Leah Moser
Training Specialist
UMSL
As the Planning and Operations Lead at CIAC, Leah provides strategic support and planning for the Center’s project development, including the MO-SECA early childhood initiative, and develops internal systems across projects, governance and Center operations. Leah previously served as the Director of Planning and Partnerships at Generate Health, a St. Louis based maternal health coalition focused on eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes.
Previously, Leah was the Program Director at the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health at Syracuse University where she managed the Healthy Monday Syracuse health promotion campaign and supported a portfolio of community-driven initiatives to reduce the community burden of chronic disease. Leah earned a master’s degree in public health and is a Certified Health Education Specialist who has earned certificates in health services management and creative leadership. Her interests are in multi-sector collaborations and place-based strategies to build strength with communities.
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Training Specialist
UMSL
Bryce Cardwell
Small Business Counselor
Missouri SBDC
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Small Business Counselor
Missouri SBDC
Jacklyn Aldrich
MO-SECA Project Coordinator
UMKC-IHD Early Childhood Innovation Center
Jacklyn Aldrich is the Project Coordinator for the MOSECA. She has been working in public education for the past 22 years in both large districts and small rural districts as a classroom teacher in PreK-4th grades, Special Education teacher in PreK-12th grades, School Based Behavioral Specialist, Parent as Teachers Director, Preschool Director, Curriculum Director, Special Services Coordinator and Director, and Grants Writer and Grants Administrator. Jacklyn received her bachelor's in elementary education from Southwest Missouri State University, a master's in Curriculum and Instruction (Reading Emphasis) from Grand Canyon University, and a Specialist in School Administration (Special Education Director). Her family (husband, herself, and four kids) reside in Chadwick, Missouri, where they operate a working farm.
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MO-SECA Project Coordinator
UMKC-IHD Early Childhood Innovation Center
Susan Schmidt
Content Specialist
UMKC - IHD Early Childhood Innovation Center
Susan Tomlinson Schmidt, MPA, ACNP, joined Early Childhood Innovation Center in June 2023. Schmidt brings a distinguished background in workforce development systems that bridge early career recruitment to education pathways with employment on-ramps and lifelong learning opportunities. Most recently, she served as President of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, a national network of universities, employers, and working professionals focused on building the capacity of the nonprofit workforce. In her career, Schmidt led the Institute of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at The University of Memphis.
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Content Specialist
UMKC - IHD Early Childhood Innovation Center
Beth Ann Lang
Chief Program Officer
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Mrs. Lang has more than 30 years of experience working in the fields of early childhood and adult education and professional development. With a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Missouri Early Childhood Teacher Certification and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Mrs. Lang brings a background rooted in child development and human studies. In her time working with children, she has been an: assistant counselor for adolescent substance abuse clients, an independent contractor as a nanny, taught in the St. Louis Public School system, an adjunct instructor at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, and the assistant principal/director of a large blue ribbon child care center in Kirkwood School District. This wealth of experience gives Mrs. Lang a strong foundation working with all levels of the early care and education workforce.
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Chief Program Officer
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Melissa Roach
Training Facilitator Specialist
Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Melissa Roach is a Training Facilitator Specialist for Missouri Supporting Early Childhood Administrators (MO-SECA) representing the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership (MCNL) of the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).
Melissa has a bachelor’s in early childhood and Elementary Education, and a master’s in education technology from the University of Central Missouri (UCM).
Melissa has over twenty years of experience in Early Childhood Education, where she began her career as a toddler teacher, summer camp educator, and assistant director. She was a Parent Educator for Parents as Teachers and Great Circle for several years, before becoming a program and community relations manager for a non-profit safety organization based in Kansas City called Charlie’s House. In addition, Melissa also worked for Missouri Humanities as a Read from the Start Discussion Leader, and as a Parent Aide for the Department of Family Services. Friends, family, and colleagues alike, all have said that Melissa has a plethora of resources and experience that she loves to share!
Melissa lives in Greenwood, Missouri with her husband, two teenage daughters (ages 14 and 13) and stays very busy, in addition to her work, as PTA President and chauffer to all thing's soccer, softball, guitar lessons, marching band, choir and more!
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Training Facilitator Specialist
Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Shannon Peery
Trainer Facilitator Specialist
Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Shannon Peery is a Trainer Facilitator Specialist for MO-SECA with the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership (MCNL) of the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). He is excited and grateful to be a part of this university community, enjoys sharing applied scholarship to ECAs across the state, and collaborating on capacity building and strategic projects with the Center.
Shannon has a Bachelor’s in Theatre/Liberal Arts from the College of Wooster (Ohio) and a M.Ed from Avila University. He completed the Nonprofit Certificate in Management and Innovation in 2021 and, in December 2023, graduated from UMKC/Bloch with a Master of Public Administration degree. He joined MCNL in March 2023.
Shannon’s experience includes many years as a secondary educator, primarily teaching Speech, Theatre and Humanities and serving as a Lead Teacher and Curriculum Expert. He is an amateur musician and actor. His creative interests are balanced with professional capacities of policymaking, program and arts advocacy, administration, presentation, research and writing, all in the service of good governance, inspirational nonprofit leadership, effective metric-based management and positive change.
