Texas Early Learning Council Members
To see a council member's bio, click on his/her name.
- Cecilia Abbott (First Lady of the State of Texas)
- Shruthi Arismendez, Ph.D. (Director of the Maternal and Child Health Unit for the Department of State Health Services)
- Weldon Beard (President of the Texas Head Start Association)
- April Crawford, Ph.D. (Co-Director of the Children's Learning Institute, UT Health Science Center at Houston)
- Alferma Giles, Ph.D. (Director of the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office at the Children's Learning Institute, UT Health Science Center at Houston)
- Becky Huss-Keeler, Ph.D (Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Houston-Clear Lake)
- Jan Lacina (Professor of Literacy and Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Education at Texas Christian University)
- Kim Kofron (Director of Early Childhood Education for Children at Risk)
- Reagan Miller (Director of the Child Care and Early Learning Division for the Texas Workforce Commission)
- Marisela Nava (Director of the Texas Southmost College Child Care Center)
- Stephanie Rubin (CEO of Texans Care for Children)
- Amber Scanlan (Senior Vice President and Director of Client and Community Relations for PNC)
- Kierstan Schwab (Executive Director of the Texas Public Broadcasting Association)
- Jennifer Stockemer (Owner and Director of Ivy Vine Preschool, LLC)
- Jennifer Vincent (Director of Field for the Day Care Regulatory program at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission)
- Jennifer Warren (Executive Director of Special Programs, Bryan Independent School District)
- Meghan Young (Director of Early Childhood Intervention for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission)
Council Member Bios
Cecilia Abbott
(First Lady of the State of Texas)
Cecilia Abbott’s story reminds us all that the American Dream is alive and well in Texas. The granddaughter of immigrants from Mexico, Cecilia was raised in San Antonio by parents who were both educators, and who instilled in Cecilia, her sister, and two brothers, a love of learning and helping others. Cecilia took their lessons to heart and studied at the University of Texas at Austin before subsequently earning three degrees from the University of St. Thomas in Houston: a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Theology.
Cecilia then devoted her life to serving others. She has been a teacher, vice-principal, and principal at several Catholic schools across Texas. Most recently, she served as the principal of the Cathedral School of Saint Mary in Austin from 1996 to 2001. Cecilia then went on to another noble calling working in senior health care services, where she served as the Managing Director of Community Relations from 2004 to 2013 for a health care company specializing in senior adult health care facilities and services.
Cecilia has been equally devoted to helping others in her personal life as well. She currently serves on the Cathedral School of Saint Mary Advisory Board, the Huston-Tillotson University Board of Trustees, University of Saint Thomas, and on the Advisory Board for the National Coalition for Human Sex Trafficking. She is the honorary chair of the Texas Early Learning Council. Cecilia is also a volunteer for Meals on Wheels Central Texas.
Cecilia is a former member of the State Board for Educator Certification, where she served from 2001 to 2008. She has also served on advisory boards for: the Alzheimer’s Association Capital of Texas Chapter; the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Texas Regional Office; the Holy Trinity Seminary; the Catholic Diocese of Austin Schools; the Saint Gabriel’s Catholic School Board of Trustees; Ballet Austin; the Women’s Symphony League of Austin; the Dell Children’s Women’s Trust; the Taya and Chris Kyle Foundation and the Principals’ Center at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Cecilia believes strongly in giving back. Her signature initiative as First Lady combines the two things that she is most passionate about – Texas and philanthropy. She calls it Texanthropy, through which she promotes volunteerism and service to others across Texas. Cecilia has also partnered with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services on a similar initiative – Network of Nurture – to raise awareness about the ways Texans can support the children and families in the state’s child welfare system. Mrs. Abbott has collaborated with the Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team, DFPS, and a diverse group of faith leaders across Texas working together to develop effective strategies to end human trafficking through the Governor’s Response Against Child Exploitation (GRACE) initiative.
Cecilia is a classical music devotee, having begun playing the piano at the age of six. Her piano training came in handy when she moved into the Castilian Dorm at the University of Texas, where she serenaded her future husband from behind the keyboard with music, the likes of which he had never heard. She is also a prolific animal lover, and has nurtured numerous dogs into their late teens. She has raised a variety of pets, including a Nubian goat named Petunia.
Most importantly, Cecilia is a proud mother to her daughter, Audrey, and a devoted wife to her husband of 45 years, the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott. With her husband’s election as Governor, Cecilia made history by becoming the first Hispanic First Lady of Texas. The Abbott Family lives in Austin with the First Dogs of Texas, Peaches and Biscuit.
