Illinois Family Partnership Network
Jeffrey Scott, Illinois Family Partnership Network
Michelle Smith, Illinois Family Partnership Network
Letechia Williams, Illinois Family Partnership Network
Dacelle Waters, Illinois Family Partnership Network
Partnership for Quality Child Care: Jamilah Jor’dan
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois: Roy Harley
Rockford Public Schools: Marcia Blascoe
South Cook Educational Consortium: Sharifa Townsend
Tom Thumb Community Child Care Center: Ashley Tomes
University of Illinois Extension: Ancilla Parducci
Voices for Illinois Children: Gaylord Gieseke