CO-PRESIDENT

Anita is Co-President. It is her responsibility to oversee all Board matters and the day-to-day operations of Parents' Place. She attends Tuesday and Thursdays.

Anita is originally from Wheeling, WV and now lives in Morgantown. Although she’s been living in the area since she was a college student, Morgantown didn’t feel like home until her family joined Parents’ Place when her oldest was two years old. Now, she has three sons. They normally spend their time park-hopping around town, splashing in the creek or playing in the backyard with the chickens.

“Being in the parent room gives such a realistic balance to what I see online. I’ve found solidarity and support. It’s really helped me embrace and celebrate this chaotic season of life.”

info@parentsplacewv.org

CO- PRESIDENT

Erika serves as Co-President. It is her responsibility to oversee all Board matters and the day-to-day operations of Parents' Place. She attends Mondays and Fridays.

Born and raised in Thomas, WV, Erika moved to Morgantown to attend WVU to pursue degrees in elementary education, gifted education, and preschool special needs education. This is where she stayed and accumulated over 25 years of teaching experience and spent 10 years serving as a board member in different associations. She loves spending time with her three children, husband, friends, and family.

“Parents’ Place has been an incredible place for my son and me to socialize, learn, and have fun! Being part of this program has been a gift from day one and I love that I have the opportunity to give back to it by volunteering in this position.”

info@parentsplacewv.org

ADMIN

Kelly is the current Admin for Parents' Place. It is her responsibility to provide operational oversight, administrative support, and collaborative leadership alongside the Board of Directors.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Kelly moved to Morgantown to attend WVU in 2003 and has called it "home" ever since. In the late 2000s, she spent a few years teaching PK3 at Parents' Place. Now an adoptive mom of 3, Kelly is an avid reader in her spare time and also enjoys stained glass as a hobby.

"Parents' Place ended up being the community of support I didn't realize I so desperately needed! Fostering through the pandemic and parenting children with traumatic histories left me feeling very isolated. Parents' Place has allowed for meaningful connections for both my daughter and I that I will always be grateful for!"

admin@parentsplacewv.org

TREASURER

Kayla is our treasurer. She oversees the financials of our organization, making sure we are operating within our budget, submitting deposits and ensuring expenses and taxes are being paid. She works closely with all members of the board to ensure we are transparent and traceable as a nonprofit organization.

Kayla was born and raised in Fayetteville, NC. She originally came to Morgantown with her husband and two young children so her husband could start WVU's medical program in July 2024. When she is not at Parents' Place or work, Kayla enjoys reading, traveling, and cooking with her children.

"I originally heard about Parents' Place through my neighbors. I checked it out to see if it was a good fit for my children and me. My eldest child struggled with separation anxiety and had never been away from me. I noticed a positive impact after my child attended a few classes at a Parents Place. My oldest was excited to attend school and started socializing with his peers. Now my child asks to go to the classroom! I am so happy we found Parents Place. It has helped my little ones grow socially and introduced my family and me to the Morgantown community."

parentsplacetreasurer@gmail.com

ENROLLMENT CHAIR

Emily is the Enrollment Chair. It is her job to collect applications, create class lists, and communicate with families regarding their placement and tuition.

Emily is originally from Vienna, VA and came to Morgantown in 2016 with her husband, Jason. She has two boys, William and Jonathan. Outside of Parents' Place, Emily enjoys running, reading, and cooking.

“I love coming to Parents' Place with my children. With two pandemic babies, I felt very isolated as a new mother. As soon as we started attending Parents' Place when my oldest was 2 and my youngest was an infant with me, I felt I had found the community that I had been missing. My children and I have all found friendships we treasure and have all had opportunities for growth - them in the classroom and me through serving on the Board.”

enrollment@parentsplacewv.org

MEMBER FUNDRAISING CHAIR

Kelsey is the Member Fundraising Chair. It is her responsibility to find fundraising opportunities for the families to help support school operations, group necessities, and budget’s for children’s and parents’ programming.

Originally from Parsons, WV, Kelsey now calls Morgantown her home for the last 8 years. Kelsey has two boys who currently attend Parents’ Place. When she’s not at Parents’ Place or her job, shes with family and friends trying to enjoy life and make every moment count.

“I originally joined Parents’ Place over two years ago as a way to help socialize my oldest and help him to gain language skills. We have always felt a sense of community, support, and connection to other families. We love attending the many play dates, and after school activities that Parents’ Place has to offer. My boys are gaining skills, socializing, and excited to attend each week and I have connected with other parents. Ultimately this place has become like a second home”

fundraising@parentsplacewv.org

COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING CHAIR

Rob is the Community Fundraising Chair. It is his responsibility to create additional fundraising opportunities for the school that also help to grow community relations.

Rob was born in Texas and made a career in New York City. With nearly two decades of experience in the entertainment industry, he established himself as a dedicated professional in film. He eventually became a proud member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). He was then able to work as an assistant director on numerous productions in both studio and independent projects. With the ability to balance creative storytelling, the technical demands of production scheduling and logistics, he eventually took on scheduling many live events as a director.

