Since we’re going to be talking quite a bit about Baby Buggy, let’s meet the people who make it happen (last updated Feb 2008):
- Leslie Brille
President, Isis Advisors
Leslie Simmons Brille is President of ISIS Advisors, which provides consulting services for private equity firms. Ms. Brille is a limited partner of and works closely with Caris, Ltd., a privately-held investment partnership with over $350 million of assets under management. Caris is focused on making long-term, strategic investments in a variety of industries, including health care, consumer, energy and financial services.
Previously, Leslie was senior vice president of corporate communications of AdvancePCS, the nation’ s leading independent health improvement company. She was responsible for developing and leading AdvancePCS’ investor and public relations efforts, as well as coordinating those efforts with the company’ s overall corporate communications initiatives. As well, Leslie continued to actively participate in strategic initiatives in the office of the CEO, including merger and acquisition activities.
Prior to developing the corporate communications group, Leslie was senior vice president and chief of staff to the office of the CEO at AdvancePCS. In this role, Leslie contributed broadly to the strategy, public relations, financial community relations, communications, mergers and acquisitions, client and specialty pharmacy areas of the company.
Previously in investment banking, Leslie was responsible for managing client relationships for pharmaceutical services and distribution companies in the health care arena. She marketed and executed mergers and acquisitions, public equity and debt financing, bank financing and general corporate finance services. She spent five years in health care banking at Banc of America Securities (formerly Montgomery Securities) and two years in corporate finance at J.P. Morgan.
Leslie earned a master of business administration degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, with emphases in finance and strategy, and graduated with distinction (Palmer Scholar). She earned her bachelor of science degree in commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, with emphases in finance and marketing, where she also graduated with distinction.
- Danielle Devine
Vice President, Communications
Beauty Care, Baby and Philanthropy
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc.
Danielle J. Devine is Vice President, Communications for the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. Beauty Care and Baby Care Global Business Units. In addition, she leads Philanthropy and Community Affairs for the Johnson & Johnson Group of Consumer Companies. She is a member of the North America Operating Committee and the Corporate Communications Leadership Board.
Ms. Devine began her career with the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in 1998, as a Manager of Communications, and advanced through positions of increasing responsibility within the communications function. Prior to joining the organization, Ms. Devine worked at several New York City-based public relations agencies where she led account teams for some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands.
In 2004, Ms. Devine received the YMCA Tribute to Women in Industry Award. She is the recipient of numerous professional awards including the Silver Anvil for marketing communications. Ms. Devine graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Journalism.
Among her community and professional associations, Ms. Devine serves on the board of the Rock Brook School and is a member of the Junior League of Greater Princeton.
Ms. Devine and her husband, Thomas, live in Montgomery, New Jersey with their children, Olivia, Jackson and Lindsay.
- Tonianne Florentino
Partner, Collazo, Carling & Mish, LLP
Tonianne is an attorney at Collazo Carling & Mish LLP where she provides counsel to employers in the profit and not-for-profit sectors on all aspects of labor and employment law, including employment litigation defense, mediation and arbitration, EEO advice and training, labor relations advice, and negotiation and drafting of employment agreements, separation agreements and restrictive covenants. Tonianne is an experienced litigator who has defended and won jury trials and arbitrations on behalf of employers. Tonianne has worked with many not-for-profit employers and health-care organizations over the last twenty years, both in her current position and previously, when she was Counsel to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.
Tonianne’s professional associations include membership with the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the ABA and the New York Management Attorneys Conference. Tonianne has spoken at various legal conferences, including PLI and the Association of the Bar and has authored several articles related to these appearances.
Tonianne earned her J.D. at St. John�s University, where she was Editor in Chief of the Law Review and a St. Thomas More Scholar. She earned a B.A. degree from the City University of New York and Queens College and an M.P.A. degree from New York University.
- Managing Director, Credit Suisse
Bill Fox is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse in the Investment Banking division, based in New York. He is a senior banker in the Loan Execution Group with responsibility for executing syndicated loan transactions led by Credit Suisse. His additional responsibilities include organizing volunteer and fundraising events for various charitable organizations.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Fox was Chief Financial Officer of the Global Markets Solutions Group (GMSG) at Credit Suisse where he was responsible for the financial reporting and administrative functions supporting Equity Capital Markets, Private Placements, Debt Capital Markets, Structured Products Origination and Leveraged Finance Origination & Restructuring globally. Mr. Fox has served as a member of the GMSG Global Operating Committee.