Shruthi Arismendez, Ph.D.
(Director of the Maternal and Child Health Unity for the Department of State Health Services)
Dr. Shruthi Arismendez is the director of the Maternal and Child Health Unit at the Department of State Health Services. She is a member of the Association of Maternal and Child and Health Programs and the American Public Health Association and a volunteer for the Food Bank of Central Texas. Arismendez received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Baylor University and a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy from The University of Texas at San Antonio.
Weldon Beard
(President of the Texas Head Start Association)
Weldon Beard is the President of the Texas Head Start Association, the Treasurer of the Region VI Head Start Association, and a board member for the Stephen F. Austin State University Charter School. He is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin University and has completed the Johnson & Johnson Head Start Management Fellows Program and the ULCA Graduate School of Management.
April Crawford, Ph.D.
(Co-Director of the Children's Learning Institute, UT Health Science Center at Houston)
Dr. April Crawford is an associate professor and serves as the Co-Director of the Children’s Learning Institute (CLI) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). In this role, Dr. Crawford conducts research and oversees implementation of CLI’s statewide initiatives focusing on early childhood education, including the Texas School Ready project and CLI Engage, the online platform serving more than 35,000 early childhood teachers, specialists, and administrators in Texas. She developed several research-based performance assessment tools and measures for use by pre-k teachers and served as the lead author of the Texas Core Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners and Administrators. She serves as principal investigator and co-investigator for three federally funded research projects examining the effectiveness of professional development approaches. Dr. Crawford earned her doctorate degree in political science and public policy from the University of Houston.
Alferma Giles, Ph.D.
(Director of the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office at the Children's Learning Institute, UT Health Science Center at Houston)
Dr. Alferma Giles is the Director of the Head Start State Collaboration Office, located at the Children’s Learning Institute at The University of Texas at Houston. She provides leadership/management oversight for all initiatives of the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office, including the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System. Dr. Giles has been in the early childhood field for over 36 years working in various capacities. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Education Administration from Madison University.
Becky Huss-Keeler, Ph.D
(Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Houston-Clear Lake)
Dr. Rebecca Huss-Keeler is a Professor of Early Childhood Education at University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Early Childhood Education. She also has taught early childhood education courses at Berry College in Rome, GA and is a ten year veteran kindergarten and early primary grades teacher. She has a B.S. Ed from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania with certifications in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, a M.A. in Early Childhood Education from George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Language and Literacy Development from Georgia State University. She serves on the Houston Good Reason Coalition, advisory boards for Alvin Community College and San Jacinto College North and the Martel Awards Committee of the Houston Children’s Museum. Nationally, Dr. Huss-Keeler serves as a Peer Reviewer for National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Associate and Bachelor’s degree program accreditation and is Region 6 representative and board member for the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE).
Kim Kofron
(Director of Early Childhood Education for Children at Risk)
Kim Kofron is the Director of Early Childhood Education for Children at Risk. She has been in the Early Childhood field for over 25 years working after receiving her Bachelors of Science in Child Development for the University of Illinois. She was previously the Executive Director for the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children. Ms. Kofron worked in the for-profit child care setting for many years including Teacher, Director, Regional Education Specialist and Manager of Education for a multi-site company across Texas. During that time, she received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Texas, became a Child Care Health Consultant, and served on the local Austin AEYC and Texas AEYC boards. Ms. Kofron served previously on Governor Rick Perry’s Commission on Licensing Standards.
Dr. Jennifer Inmon Warren is the Executive Director of Special Programs at Bryan Independent School District, where she provides leadership across early childhood, bilingual education programs, special education, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and other specialized student services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Lamar University. Her professional certifications include Special Education, Early Childhood through 4th Grade, English as a Second Language, Gifted and Talented, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Principal, and Superintendent. After serving as a classroom teacher for 10 years, she transitioned into campus and district leadership roles, where she has focused on building systems that support student success and strengthen educational services. Jennifer is a member and a former board member of the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE). She also serves as a guest lecturer and research consultant at Texas A&M University and volunteers with the Brazos Valley Food Bank and Still Creek Ranch. Her work in early childhood education includes helping lead pre-kindergarten partnerships across Texas through the Pre-Kindergarten Collaborative Districts Grant. These partnerships connect school districts and child care centers to expand access to high-quality early learning opportunities, strengthen community collaboration, and increase resources and services for young children and their families. Jennifer’s leadership is grounded in the belief that early intervention, strong partnerships, and intentional systems are essential to improving outcomes for children. She is committed to building the capacity of educators and collaborative teams, expanding access to high-quality learning experiences, and ensuring that children with diverse learning needs receive the support and opportunities necessary to thrive.
