Board Members
GoAEYC Executive Committee
Terese Amidei
Co-President
Meet Terese
The president’s charge is to guide GOAEYC in management and policy-making functions. 
Terese is currently the Training Coordinator at Children’s Home + Aid. She was previously the Center Director for Children’s World Learning Center in Elk Grove Village. Her experience includes working for School District 57 as the Director of the Before and After School Program. She has also worked for the YMCA dance department and children’s sport classes. Currently, Terese has her Associate Degree in Art from Harper College and is working on a Bachelors from Northeastern.
You can reach Terese via email using our contact form.
Molly Babu
Co-President
Meet Molly
Molly is an Early Childhood educator with Bright Horizons Family Solutions since 1994. She’s been associated with GoAEYC for over six years.
As the Exhibitor Chairperson and as the Membership Chairperson, she’s been quite active with GoAEYC. Her involvement with an organization like GoAEYC has given her a keener awareness of the field of Early Childhood Education. It also provides Molly the right forum to exchange ideas, sharpen her knowledge on different programs being implemented in the field and broaden fellowship with other educators. It also is a great window to NAEYC. She takes pride in her membership in the GoAEYC.
You can reach Molly via email using our contact form.
Sharyl Robin
Past President
Meet Sharyl
Sharyl has been in the Early Childhood Education field for over 25 years! She has her Bachelors degree in ECE and her Masters in ECE Leadership and Advocacy, both from National Louis University. She has taught preschool, been a director, and is currently the Program Director for the Child Care Resource and Referral Program with Children’s Home + Aid Society. She is also a Professional Growth Advisor for Gateways to Opportunity, a member of the statewide Professional Development Advisory Committee, and a member of the Illinois Trainers Network. She has been on the GoAEYC board for over ten years.
You can reach Sharyl via email using our contact form.
Linda Wywialowski
Vice President-Organizational Development/Scholarship
The Vice President of Organizational Development’s charge is to maintain the organizational integrity of GOAEYC.
You can reach Linda via email using our contact form.
Linda Hermes
Vice President-Professional Development
The Vice President of Professional Development’s charge is to assist the president in providing professional development activities.
Meet Linda Hermes 
Linda has been doing child care since 1987; leaving a career in Social Work to care for children in her home. She lives in Evanston, IL with her husband, Hal and two children, Kate, who is in graduate school and Nick, who is a sophomore at Columbia College, Chicago. Linda is a Foundations in Family Child Care Trainer, Mentor for Action for Children and is a part of the Illinois Trainers Network through INCCRRA. Linda’s professional objective is to strive to create a safe, secure, nurturing place for children and families and to advocate for quality child care programs for all families. Linda feels very privileged to be a member of the GOAEYC Board and hopes to bring more family child care professionals into this strong and vital organization. When there is time to spare, Linda enjoys reading, theater and cross stitching.
You can reach Linda via email using our contact form.
Eva Hartwig
Secretary
The Secretary’s charge is to maintain official records of GOAEYC.
Meet Eva
Eva is currently the director of Wee Care Children’s Center, a faith- based center in Wilmette. She has been involved in early childhood education since graduating from Northeastern Illinois State College over twenty-five years ago. Eva began her career as a classroom teacher for pre-school and kindergarten. After taking some time off to raise a family, she moved into the role of director of a childcare center. She thoroughly enjoys the challenge of guiding a center and helping to attain high standards. In April of 2006, the Wee Care Children’s Center received its NAEYC accreditation. She is currently involved in a program to complete her director credential.
NAEYC and GoAEYC have been influential in my understanding of the needs of children and how best to advocate for young children. Eva considers it an honor and privilege to serve on the GoAEYC Board as Secretary. She currently serves on the Growing Up Green committee and the Advocacy and Public Policy committee.
You can reach Eva via email using our contact form.
Alisa Kapusinski
Treasurer
The Treasurer’s charge is to maintain the financial integrity of GOAEYC. Advocacy Chair’s charge serves as a resource on current legistlative, licensing, and public issues; trains advocates, serves as liaison with ILAEYC and state and national advocacy leaders.
Meet Alisa
Alisa is currently a Program Manager at the Hoffman Estates Park District where she oversees the preschool, summer day camps, and early childhood programs. The Hoffman Estates Park District preschool program is located within two community centers. Both preschool centers are accredited by NAEYC.
In addition to Alisa’s involvement in GOAEYC, Alisa is very involved in the Illinois Park & Recreation Association. Alisa was director & treasurer of the Recreation Section within IPRA and also serves on the Early Childhood Committee.
Alisa has a Bachelors degree in Recreation Management from the University of Illinois. She is also continuing her education by pursuing a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.
Jeanne Neifert
Membership
The charge of Membership is to recruit and maintain active, inclusive GOAEYC membership and support membership development.