Mr. Fox has been a member of Credit Suisse’s Syndicated Loan Capital Markets and Loan Execution Groups with origination and execution responsibilities primarily for energy, healthcare and financial sponsor clients.
Mr. Fox joined Credit Suisse First Boston in April 1999 from JP Morgan where he was a Vice President in the Loan Capital Markets group in New York.
Mr. Fox holds a degree in Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Keenan Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina.
Mr. Fox lives in New Jersey with his wife of 13 years, Mary, and their three children, Maggie, Trevor and Zachary.
- Gary L. Ginsberg
Executive Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Communications News Corporation
Gary L. Ginsberg is the Executive Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at News Corporation. Mr. Ginsberg is responsible for coordinating and executing the Company’s investor relations program, in addition to overseeing the Company’s corporate affairs and strategic communications efforts. Mr. Ginsberg joined News Corporation in January 1999, as Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications and Affairs. In June 2000, he was appointed to News Corporation’s Executive Management Committee.
Before joining News Corp., Mr. Ginsberg was a managing director at the New-York based strategic consulting firm of Clark & Weinstock. Previously, he was a senior editor and counsel of George, the monthly political magazine, and a former Assistant Counsel to President Clinton. He has also been a frequent commentator on public affairs for several television news networks.
Mr. Ginsberg began his professional career as an attorney with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. He is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Brown University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Mr. Ginsberg is a member of the Board of Directors of The September 11th Fund; Audible Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBL); the Wildcat Service Corporation; New Visions; and New York Cares.
Mr. Ginsberg lives in Manhattan with his wife and two sons.
- Sheri McCoy
Company Group Chairman for Johnson & Johnson
Sheri McCoy, Company Group Chairman with responsibility for the Ethicon franchise and the Medical Devices and Diagnostics company in Latin America, will assume additional responsibility for Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc. and Independence Technology, L.L.C. upon the retirement of Curt Selquist.
Ms. McCoy began her Johnson & Johnson career with Personal Products Company in 1982 as an associate scientist in research & development. She advanced through positions of increasing responsibility within the research & development organization. In April 1996, Ms. McCoy was named vice president, research & development, Personal Products Worldwide. She became vice president, marketing, for the skin care franchise within Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., in January 2000. In June 2002, Ms. McCoy was promoted to global president for the baby and wound franchise within Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., the position she held until being named to her present assignment as company group chairman.
Among her community and professional associations, Ms. McCoy serves as a board member of Baby Buggy, a trustee of the Executive Committee of TRI Princeton and vice president of the Montgomery Township Education Foundation. She is a past chairman of the board of TRI Princeton.
In 2004, Ms. McCoy received both the Blue Ribbon Corporation Award from the New Jersey Chapter to Prevent Child Abuse and the Children�s Brain Tumor Foundation Award from the Children�s Brain Tumor Foundation. She received the YMCA Tribute to Women in Industry Award in 1998. Ms. McCoy holds four U.S. patents.
Born in Quincy, MA, Ms. McCoy received a B.S. degree in textile chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. She also holds a masters� degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Rutgers University.
Ms. McCoy is married and the mother of three sons.
- Sarah Kirshbaum Levy
Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, Chief Operating Officer (COO)
In her current role, Ms. Levy oversees the overall finance, strategic planning, production and business operations for the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, including the day-to-day business management for Nickelodeon’ s finance, business development, recreation and magazine departments, as well as the back-office operations for Nickelodeon’ s Consumer Products group. She serves as a key conduit to MTV Networks and Viacom in representing the Kids and Family Group businesses.
A nine-year veteran of Nickelodeon, Ms. Levy most recently served as Nickelodeon’ s Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Operations. During her tenure, Ms. Levy has overseen acquisitions strategies for the division, resulting in the addition of Neopets, GoCityKids.com and Noggin. She has overseen the development of Nickelodeon’ s long-range business and development plans, and also played a key role in numerous businesses, including the development of Nickelodeon’ s online and wireless strategies and website integration, and the strategic partnership in creating the first Nickelodeon-branded hotel in Orlando, Florida.
