“Coalitions help to create change when everyone around the table begins to own the problem and sees themselves as part of the solution.”
Lynda Gavioli
ADMINISTRATION
Lynda Gavioli
Lynda is the Executive Director and founder of the Children’s Coalition. Her vision for the community was drawn from her own experiences with her four (now adult) children: Laura, Lisa and her husband Jesse, Robbie and his wife Lauren, Lindsey and her husband Rick. She is the proud grandmother of Coulter and Dahlia and enjoys spending as much time with them as possible.
She enjoys traveling, entertaining, reading and shopping.
E-mail: lgavioli@childrenscoalition.org
Denna McGrew
Denna is the Director of the Family Support Organization, which is part of the new Coordinated System of Care serving children and youth with serious behavioral health problems. Denna provides executive leadership to this new program including human resource, fiscal management, and policy/procedure development. She also works with the Coalition’s Executive Director to support the administration of the Children’s Coalition.
She loves to spend time with her husband, Jim, and their two kids, Ethan and Jenna. She’s also a great cook and an avid reader.
E-mail: dmcgrew@childrenscoalition.org
Andrea Dyer
Andrea is the Director of Grants and Budget. She handles payroll, invoicing, accounts payable and receivable, all banking issues, audits, financial reporting and anything else financial.
In her spare time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, shopping and helping others.
E-mail: adyer@childrenscoalition.org
Kasy Black
Kasy is the Director of Accounting. She handles payroll, accounts payable and receivable and prepares the Coalition’s financial statements.
She is happily married to Matt and is the mother to precious Liam. As a resident of Ruston, she enjoys Louisiana Tech Athletics!
E-mail: kblack@childrenscoalition.org
HEALTH CARE
Lindsey Murry
Lindsey is the Healthcare Director and celebrates her 6th year working for the Coalition in November 2012. She supervises all healthcare contracts, work and staff.
She is the mother to Addison (7), twins Aydan and Jackson (4) and the wife of Heath. A life-long resident of Morehouse Parish, she and Heath recently built their dream home. When she’s not running the carpool to dance, gymnastics or school functions, she enjoys running, gardening, pedicures and beach trips!
E-mail: lmurry@childrenscoalition.org
Amy Pyles
Amy is the Region 8 Maternal and Child Health Coordinator in conjunction with the Office of Public Health. She coordinates the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review, the regional Child Death Review Panel and the Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review.
In her spare time, when Amy isn’t chasing her two children around, she enjoys obsessively reading, watching football, going to concerts and going camping in the family’s RV!
E-mail: apyles@childrenscoalition.org
Mary Barrios
Mary is the Safe and Healthy Kids Coordinator, a grant through the Living Well Foundation. She is a Nationally Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and expert on safety issues including: water, bicycling, fire and safe sleep. Mary is also an advocate for SHARE, a local grief support group for families who have experienced the tragic loss of a baby.
Mary enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, shopping, watching old movies, and reading a good mystery.
E-mail: mbarrios@childrenscoalition.org
Brenda Handy
Brenda is a Nurse Family Partnership Nurse. She implements the NFP program, which has 3 goals: 1) to improve the outcomes of pregnancy, 2) to improve infant health and development, and 3) to improve mother’s own personal life-course development. In the service of these 3 goals, the nurses link families with needed health and human services and involve other family members and friends in the pregnancy, birth and early care of the child. The program serves first-time pregnant women, less than 28 weeks gestation, at least below 200% poverty.
Brenda loves her family and being a mom. When she is not working she enjoys riding horses, reading and working with the College Ministry at North Monroe Baptist Church.
E-mail: bhandy@childrenscoalition.org
Samantha Crawford
Samantha is a pediatric RN with the Nurse Family Partnership program (NFP). NFP is an evidence-based nurse home visiting program that improves the health, well-being, & self-sufficiency of low-income, first time parents & their children.
Samantha enjoys her 2 girls -Kate (3) and Callie Rose (7), traveling with her husband Craig, and spending time with her friends and family. Other hobbies include reading, sewing, exercising, and girlfriend getaways.
