Leaders building a strong foundation for the next generation
First 5 Fox Valley a charitable organization in the State of Wisconsin with the purpose to cultivate a community that empowers and supports every family to build a solid foundation for children in their first five years. The volunteer leadership team is comprised of community and business leaders, health care and child development experts and early childhood service providers from the Help Me Grow Fox Valley advisory committee. The First 5 Fox Valley Board wants to ensure children are developmentally ready and on track to reach their full potential. To that end, the following three strategic outcome goal statements have been developed.
- Improve local efforts to strengthen early identification and intervention practices, which encompass routine surveillance, screening, developmental promotion and referral to appropriate services that support a child’s unique developmental needs.
- Implement the Help Me Grow Centralized Access Point that will refer and link families to community resources to support children’s development. The HMG Centralized Access Point and call center will provide a family-centered approach or “warm handoff” to connect and follow-up with parents having difficulty navigating the service system.
- Coordinate strategic advocacy efforts on early childhood issues providing a hub for partnering agencies to develop a collective voice within the Fox Cities.
Board leaders coordinate the following workgroups to utilize volunteers to expand and explore opportunities to develop the strategic outcomes. Workgroups are:
- Advocacy and Policy
- Family and Community Outreach
- Health Provider Outreach
- Marketing, Media and Messaging
- Research and Data
- Governance and Sustainability
2021 Board Members:
President: Wendy Hein, Program Director – Early Intervention Program- Birth to 3, Outagamie and Winnebago Counties
Vice President: Allison Laverty Montag, Community Health Strategist, Winnebago County Health Department
Secretary: Oliver Zornow, Executive Director- Building for Kids Children’s Museum
Treasurer: Judy Olson, Executive Director – Child Care Resource & Referral
Members-at-large:
Cindy Brylski-Breit, Public Health Nurse Outagamie County Public Health Division
Lynn Hammen, Executive Director UW Oshkosh Head Start
Nancy Jones, Stronger Together Fox Valley
Diane Penzenstadler, President/Owner 44º North Advertising & Design
Linda Schwobe, Public Health Supervisor Health and Human Services, Calumet County Health Department
Jon Stellmacher, Retired Thrivent Financial Senior VP
Angela Steuck, Vice President of Community and Agency Development | Family services of Northeast Wisconsin
Barb Tengesdal, Director – First 5 Fox Valley