Meet Jeanne 
As a family child care provider, Jeanne’s family is a high priority. She has three girls, Lauren 16 Kiernan, 25 and Shannon, 27 as well as three granddaughters, Olivia, Amelia and Charlotte. Jeanne has been a family child care provider for 17 years. She has a BFA in Fine Arts and a BA in Theatre Arts. She earned a CDA in 1995 and was accredited in 1996. Jeanne was a finalist for the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood teaching award in 1996. She is in the process of becoming reaccredited and finishing the course work for a type 04 certification. Her license is for a group home, so she can care for 16 children. She is currently the resource and referral chair for the Lake County Home Day care Network. Jeanne’s goal as a member of the board of GOAEYC is to offer insight into family child care and to encourage family child care providers to be more involved in professional organizations.
You can reach Jeanne via email using our contact form.
Board Members-at-Large
Members at large assist the President and the board with all aspects of planning, organizing, and carrying out the business of GOAEYC.
Denise Tenyer
Advocacy Chair/Member-at-Large
Meet Denise 
Denise is a State of Illinois certified teacher, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Education from St. Xavier University. She has taught children at a variety of age and grade levels- in classrooms from Preschool to the Sixth grade. She currently runs her own business, a reading readiness and math enrichment program for young children. Her involvement with Advocacy and Public Policy issues dates back to her work with the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV), working on behalf of abused women and children. At GOAEYC, she is committed to advocating for young children and their families. Her current focus is on Preschool for All. This is a current campaign here in Illinois that wants to lead the nation in making available voluntary, high-quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds; supporting parents as their children’s first teachers; and producing a highly qualified early childhood workforce.
You can reach Denise via email using our contact form.
Martha 
Westerburg
Appreciation Dinner/Member-at-Large
Meet Martha
Martha has worked at the Buffalo Grove Park District for 20 years; teaching for 15 years and is currently directing the Preschool and Early Childhood Enrichment classes. Throughout her career, she has developed many new successful preschool and early childhood classes. She serves on the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association’s Early Childhood Committee as well as GOAEYC. Martha has served on the GOAEYC Board for 10 years and looks forward to continuing her work with the Board.
Martha continues to touch the lives of children and their parents throughout Buffalo Grove and the surrounding communities. She believes our children are our future and that we can change the world one child at a time.
Elaine Quinn
Accreditation/Member-at-Large
Meet Elaine
Elaine is currently the director at Little Angels Christian Preschool, a private, faith-based school. 
She has been an educator in the field of Early Childhood for thirteen years. Elaine holds a degree in Early Childhood Education, Directorship and also has her Illinois Director Credential. Her professional and personal goals are to be involved in efforts that support and care for all children and to give the best of herself to children who touch her life in any way.
In April 2006 Elaine’s preschool was awarded NAEYC accreditation and it was a privilege to be part of that process. As an educator and child advocate, she is a firm supporter of NAEYC and GoAEYC. Elaine believes that Early Childhood educators have an enormous responsibility to the future of our society and, as such, need organizations such as NAEYC and GoAEYC for guidance and support. She embraces GoAEYC’s vision of increasing the quality of care for young children and supporting educators in the Early Childhood field. Elaine feels it is an honor to serve on the board.
Tara Mathien
Website/Growing Up Green/Member-at-Large
Meet Tara
Tara is currently a full time Early Childhood Education Instructor at Harper College. On the board, Tara is the Growing Up Green chairperson. She also serves as the website developer.
Tara has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Type 04 Teaching Certificate from Illinois State University. She also received a Master’s degree in Child Development and Administration from Erikson Institute. Tara is very passionate about quality experiences for young children and advocating for high quality programs for all children.
You can reach Tara via email using our contact form.
Nancy Meehan
Member-at-Large
Meet Nancy
For the past 8 years Nancy has worked as the Program coordinator and Pre-K teacher at St. Anne School in Barrington.She has been teaching for more than 30 years in a variety of settings from a storefront preschool through fourth grade.Nancy holds a B.A.in Early Childhood and an M.S. in Elementary Education .She holds both an Type 03 and 04 certificate in Illinois. Beyond her NAEYC membership, Nancy is also a member of the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Kindergarten Alliance and the Barrington Christian Preschool Directors Group.
“The knowledge I have gained from my association with NAEYC has been invaluable in developing my teaching philosophy,my skills and my curriculum. I am a better teacher,with a far deeper understanding of my students and my profession as a result of the abundance of knowledge that NAEYC has succeeded in sharing with early childhood professionals and families.I am honored to be part of this group.”
Colleen Scheitz
Member-at-Large
Meet Colleen 
Colleen has been a member of GOAEYC and has served on its board since 2001. In addition to being a wife and mother of two college students, she has been in the field of Early Childhood for almost 20 years. She joined the staff of Today’s Child in Palatine in 1986 and is currently the Director. She is very excited to be Chair for the Wheels on the Bus Program again this year, and looks forward to her new duties as V.P. of Professional Development.
You can reach Colleen via email using our contact form.