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Trainer Facilitator Specialist
Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Elizabeth Ireland
Director of Training
Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Elizabeth Ireland is the Director of Training for the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership. In addition to leading training efforts for the Midwest Center, Elizabeth has designed and implemented leadership and business trainings to help raise the collective capacity of early childhood administrators throughout Missouri as part of the MO-SECA program (Missouri Supporting Early Childhood Administrators). Elizabeth also teaches undergraduate- and graduate coursework at UMKC’s Henry W. Bloch School of Management in the following areas—nonprofit management and leadership, creating and measuring social change, and nonprofit organizational context.
As a lifetime learner, Elizabeth is a Ph.D. student at UMKC focusing on organizational behavior of nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Elizabeth is passionate about further developing our understanding of leading and following within organizations. Prior to this, Elizabeth earned her master’s in public administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management from UMKC.
Elizabeth has four children and a beautiful new grandson to make sure she stays plenty busy! Having previously balanced school (by earning two master’s degrees) as a stay-at-home mom; she now finds herself working through the complexity of trying to balance work, academic pursuits, and life. This rich context helps ensure she brings a sense of authenticity and humility to each session.
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Director of Training
Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Sarah Kennedy
Field Specialist in Community
MU-Extension
Sarah Kennedy is a public health professional with nearly 15 years of experience. She is a systems change agent who specializes in epidemiology, data and evaluation. She enjoys using data to engage individuals in conversations about health inequities and disparities. Her experience has been in various coalition settings engaging multi sector stakeholders to align their goals. This includes building bridges between community members and organizations. Most recently, Sarah was at Generate Health and worked to eliminate racial disparities in infant and maternal health in St. Louis. Sarah also has worked in collaborative spaces focused on asthma and employee health care.
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Field Specialist in Community
MU-Extension
Carrie Henderson
Community Trainer
UMSL- Community Innovation and Action Center
Carrie Henderson has dedicated over a decade to the field of education, carrying various roles such as teacher, professional development facilitator, team lead, and school administrator. However, Early Childhood Education initially ignited Henderson's passion for education. Advocating for the voices often overlooked within the ECE community remains a focal point for her, emphasizing the importance of continued advocacy in this realm.
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Community Trainer
UMSL- Community Innovation and Action Center
Christy Roberts
Community Trainer
UMSL- Community Innovation and Action Center
Christy holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and has been involved in early childhood for 25 years. The past 18 years have been in the Parents as Teachers (PAT) world starting as a parent educator for two Missouri school districts and then moving to Parents as Teachers National Center working with affiliate programs nationwide. Currently she enjoys facilitating training for PAT and the MO-SECA project. Additional training experience has been with Missouri's Parent Training and Information Center, MPACT, training and educating families of children with disabilities on their rights under IDEA. A special personal and professional highlight has been traveling with her son and delivering conference plenaries on their family’s experience receiving an autism diagnosis. Her passion is to shine a light of awareness, inclusion, and belonging for individuals of all abilities. Her most important roles are wife to Ed Roberts, and mom to Will, 23; Griffin, 21; and Laney, 12.
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Community Trainer
UMSL- Community Innovation and Action Center
Shannon Carr
Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Shannon has worked with families and early childhood professionals in some capacity since 1994 as an early childhood professional, director, parent educator, advocate for children in foster care, and trainer. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Development. Shannon is a Child Development Specialist, Consultant, Trainer, Mother & Owner of RISE where she provides workshops to parents and early childhood providers, facilitates parent-infant guidance classes, and consults privately with families and professionals. She is also the founder of Friends of RIE Community Engagement (FORCE) where parents & professionals gather, learn, connect, and collaborate (risechild.com/FORCE).
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Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Rose Muñoz
Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Rose Muñoz is an Early Childhood professional development consultant with thirty years of experience. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Integrating the Arts into Curriculum a Baccalaureate of Science degree that combines both the fields of Psychology and Social Work, along with an associate degree in early childhood education. Rose’s experience ranges from Teacher Assistant to Director of Child Care Facilities. She maintains an ongoing career as a Professional Development Consultant, adjunct faculty at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley, and Instructor in the Early Childhood field as a consultant, coach, and trainer in the Kansas City Area. Rose is dedicated to the Early Childhood field and uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed through supporting children, families, and the community.
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Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Lori Schumer
Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Lori Schumer has a BSEd. in Secondary Education, Family and Consumer Sciences from Missouri State University. She has worked in the field of early childhood for almost twenty years assisting, coaching, and training family home providers and childcare center staff on a variety of professional development topics. She also taught high school Family and Consumer Sciences for twelve years. Currently Lori is the Director of the Council of Churches Child Care Food Program in Springfield, MO and contracts independently with Child Care Aware® of Missouri to deliver training to support early educators.
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Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Lauri Choate
Director of Training
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Lauri Choate has worked in the field of early childhood for more than 35 years. She has worked directly with infants through school-age, providing developmentally appropriate environments where children thrive and learn. She has worked in the public and private sectors supporting child care centers and family child care programs to create healthy and safe environments for young children. Lauri has provided training and coaching support to educators and administration in the areas of child development, health and nutrition and developmentally appropriate practices.
