OUR TEAM

MEET THE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Elisabeth Earnest
Grant Administration

Elisabeth leads Grant Administration for BOOST, overseeing the administrative process behind BOOST’s emergency grants and helping ensure applications move smoothly from submission through award. With a lifelong passion for organization and seven years of entrepreneurial experience, Elisabeth brings a sharp eye for detail, strong follow-through, and a talent for creating order out of complexity. She is especially energized by collaboration and being part of a team working together to support early childhood educators.

Whitney Carper
Teacher Success

Whitney is the Director of Teacher Success and oversees the Care Team which provides a space for teachers to seek support and connects them to local resources when they are ineligible for BOOST grants. She is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who has worked with National Healthcare Corporation (NHC) for 17+ years. Her passion for service extends beyond her professional work—she is deeply involved in her community in Simpsonville, South Carolina, where she actively serves through her church, Meals on Wheels, and the Mentor Upstate program.

Meredith Douglas
Fundraising

Meredith is the strategic voice behind BOOST, shaping how we connect with teachers, donors, and the ECE community to maximize our impact. With over a decade of experience in content marketing and brand development, Meredith leads messaging across multiple channels, including our website, newsletters, social media, and events, ensuring our mission reaches and resonates with those we serve. She is also instrumental in securing funding to support BOOST’s care programs and initiatives.

MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Vernon Mason is a bestselling author, humorist, inspiring keynote speaker and workshop trainer extraordinaire. He has been called the “trifecta of childcare.” Growing up in an in-home program, as his company grew, he has been the owner-director of small, medium, and large programs. After 28+ years, including a decade of multi-site ownership, he sold his schools to a large regional provider. Along the way, Vernon completed a Master's in Early Childhood, wrote a few books, and became a popular speaker. Today Vernon is Senior Vice President of Development for The Nest Schools.

  • Dr. Sheila Lewis has worked in the early childhood field for 30 years holding a variety of positions including classroom teacher, early care director, education coordinator, and professional development director. She has a Master’s degree in Education and a Doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology. She is currently the Director of ADA Compliance at the Sunshine House and a member of the Georgia Association for the Education of Young Children, the Georgia Child Care Council, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Dr. Lewis also currently serves on the Gwinnett Technical College and the Chattahoochee Technical College advisory board.

  • Melissa is a Private Client Advisor at Greenwood Capital where she provides personal attention and service to high-net-worth individuals, personal trusts, and foundations. Having been in the financial industry for more than 30 years, she previously led the financial planning division of Countybank, specializing in creating and implementing complex financial plans for high net worth families and individuals. Melissa is a Certified Public Accountant, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Personal Financial Specialist, and a Chartered Financial Consultant®.

MEET THE ADVISORY TEAM

  • Michelle is the Owner and Director of Kids World Learning Center in Statesboro, Georgia. Michelle manages and oversees the daily operations involved with childcare services implementing quality experiences for the children, families, and community.

    Kids World Learning Center was the first childcare center in the state of Georgia to become Quality Rated in 2012. Kids World Learning Center is also a Quality Rated Inclusion accredited site, a Language and Literacy Governor's Endorsed program, a Pre-K tour site, and is NAEYC nationally accredited. The program has completed its expansion of four adjoining properties reaching a family capacity of 197.

  • Zubeen started her work in early childhood as a part-time babysitter to help pay her way through college. But what started as a way to pay for school, soon became a passion she would pursue for the next two decades. Today, Zubeen operates multiple childcare centers and public school afterschool programs across Pennsylvania. She is the President and CEO of Building Blocks Learning Centers which serves more than 750 students and 100+ employees at 14 locations throughout Luzerne County. Zubeen is also a board member of the Wilkes Barre Chamber of Commerce and Wilkes Barre Center and Education Votech as well as a Circle 200 Women Leaders member.

  • James was the CEO of Valley Child Care and Learning Centers in Greater Phoenix. Founded in 1967 by James’ grandfather Paul Emch, Valley Child Care and Learning Centers endured for more than 50 years across four generations. James joined in 1993 and worked alongside his brother Mike to learn absolutely everything he could about the business, eventually working his way up to CEO. He sold the business and retired in December 2023. James is also the President and Board Member of the Arizona Early Childhood Education Association (AECEA).

  • Thad founded his first company, TS Express, and bought his first restaurant at age 21. It quickly grew and he sold to partners after just one year. He went on to purchase his first Golden Corral franchise and became the youngest Golden Corral owner in company history. Since then, Thad has bought, grown and sold more than a dozen successful businesses within the service industry. In 2016, he founded Better Beans to address the need for a turn key provider of brand development, interior design and signage services to support restaurants, childcare and retail clients.

  • Kathy Ligon is the Founder & CEO of HINGE Advisors. Trained as a public accountant, Kathy has a unique 35+ year background in educational operations. Early on, she was named Financial Director for a growing educational organization and subsequently moved to COO, helping the company multiply from five to 125 sites operating in several different states. In 2003, Kathy started her own early education transaction advisory firm—providing unmatched support to the private early education sector by developing price analyses, negotiating strategies and matching buyers with sellers. Her unique understanding of the nuances of process development and company integration has led to the successful transactions of more than 300 early education businesses.

  • Kristen is the Founder of The Malvern School and a passionate advocate for children, educators and early learning. A kindergarten and second grade teacher by trade, Kristen has dedicated her career to raising the bar for early childhood education and empowering others.

    Her visionary leadership established The Malvern School as a pioneer in the industry, fueled the organization’s remarkable growth over 25 years, and shaped the landmark sale of its 27 centers to a leading international early education provider.

    As a celebrated leader in business and education, Kristen is known for using her voice to educate, inspire and give back.

    In addition to advising BOOST, Kristen currently sits on the Board of Directors for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and the Board of Trustees for The Vanguard School & Services.

  • Aleta has spent the past 20+ years wearing all the hats in early childhood education including Teacher, Director, Owner and Coach.

    Despite the Great Recession, she grew a profitable childcare business, expanded it to 4 locations, and launched 2 other complementary businesses aimed at providing a solution for one of childcare’s biggest challenges — staffing. Now as a Leadership Coach, Aleta helps childcare business leaders identify, strategize and implement intentional plans through 1:1 Coaching, Mastermind Groups, Boot Camps, Substitute Teacher Operating System Products and Childcare Substitute Teacher Placement Services.

  • Nan has spent her entire 40+ year career in early childhood education. Starting as the Owner/Director of Gilbert Daycare and Learning Center in 1988, she went on to serve as the COO of The Sunshine House in 1997, and, in 2010, she founded Big Blue Marble Academy (BBMA)—now one of the nation's largest early education providers.

    In 2018, Nan sold her ownership of BBMA with the help of HINGE Advisors. She continues to serve as an active board member for the brand.