Jan Lacina
(Professor of Literacy and Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Education at Texas Christian University)
Dr. Jan Lacina holds the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Education and teaches within the College of Education at Texas Christian University. At TCU, she led as associate dean for more than 15 years and currently serves as Interim Executive Director for TCU Laboratory Schools—Starpoint School and KinderFrogs School.
Dr. Lacina has made significant contributions to the field with more than 100 published articles and chapters, as well as authoring or editing five books. She has served as Editor or Associate Editor for three major journals in her field. Dr. Lacina has received many awards for her work including both the TCU Dean’s Award for Teaching and the TCU Dean’s Research and Creativity Award. She is recipient of the Judy Richardson Literacy as a Living Legacy Award presented by the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER), the Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator Award presented by the International Literacy Association (ILA), the Notable Books for a Global Society Practitioner Award and the Notable Books for a Global Society Research Award presented by the Children’s Literature Special Interest Group of the ILA. She received both research and teaching fellowships from the International Youth Library (Germany), the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of New Brunswick (Canada), and the Holocaust Museum Houston. Her international leadership includes serving as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Literacy Association, and she served as an English Specialist working with a U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Department of State. She began her career as a Texas public school teacher.
Reagan Miller
(Director of the Child Care and Early Learning Division at the Texas Workforce Commission)
Ms. Miller oversees services funded by the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant. TWC and the state’s 28 Local Workforce Development Boards (Boards) are responsible for the administration of child care subsidy assistance to support eligible families. TWC also administers a quality rating improvement system for subsidy child care providers - Texas Rising Star. This voluntary certification recognizes child care programs who achieve higher quality standards. In Fiscal Year 2021, TWC has allocated approximately $770 million to Boards to support these efforts.
In 2008, Ms. Miller was selected as a recipient of the Outstanding Women in Texas Government Awards, in the category of Outstanding Women in Management. From 2010-2015, she served as one of Governor Rick Perry’s appointees to the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. Ms. Miller has 31 years of state service, 22 of those with TWC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies, Economics, and Political Science from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and their two sons.
Marisela Nava
(Director of the Texas Southmost College Child Care Center)
Marisela Nava of Brownsville is the Director of the Texas Southmost College Child Care Center. She is a Vice President of the Southmost Association for the Education of Young Children Chapter and a member of the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children. She also volunteers at the Children’s Museum of Brownsville as a Focus Group Member and serves as Chair of the Texas Southmost College Child Development Program Advisory Committee. Nava received an Associate of Applied Science in Child Care and Development from Texas Southmost College, a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from the University of Texas at Brownsville, and is currently pursuing a Master of Education in Early Childhood from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Stephanie Rubin
(CEO of Texans Care for Children)
Stephanie Rubin joined Texans Care for Children as CEO in 2015. Previously, Stephanie was Senior Officer for The Pew Charitable Trusts, where she coordinated multi-state children’s initiatives focused on early education, home visiting, oral health and juvenile justice. She also oversaw more than 20 state policy campaigns for Pre-K Now, a $10 million initiative supported by Pew and other funders to increase access to quality pre-k across the country. Before moving to Austin, Stephanie served as Deputy Director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California, Legislative Director to a California State Senator, and Counsel to the California Senate Select Committee on Higher Education. Stephanie received her B.A. from Princeton University and her J.D. from UCLA.
Amber Scanlan
(Senior Vice President and Director of Client and Community Relations for PNC)
Amber Scanlan is Senior Vice President and Director of Client and Community Relations for PNC. In her role, Amber leads numerous work streams on behalf of PNC’s North Texas Regional President to include local marketing, communications, client and community relations strategies, branding, sponsorships, partnerships and client entertainment. Her most significant work is leading all philanthropic giving on behalf of PNC and the PNC Foundation in Dallas-Ft. Worth. Amber is charged with developing the strategy for and deploying PNC’s financial resources for programmatic and quality excellence, professional development, systemic improvement, and local and state advocacy on behalf of PNC Grow Up Great, a $500 million national initiative dedicated to high quality early childhood education. This workstream is also replicated by Amber for PNC’s extensive support of arts and culture across the region.
Originally from Naples, Florida, Amber earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Master of Business Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University. She joined PNC’s Florida market in 2009, and by way of PNC’s 2012 expansion into the Southeast U.S., relocated with her family to Birmingham, Alabama as the state Director of Client and Community Relations.
