Your Voice Matters
Our Great Start Collaborative membership is a group of diverse voices and change agents. From elementary school principals to parents of young children, each member is an active participant and committed to building and reforming the local childhood system. Through regular meetings, strategic plans are created to make a collective impact—and ultimately improve early childhood education.
To initiate change, we require a full, engaged body. Without it, we cannot start the right conversations. If you’re interested in becoming a member, please contact our Great Start Director.
Executive Team Members
- Maureen Hale Chair
- Joann Hoganson Kent County Health Department, Vice Chair
- Tomarra Richardson Great Start Parent Coalition, Staff
- Paula Brown Great Start Collaborative Director, Staff
- Melanie Medema Great Start Collaborative Coordinator, Staff
- Kelly Gerlinger Grand Rapids Public Schools
- Kristin Gietzen Arbor Circle
- MaDonna Princer Head Start
- Jennifer Headley-Nordman First Steps Kent
- Ashley Karsten Kent Intermediate School District
- Chana Edmond-Verley Vibrant Futures
- Kristyn Bomberg WGVU
Agency Partners
- Arbor Circle
- Baby Scholars
- Baxter Child Development Center
- Bright Beginnings
- Catholic Charities West Michigan
- Cherry Street Health
- Children's Advocacy Center
- Comprehensive Therapy Center
- Conductive Learning Center
- DA Blodgett
- David D. Hunting YMCA
- Department of Health and Human Services - CPS
- Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative
- Early On
- Easterseals
- Family Futures
- First Steps Kent
- Frey Foundation
- Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
- Grand Rapids Community College-Child Development
- Grand Rapids Community Foundation
- Grand Rapids Public Library
- Grand Rapids Public Schools
- Grand Rapids Urban League
- Grand Valley Charter Schools
- Great Start to Quality Kent Resource Center
- Great Start Readiness Program
- Head Start for Kent County - Michigan Family Resources
- Health Net of West Michigan
- Healthy Homes Coalition
- Healthy Kent 2020
- Heart of West Michigan United Way
- KConnect
- Kent County Health Department
- Kent County Sheriff Department
- Kent District Library
- Kent Intermediate School District
- Kent School Services Network
- Literacy Center of West Michigan
- Mercy Health St. Mary’s
- MSU Extension
- Network 180
- Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
- Our Community’s Children
- PNC Financial Services Group
- Safe Families for Children
- Sebastian Foundation
- Special Olympics Michigan
- Spectrum Health: MOMS Program
- Talent 2025
- The Salvation Army/Booth/Family Services
- WGVU / PBS
- West Michigan Asian American Association
- West Michigan for Children
- The Refugee Education Center
- Vibrant Futures
Parent Partners
- Fredericka Brown
- Nicole Burman
- Deyni Ventura
- Cara Sutliffe
- Iris Gipson
- Yolanda Johnson
- Ray Sutliffe
- Lana VanBuren
- Sharquila Harris
- Javier Arguinzoni - Rodriguez
Member Meetings
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*These meetings are closed to the public.
Lessons From Past Meetings
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GREAT START COLLABORATIVE KENT COUNTY
Funding from the Office of Great Start within the Michigan Department of Education supports the implementation of Great Start.