HEATHER TRITTEN
Executive Director
“True change in family well-being happens when we support the children.”
As Parent Possible’s executive director, Heather leads the organization in defining its mission and driving its strategic vision. In addition to ensuring consistent and successful programmatic delivery, she oversees all aspects of the organization’s financial and administrative management. She is also responsible for promotion of parent engagement through advocacy and collaboration with other early childhood leaders across the state. Heather has spent her career working to address the two-generation poverty problem, focusing her efforts in recent years on parents as the critical pathway to a child’s future success. Prior to serving as executive director at Parent Possible, Heather was the vice president of Quality Programs at Qualistar Colorado, and Head Start Collaboration Director in the Office of Lt. Governor Joe Garcia. She authored Governor Hickenlooper’s early literacy plan, Colorado Reads: the Early Literacy Initiative. Heather holds a B.S. in Sociology from Grand Valley State University, and a M.A. in Administration, Leadership, and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado Denver. She has also completed a Buell Early Childhood Fellowship.
- heather@parentpossible.org
- 303-860-6000 ext. 111
- (direct line) 303-860-7067
MARION BATAYTE
Deputy Director
“Prevention is so much more efficient than intervention, and has considerably greater returns.”
Marion has served the early childhood community in Colorado for over 16 years, working in a leadership position at Parent Possible since 2012. As Deputy Director she is primarily responsible for overseeing program operation, compliance and evaluation, and contributing to the overall development and strategic initiatives for Colorado’s HIPPY, PAT, and Vroom programs. Prior to joining Parent Possible, Marion was Director of Operations at Bright By Three (formerly Colorado Bright Beginnings), where she spent ten years advancing the quality and effectiveness of home visitation programs. Before moving into parent engagement, Marion worked for the Colorado Department of Corrections, Gemini Shelter, and HEAR NOW. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder, and an A.S. in American Sign Language Interpretation.
- marion@parentpossible.org
- 303-860-6000 ext. 107
- (direct line) 303-861-4777
PAULA BISHOP
Enhanced Home Visiting Project Manager
“Parents teach in the toughest school in the world – The School for Making People. You are the board of education, the principal, the classroom teacher, and the janitor.” Virginia Satir
Paula joined the Parent Possible team in August 2021 as the Enhanced Home Visiting Project Manager. In this role, she is responsible for handling all day-to-day operations and logistics associated with sites implementing the EHV project across the state of Colorado. Prior to joining Parent Possible, Paula spent 9 years as an elementary school teacher in the Denver metro area. In addition to her teaching experience, Paula has experience in domestic adoptions, foster care and as an intermediary for home visitors. She holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Teaching from the University of Northern Colorado and a MSW from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
RACHEL BRECK
Director of Reporting & Evaluation
“Strong families are the foundation for resilient communities and a more equitable future.”
In Rachel’s role as Parent Possible’s Data & Evaluation Manager, she is responsible for managing program data collected throughout the state. She supports program sites by providing technical assistance, database management and quality assurance. After ensuring the data are accurate, clean, and complete, she prepares reports examining the fidelity and effectiveness of Parent Possible’s home visiting programs. Rachel’s past experience is a blending of numbers and nonprofits. She built and managed a database for tracking nonprofit organizations as a graduate assistant with the Indiana Nonprofits Project and conducted feasibility studies for community-based organizations while a Senior Summer Fellow at the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago. Rachel has a B.A. in Sociology & Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and holds a Masters of Public Affairs, with concentrations in Nonprofit Management and Information Systems from Indiana University.
KRISTEN CELLINI
Data & Reporting Specialist
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela
Kristen joined Parent Possible in 2019 as the Data & Reporting Specialist. In this position, she is primarily responsible for supporting program sites in the data collection process, creating monthly and quarterly reports for various stakeholders, and helping to ensure that the database yields accurate, reliable data. Kristen’s work has centered around data management and analysis for the past decade, primarily within the field of K-12 education. Her previous roles include serving as a data analyst for a large, urban school district, a multi-campus university, and a national non-profit organization focused on ending K-12 educational inequalities. She holds a B.A. in psychology and English from Baldwin-Wallace College, and earned her M.A. in sociology from Kent State University, with a specialization in social psychology.
