Marguerite Daniels Anderson is currently a stay-at-home mom. She is the mother of a young happy toddler who eats well, and sleeps through the night. She was previously a web designer, and a recipe developer with a background in lifestyle and healthcare writing, and marketing. Marguerite earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the New School University, and a Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing/Literature from Columbia University. Her parenting philosophy isn’t well-defined yet, but she believes in raising a child with gentle guidance, open discussions, and well-defined family rules.

Sean Anderson, Ph.D., is the father of a truly amazing toddler. He's also an optical engineer specializing in photonics. He has worked for start-ups, the military, and multi-national companies. He holds eleven patents, with several pending, and has authored over a dozen scientific papers. He earned his Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Rochester, and received his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering with high honors from Lehigh University. His parenting philosophy is to foster learning and growth by providing opportunities to be challenged.

Holly Blum, mother and grandmother, resides in Washington DC. Her adult daughter lives with her adorable and confident toddler son in New Jersey. Holly is a retired early childhood professional who has supported classroom teachers in her many roles that included Responsive Classroom trainer, development and implementation of the Success by 8 multi-age program and working collaboratively with members of the English as A Second Language (ESOL) office to provide professional development to Pre-K and Kindergarten teaching staff. Upon retirement, she became an adjunct professor at George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development and an Early Childhood Leadership Coach Consultant. Her parenting philosophy was inspired by the wisdom of Khalil Gibran that states-"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth".

Marlon Bovell is the son of a life-long educator and father of three children. Marlon has been married for 14 years to Vickie Bovell and they believe it is essential to ensure they are on the same page as it pertains to parenting. It’s also imperative as parents to ensure the lines of communication are always open to their children. Marlon holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering degree and works in the Software Engineering field.

Alexis Braswell is currently a senior student attending Towson University located in Baltimore, Maryland. She will graduate December 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education and Promotion with a concentration in Community Health. Upon graduation, Alexis plans to work as an emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with aspirations to become a Physician Assistant specializing in Pediatrics.

Jean Bynoe-Singh is a retired school teacher. She taught in the Primary School system in Guyana for thirty - eight years. She is the mother of five adult children and nine grandchildren. She believes that education is most essential in all aspects of life and that those imparting it, whether teacher or parent, must believe that sincerely and do so with love, conviction and compassion so as to have a positive impact on the minds of the children or learners.

Dorel Campbell-Adams is a married mother of three teenage children. She has a career in Healthcare that has evolved over sixteen years into one that specializes in Physician Training and Clinical Sales for a Medical Device Company. Her Parenting philosophy is: “Parenting is not giving your child everything they want nor is it being your child's friend. Parenting is about preparing your child to be a useful and respectful person in society.”

Gloria Clanton is a retired music educator having served as a junior high school music teacher for 33 years. During that time she served in several administrative positions including president of the District of Columbia Music Educators Association. After retirement she became active with her local AARP chapter serving not only as president but in several other capacities. She has also chaired several ministries in her church as well as servicing as choir director and pianist. Gloria is the mother of two children and has three grandchildren. She raised her children using a philosophy based on a idiom she learned a long time ago – “As the twig is bent so grows the tree”. In other words one’s behaviors as a grown person are based on what he learned while he was a child. She is proud to say that, with the help of God and her late husband, following this philosophy produced two great results, her son and daughter.

Dr. Desiree DeFlorimonte has a forty-five year career in pedagogy which spans the spectrum from Nursery through Graduate Schools. A reflective practitioner, she has been passionate about mentoring and inspiring students, both in the USA and Caribbean. Dr. DeFlorimonte was honored to obtain a Fulbright Scholar Award (2016-2017) and served as a Literary Studies Facilitator at the University of Guyana. There she assisted in the literacy development of children and aided teachers in implementing best practices in their classrooms. Dr. DeFlorimonte resides in Maryland and she enjoys travelling, reading, deep water aerobics, singing and dancing. She is the loving mother of Angel and proud grandmother of Jayson.

Rev. Rachel S. DeFour was born in Charleston West Virginia and raised in the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Association, where she is presently the Pastor for the Maryland Temple. She is the mother of two adults (female and male) and has a grandson. Rev. DeFour holds the Bachelor of Arts and Master's Degrees. She retired in 2005 from the Head Start Program after 38 years working at the Local, Regional and National Offices. She severed as the author’s Head Start Program Specialist having federal oversight for the Head Start Program she directed. They have remained friends and have mutual respect for each other’s knowledge and years of experience in Early Childhood Education. Rev. DeFour’s parenting skills were a combination of being raised by a very strong, family oriented mother, early childhood educational training/courses, her spiritual teachings and living life.

Ryan E H Dickson, Esq. is the father of three young children, and the child of immigrants in the United States. He is an attorney and an entrepreneur, counseling businesses in creative growth strategies and scaling. Strongly believing in business, personal development, and forward thinking ideologies, his parenting philosophy is similar: to training young entrepreneurs of life, allow them the space to take risks and to fail.

Richlyn Ophelia Emanuel is the mother of a teenage son. She is a mother first and a career accountant. Her parenting philosophy is, "Expose your child to everything possible making sure they are rounded and understand that the world is their competition”. She is a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child.

Anastasia Foster is a graduate student at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) working on her Master of Arts in Mathematics. She graduated from the University of Saint Joseph in December 2017 and works as Graduate Assistant in Assessment and Technology in the Career Department at CCSU and as an After School Teacher at Trinity Christian School in Windsor, CT. In her spare time she plays the harp, the piano/keyboard and draws batman symbols.

