| Staff Bios |
|
Merriott
J. Terry - email Merriott J. Terry is the President and CEO of Educational First Steps, taking the helm in June 2005. Merriott holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Baylor University and attended the Executive Business Management Institute at Rice University. She is a graduate of Leadership America, is a charter member of the National Women's Museum in Dallas and serves on the Advisory Council of the Institute for Urban Policy Research. Merriott has served on the Board of the ClubCorp Plaza Club in Houston. She has received numerous awards including Texas Family and Consumer Science Teacher of the Year, Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Education Agency and the Magellan Award for Excellence for CCCS among many others. A visionary leader, Merriott excels in community networking, strategic planning and program development. She is married to Jack and they have two sons and two granddaughters.
|
 |
Renee Brendle - email As Administrative Director, Renee is responsible for overseeing the administrative functions within EFS as well as coordinating all marketing and public relations activities. She holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from LSU-Shreveport. Renee enjoys her job so much she says she can hardly call it work. ''We have such a wonderful team, full of passion for our mission. We all love working together!'' Renee has a seven year old son, Riley, and she and her husband Garry are expecting a baby girl in the spring.
|
 |
Larry Bisno - email Larry joined Educational First Steps as Development Director after several years with a national non-profit that was focused on college students. Coming to EFS completes a full circle for Larry. Though spending the majority of his working life in the advertising industry, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Kentucky. While born and raised in Oregon, Larry spent a number of his formative years living abroad and has been fortunate to travel overseas as an adult. In his spare time Larry enjoys traveling, tennis, bicycling and golf and just relaxing in the Texas sun. With two grown daughters and grandchildren there is always laughter in the background.
|
 |
Linda Bardales - email Linda Bardales serves as the Education Director for EFS. She conducts trainings for teachers and directors on a variety of topics of interest to the daycare centers. She also offers trainings in Spanish throughout the year. (She is fluent in Spanish having being raised in Guatemala.) Linda coordinates the parent trainings and supervises the Parent Training Consultants. She is the Site Coordinator for the ''Touchpoints'' team at EFS. She is on a team with three of the Education Specialists. They are preparing to teach ''Touchpoints'' to our daycare teachers and directors and help them implement the ''Touchpoints'' principles. Linda also manages the college scholarships and the on-line CDA trainings for our teachers. She also oversees the Community Partners, the centers that are Step 4s and Cornerstones. She and her husband of 25 years have two daughters, ages 23 and 20.
|
 |
Shannon Hendricks - email Shannon brings more than 15 years of experience in early childhood education to EFS. She has a B.S. in Education with an emphasis on early childhood development. Shannon oversees the Education Specialists and maintains the relationships with EFS affiliate centers and community agencies. She has worked as an educator, facilitator and field trainer; and tutored at-risk students in language and math. Shannon loves to sing, travel and make scrapbooks out of pictures of her family which includes her husband Scott and two daughters Malori and Maci. Shannon states, ''Everyday I experience my father's philosophy of 'I don't have to go to work, I get to go to work'!''
|
 |
Nancy Ferguson -
email Nancy joined EFS as our part time accountant in July 2006. She has since taken on the role of CFO. She has worked in the accounting profession for more than 25 years helping for profit and non profit companies. She loves her work and says most people do not understand how anyone could love working with number every day, but it is her passion as well as her profession. Nancy was born and raised in Alabama and is a big fan of the University of Alabama, Crimson Tide. Nancy has volunteered for the United Way preparing tax returns for low income families. Nancy raised her two children, who are now both in their 20s. Her son lives and works in Dallas. Her daughter is in her final year of college in Huntsville, TX, earning her degree in Elementary Education. "I love working for EFS where everyone is dedicated to the mission of helping children and families, it is much more than a job for all of us."
|
 |
|
Jennifer McSpadden -
email Associate Development Officer Jennifer has more than 13 years experience in social services and another two in education, teaching at the collegiate level. She has planned and administered dozens of federal, state and local workforce development programs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Texas A&M University and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of North Texas. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals and on the West Dallas Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Jennifer is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Keller and has one son, who is 18.
|
 |
Maria Banda - email Maria has more than 15 years of experience in early childhood education. As a bilingual Education Specialist, Maria loves working with the directors and staff of EFS affiliate centers and especially the children. She is a NAC validator and a Texas Registered Trainer. Maria and her husband had three children and then adopted three more creating the Banda Bunch! Maria says every day is a good day knowing she gets to work for EFS! "Educational First Steps has opened up so many new opportunities for me and my family."
|
 |
Kathy Calderon-
email Kathy has 24 years experience in early childhood education. Kathy is a proud graduate of The University of Texas at Dallas. Kathy has lived in the Dallas area for most of her life (since 1980). Her passion is children and spreading that same energy by mentoring teachers and directors in the child care community. Since Kathy has experience a wide variety of positions and communities within child care, she can relate and provide assistance to the centers that she mentors. Kathy is a proud parent of two children, Aaron, 13 and Jamie, 9. In her spare time, her children are her joy and she cherishes every moment with them because they grow so fast. For time to think, jogging is her exercise of choice.
|
 |
Christie DeWeerd-
email Christie joined the EFS team as an Education Specialist in January 20009. She is new to the Dallas area, relocating from New Mexico in July 2008. She offers more than 10 years experience in the early childhood education field. After receiving her AA in accounting and working in the accounting field, her daughter who is now 15 years old, was diagnosed with social and emotional disabilities. Christie began taking classes in early childhood education and realized her true passion. She earned her BA and will complete her Masters degree in May, 2010. Her most recent position was at Head Start in New Mexico, where her passion grew to include working with economically disadvantaged children. She married a long-time friend in November of 2008. In addition to working with directors and staff at EFS, Christie enjoys gardening with her husband at their home in Midlothian. She loves ladybugs, daisies, chocolate and collecting Coca-Cola.