JACKIE CORDOVA
HIPPY Program Director
“La familia es la base de la sociedad y el lugar donde los personas aprenden por vez primera los valores que les guían durante toda la vida” -J.P. II
Jackie joined Parent Possible in early 2016 as the HIPPY Program Director. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing, monitoring and providing technical assistance and coaching to HIPPY sites in the state to ensure site quality and model fidelity. She also provides start-up guidance and support for new site development. Before joining Parent Possible, Jackie worked at Clayton Early Learning as a HIPPY Home Based Head Start Mentor Coach, and as a preschool teacher and director in Guadalajara, Mexico. She served as a panel member for Home Visitation Programs for the Colorado General Assembly’s Early Childhood and School Readiness, and as a member of the Spanish language curriculum committee for HIPPY USA. Jackie is a HIPPY National Trainer and in 2019 she went to Santiago, Chile to provide training and technical assistance to start HIPPY in the country. Jackie holds a B.S. in Education from the Universidad Panamericana Campus Guadalajara, and a M.A, in Administration and Coaching in Early Childhood Education from the University of Colorado Denver. She has also completed a Buell Early Childhood Fellowship.
JESSICA EHINGER
Director of Finance
“When you teach your child, you teach your child’s child.” ~ Talmudic teaching
Jessica joined Parent Possible in 2020. In her role as Director of Finance, she oversees the organization’s financial and HR systems, as well as financial and funding compliance. Jessica started out her career as an academic, specializing in the history of Abrahamic religions, before transitioning to university administration and grants management. Before moving to Colorado, she served as the administrator for the Boston University Superfund Research Program, supporting public health research and community engagement surrounding the early life impact of hazardous waste exposure. She has also served as a financial officer for Service Employees International and helped create Colorado Care Workers Unite, an advocacy organization for homecare workers in Colorado. Jessica has a Bachelors degree in Arabic and Islamic History from the University of Chicago and a Masters and PhD in World Religion from Oxford University.
ALEXIS FOWKES
Training & Events Manager
“Our future is in the hands of our children – and the parents holding their hands in those first few years of life.”
Alexis joined Parent Possible in 2018. In her role as Training & Events Manager she is responsible for coordinating programmatic trainings, organizing the Annual Parent Possible Home Visiting Conference and supporting additional special events. Before Parent Possible she worked at ReinventED Lab as the Event Coordinator for the Tom Tom Youth Summit, an annual event celebrating student projects and innovation in Charlottesville, Virginia. Alexis earned her B.S. in Youth & Social Innovation from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.
- alexis@parentpossible.org
- (720) 295-5782
INDIRA GALAVIZ
Parents as Teachers Program Manager
“Every home is a universe and the parents are the teachers” Mahatma Gandhi
Indira joined parent possible in September 2020 as the Parents a Teachers program manager, she is responsible for providing guidance, fidelity monitoring, training and technical assistance to PAT programs in Colorado. She has more than 16 years of experience working with under resourced populations. Indira started her passion for family services in Mexico, where she supported different health and hygiene campaigns for children under 5. Prior to joining Parent Possible, she worked for Focus Points Family Resource Center for 9 years. First, as Family Advocate, coordinating four different family programs, then as the Parents as Teachers program manager obtaining the Blue-Ribbon affiliate designation for Focus Points, for the first time. Before that, she also worked as a preschool teacher. Indira holds an associate degree in Early Childhood Education and a credential in Family Development, from Temple University. She is currently pursuing her B.A. in Social Work from Universidad Popular Atónoma de Puebla. She loves having the opportunity to impact her community by providing information and support networks to families in the PAT program. She spends her time outside of Parent Possible sharing her energy and passion for fitness with her Zumba students. Aside from wellness, her greatest passions are education, family, and unity
SHELBY JONES
Vroom Program Director
“By instilling love, empathy, and hope in our children today, parents inspire a better tomorrow.”
Shelby joined Parent Possible in 2018 as the Vroom Program Director. In this role, Shelby is responsible for directing high-reach awareness initiatives for Vroom statewide, implementing installations and marketing campaigns, and managing corporate partnerships. Prior to joining Parent Possible, Shelby served as a research consultant for nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sector organizations, and spent five years studying parenting and child development. Shelby holds a B.A. in Psychology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and an M.A. in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
LAURA KNUDTSON
Director of Community & Government Relations
“We build and sustain thriving communities through the support of and investment in families – particularly during the early childhood years.”