As part of PNC's expansion to Texas in 2016, Amber was tapped to relocate once again for the firm and moved with her family to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She and her husband have two young boys, ages nine and four. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Texans Care for Children (Board Vice Chair), First3Years (Board Chair), the Dallas Foundation, and the Early Matters Dallas Governing Board and Policy Committee. She also serves on the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Education & Workforce Council, Leadership Programs Council, the Leadership Dallas Alumni Association Programs Committee, Dallas Summer Musicals Corporate Committee, and Dallas Theater Center Government Affairs Committee. She is a member of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Women of Tocqueville Society, Executive Women’s Roundtable at the Dallas Regional Chamber, Texas Leadership Council on School Readiness, and is a graduate of Leadership Dallas Class of 2019. This year, Amber is a member of the Carroll Leadership Academy for Supporting Success Class of 2020 and is a current Fellow of Leadership ISD’s Legislative Voices program.
Amber is a sought-after advocate, panelist, moderator, public speaker and social media voice on many issues to include corporate philanthropy, early childhood education, arts and culture, and policy and economic mobilization.
Kierstan Schwab
(Executive Director of the Texas Public Broadcasting Association)
Kierstan Schwab serves as executive director of Texas PBS. Under her guidance, the 11 Texas stations collaborate to sustain public media. For more than 40 years, PBS stations have partnered with parents, childcare providers and community organizations to get kids ready for school and a lifetime of learning. Texas PBS partners with the United Ways of Texas to assist communities build a learning ecosystem with an initiative called Start Smart Texas(startsmarttexas.org). This statewide effort was designed to develop and expand early learning coalitions in partnership with the national Campaign for Grade Level Reading. It empowers parents and caregivers with knowledge about child development through free weekly, text messages about fun, effective activities. In 2016, Schwab produced the Emmy-nominated documentary The National Parks of Texas: In Contact With Beauty. Before joining Texas PBS, she worked for KLRU, the Austin PBS station. Schwab has a Master’s Degree from the LBJ School at the University of Texas. She lives in Austin with her husband and daughter.
Jennifer Stockemer
(Owner and Director of Ivy Vine Preschool, LLC)
Jennifer Stockemer of Prosper is the owner and director of Ivy Vine Preschool, LLC. She is vice president of the Texas Woman’s University Doctoral Student Organization, committee member of the Texas Council on Family Relations, and a member of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children. Stockemer received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Science in Child Development from Texas Woman’s University.
Jennifer Vincent
(Director of Field for the Day Care Regulatory program at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission)
Jennifer Vincent serves as the Director of Field for the Day Care Regulatory program at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Vincent oversees all Child Care Regulation licensing, inspection, and investigation regulatory activities and leads regulatory efforts that support Texas children and families through strategic regulatory partnerships. Vincent is an active collaborator in statewide early childhood initiatives focused on improving outcomes through interagency collaboration. Vincent received a Bachelor and Master of Science in Family & Consumer Sciences from Lamar University.
Jennifer Warren
(Executive Director of Special Programs, Bryan Independent School District)
Dr. Jennifer Inmon Warren is the Executive Director of Special Programs at Bryan Independent School District, where she provides leadership across early childhood, bilingual education programs, special education, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and other specialized student services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Lamar University. Her professional certifications include Special Education, Early Childhood through 4th Grade, English as a Second Language, Gifted and Talented, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Principal, and Superintendent. After serving as a classroom teacher for 10 years, she transitioned into campus and district leadership roles, where she has focused on building systems that support student success and strengthen educational services.
Jennifer is a member and a former board member of the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE). She also serves as a guest lecturer and research consultant at Texas A&M University and volunteers with the Brazos Valley Food Bank and Still Creek Ranch. Her work in early childhood education includes helping lead pre-kindergarten partnerships across Texas through the Pre-Kindergarten Collaborative Districts Grant. These partnerships connect school districts and child care centers to expand access to high-quality early learning opportunities, strengthen community collaboration, and increase resources and services for young children and their families.
Jennifer’s leadership is grounded in the belief that early intervention, strong partnerships, and intentional systems are essential to improving outcomes for children. She is committed to building the capacity of educators and collaborative teams, expanding access to high-quality learning experiences, and ensuring that children with diverse learning needs receive the support and opportunities necessary to thrive.
Meghan Young
(Director of Early Childhood Intervention for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission)
Meghan Young of Austin is the director of Early Childhood Intervention for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She is former vice president and secretary of the LBJ School Austin Area Alumni Association and volunteered through the after school support program of the Girls Empowerment Network. Young received a Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs.