Andrew Francis is Director of Evaluation Services in the Center for Afterschool and Expanded Learning at Foundations Inc. where he strengthens out-of-school time programs through quality assurance and research. He also serves as a sub-grantee TA liaison with U.S. Department of Education’s 21st CCLC National Technical Assistance Center, providing hands-on support for programs across the country.
Andrew spent over a decade working for Jamaica’s Ministry of Education as Senior Education Officer, trainer and project manager in school improvement planning, curriculum development and education policy implementation. He also has first-hand experience serving as Site Director for an out-of-school time program.

Julia is an award-winning educator and international keynote speaker. Born & raised in NYC; she comes from a diverse background. She is a passionate, youth development specialist, and the Founder of kid-grit, a vibrant social emotional learning education company serving youth, teachers, and administrators. She has trained thousands of educators across the nation. In 2022, Julia won the certification from Women’s Business National Enterprise Council as a 100% Women Owned Business. She has received awards for her outstanding contribution to education across the nation from CAL STATE Fullerton, U.S. Representative for California, Lou Correa, and the BOOST Collaborative. Julia has presented and facilitated keynotes and learning sessions at over 100 conferences and for over 10,000 educators nationwide. She holds a master’s in Educational Leadership from Antioch University.

Dallas started working for the Buffalo Niagara YMCA in the summer of 2004 as a camp counselor. she has been with the YMCA now for 20 years in various positions and has worked to grow quality programming in each site she is involved with.

Janelle Greco is Senior Director of Training at Youth Communication. She has more than ten years of varied experience working in adult education, secondary education, and in-school and out-of-school settings as a facilitator, curriculum designer, and program manager. She holds a B.A. in English and Secondary Education from Springfield College and an M.A. in English from Northeastern University.

Polly is a passionate educator with over 30 years of teaching experience and a deep commitment to fostering creativity and innovation in students. For the past three years, she has served as the New York Regional Program Manager at the National Inventors Hall of Fame®, where she has worked to bring dynamic STEM programming and professional development to schools and afterschool programs. Polly’s extensive background in education, combined with her role at NIHF, equips her with unique insights and practical strategies to empower educators and enhance student engagement through inquiry-based and project-based learning.

Sue has been a long time advocate for protecting children from environmental hazards. Her current passion is working to make New York the nation’s leader in Eco-Healthy Child Care®.

A producer, playwright, writer, and educator, one of Em’s (they/them) passions is empowering others to harness their creativity. Em holds a master’s degree in engagement journalism from The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. They have previously worked as a producer at WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show and formerly served as the education manager for IndyKids, a non-profit that creates news and podcasts for kids, by kids. While at IndyKids, Em was the executive producer & editor of the podcast, IndyKids Voices, which includes the “IndyKids Climate Crisis Podcast” series, and more recently, “The Power of Kindness.”

Tamara McCallum, a proud native of Mount Vernon, NY, is the first-generation college graduate daughter of a Jamaican immigrant. With over a decade in education and nonprofit management, she currently serves as the Director of Programs at 518 ElevatED Inc. and as an Adjunct Lecturer at Siena College. Tamara specializes in Intergroup Dialogue and teaches Race and Identities and Crochet for Self Care. Her career is dedicated to equity-centered postsecondary access programs for middle and high school students. She holds a BA in Liberal Studies from SUNY Purchase College and is passionate about community building, equitable education, self-advocacy, and exploring anti-perfectionism through self-care and crafting.

As projects and events manager for Mizzen Education, Hailee Moehnke designs and implements virtual and in-person events for out-of-school-time educators. She also supports outreach and marketing to practitioners around the country and prepares new content for the Mizzen platform.

Before joining the Mizzen Education, Moehnke was the national program operations manager for After-School All-Stars, a nonprofit that provides free, comprehensive afterschool programs in cities across the U.S. At ASAS, she coordinated program operations and managed professional development and training, as well as leadership academies for staff and middle school students.

Prior to this, she coached youth volleyball in the Greater Minneapolis–St. Paul area and worked as a student advisor for the University of Minnesota’s We Are Minnesota Spirit Initiative, a fan engagement program.

Moehnke earned a master’s degree in kinesiology, sport and exercise psychology and a bachelor’s in kinesiology with a minor in child psychology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is certified as a methods trainer by the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program.