Laura joined Parent Possible in 2018 and is responsible for elevating the voice of home visiting programs in Colorado through leadership, advocacy, and collaboration with other early childhood groups. Prior to serving in this role, she completed a one-year American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Policy Fellowship in Washington D.C. funded through the American Psychological Association (APA) working on health and human services public policy. Laura has a background in child/family psychology where she worked with predominantly underserved, low-income, and racially & ethnically diverse families in community mental health and integrated care settings. She is a previous Colorado Psychological Association (CPA) Board Member where she chaired the CPA Legislative Committee and was actively involved in behavioral health advocacy work. Laura is a recipient of the APA 2017 Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award for State-level Advocacy and holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, a M.A. in Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. in Psychology and Dance from St. Olaf College.
AARON LEAVY
Communications and Research Manager
“No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child” – Abraham Lincoln
As communications and research manager for the Colorado Home Visiting Coalition and Parent Possible, Aaron supports the efforts of all of Colorado’s home visiting programs. Aaron conducts research and analysis into the scope, impact and status of Colorado’s home visiting efforts. Prior to joining Parent Possible, he worked on political campaigns across the country, served as a researcher for a polling and communications firm, and as Senior Manager for Innovation and Learning for the Harwood Institute (where he authored the book Why We’re Here: The Powerful Impact of Public Broadcasters When They Turn Outward. As part of the National Civic League he developed community engagement materials, such as the All-America Conversations Toolkit, provided coaching and support to local engagement efforts and served as part of National Civic League’s community consulting team. He is a graduate of Oberlin College.
ANELISE MOORE
Senior Administrative Assistant
“Early literacy is the foundation for education.”
Anelise joined Parent Possible in 2018 as the Senior Administrative Assistant. In that role, she is responsible for the organization’s administrative support, reporting to the Executive Director. Previously, she was an Executive Assistant for the Colorado Health Foundation.
MICHELE PROVOST
Parents as Teachers Program Director
Enhanced Home Visiting Project Director.
“Supporting and educating parents when children are young is the key to growing strong families and communities.”
Michele joined Parent Possible in January 2017 as the Parents as Teachers Program Director. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing, monitoring and providing technical assistance to PAT sites in the state to ensure individual site quality, as well as data collection fidelity. Prior to joining Parent Possible in 2017, she spent 12 years as the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program Coordinator, serving families at Children’s Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado Hospital. In addition, she has extensive experience in child protection, home visitation and parenting instruction. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a MSW from the University of Denver. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Colorado and has earned the Infant Mental Health Endorsement—Infant Mental Health Mentor (Policy).
LUCY SOFFER
Vroom Partner Outreach and Training Manager
“If a community values its children, it must cherish their parents” – John Bowlby
Lucy joined Parent Possible in 2020. In her role as Vroom Partner Outreach and Training Manager, she is responsible for building and sustaining a diverse network of Vroom partners throughout Colorado. Her work includes seeking out trusted messenger organizations and institutions to partner with, as well as providing training, communication, and support to current partners to ensure effective implementation of Vroom. Lucy started her career as a Kindergarten teacher in London. After several international teaching roles, she transitioned into adult training in Sydney where she supported the implementation of a Social-Emotional Curriculum in elementary and secondary schools. Prior to joining Parent Possible, she worked with the Head Start community in Denver as an Early Childhood Education Specialist. Lucy holds a B.S. in Education and Human Development from Oxford Brookes University, and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education from the University of Exeter.
KELSEY WARREN
HIPPY Program Associate
“The most important thing we can do in our world is promote health and education for all children and their parents.”
Kelsey joined Parent Possible in 2020 as the HIPPY Program Associate. In this role, Kelsey supports HIPPY program sites across the state that utilize AmeriCorps members as home visitors who provide home visits to parents in the local community. Kelsey began her non-profit career as an AmeriCorps member with United Way of King County in Seattle, WA. She is passionate about alleviating poverty, empowering AmeriCorps members and lifting up families in the community. Kelsey has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Rights from the University of Redlands and is working toward a Master’s in Public Health at Colorado School of Public Health.