Board Members

George   Garff

President

George is the Owner with his wife Pearl, of Life Arts Center, Creative Learning Center. He has served on the UAEYC board for six years and worked as Development Director and President Elect and has been the President for the last 3 years. He is an Ordained Minister with the Inner Light Center in Salt Lake City, is a real estate licensee and in his spare time is an accomplished potter.


Katie   Ricord

President Elect

Katie works at the Kids on the Move in Orem as the Director of their Early Head Start Program. She also serves on the Utah Early Childhood Conference planning committee and the Utah Early Childhood Professional Development Conference planning committee. Katie has been on the UAEYC board since 2006. Katie said "Children are a great gift in our lives and our communities; I believe it is our responsibility to love them and show them how to love in return".


Laura   Traum

Vice President

I am a retired military wife of 22 years who has worked all over the Early Childhood Career Lattice and all over the world. Currently I am serving as Program Design and Management Manager at OWCAP Head Start. Laura is a past UAEYC President.


Bruce   Bushman

Treasurer

Currently the President of my own corporation, He began my accounting career with an Associate’s Degree in 1984 from LDS Business College and later went on to get his Bachelor’s Degree from what is now SUU University in Cedar City in 1986. He loves to write and is a great poet. Bruce has served as the UAEYC Treasurer for over 3 years.


Janis   Dubno

Public Policy

Janis joined Voices for Utah Children in December of 2008. Prior to moving to Utah in 1996, Janis was an investment banker in New York City for approximately 15 years. She is currently an adjunct professor in the finance department of the Gore School of Business at Westminster College. Janis is a member of the Utah Tax Review Commission. Janis joined the UAEYC board in March 2009 as our Public Policy Chair.


Sarah   Atherton

Membership

Sarah has worked as a Quality Improvement Consultant for Child Care Resource and Referral ~ Metro for 3 years, and has recently procured a position as an Accreditation Specialist with the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC.) Sarah is also a CDA instructor for Davis County Head Start. Sarah has been on our board since 2006.


Karla   Pardini

Membership

Karla is the Director of Child, Youth and Family Services at the I.J. and Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center. Karla has many years of experience in the preschool/elementary school setting. She has over eight years of administrative experience and has been a mentor teacher for five years. Karla said "I wanted to join UAEYC because I believe so strongly in the importance of Early Childhood Education".


Sally   Schramm

Development

Sally is a faculty member at Salt Lake Community College in the department of Family and Human Studies. She has been in the field of early childhood education for over 30 years, when she began her career as a classroom teacher in 1976 and moved into child care administration in 1981. Sally has been very active in UAEYC over the years and was the association’s president from 2000-2001. She has also served on the National AEYC’s Affiliate Council.


Annie   Haile

Accreditation

Annie is the Director of C Street Child Development Center. The first time she started teaching was when she was 15 years old. She loved teaching and have been doing it ever since. Annie has been on the board since 2008.


Michelle   Barker

Accreditation

Michelle has been working in the Early Childhood field for over 5 years as a nursery and preschool teacher and Facility Director for a private kindergarten. Her current position as the Children's Administrator with Neighborhood House began February 1, 2008. She considers herself extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with an esteemed organization and a talented team of compassionate professionals who share the same passion as she does - Children.


Linda   Smith

Hospitality

Linda has worked in the childcare field for 30 plus years and is passionate about advocating for children. She has worked in the private sector of childcare, Head Start and I am presently working with Kids of the Move in Orem as an Infant/toddler specialist and consultant.


Alan   Wilkinson

Program & Services

Alan was excited to accept the position of program coordinator at Salt Lake Community College for the Child Care Professional Development Institute in July 2008. Prior to working at CCPDI, he have held administrative positions with Benchmark Behavioral Health Systems and Progressive Youth, Inc., serving the needs of at-risk youth. Alan joined the UAEYC board in 2009.


Lynn   Palmer

Historian

Lynn is the Administrator for a group of childcare facilities known as Young Explorers. I have been a professional in Early Childhood Education since 1975. Lynn has been working with NAEYC through state affliction, since 1986. Lynn said "Children have always been the core focus of my life".


Anne   Mackiewicz

Affiliate Relations

Anne is currently the Chair of the Education Department at the College of Eastern Utah and the Executive Director of the Child Care Resource & Referral office for the Eastern Region of Utah.  I teach a few evening classes at the college and have been active with the UAEYC board. Anne said "I continue my love of interacting with young children’s gift of life and fascination with new mind awakenings!"


Sharon   Stubbs

Affiliate Liaison

"I have been blessed to be a classroom teacher for 34 years, and am lucky to be doing a job that I love with every fiber of my being!  After all, as we can all attest, it’s not the big bucks but rather the opportunity to make a difference!" Sharon has been on the UAEYC board since 2006. 


Sheila   Anderson

Newsletter

Sheila has worked in the field of early childhood for almost 20 years as a teacher, director, adjunct faculty, trainer, consultant, and research assistant. She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. Sheila has been on the board from 5 years.


Kim   Melville

Newsletter

Kim is currently employed at The Children's Center as an Infant/Toddler Specialist, which helps to support The Baby Steps Quality Improvement Project which is funded by the Office of Child Care. Kim has been on the board since 2007.


Linda   Ebersole Gilgen

Bridgerland Regional Rep

Linda has served in many capacities within the field of early childhood development, care, and education. Since 1998, Linda has been the Director/Program Administrator of Children’s House - an early care and education center-based program on the USU campus. Linda has been involved in the designing process and program planning for the new Delores Doré Eccles Center for Early Care and Education that will replace the current Children’s House building this Fall 2010.


Shirlene   Law

Roosevelt Regional Rep

Shirlene set up the Early Childhood Lab School at USU-UB. She has taught preschool in Roosevelt both privately and at USU-UB. Currently, she is teaching full-time at USU-UB. Half of the time she spends with 4 year-olds, with lots of energy, and the other half of the time, she spends with college students, who "wish" they had that much energy! Shirlene joined the board in 2008.


Rea   Gubler

Southern Regional Rep

Rea is an Associate Professor in Early Childhood Development/Family Sciences at Southern Utah University. She has served on the state board for UAEYC and UAFCS in different capacities over the years.


Brionne   Thompson

Student Representative

Brionne is currently a lead teacher at the Children's House at Utah State University. She also just completed her Masters degree in Elementary Education, emphasis on Reading Endorsement. She has been on the board for 2 years.


Amy   Funk

Adminstrative Assistant

Amy has been UAEYC's Administrative Assistant and only staff member since 2004. Amy teaches preschool in her home and is grateful for the association with this great organization!