Alissa holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College and has extensive experience in leadership. She holds a NYS T-TAP Credential for both Professional Development and Coaching; is a NYS Pyramid Model Level 3 Master Cadre/Coach; and is a NYS Health and Safety Trainer. Alissa is an Adjunct Professor at Farmingdale State College where she teaches Child Development Birth Through Age Five and Early Childhood Learning Environments as part of the CDA Micro-Credential within the Psychology Department. Alissa is a Host Agency Representative and member of the Board of Directors (pending) for the NYS Network for Youth Success; a School Age Care Credential Advisor and Endorser; and Chairperson for the Long Island School Age Regional Training Institute.  Alissa enjoys learning and growing in the field and sharing her knowledge and experience in supporting early childhood professionals in building strong relationships with children and families while supporting the evolution of high-quality learning environments.

Dr. Arlene Rider is a retired, still teaching, college professor with SUNY Empire. Arlene has been involved with NYS Network for Youth Success school age credential for over 20 years, as an instructor, advisor, endorser, and member of the statewide workgroup. She co-authored the textbook for the credential titled School’s Out: Challenges & Solutions for School-Age Programs. Arlene has been a member of NYS NYS since 2002, and earned the NYS T-TAP credential, Level III, in 2012, and the NYS T-TAP Coaching Credential in 2023. In addition, Arlene presents regularly at local and state conferences. Arlene lives with her husband in Wappinger Falls, has 4 children, and 10 grandchildren.

Cait is a restorative practitioner and mediator with a background in experiential and adventure education. Her work with youth has inspired in her a desire to shift our cultural perspective from youth as receivers of experiences, rules, and information to youth as creators. Her previous endeavors include facilitating cultural conversations with at-risk Northern Irish youth as an International Youth Worker; facilitating adventure-based learning with adolescents struggling with substance use disorders; and emergency response for backcountry wilderness trips. Cait lives in upstate NY with her spouse and two dogs, and spends her personal time socializing, gardening, cooking, adventuring, and dog training.

Jasmine Rosa (she/her/ella) is a native of New York City. She serves as the Director of Community Schools with New York Junior Tennis & Learning. In her role, she works to radically reimagine school environments to better serve every student, particularly those that have been systemically oppressed, and has worked with Community Schools and DYCD Programs. Jasmine is an alumna of Americorps, and is a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in the Republic of North Macedonia. She received a Bachelors of Science in Business from the University of Central Florida, and a Masters of Science in Education from the University of Miami’s Community and Social Change Program. As a first-generation Latina and first-generation college student, Jasmine works to ensure Black and Brown communities have access to a network of integrated supports in schools, striving to improve chronic absenteeism among students, and introducing social-emotional learning and restorative practices in schools. She credits the many community-based organizations who supported her own journey for her passions for youth development and education, starting with her first job as a Counselor-in-Training. Jasmine is a partner, sister, aunt, sorority sister, friend, foodie, world traveler, and lover of dance. She is a current Doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.

Adam Rosen is the CEO and Founder of Radar Talent Solutions, a company addressing staffing and retention challenges in the public sector, particularly schools and after-school care. With a strong recruitment background, Adam previously led Amazon’s Last Mile Expansion, placing over 100,000 drivers during the pandemic. His personal experience with his son’s after-school care waitlist inspired him to launch Radar, which has since impacted over 8,000 students. Adam, a Pittsburgh native and family man, is passionate about solving staffing issues at scale, with plans for national expansion. He balances his career with outdoor activities and time with his wife and two children​.

Now in his seventh school year as Regional Trainer for Playworks Western New York, Daniel facilitates professional development workshops and consultative services for school districts and youth-serving organizations in Rochester, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and beyond.

After 20+ years of experience in direct service and management both inside and outside of the classroom, Katherine has combined her background in education, social work and coaching to support professionals in the youth development field. Katherine has Master’s degrees in social work and teaching from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, respectively. She is an ICF-certified coach, a PQA external assessor and an AYD facilitator. She is a keynote speaker and has led sessions at afterschool conferences at the national, state, and local levels.

Brittney Stanton is a Technical Assistance Liaison with the 21st CCLC National Technical Assistance Center’s (NTAC) team. Brittney provides training and technical assistance to 21st CCLC programs. Brittney’s background is in music education; she is a former K-12 music educator in urban and suburban settings. Brittney previously worked as an out-of-school-time program director and non-profit leader where she oversaw all aspects of program development and implementation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from McDaniel College, and a master’s degree in teaching also from McDaniel College.

Suzanne Stone is a former Physical Education Teacher from Huntsville, Alabama. After her teaching career, she is still inspired to teach fun physical activities to kids. As another way to continue her passion for teaching, she is now enjoying sharing her secrets to success with teachers, hoping they will instill the values of becoming healthy, physically active individuals through the use of fun and innovative fitness activities. She also knows it is important to incorporate movement with academics to enhance learning and believes that mission can be accomplished with Skillastics, which she used with great success with her students!