Martine Sadarangani Gordon leads program strategy and implementation for Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She brings her diverse expertise to this role, including strengths in the areas of public and nonprofit management, strategic planning and implementation, and team development and coaching.

Martine is a passionate public servant and advocate who follows the lead of families and communities toward systems and policy improvements. She has previously worked in public, nonprofit and private organizations, mostly on issues related to education and child development. Thus, in addition to leading the program team at The Women’s Foundation, Martine also directly manages the Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative and serves as an expert in the local philanthropic space on issues related to early education systems, the early care and education workforce, and the child care crisis.

Martine holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor's degree in history with a concentration in journalism from the University of Delaware. Martine is a proud District of Columbia resident, where she lives with her spouse and two children. In her free time, she most appreciates a strong cup of tea and a well-written book.

Dr. Linda Hampton is President of LC & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in early childhood education, organizational and leadership training, and technical assistance to the Head Start and child- care communities nationwide. Linda was the first Head Start State Collaboration director for more than fifteen years, a position requiring developing statewide partnerships among state and local entities and influencing policies relative to children and families in Alabama. Linda has been married for more than 40 years, has two adult children and three awesome grandchildren. Her parenting philosophy is “saying what you mean and meaning what you are say.” It is important to provide guidance, consistency, and transparency while encouraging independence. She and her husband live in Montgomery, Alabama.

Gretel James is a retired elementary school teacher, wife and mother of two adult children. She believes children need to feel loved and protected while also having clearly articulated rules of behavior that leads to more productive citizenry.

“As the twig is bent, so grows the tree”, is a proverb Brenda Williams Jones has applied during her forty years of work with parents, teachers and children. Dr. Jones, mother of two and grandmother of four is keenly aware that how parents and teachers engage with children during their preschool years will ultimately make a significant impact on their early growth and development and beyond. In formal and informal settings, Dr. Jones seizes the opportunity to help parents recognize and develop parenting goals, strategies and practices that will equip and shape their children to live productive and meaningful lives in a rapidly changing global society.

Joseph Kijewski, Esq. is a husband, the father of three adult children, and a practicing attorney specializing in corporate ethics and regulatory compliance. His career has included service as an Assistant Director of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice under Attorney General Janet Reno. He and his wife Cheryl have lived in the northern Virginia area since graduating college together in 1982 and both are graduates of Georgetown University Law School. They are active members of their church and a number of public service and educational organizations. Joseph’s parenting philosophy is, “Model for your children the person you would like them to be.”

Lyngrid Smith Rawlings, Ed.D is the mother of five adult children and grandmother of two, one who is a young adult. She is a retired Foreign Service Officer, who served in Chad, Ivory Coast , India, Algeria, Pakistan and Benin. Since retiring, she has served overseas on short term assignments in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Libya, Dubai Jordan and Kyrgyzstan. Prior to becoming a Diplomat, she served as an Administrator of various adult education and manpower development programs in D.C. Public Schools, where she also developed, piloted and received approval from the Board of Education to award a high school diploma to adults who successfully documented their life skills and had their career experiences assessed. Once her children completed high school, she joined the Foreign Service. In raising her children, she taught them that they were responsible for consequences of their decisions and tried to instill in them the confidence that hard work and integrity will eventually enable them to achieve their goals.

Jacqueline Rose, M.Ed. is parent to 4 adult children and grandmother to 8 ranging in ages of 2 to 25 years. She has shared her parenting knowledge coupled with expertise in early education and child care systems development and policy with other parents and professionals in classrooms and training programs. She also has provided policy support to members of state governing bodies and leadership to national, state and local organizations that are mission-driven to support parents, teachers and policymakers. Currently she provides consultation services through her business, Rose Resources. Her parenting philosophy is Guide through the action of deep listening.

Nyeim Risien is an IT Professional. He grew up in Largo, MD and graduated from Largo High School. He was selected to participate in the Year Up Program during which he studied Informational Technology (IT). Upon graduation he completed his internship with The Carlyle Group in Washington DC. He has completed several IT certification courses and works as a systems administrator. Nyeim was raised by his mother, grandmother and older brother. Growing up he was taught to treat people how he wants to be treated and to have respect for himself and others. He plans to pass on these values to his future children.

Denise Thorne is the mother of two adult daughters and grandmother of one . After migrating to the United States, Denise began her career in banking. However, after having her daughters she and her husband realized that it was of great importance to raise their children to understand the importance of being upstanding contributing citizens and the value of taking advantage of all opportunities. Denise walked away from her career in banking and stayed home with her children. Though balancing an asthmatic child, a child with severe digestive issues, the traditional demands of having children in multiple extracurricular activities, and the birth of her boutique catering business Denise followed a mantra that allowed for clear boundaries and consistency with her children. P- persistence, R- resistance, I- insistence, and C- consistency allowed her to always remain steps ahead of her children. “The beauty of the hard work in parenting is the reward in the end”.

Barbara VanDyke, Ed.D is the mother of one adult male and has been an Educator for 30 years. She is currently the Compliance Instructional Supervisor for the 22nd largest school district in the country. Additionally, she has been an Adjunct Instructor for universities in the DC, MD, VA teaching in areas such as Special Education Regulations and Assessments in Special Education. Her parenting philosophy is, "Children learn more from what they see than from what they are told, so stay in the model mode because they are always watching you."