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2021 RIE® Membership Vote

Online voting timeline

May 27, 2021           Online voting opens 8:00am Pacific Standard Time
June 17, 2019          Online voting closes at 8:00am Pacific Standard Time

Voting supplemental material

Nominee Bios

Renewal of Board Members

Debbie Bergstrom
Debbie is a Child Youth Program Administrator, WestEd PITC Graduate, PITC Infant/Toddler Specialist and ECE Consultant. For 30 years she has worked in full day care programs, and in supporting and training Family Child Care Providers. Debbie studied at the Pikler Institute in 2008. She is currently the Child Youth Program Administrator for the U.S. Navy in Sigonella, Italy.       

Melissa Boozell is a former business litigation and labor law attorney, who now focuses her time and efforts on raising her two young boys and volunteering for organizations that help support children and families.  Prior to joining the RIE® Board of Directors, she was a member of the City of San Marino’s Recreation Commission and the Board of Directors of St. Edmund’s Nursery School, where she assisted with the school’s fundraising and marketing efforts.  Melissa was first introduced to RIE® as a parent in Ruth Anne Hammond’s Parent-Infant Guidance™ class.  She was quickly drawn to the Educaring® Approach and became eager to deepen her connection with RIE®.  As a member of the Board, Melissa is committed to helping RIE® expand its reach and to making the Educaring® Approach a reality for as many children, parents, and caregivers as possible, regardless of potential socioeconomic barriers. Melissa has a B.A. in History and Sociology from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.  Along with her husband and two sons, she enjoys playing and watching sports, traveling, and exploring the great outdoors.

Jennifer Doebler had her life change in 2006 with the birth of her first child and a friend’s gift of Your Self-Confident Baby.  Inspired by Magda Gerber’s wisdom and compassion, she attended Parent-Infant Guidance™ classes in NYC with her two daughters and experienced for herself how the Educaring® Approach enhanced her understanding, confidence and relationship with her infants. After nearly two decades of corporate brand management and entrepreneurial experience, in the US and Asia, Jennifer followed her new passion and began RIE training in 2014. An Associate since 2017, Jennifer has also completed Introductory and Advanced-Level Pikler Training with Anna Tardos & Agnes Szanto. Jennifer holds an MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, specializing in Early Childhood Development, an MBA in Marketing and Management from Columbia University, and a BA in International Politics and Economics from Middlebury College. Jennifer is a RIE Practicum mentor, member of the Board of Directors, and Chair of the Marketing Committee. Jennifer facilitates RIE classes in San Francisco’s East Bay and consults with parents and professionals. She loves helping parents and carers do the world’s most important job.  www.forbabyandme.com / jennifer@forbabyandme.com

 Angela R. Fisher-Solomon, Ph.D.  holds a Ph.D. in Infant-Toddler Developmental Psychology. She is an NJ-Infant Mental Health Mentor- IV [Policy], a Certified Infant Massage Educator, Childbirth Doula, and serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Early Childhood Graduate Department at City University in New York. She consults with parents, caregivers, and educators on developmentally appropriate and respectful practices with infants and toddlers nationally and internationally. She facilitates RIE® Certified Parent-Infant Guidance™ classes in the New York/New Jersey area. Angela’s scholarly research and parent-infant observation tool are uniquely influenced by Magda Gerber’s work. She is dedicated to supporting parent-infant relationships across cultures based on Magda Gerber’s Educaring® Approach. ababydr@gmail.com

Jim Franke
Jim is a retired entrepreneur and businessman who now spends his time raising his two boys and helping both private and not-for-profit organizations set, pursue and meet their goals. From an early age, Jim has been interested in early childhood development and education; and he has pursued this interest both professionally and personally by serving on the Boards of Directors of several non-profits as well as earlier in his career being a member of the non-profit practice at McKinsey & Co. Jim has a BA in Economics and Political Science from Duke University and an MBA from Stanford. Today, Jim is focused on helping RIE® expand to impact as many children, families, and childcare professionals as possible. He is also dedicated, together with his partner Steve Bialecki, to raising their two young boys with respect and understanding.

Jill Getto Lee
Jill is the mother of twin boys and is a RIE® Associate who specializes in multiples. She holds a master’s degree from Pacific Oaks College in Human Development Specializing in Early Childhood, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Central Michigan University. She currently teaches Parent-Infant Guidance™ classes at the Los Angeles RIE® Center and at BINI Birth Center in Sherman Oaks. She instructs the RIE® Before Baby™, and Nurturing Nanny™ courses at the Los Angeles RIE® Center and serves on the RIE®Board of Directors.  Jill recently joined a study group on affective neuroscience with Dr. Allan N. Schore of the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.  She also is a registered consultant for the County of Los Angeles and serves as a community member on the Los Angeles unified School district integrated pest management team, fighting for the safety and health of all students, staff and the environment.

Marcela Giannini
Marcela is a RIE® Associate and was introduced to RIE® over 20 years ago, mentored by Magda Gerber and studied under her tutelage. She also served as Magda Gerber’s personal assistant. She has recently begun facilitating RIE® Parent-Infant Guidance™ Classes in Orange County, Los Angeles.

Gail Nadal
Gail has worked with young children for over 25 years and has a passion for 0-3 year olds. She works for the Yolo County Office of Education as the Director of Early Childhood Education, which serves children of poverty through the county’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs as well as State preschool and has incorporated the Educaring Approach in all the sites. Gail serves as the Coordinator for the Local Planning Council and is a part-time instructor for the Center for Excellence in Child Development at UC Davis Extension; mentoring and coaching Family Child Care Providers serving children 0-3 years. She is part of the grassroots effort in the Sacramento area to offer RIE® Foundations™ training and workshops to the community. Gail holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership in Child Development from CSU Sacramento. 

Departing Members
Ruth Anne Hammond, December 31, 2020
Marc Futterman, May 11, 2021