E-mail: scrawford@childrenscoalition.org
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Jan Daniels
Jan is the program director for Teen Screen. Teen Screen is a program developed by Columbia University. Jan is responsible for making sure that the Teen Screen team follows the best practice recommendations for implementing the program. She is responsible for setting up the program in each school.
Her favorite thing to do is to spend time with her husband, Derek and watch their son play sports. Her other hobbies are playing tennis and reading.
E-mail: jdaniels@childrenscoalition.org
PARENT EDUCATION
Gatha Green
Gatha is the Parent Education Director for the Children’s Coalition. Gatha provides certified parenting education programs to families in Northeast Louisiana.
In her spare time, Gatha enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, shopping, comedy, singing and playing with the family pets: Esther, Maggie and Red, the hyper dachshund.
E-mail: ggreen@childrenscoalition.org
EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION
Gerry Binkley
Gerry is the Child Care Development Specialist in Child Care Connections, a program of The Children’s Coalition. She works with child care programs participating in Quality Improvement Rating System & new or existing child care programs that would like mentoring to be able to participate in QRIS. She also does training in early care and education for child care providers.
In her spare time, Gerry enjoys spending time with family, her husband, and her many grandchildren, doing home improvement projects, and watching HGTV for ideas.
E-mail: gbinkley@childrenscoalition.org
Chelle Brown
Chelle is the Resource and Referral Director for the Coalition. She assists child care providers in creating and sustaining quality child care programs. She also helps parents find child care to meet the specific needs of their family.
In her spare time, Chelle enjoys spending time with her husband Chad, son Bennett and their three dogs – Major, Maggie, and Lolah. She also likes to shop, watch LSU football, and looks forward to trips to the beach.
Dee Cramer
Dee is a Child Care Specialist for the Coalition. Dee provides technical assistance to child care centers and she is also a trainer.
In her spare time she enjoys anything her four children are involved in, cheering her husband on (in work and sports), teaching Pre-K/Kindergarten Children’s Worship, and singing in the choir at Cedar Crest Baptist church.
E-mail: ddeutsch@childrenscoalition.org
Earnestine Dunn
Earnestine is a Child Care Specialist for NELA Child Care Connections. She promotes, develops, and implements training sessions. Mrs. Earnestine is also provides technical assistance for the child care centers.
Earnestine enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grand children. She also enjoys developing activities for the youth ministry, going to see newly released movies and sitting on her patio reading, spending time with God, and or watching television.
E-mail: edunn@childrenscoalition.org
Patti McGilton
Patti is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is a Mental Health Consultant for the Coalition and works in childcare centers assisting staff with challenging behaviors and providing training on social/emotional development of children.
Patti is arrie to Brad and they have two sons, Paxton and Finley. Patti loves to travel, read, and enjoy time with her family and friends.
E-mail: pmcgilton@childrenscoalition.org
Robin Pierce
Robin is the Director for Child Care Connections. Robin is tasked with leading the Resource and Referral Agency for Region 9. In her spare time, Robin enjoys spending time with her family, camping with her husband Pat, shopping with her daughter Rachel, and watching her son Blake perform with the Golden Band from Tiger land at LSU football games.
E-mail: rpierce@childrenscoalition.org
Romona Reed
Romona is a Technical Assistance for the Coalition. She provides technical assistance to the Family Child Care Home Providers in the Region 9 area. Romona enjoys spending time with family and reading.
E-mail: rreed@childrenscoalition.org
Carey Tomlinson
Carey works hands-on with child care providers to improve the quality of care they provide. Her job entails anything from helping with paperwork, brainstorming developmentally appropriate activities, to setting up the physical environment in classrooms. In her spare time, Carey enjoys photography, gardening, and watching almost any sport!
Renae Williford
Renae Williford is the Northeast Louisiana Child Care Connections Administrative Assistant. She is responsible for general clerical and receptionist duties for Child Care Connections.
Renae is new to Louisiana. She and her family recently relocated from North Carolina. In her spare time, she enjoys date nights with her husband, Jon and spending time with their three children Andrew, Noah and Chloe. She loves to read, shop, travel and meet new people.