Our ZERO TO THREE leadership team takes a unique multidisciplinary approach to child development.
They bring together the perspectives of many fields, and their expertise is rooted in all domains of development—social, emotional, intellectual, language, and physical. The ZERO TO THREE management team and Board of Directors work together to promote children’s overall health and well-being in the context of family and culture.
Executive Leadership Team
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Matthew Melmed
Executive Director
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Ernestine Benedict
Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
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Jennifer Boss
Chief of Staff
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Araceli Jacobs
Lead Impact Officer
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Tracy Crudup
Chief Human Resources Officer
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Janice Im
Chief Program Officer
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Pia Valdivia
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
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Candace Winkler
Chief Development and Strategy Officer
Senior Staff Leadership
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Aliz Agoston
Senior Director, Procurement and Business Administration
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Treshawn Anderson
Director of Professional Development, NCECDTL
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Raena Akin-Deko
Director of Impact, HealthySteps
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Darneshia Allen
Manager, Training and Technical Assistance Integration, Safe Babies
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Lynette Aytch
Director of the Leadership Development Institute
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Melissa Baron
Director of Quality, HealthySteps
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Kimberly Bradley
Program Manager, Technical Assistance
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Rahil D. Briggs
National Director, HealthySteps
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Michelle Brown
Senior Director of Training, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCECDTL)
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Jessica Bushar
Director of Research and Evaluation, HealthySteps
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Mary Caputo
Technical Assistance Director
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Samantha Cadet
Legislative Director, Policy and Advocacy
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Robert Clark
Director, Resource and Training Development, Safe Babies
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Julie Cohen
Associate Director, Policy Center
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Patricia A. Cole
Senior Policy Advisor
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Jamie Colvard
Director of State Policy
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Wallace Daniels
Assistant Director, Human Resources
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Madeline Daniels Benderev
Director, Digital Strategy
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Gina Davis
Associate Director, Media & PR
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Holly Devendorf
Sr. Finance and Accounting Director
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Lauren Donovan
Director, Strategic Initiatives
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Beth Elbertson
Director, Training & Technical Assistance Integration
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Laila Fritz
Product Director of Technology, HealthySteps
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Maria Gehl
Director, Practice and Field Operations, Safe Babies
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Jenifer Goldman Fraser
Director, Research and Evaluation, Safe Babies
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Jonathan Gonzales
Military Family Projects Director
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Kristen Greene
Director, Coordinating Child Care and Part C, Policy Center
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Noelle Hause
Senior PD Manager, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Professional Innovations
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Imtiaz Haiyoom
Senior Technology Officer
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Janie Huddleston
National Director, Safe Babies and Early Childhood Systems
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Kirsten Koerner
Director of Development
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Brandy Jones Lawrence
Technical Assistance Director, National Early Care and Education Workforce Center
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Sarah LeMoine
Senior Director, Professional Innovations
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Johanna Lister
Director of Policy, HealthySteps
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Katrina Macasaet
Senior PD Manager, Professional Innovations
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David Mandell
Senior Policy Advisor
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Eme Martin
Lead Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer
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Andrew Matemu
Director of Information Technology
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Sam Melvin
Policy Research Director
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Susan McCullough
Individual Philanthropy Director
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Siobhan Mueller
Director of Communications and Marketing
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Kathleen Mulrooney
Director, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Strategy-Program
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Christina Nigrelli
Senior Director of Programs
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Rebecca Parlakian
Senior Director of Programs
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Stephanie Pilato
Senior Director, Budget and Financial Planning
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Amy Pirretti
National Director, National Center on Early Childhood, Development, Teaching, and Learning
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Amanda Perez
Senior Advocacy Manager
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Julia Richards
Senior Director, Professional Innovations
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Alice Ricks
Director of Strategic Operations, HealthySteps
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Heather Schmidt
Strategic Operations Director, Safe Babies
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Mike Sherman
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Clinical Consultation Manager, Safe Babies
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Torey Silloway
Director, Policy and Financing, Safe Babies
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Elizabeth Sims
National Client Partner
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Petra Smith
Subcontract Director, THRIVE
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Luisa Soaterna-Castañeda
Director, Program Management and Technology, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning (NCECDTL)
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Christy Stanton
Senior Technical Assistance Specialist, Policy Center
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Dawn Stehle
Acting Director, Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems (ECDHS): Evidence to Impact Center
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Amanda Szekely
Director of Strategic Operations
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Jennifer Tracey
Senior Director, Growth and Sustainability, HealthySteps
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Nicole Tullis
Director of Development, HealthySteps
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Lindsay Usry
Director, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Strategy-Policy
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Lisa M. Wilson, M.Ed.
Director of Outreach, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCECDTL)
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