Aprendamos CEO Appointed to ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors
ZERO TO THREE ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW BOARD PRESIDENT AND FIVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS
WASHINGTON, D.C - ZERO TO THREE, the leading nonprofit dedicated to ensuring babies and toddlers have a strong start in life, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Spicer , Ph.D., as the President of the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors. In addition, the organization announced the appointment of five new Board members in 2018.
“Dr. Spicer is a dedicated champion for babies through his many years of research, education and community support for countless children and families, particularly those with the fewest resources,” said Matthew Melmed, Executive Director of ZERO TO THREE. “We are honored to welcome Dr. Spicer as the President of our Board of Directors alongside our newest members. The guidance and expertise of these accomplished leaders will spark further innovation in our work and move us closer to our vision of a society with the knowledge and will to support all babies in reaching their full potential.”
Spicer is a cultural anthropologist with expertise in substance abuse, mental health and child development in American Indian/Alaska Native communities. He is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma and a Director of the Center for Applied Social Research. Spicer also serves as Editor-In-Chief of the Infant Mental Health Journal. His research focuses on health and social policy in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. He has over 100 publications and has been the principal investigator on more than a dozen grants to support this work, including awards from the Administration on Children and Families, several institutes within the National Institutes of Health (including the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) and two national programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Spicer joined the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors in December of 2008 and has chaired many committees, most recently serving as Vice President.
New joining ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors in 2018
Abel Covarrubias M.A., founder and CEO of Aprendamos Intervention Team, an organization providing early care and education services in Doña Ana County, N.M committed to providing quality services for families and children of all ages. The Aprendamos family of services include Aprendamos Intervention Team Early Intervention Program, Esperanza Children’s Therapy Clinic, Mariposa Autism Service Center, Alegria Family Counseling Clinic, Cariño Home Visiting Program, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention Program and Conscious Fathering Program of Southern New Mexico.
Covarrubias is also is a co-founder of Hearts for Autism, a 501 (c)3, dedicated to supporting children and families with an autism spectrum disorder.
Chandra Ghosh Ippen , Ph.D, Associate Director of the Child Trauma Research Program at University of California, San Francisco, and Director of Dissemination and Implementation for Child-Parent Psychotherapy. Ghosh Ippen is the author and co-author of over 20 publications and manuals related to trauma and diversity-informed practice. She developed the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Trinka and Sam disaster-related story series, which has reached over 200,000 families across the world, and produced and directed Vale la Pena Recordar, a Spanish language video on childhood traumatic grief.
Tammy Mann , Ph.D., President and CEO for The Campagna Center, a non-profit organization that serves the Alexandria, Va., community by offering a range of educational and social development programs that foster a dedication to learning among children, youth and adults. Mann has been involved in work at the national, state and local levels for the past 25 years focused on addressing the needs of children and families, especially those living in economically and socially challenged environments. Prior to her work at The Campagna Center, she served as Executive Director of the Frederick Patterson Research Institute and as Deputy Executive Director at ZERO TO THREE.
Michelle Meyercord , Strategic Consultant, New Market Development Most recently, Ms. Meyercord served as the Senior Advisor to Smart Cities New York as the head of strategy and development. Smart Cities New York is an annual conference and expo that brings together mayors, CEOs, thought leaders and investors from around the world to address the challenges and opportunities facing cities to be more resilient, inclusive, cleaner and smarter. Prior to Smart Cities, Ms. Meyercord served on the executive committee of Christie’s as the head of strategy and international development, leading the execution of a strategic plan to address the changing art market.
H. Marcel Wright , Vice President of the Behavioral Health Service Line, Adventist Healthcare (AHC). Wright provides operational leadership for the growing behavioral health division, including the Rockville, Takoma Park and Lourie Center locations in Maryland. Wright also leads the strategic planning, business development and intake functions for the service line.
In his role at AHC, Wright previously served as Executive Director of the Lourie Center for Children’s Social & Emotional Wellness, a Rockville, Md., agency with a mission to improve the social and emotional health of young children and their families through prevention, early intervention, education, research and training. Learn more about the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors at zerotothree.org/bod .
ZERO TO THREE ZERO TO THREE works to ensure all babies and toddlers benefit from the family and community connections critical to their well-being and development. For over three decades, the organization has advanced the proven power of nurturing relationships by transforming the science of early childhood into helpful resources, practical tools and responsive policies for millions of parents, professionals and policymakers. For more information, and to learn how to become a ZERO TO THREE member, please visit zerotothree.org, facebook.com/zerotothree , or follow @zerotothree on Twitter.
Our Aprendamos Team would like to congratulate Abel on this wonderful accomplishment. Abel, your passion for helping children and families has inspired and lead our team since you started Aprendamos all those years ago. Congratulations!