|
 |
Mollie Menton - email A Dallas, Texas native and a graduate of Lake Highlands High School, Mollie has many years of experience working with children. After earning a BS in Early Childhood Education from Baylor University, she taught Pre-K and Kindergarten for 4 years in Mesquite and Richardson. Mollie then took “early retirement” from teaching and went to work for a local non-profit as director of the after-school program. Desiring to get back to her roots in early childhood, Mollie joined the EFS team in March 2008 bringing with her knowledge of teaching and a passion for empowering people to live to their fullest potential. Mollie has a heart for mission work through her church and has taken mission trips to Mississippi, Georgia and, very recently, she traveled all the way to Kenya, Africa. She is very involved at her church working with both the children and youth ministries, as well as in the singles department. Mollie is very excited to be a part of the EFS team!!
|
 |
Gustavo Monsante - email Gustavo (Gus) was born in Peru and came to the United States at the age of 12 knowing very little English. Now that he has mastered English, he is one of our Bilingual Education Specialists. He holds a degree in Psychology and a minor in Spanish from the University of North Texas. Gustavo has more than ten years experience working with children at various organizations including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Camp Fire USA, Children First Academy and Creme de la Creme. Gustavo is a certified "Touchpoints" trainer, member of the EFS "Touchpoints" team and is on the planning committee for the 2010 Touchpoints National Forum in Boston. Being a NAC validator, he works to help his schools become accredited and has successfully assisted Concordia Lutheran Learning Center receive its NACCP accreditation status in December 2009. Gustavo's affiliate centers love the enthusiasm and energy he brings to his work. Gustavo is married to a wonderful lady named Ashley; they live in the Plano area with their golden retriever Samson. In his spare time, Gustavo enjoys spending time with his family, creating and composing music with his guitar, photography and skateboarding.
|
 |
Samantha Moya - email With 15 years in child care and a center director's license, Samantha Moya brings quite a bit of experience to EFS. As a bilingual Education Specialist, her childcare centers appreciate the vast array of knowledge and understanding she has. Samantha has lived in Dallas all of her life and is married with two sons. She loves to cook, read and be creative on the computer. She lives by the motto, ''Every day presents a new opportunity to learn something you didn't know before.''
|
 |
Kym Shaw - email Kym has an Associate's Degree in Child Development and recently earned her Bachelor's Degree in Management. Kym has more than 20 years experience in childcare working as a teacher of various ages, an assistant director and director of childcare centers and also an after school coordinator. She conducts trainings with EFS, DAEYC, and "Touchpoints", and also serves as a NAC validator. Kym enjoys helping EFS affiliate childcare centers to achieve national accreditation. She has taught her son Skylan the importance of giving back and he has volunteered for EFS. Having spent her childhood in South Dallas, Kym now gives back to that very community by working with EFS to improve early childhood education in that area.
|
 |
Loretta Watson - email Loretta has 30 years experience in early childhood education starting out as a Head Start teacher in her home state of Arkansas. She moved to Dallas in 1999 and served as both a teacher and director at childcare centers here. Loretta has her Child Development Associate certificate and is a NAC validator and trainer on the EFS T. Berry Brazelton Touchpoints training team. Loretta loves to have fun and is fondly referred to by EFS staff as the ''diva'' of the group. She is serious, however, about helping her affiliate centers be the best they can be and making a difference in the lives of Dallas area children. Loretta says she loves her job and is passionate about children and families. Loretta has four sons and three grandchildren.
|
 |
Michelle Paul - email Michelle Paul joined EFS as an Education Trainer. She has worked in the childcare industry for more than 12 years as a Children's Program Specialist, Curriculum Specialist and SMU Mentor for the Language Enrichment Activity Program (LEAP). Michelle earned her bachelor's degree in Child and Family Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is married and has a nine year old daughter. When not preparing trainings, she enjoys reading, singing and dancing. She has danced her way into the hearts of our center directors and teachers!
|
 |
Donna Bush - email Donna serves EFS as our Accounting Assistant. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio and graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a degree in Finance. She moved to Dallas in 1985 and worked for nine years as a National Bank Examiner for The Comptroller of the Currency. Since 2000, she has performed accounting functions at her husband’s law firm. They have four children ages 16,15,12 and 8 and two black labs who are two years old. “It’s chaos, but fun chaos,” comments Donna.
|
 |
Mary Calkins-
email Mary comes to Educational First Steps with 17 years of business experience and a background in teaching and marketing project management. She has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, a Texas teacher certificate in secondary education and a Master's degree in French from the University of Texas at Arlington. Mary and James, her husband of 22 years, have two children, Scott and Chelsea, ages 18 and 12. Mary grew up and has traveled widely overseas. She believes that a quote by William Arthur Ward epitomizes what EFS accomplishes every day: "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it."
|
 |
Abby Perry-
email Abby is a graduate of Texas A&M University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. She, along with her husband Jared, are currently graduate students at Dallas Theological Seminary where she is working toward a Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies, while Jared pursues a Masters of Theology. Abby was previously a volunteer coordinator for a home health and hospice company in College Station, Texas. Abby enjoys reading (EFS' emphasis on literacy was what first attracted her to the organization), creative writing, playing the piano and try8ng out new recipes. She is very grateful for the opportunity to work for Educational First Steps!
|
 |