Lauri is currently Director of Training at Child Care Aware® of Missouri. As part of her responsibilities, she has written the curriculum for Taking Steps to Healthy Success-MO (health and wellness) and EFFEC+ (social and emotional), Earliest Impact (Child Care Business) collaboratives. She is also a proud John Maxwell Certified Coach and Leadership Specialist as well as Business Administration Scale (BAS) Reliable Consultant . These trainings have inspired her to provide opportunities for child care educators to grow and positively impact Missouri’s young children and their families.
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Director of Training
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Judy Bumpus
Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Judy is a natural entrepreneur/mentor and has guided businesses into success! Bloom Business Counseling was designed for entrepreneurs to start or grow their business.
She has also trained and promoted childcare business training through the Francis Institute. She developed the Childcare It's Your Business curriculum. Judy has presented childcare business training both locally and nationally.
Judy currently serves as Director of Client Services for the Women’s Business Center in Overland Park, Kansas. The WBC helps develop, mentor and fund women-led businesses. In her role, Judy provides counseling services for women entrepreneurs and plans and facilitates training classes to assist starting and growing businesses.
Judy's passion is helping women start and be successful in businesses. She has focused on training Child Care Providers for over 25 years.
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Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Jonni McCaslin
Director of Training
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Jonni McCaslin has worked in the field of early childhood for 10 years. She holds a bachelor’s in business administration. She currently works as a Director of Training at Child Care Aware® of Missouri. She manages the delivery of training and technical assistance statewide for a variety of projects. She provides trainers with training and coaching support and administration in the areas of social and emotional foundations, developmentally appropriate practices for infants and toddlers and healthy business practices. She is also a proud John Maxwell Certified Coach and Leadership Specialist and Business Administration Scale (BAS) Reliable Consultant. These trainings support her work to provide opportunities for child care educators to grow and positively impact Missouri’s young children and their families.
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Director of Training
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Christy Weisel
Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Christy Weisel has her Master’s Degree in Business Administration and her undergrad degree in Elementary Education. She owned and directed her own child care program for 18 years and currently is the Director of United Cerebral Palsy Heartland Child Development Center for the last 16 years. In the past five years, she has delivered curriculum for Child Care Aware® of Missouri and recently lead two cohorts of the MO-SECA business trainings to family child care providers.
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Trainer Specialist
Child Care Aware® of Missouri
Jennifer Biles
Plenary Speaker
National Presenter
Jennifer Biles has over 25 years of experience in early childhood education, ranging from teaching student teachers to owning and operating her own childcare center. She has a master's degree in Early Childhood and is a Certified Business Analyst. Jennifer has a passion for training and coaching educators in the early childhood field. She believes that directors and owners of childcare centers need to dedicate time to working “on” their business and not merely just “in” their business.
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Plenary Speaker
National Presenter
Joel Barrett
Business Development Consultant
Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Joel Barrett brings a wealth of coaching, consulting, and entrepreneurial expertise to his role as Senior Business Development Consultant at the Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UMKC. With a focus on guiding and mentoring entrepreneurs, he facilitates various classes such as ELEVATIONLAB NEW VENTURE and Entrepreneurial Mindset Training, impacting hundreds annually. Joel's entrepreneurial journey extends to his own venture, Joel Speaks Out, where he serves as an LGBTQ Author, Speaker, and Gatherer. Notably, he spearheaded the creation of the KC Rainbow Tour in 2023, a pioneering self-guided driving tour showcasing Kansas City's LGBTQ history.
Drawing from diverse roles in the public and private sectors, including as a general manager, director of marketing, and community organizer, Joel brings a holistic approach to his work. Currently, he serves as Vice President for the Mid America LGBT Chamber of Commerce, advocating for inclusivity and diversity in business. Joel holds a master’s degree in liberal studies with a sustainability focus from Indiana University, embodying his life mantra: "There is a better way," as he continues to innovate and inspire in all endeavors.
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Business Development Consultant
Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Kelly Dyer
Quickbooks Instructor
Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Kelly Dyer is the owner of KD Business Services LLC. She offers bookkeeping, payroll services, financial reviews, QuickBooks setup and cleanup, and consulting services.
Prior to opening her business, Kelly was a business counselor for the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center (MO-SBTDC) for over 12 years. Kelly provided one-on-one counseling for people who wanted to start a business or an existing business owner that wanted to grow their business.
Kelly has taught QuickBooks Desktop for over 24 years and QuickBooks Online since it was available to businesses.
Kelly also has taught other business classes. Some of the topics included Starting and Managing a Business in Missouri, Understanding Your Financial Statements, Analyzing and Managing Your Cash Flow, Predicting Your Cash Flow Needs, Being a Customer Service Champion, and Selecting an Accounting and Other Recording Keeping Systems.
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Quickbooks Instructor
Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Lauren Carter
Training Specialist
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
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Training Specialist
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Sean Freeman
Trainer Specialist
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
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Trainer Specialist
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Anastasia Tiedemann
Training Specialist
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
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Training Specialist
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