Ms. Levy received a BA degree in Economics from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Prior to business school, she was a Senior Analyst in Disney’ s corporate strategic planning group, where she performed all aspects of strategic analysis for the Filmed Entertainment and Recorded Music divisions, including Disney’ s acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC. She also worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions department at Goldman Sachs & Co.
Sarah lives in New York City with her husband Daniel and two children.
- Gregg Renfrew
Creator, Love It Retail, LLC
Ms. Gregg Renfrew´s 18 years of luxury and retail industry experience have fine-tuned her ability to understand what motivates consumer desire, purchase and recommendation. She is regarded in the industry as a forward-thinking entrepreneur and trusted advisor. Her track record of success in linking people, companies and innovative ideas together for mutual success is easily documented.
Ms. Renfrew has led brand, marketing, merchandising and operations consulting engagements at, or provided advisory counsel to, the following: Antony Todd Inc., Bergdorf Goodman, Best & Co., Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson, Hollywould, Intermix, J. Crew/Mickey Drexler, Lela Rose, Slane & Slane Jewelry, and Veronique Maternity, among other high-profile corporate and celebrity clients.
Previously, Ms. Renfrew founded and led Love it Retail, a New York-based firm linking popular women’s brands to worthwhile causes to drive “social commerce”. Clients and partners included: Adrienne Vittadini, Ann Taylor, Casual Corner Group, Conde Nast, Evelyn Lauder´s Breast Cancer Research Foundation and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Prior to starting Love it Retail, Ms. Renfrew was founder and CEO of The Wedding List, a multi-channel wedding gift and registry company based in New York and London, providing gift consultation and representing more than 200 premier manufacturers.
She sold The Wedding List to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2001, marking that company´s first acquisition. After the purchase, Ms. Renfrew served Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia as Vice President of Wedding Registry.
Ms. Renfrew also has led international sales and marketing efforts in the U.S., London and Hong Kong for various Fortune 500 and privately held companies. She currently serves on the board of Miss Porter´s school in Farmington CT and Baby Buggy organization in New York, NY.
- Jackie Reses
Partner, Apax Partners
Jacqueline Reses is a partner at Apax Partners. Having joined the firm in 2001, she is responsible for the Media Group investing in both traditional and nontraditional media. Jackie’s most recent investments include HIT Entertainment, NEP Broadcasting, Intelsat, and TVHead. Jackie sits on the board of NEP, HIT Entertainment and serves as an advisor to a number of other portfolio media companies.
Prior to joining the firm in 2001, Jackie served as the chief executive officer and member of the board of directors of iBuilding, Inc., a real estate software business that was sold to Realeum. Previously, she was a principal at Doughty Hanson & Co., where she pursued media and technology investments and served on the boards of directors of North American Membership Group and Trend Technologies. Jackie also worked as a vice president at Goldman Sachs in both the mergers and acquisitions department and the principal investment area. While at Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, she oversaw investments in the retail, media, and technology sectors.
Jackie received a BS in economics with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
- Liz Robbins
President, Liz Robbins & Associates
In 1977, Liz Robbins opened what became the first woman-owned public affairs and lobbying firm in Washington, Liz Robbins Associates. Currently, her clients include a mixture of commercial, public, and non profits including several multi-national corporations, universities, investment banks, healthcare concerns, venture capital firms, publishers, the record industry, museums, foundations, and various technology firms.
She has had a wide ranging record of successes in a variety of business areas, such as tax, intellectual property, financial services, technology, education, healthcare, philanthropy, transportation, etc.
Ms. Robbins is a member of the Haas School of Business (Berkeley University) Advisory Board, as well as a founding member of the Advisory Board for the Haas program, Social Impact Through Change (a comprehensive program in socially responsible business leadership), an advisor to the London School of Business, and a special advisor to the Chairman of the Independent News & Media PLC. She’s also a founding Board member of Paul Newman’s Hole In the Wall Gang Camp Foundation, and a Governor of its European counterpart, the Barretstown Gang Camp Foundation (both serve children with cancer and life-threatening diseases).
