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 PNC Bank, Chair
- Joann Hoganson Kent County Health Department, Vice Chair
- Tomarra Richardson Great Start Parent Coalition
- Paula Brown Great Start Collaborative Director, Staff
- Leslie Hawkins Great Start Collaborative Coordinator, Staff
- Kate Lara Grand Rapids Public Schools
- Kristin Gietzen Arbor Circle
- MaDonna Princer Head Start
- Heather Boswell First Steps Kent
- Ashley Karsten Kent Intermediate School District
- Chana Edmond-Verley I2 Collective, Vice Chair
- Kristyn Bomberg WGVU
- Nicole Burman Great Start Parent Representative
Agency Partners
- Arbor Circle
- Baxter Child Development Center
- Bright Beginnings
- Camp Fire West Michigan 4C
- 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
- 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
- Great Start to Quality Kent Resource Center
- 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
- Our Community’s Children
- PNC Financial Services Group
- Safe Families for Children
- Sebastian Foundation
- Special Olympics Michigan
- Spectrum Health: MOMS Program
- The Salvation Army/Booth/Family Services
- WGVU / PBS
- West Michigan Asian American Association
- West Michigan Refugee Education & Cultural Center
Parent Partners
- Fredericka Brown
- Tomarra Richardson
- Tana Martin
- Nicole Burman
- Lisa Ellison
- Reyna Garcia
- Latesha Lipscomb
- Joslyn Ward
- Joseph Mitchell
- Wayne Hill
- Christina Pocklington
- Olga York
- Cara Sutliffe
- Iris Gipson
- Katie Szarowicz
- Leah Groves
- Shonteonna Cox
- Tina Collins
- Yolanda Johnson
Member Meetings
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*These meetings are closed to the public.
Lessons From Past Meetings
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