Board Leaders

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

2023 Board Members:

President: Allison Laverty-Montag, Winnebago County Public Health
Vice President: Cindy Brylski-Breit, Outagamie County Public Health
Secretary: Nancy Jones, Stronger Together Advocacy Organization
Treasurer: Oliver Zornow, Building for Kids – Executive Director
Past President: Wendy Hein, Valley Packaging Industries Outagamie & Winnebago Birth to 3 – Director
Director: Judy Olson, Child Care Resource & Referral – Retired Executive Director
Director: Tara Beaton, Calumet County Birth-to-Three – Director
Director: Diane Penzenstadler, 44°North Advertising & Design – President/Owner
Director: Angela Stueck, Family Services of NEW – Vice President
Director: Chuck Sepers, City of Appleton – Public Health Officer
Director: Andy Price, Reinhart Law Milwaukee – Shareholder
Director: Wendy Schwalbe, UW Milwaukee Parents as Teachers – National Trainer