Ms. Robbins has a BA from Wheaton College in Norton Massachusetts. Before she opened her firm, 25 years ago, she worked at the federal Department of Health and Human Services, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, and the City of New York as the Director of Government and Public Affairs for the city’s health and welfare programs.
Liz has been profiled in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, on ABC News and other major news outlets.
Liz is married to Doug Johnson, of WABC-TV in New York and they have a 7 year old daughter, Robin Johnson.
- Tina Sharkey
Senior Vice President, Instant Messaging & Social Media, AOL
Tina Sharkey is a pioneer in the development of new media applications that bring value to consumers’ lives, with more than 20 years of experience in the evolution of new media, ranging from the introduction of HDTV in 1986 to the forefront of Web 2.0 today. As Chairman of BabyCenter, LLC Ms. Sharkey is responsible for the oversight of all BabyCenter operations, including Babycenter.com, the leading online commerce, community, and content destination for new and expectant parents, and popular BabyCenter sites around the globe, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Sweden.
Prior to joining BabyCenter, Ms. Sharkey was a senior executive at America Online, Inc., and led all of AOL’s social networking initiatives, overseeing the Instant Messaging and Social Media groups. Previously she oversaw AOL’s move out onto the open web with the build and launch of AOL.com and led Network Programming across AOL’s Network of 116 million monthly unique visitors. Also at AOL, Ms. Sharkey created the Original Coaches Series and the annual AOL Chief Everything Officer awards – an honor that celebrates today’s heroes of the modern family household.
Prior to joining AOL, she served as Group President of Sesame Workshop’s Online Services, creating their award-winning Internet business, and in 1995, coined the phrase “Social Media” as co-founder and Chief Community Architect of iVillage.com. Prior to iVillage, Ms. Sharkey collaborated with Barry Diller on a new home shopping channel, Q2, a division of QVC, helped launch the Adobe Acrobat and New York 1 brands, and has managed corporate brand strategies for Time Warner, QVC and Sony.
A Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, Tina currently serves on the board of Sister to Sister and is a founding board member of Baby Buggy. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two young sons.
- Micheal Tiedemann
Chief Executive Officer, Tiedemann Investment Group
Michael Tiedemann has served as Chief Executive Officer of Tiedemann Investment Group since June 2007 and has been a General Partner of TIG since 2000, overseeing all areas of the business. Before being named Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tiedemann served as President of TIG and the Advisors. Mr. Tiedemann also currently serves as Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Management for Tiedemann Trust Company and is responsible for the oversight of all facets of the asset allocation, investment strategy and manager selection processes.
Mr. Tiedemann began his career working within TIG assisting the Emerging Markets fund manager with research on Latin America. He then joined Banco Garantia, a leading Brazilian investment bank, in May 1994, and lived in Brazil while working in the equity research department. Upon his return to New York, Mr. Tiedemann headed up the sales trading for their top-ranked Brazilian equity brokerage division. In August 1998, he moved to Credit Suisse First Boston, when the two banks merged. He remained at CSFB as Vice President, as a sales trader for all of Latin America and other Emerging Markets until March 2000. Mr. Tiedemann graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
- Carlo Bronzini Vender
Partner, Sonenshine Partners
Carlo Bronzini Vender is an investment banker specializing in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and private equity. As a Partner in Brera Capital Partners LLC, a New York based private equity firm, he headed the firm’s efforts in the areas of chemicals and lodging, as well as international investments. His experience includes structuring complex private equity investments such as the acquisition of Italtel from Telecom Italia, in which Brera invested alongside Cisco Systems, CD&R and Advent International.
Prior to joining Brera Capital Partners LLC, Mr. Bronzini Vender was a Managing Director at Wolfensohn & Co. and its successor firm Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown. Mr. Bronzini Vender has advised a number of Fortune 500 clients in connection with domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, including Du Pont, Host Marriott, The New York Times Company, Baxter International, Daimler Benz and Grupo Pulsar. Representative transactions include the $1.0 billion sale of Host Marriott Services to Italy’s Autogrill, the $2.25 billion acquisition of ICI’s global synthetic materials operations by Du Pont, the $1.6 billion acquisition of a 20% stake in Pioneer Hi-Bred by Du Pont, the restructuring of Marriott Corporation into Host Marriott Corporation and Marriott International, the $1.1 billion acquisition of Affiliated Publications (The Boston Globe) by The New York Times Company and the $2.0 billion spin-off of Caremark from Baxter International.
Mr. Bronzini Vender started his career as a consultant in the London office of Bain & Company, a leading international strategic consulting firm. His experience included strategic advisory assignments for clients such as Dun & Bradstreet, Nielsen and DHL.
Mr. Bronzini Vender holds a degree in business administration from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Bronzini is also a Board Member at The Parrish Art Museum.
- Stephanie Winston Wolkoff
Director of Special Events, Vogue
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is an alumnus of Suffield Academy in Connecticut. She graduated Cum Laude from Loyola University in New Orleans with a degree in Communications and was named a member of Kappa Tau Alpha, the National Honor Society in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Stephanie returned to New York City to work at Sothebys Auction House. Starting as assistant to Dede Brooks, the President and CEO, later she became manager of Client Services, managing exhibitions and auctions, including those of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. After five years at the well-known auction house Stephanie joined Vogue in 1998 as the Manager of Public Relations. In December 2000 she became the Director of Special Events.
Stephanie has developed and has overseen the planning and organization of Vogue’s signature events under Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. They include The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, the VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards, the worldwide movie premiers of Moulin Rouge and Chicago as well as the launch of Teen Vogue and the Unforgettable Fashion of the Oscars event in London and New York. In addition she has helped in fundraising for events benefiting amFAR, New Yorkers for Children and the CFDA / Vogue Initiative to name a few.
Stephanie is very closely involved in fund-raising both through her work with Vogue and personally. She has served on the committee of many events through the years but is now closely involved with The Central Park Conservancy, serving as a co-chair for the 150 Anniversary Celebration as well as a member of the Steering Committee for New Yorkers for Children.
Stephanie and her husband David Wolkoff live in New York City with their son Zachary.
- Michael Nissan
Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Michael Nissan has a wide ranging practice in private equity focusing primarily on executive compensation and related matters, including representation of both senior executives and management teams as well as employers. He also regularly represents investment professionals in connection with their joining or separating from private investment firms.
In addition, Mr. Nissan represents private funds and their sponsors in connection with their formation and also represents institutional investors in such funds.
Mr. Nissan has been awarded the highest ranking by Chambers Global World’ s Leading Lawyers. He was the founding chairman of the Private Investment Fund Forum and continues to serve as a member of its Executive Committee. He has also served as a member of the Advisory Board of Private Equity Terms and Conditions – The Current State of the Market for Venture Capital, Buyout, and Mezzanine Funds, published by Asset Alternatives Inc.
Mr. Nissan currently teaches Private Investment Funds at Columbia Law School, where he is a Lecturer in Law, and has also taught Private Equity and Venture Capital Investing. He also lectures on a variety of topics relating to private equity and has spoken at numerous conferences including the Private Equity Analyst Conference, the Private Equity Roundup and the Buyouts Symposium.
A summa cum laude graduate of Syracuse University, with a dual major in economics and psychology, Mr. Nissan holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law.
- Eric Brettschneider, Esq.
Senior Director of Disaster Preparedness, NYC Human Services Council; Chair, Council on Children of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York; Associate Professor, New York University
Eric Brettschneider has enjoyed a distinguished career in child welfare and human services, since his entry into the field in 1967 as a family court intake worker and child care worker. He spent 10 years as director of The Queens Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a non-profit agency, where he concentrated his efforts on complementing foster care and child protective services with preventive strategies. In 1980, he joined the New York State Department of Social Services, where he was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Child Welfare Reform Act. During his tenure as Deputy Commissioner for The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), Eric promoted this progressive vision of comprehensive, preventive services and was instrumental in creating a Child Protective Training Academy; advocating for the avoidance of sibling separation in foster care; starting minority controlled child welfare agencies; and beginning the movement toward decentralized, community driven, and integrated social service provision within that agency. As Executive Director of the Agenda for Children Tomorrow, Eric continues this work on behalf of New York City children and their families.
Mr. Brettschneider holds a B.A. and an M.A. degree in Psychology from Colgate University and the Graduate Faculty of New School University, respectively, as well as a law degree from Hofstra University. He teaches in NYU’s Department of Metropolitan Studies, and Gallatin School of Social Work, and has previously taught at Fordham University and Hunter College School of Social Work. He serves as Counsel to Eisner & Associates; chairs the Council on Children of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York; is a member of the New York City Citizen Review Panel for New York City, and is also on the Advisory Committee of the NonProfit Finance Fund, New York Program. He is also a member of the Board of New Yorkers for Children, and is the founding President of the Board of JumpStart, New York. Eric is a recipient of the 2005 Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowship from Harvard Law School.
Eric’s wife, Jeanne Rostaing is a producer with ABC-TV. His son, Corey, has his Masters from Cambridge University, a PhD in Politics from Princeton University and a Law Degree from Stanford University School of Law. Corey has taught at The United Nations School and is now serving on the Political Science faculty at Brown University. His daughter, Kim, graduated from Pomona College and works with the Children’s Defense Fund in Los Angeles.
- Marian Detelj
Director of Youth & Family Services, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
- Alyssa Lord
Director, Grantmaking and Special Projects, United Way of New York City
Alyssa Lord is United Way of New York City’s Director, Access to Healthcare Initiaitives. Prior to joining UWNYC, Alyssa worked at The New York Academy of Sciences overseeing initiatives to increase under-resourced schools’ access to science education, and medical and health-related internships.
Alyssa previously worked at Public/Private Ventures in Philadelphia directing the national replication of two evidence based programs and the University of Pennsylvania as director of a school health promotion disease prevention program. Alyssa earned her BA from American University and her MA in Sociology of Education from NYU.
- Christine McWayne, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Applied Psychology, Department of Applied Psychology, Steinhardt School of Education
Christine McWayne, Ph.D. joins the faculty of the Department of Applied Psychology at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development as an Assistant Professor in the School Psychology Program. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Abilene Christian University, her M.S.Ed. in Psychological Services and her Ph.D. in the APA-approved School, Community, and Clinical-Child Psychology program from the University of Pennsylvania. During her graduate training at the University of Pennsylvania, she served as a principal investigator of a Head Start Research Scholars Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through this work, she examined parenting practices in Head Start families as they related to children’s school readiness. At NYU, Dr. McWayne is involved in partnership-and community-based research within the Head Start community in New York City. Generally, her research interests include: family involvement in children’s education in low-income communities, helping to establish a whole-child understanding of low-income, preschool children’s school readiness competencies, preschool parenting within an urban low-income context, and validating assessment instruments and intervention for low-income, preschool children and their families. Her dissertation research has focused on the examination of multiple dimensions of school readiness within the context of classroom quality and the social and structural dimensions of urban neighborhoods. Her most recent research, along with her colleague, Associate Professor Gigliana Melzi, involves the investigation of family involvement practices among Latino Head Start parents and is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
Education:
B.S., Abilene Christian University, Psychology
M.E.d., University of Pennsylvania, Psychological Studies
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, School, Community, and Clinical-Child Psychology
Academic Appointments:
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- 2004-present: Professor of Applied Psychology, The Steinhardt School of Education, New York University
- 1994-2003: Director, National Center for Children in Poverty, and Professor of Population and Family Health, Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
- 1999-2003: Co-Director, Institute for Child and Family Policy, Columbia University.
- 1989 1994: Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Barnard College and Graduate Faculties, Columbia University; Director, Barnard Center for Toddler Development.
- 1982-1989: Assistant Professor of Psychology, Barnard College and Graduate Faculties Columbia University; Director, Barnard Center for Toddler Development.
- 1979 1981: Associate Director, Harvard Child Maltreatment Project, Harvard University; Research Fellow, Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy, Yale University.
- Susan Amy Nayowith, LCSW, Ph.D.
ACSW NYC Department of Homeless Services Director, Office of Client Advocacy Policy and Planning
Susan Nayowith has worked in community mental health and social action with people in SRO hotels, homeless shelters, and day treatment programs. She has experience working for private, not-for-profit and government agencies. Currently, Susan Nayowith runs a family shelter for the Department of Homeless Services in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The facility provides social, recreational, medical and educational services to 190 families, up to 650 adults and children. The focus of the program is to offer services in a safe environment while assisting families to move into permanent housing.
