CO-PRESIDENT

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

Anita, her husband Dean, and two sons, Harrison and George, live in Morgantown. You can normally find them park-hopping around town, starting* projects at the WOW Factory, or playing in the creek.

“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.”

parentsplace.morgantown@gmail.com

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.

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.”

parentsplace.morgantown@gmail.com

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!"

operations.parentsplace@gmail.com 

TREASURER

Lindsay 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.

Lindsay lives in Morgantown where she works as a labor and delivery nurse. She is kept occupied outside of her parents place duties by her husband, two children, and menagerie of pets.

“We joined Parents Place in Fall 2023 in for a social outlet for my son (and myself). I came in with my 2 week old and immediately felt welcomed. My toddler has blossomed and has overcome his separation anxiety. We both now come to school excited to see our friends!”

parentsplacetreasurer@gmail.com

ENROLLMENT CHAIR & MORNING MUSIC CIRCLE 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. She is also our Morning Music Circle Chair. She oversees the program, from enrollment to lesson ideas, as well as communicating with parents.

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.parentsplace@gmail.com

FUNDRAISING CHAIR

Kelsey is the Fundraising Chair. It is her responsibility to find fundraising opportunities for the school and 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”

morgantownppfundraising@gmail.com

TEACHER CHAIR

Dana is a teacher liaison (TL). As a TL, it’s her responsibility to communicate with and assist teachers as necessary. Sometimes this means providing them with an extra set of hands during a particularly fun or messy craft, or some extra comfort and reassurance for attending children when coping with separation anxiety. 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.”

PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR

Brooke is the PR Chair. It is her responsibility to maintain and update the website, to create brochures and other informational materials, to put together a monthly calendar and newsletter for current members, and to maintain an online presence through social media. She also creates graphics as needed and handles anything else PR-related for the organization.

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.

HOSPITALITY CHAIR

Kelsey serves as 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.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING CHAIR

Bethany is our 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.