Beyond his professional work, he is all about family, sports, and curiosity. His three children- Theodore, Eleanor, and Margueritte, keep his wife and he pretty busy. Teaching his kids to learn is the greatest joy in the world. He loves cheering on the long-suffering Dallas Cowboys, keeping up with the UFC, and tracking just about every sport stat he can get my hands on. When he is not caught up in the game, he dives into creative thinking and research, exploring everything from history to Album of the Year and whatever else sparks his curiosity. And if you end up at his table, you’ll quickly find out that cooking is another passion of his — he can whip up just about anything, and he loves sharing it with others.

fundraising@parentsplacewv.org

CO-TEACHER CHAIR

Dana is a Co-Teacher Chair. As a Teacher Chair, she acts as the main point of contact for the teachers. She will substitute on occasion if a teacher needs to be absent from the classroom.

Dana was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Dana’s husband is from Fairmont and the couple moved to Fairmont upon expecting their first child. She is a stay-at-home mother of one for now. Dana’s daughter started at Parents’ Place this year in the baby room.

“I found out about Parents’ Place over the summer when attending a Playdate. I wanted my daughter to interact more with children her age and be independent from me at the same time. It’s nice to see many other families that share the same values.”

CO-TEACHER CHAIR

Brittany is a Co-Teacher Chair. As a Teacher Chair, she runs teaching staff meetings and acts as a liaison between teachers and the Board. She will substitute on occasion if a teacher needs to be absent from the classroom.

Brittany was born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania. She moved to West Virginia to pursue a teaching career, until she became a stay at home mom. Morgantown has been her home for 4 years with her husband and 2 boys. She enjoys reading and trying to figure out how to craft on cricut.

“I first found out about Parents’ place with my first son. He had never been around other kids due to his separation anxiety as a baby. He loves it and has thrived in elementary school. Since then, my second child has joined the program. This was just what I needed to find the village I needed!”

CO-TEACHER CHAIR

Brooke is a Co-Teacher Chair. As a Teacher Chair, she manages the Classroom Helper volunteers and substitutes. She will substitute on occasion if a teacher needs to be absent from the classroom.

Brooke lives in Morgantown with her husband, Michael, and their son. Outside of Parents’ Place, she enjoys spending her free time with her family, traveling, and reading.

“When we moved back to Morgantown, I knew I wanted to find a place for our son to socialize with kids his age, but I wasn’t looking for a full-time daycare program. Parents’ Place has been the perfect fit for us! He’s excited to learn and play with his friends and I have found a community in the parents room that I didn’t know I needed.”

PARENT PROGRAMMING CHAIR

Whitney is the Parent Programming Chair. Her job is to organize activities, speakers, potlucks, and all things fun and informative for our parents. She also coordinates with childrens’ programming to host play dates and works with organizations in our community to give back where we can.

Whitney finds immense joy and fulfillment in nurturing her family as a stay-at-home mom. With a passion for understanding and helping others, Whitney brings knowledge and experience from her previous career as an LICSW therapist. Outside of her responsibilities at home, Whitney's adventurous spirit finds joy through her love for nature, an active lifestyle, traveling and experiencing different cuisines. She also enjoys unleashing her creativity through crafting.

programming@parentsplacewv.org

CO-HOSPITALITY CHAIR

Kelsey serves as Co-Hospitality Chair for Parents’ Place. As Hospitality Chair, Kelsey ensures that families are supported through celebrated events and hardships by organizing diaper drives, meal trains, gifts, and other forms of recognition. She is also responsible for maintaining the supply of snacks, cleaning supplies, and school essentials.

Kelsey is a Registered Dietitian and an allergy mom, so ensuring that snacks served at Parents’ Place are safe and nourishing is her utmost priority. She was drawn to Parents’ Place due to the unique “non-drop off” programming so that her daughter Mia could socialize with peers while having the safety net of Mama nearby. She greatly appreciates the time and attention to inclusivity and safety for children with food allergies that Parents’ Place implements into day-to-day operations. 

In addition to working full-time(remotely) and parenting a sweet, sassy, & stylish toddler, Kelsey enjoys running (marathons/half marathons), exercise classes, Disney trips, shopping, and spending time with her husband, Zach.

hospitality@parentsplacewv.org

CO-HOSPITALITY CHAIR & CO-CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING CHAIR

Laurel serves as Co-Hospitality Chair for Parents’ Place. As Hospitality Co-Chair, She ensures that families are supported through celebrated events and hardships by organizing diaper drives, meal trains, gifts, and other forms of recognition. She is also responsible for maintaining the supply of snacks, cleaning supplies, and school essentials. Laurel also serves as Co-Children’s Programming Chair. As Co-Children’s Programming Chair, her job is to plan and organize activities for the children that we serve. Many of these activities come in the form of themed playdates. She often works with members of the Morgantown community to facilitate events.

Laurel was born and raised in Greenbrier County, WV and came to Morgantown in 2004 to pursue a BS and MS degree in Animal and Nutritional Sciences as well as Plant Science. Outside of Parents’ Place, her family of four enjoys anything and everything outdoors…boating, fishing, skiing, and gardening to name a few!

“This will be our third full year at Parents’ Place! We have made so many great connections and lifelong friendships! I am thankful to have such a wonderful community for myself and for our children!”

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING CO-CHAIR

Ceranda is our Co-Children’s Programming Co-Chair. Her job is to plan and organize activities for the children that we serve. Many of these activities come in the form of themed playdates. She often works with members of the Morgantown community to facilitate events.

Ceranda was born and raised in Monongalia County. She is a certified breastfeeding specialist, working as a peer counselor at the Monongalia County WIC office. She loves to spend her time reading, hanging out with her family, and hiking.

“I love the community I’ve found through Parents’ Place, both for myself and my daughter.”

programming@parentsplacewv.org