Susan Nayowith received her M.S.S.W. in 1984 at Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW) and her Ph.D. in 2000 at New York University School of Social Work. She is an adjunct faculty member at CUSSW where she teaches a class called, Contemporary Social Problems.
Susan Nayowith is on the Executive Committee of the New York City Chapter of National Association of Social Workers as well as other Boards of Agencies promoting Social Justice and Participation.
- Anne Paulle
Domestic Violence Consultant, Adjunct Professor, Monroe College
Consultant on Domestic Violence, private practice with victims and their children/ Lecturer, Bank Street College of Education, Columbia University School of Social Work, Summer ’ 07/ Consultant/Coordinator, DiVA Talk 2007, Bronx Borough President’ s Office/ Lecturer, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Autumn ’ 07
- James F. Purcell
Executive Director, Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies
Jim Purcell is the executive director of the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA). COFCCA is the principal statewide representative for nearly all the voluntary not-for-profit organizations providing foster care, adoption, and family support services to vulnerable children and families in New York. Its 125-member organizations help more than 500,000 children and their families annually.
Mr. Purcell previously served for many years at the State government level in children’s services. He began his career with the state Division for Youth, and later worked at the Department of Social Services and Council on Children and Families. From 1985-1996 Jim served as the Associate Commissioner for Family and Children’s Services at the Department of Social Services. His experience in the field includes working in, managing, and supervising related human service areas in day care, domestic violence, and juvenile justice as well as child welfare. He formulated and implemented policies to meet emerging needs including the first foster boarding home programs for HIV positive children for child welfare, a new risk assessment process for child protection, cross-agency collaborative initiatives to meet complex family needs, and development of outcome based child welfare training.
Mr. Purcell holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters Degree from the State University of New York at Albany. He has taught courses at the School of Social Welfare at the Rockefeller College, University of Albany. Mr. Purcell sits on many boards and advisory committees including the Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children, the Human Services Council of New York, and is president-elect of the National Organization of State Associations for Children.
- Judith Samuels, PhD</
Research Scientist, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research; Dept. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine
Judith Samuels, PhD is Head of the Policy Analytic Lab at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research where she is a Research Scientist and has been working since 1997. Dr. Samuels has also had a joint appointment at the NYU Medical School Department of Psychiatry as a Research Professor and is currently and adjunct professor at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Until recently she was also the Co-Director of the Seeking Systems Integration Core for the NIMH funded Center for the Study of Issues in Public Mental Health. The focus of work in this core, which Dr. Samuels help oversee, was to understand the impact of multiple systems — beyond the formal mental health system – on persons who have mental health problems. Her work on projects in this core helped frame and propose, multi-system studies and allowed her to bring a broad focus to Center projects. She recently organized the successful Center conference titled “Motherhood & Mental Illness” and has been invited by the city of New York to serve as a member of the Research Advisory Board on Homelessness.
Dr. Samuels work with homeless families is cited as a model program in President Bush’s recently released New Freedom Commission on Mental Healths final report, Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. Dr. Samuels is the Principal Investigator of Federally funded research; a SAMHSA funded study “Homeless Families in Westchester County, NY” and an NIMH funded study titled “The Impact of the Family Critical Time Intervention on Homeless Children.” This study is a randomized clinical trial of the Family Critical Time Intervention Model, an adaptation of an evidence based housing first practice. Dr. Samuels was also the project manager for SAMHSA’s NYC Housing Alternative initiative for persons with serious mental illness. Dr. Samuels’ research has focused on areas related to mental health, public policy and homeless populations. Recent grant submissions include; a proposed pilot study of the application of the Critical Time Intervention model to youth transitioning out of foster care in Westchester County; and the application of the ACT model for homeless senior adults in New York City.
Dr. Samuels has an MBA from Rutgers University, an M.Phil. and a PhD in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. Before changing careers, she worked in private industry for close to 10 years. She has had extensive education and experience in the management of large-scale projects in research as well as in the business sector. Dr, Samuels brings to research her training and knowledge of project management, finance, research design and methodology, statistical techniques, and computers.
We are incredibly grateful for the support of the Baby Buggy Advisory Council. The members represent decades of experience in a cross section of disciplines. With their expertise, we are able to more effectively identify and address the issues that affect NYC families in need.
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