The Team
The BUILD Initiative is a team of early childhood professionals who are committed to building and sustaining high-quality, comprehensive, early childhood systems that are equitable for marginalized children and families, many of whom have faced discrimination based on race, ethnicity, language, or immigration status.
We have decades of experience with state and local early childhood systems, education reform, health, human services, political campaigns, communications, and messaging. Each team member brings a deep understanding of how to engage disparate constituencies and forge common ground to advance a comprehensive policy agenda.
Susan Hibbard
Executive Director
Michelle Adkins
Director, PN-3 Capacity-Building Hub
Jenn Bender
Director of Operations
Jonathan Chapman
Learning Community Specialist
Tony Durborow
XChange Director, PN-3 Capacity-Building Hub
Mariana Florit
Communications Director
Maisha Giles, PhD
State Services Liaison
Jim Gutierrez
Finance & Contracts Manager
Aedra Jones
TA Specialist, National ECE Workforce Center
Lydia Kim
Conference Manager
Tameika Leslie
Early Care and Education, Quality Improvement Initiatives Project Director
Debi Mathias
Early Care and Education, Quality Improvement Initiatives Director
Laura May
Communications Senior Manager
Carey McCann
Co-Director of State Services
Ingrid Molinares
Learning Community Manager
Kemi Nnaji
Senior Associate, Research and Evaluation
Karen W. Ponder
Distinguished Fellow
Aisha Ray, PhD
Distinguished Fellow
Wendy Waithe Simmons, PhD
MN WFS Project Director, State Services
Omotunde Sowole-West
Whole Family Systems Liaison
Deborah Stahl
Consultant, Special Projects
Sherri Killins Stewart, EdD
Director of Systems Alignment and Integration, Co-Director of State Services
Michelle Stover Wright
Research and Evaluation Director
Cynthia L. Tate, PhD
State Services Liaison, PN-3 Hub Lead
Xzandria Toombs
XChange Community Manager, PN-3 Capacity-Building Hub
Ruth Trombka
Editor and Writer
Crystal Williams
Communications Specialist
Minnesota Early Chilldhood Fellowship
The BUILD Initiative has been given the opportunity to host three 10-month fellowships, with each fellow placed within a state project team supporting specific aspects of the implementation of Minnesota’s Preschool Development Grant B-5.
Eamon Whiteaker-Smith
Fellow