Carla Stough Huffman has been working in professional and youth development for over 3 decades, doing everything from program design/delivery and staff development to grant writing and assessment. Armed with a BA in Developmental Psychology from Bard College and an insatiable quest for knowledge, her crazy-quilt career path has led her to serve as a trainer, coach, role model, observer in SELPQA, SAC advisor, endorser – the list goes on! Known as a community connector, creative thinker and problem-solver, she believes everyone, at every age and stage, learns best using nature’s framework – play!

Ari Till is a dedicated professional with over 8 years of experience in school-age youth programs, specializing in staff development, training, and program management. As a BASP Staff Development Associate, Ari emphasizes strengths-based approaches and responsive caregiving to elevate practices in youth programs.

Candice Thompson has worked with and on behalf of children for 20+ years. She has an extensive background in program evaluation and professional development. She is a former NYS School Age Care Credential Instructor, Advisor, and Endorser for programs within the Buffalo NY region. She currently works as a Licensor with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services’ Buffalo Regional Office. She is an active member of the Division of Child Care Services’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee (DEIA), and she was instrumental in the development and pilot of the DEIA Toolkit across the Western New York region.

Kim Viade is the founder and CEO of L.I.V.E. People Everyday Inc., Kim Viade spearheads the delivery of client-centric services and transformative leadership coaching. Through active collaboration with clients and stakeholders, she adeptly identifies growth opportunities within corporations, providing strategic guidance on program models and facilitating impactful professional development workshops. Kim Viade also serves as the NYS Credential Advisor & Endorser, extending her expertise to mentor individuals on NYC Department of Health regulations and licensing.

Kim Viade has three decades of experience in the field of non-profit and education. In her prior role as the Director of Youth Services, Kim Viade led a dedicated team overseeing a diverse portfolio, including DYCD Beacon & Cornerstone Programs, Boys & Girls Clubs, Special Needs Programs, Comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, Fee for Service Programs and more. Her strategic approach included maintaining great relationships with funders, schools, and community boards, contributing significantly to the success of various youth-focused initiatives and playing a crucial role in strategic planning for key initiatives. Kim found her passion of working with students with special needs while working for the NYC Department of Education. She is currently an advocate and assists families with understanding and navigating through the special education process. Kim’s mission is to lead with purpose, inspire with action, value every person and empower for change, is evident in the work she does with her clients.

Tinnycua Williams believes in the power of strength based programming for children and families through empowerment. Her Super Power is her ability to connect with others through stories and shared experiences. Her passion is working with youth development professionals to realize their uniqueness to empower them to facilitate self-expression among the children they serve. Tinnycua currently serves as the Professional Development Quality Assurance Manager for New York Works for Children. New York Works for Children is New York State’s integrated professional development system for the early childhood and out of school time, school age workforce. In this capacity she works in collaboration with city and state licensing agencies, state programs, professional organizations and training providers to advance high quality professional development opportunities for the workforce. Tinnycua leads a team of dynamic professionals providing technical assistance and support to trainers and training organizations in the effective utilization of the Aspire Registry. Active within the National Workforce Registry Alliance (NWRA), Tinnycua serves as co-chair for the NWRA Professional Development committee. A seasoned professional, Tinnycua has provided direct care and support to children and families and served in leadership roles for several community based organizations including Homes for the Homeless, Samuel Field YM & YWHA and Harlem Children’s Zone. As a trainer and facilitator, Tinnycua holds the NYAEYC Training and Technical Assistance Professional (TTAP) Trainers credential and has served as a SAC Credential Instructor, Advisor and Endorser. She also holds the NYS School Age Care Credential. In total she has served in the field for 20+ years. The proud mother of 3 adult children, Tinnycua earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Colgate University and is currently a Master’s Degree candidate in the Early Childhood Education (0-8) program at City College of the City University of New York.

Ramik Williams is co-executive director at KAVI where he brought his experience within K-16 Education and Workforce & Youth Development ecosystems. Ramik has dedicated his career to eliminating racial disparities in economic, educational and health systems for communities of color. He has grounded this work by leading organizations, programs and initiatives designed to increase the activation of and investment in oppressed communities. Prior to joining KAVI, he held executive and senior positions in philanthropic, research institutions and service organizations. Ramik holds a B.A. in History and Secondary Education and has completed graduate work in Public Administration, Public Affairs, and Nonprofit Management.