Yomagination

Barbara Ann Sims | Michelle L. Gaines, PhD | Karen Gayle-Penna, Ed.S., NCSP

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Barbara A. Sims

Barbara Ann Sims
Barbara Ann Sims, (formerly Barbara Saunders) has worked in the early childhood education field as provider, director, educator, administrator and early childhood consultant in Head Start, Child Care and Pre-K Programs for the past 35 years.  Ms. Sims’ mission is to improve early education and child well-being through enhanced child care quality, professional development, improvements to program quality, and advocacy activities.

Ms. Sims holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Education from the College of New Rochelle, and a Master’s Degree from Pacific Oaks College in Education Leadership, specializing in Early Childhood Education and Family and Community Partnerships.  Ms. Sims was awarded the National Head Start Fellowship in 1998 and worked in Washington, DC, in the Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as a Regional Child Care Specialist.

In her role as early childhood specialist and national consultant, Ms. Sims is interested in building professionalism in the field of early care and education as well as professional development and mentoring systems to support and validate the important work of early childhood educators. Ms. Sims is a current and contributing member of the Florida Professional Development Systems Taskforce and works in partnership with national and state early education programs, early learning coalitions, higher education institutions and early childhood professional associations to advance and support the professional recognition and development of the early childhood field.

Special state professional development systems and project leadership assignments include the Florida Head Start Fatherhood Initiative; Florida Pathways to Professionalism; the Florida HeadsUp! Reading early literacy/distance education project; the Florida State University System’s Florida Network of Community Based Early Learning and Professional Development HUBS; and the US Dept. of Education Professional Development Grant: Florida PERKS project. In these projects, Ms. Sims played a leadership role in grant writing, administration, research and development, cross-sector coordination and communication, training and technical assistance, outcome measurements and program evaluation and served as liaison between the state-level funding agents and local implementation efforts.

Ms. Sims currently works with the Child Care Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network, Communications Management Center, to support the content development of regional and national Child Care/Head Start conferences, symposia, and round table discussions for State, Territorial and Tribal administrators. Ms. Sims is also a Mentor and Coach for the National CDA and the Florida Child Care Professional Credentials to support the advancement of Early Childhood professionals in meeting the new Head Start and PreK teacher credential requirements.

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Michelle L. Gaines, PhD
The former Orange County Public Schools district Coordinator for Physical Education and Wellness programs is driven more than ever to combat the issues surrounding youth obesity since the district-level position was cut along with numerous school-based Physical Education programs.

Michelle L. Gaines, PhD, has an educational background which began with maternal grandparents who were school administrators in the segregated south and parents who both hold doctorates in education.

As an Arkansas native, Michelle L. Gaines excelled in sports, music and academics.  In high school her 1982 record setting antics in the state shot-put remained until 2001.  She was an All-American in both Basketball and Track.  Michelle graduated from Arkansas State University with a BSE in Physical Education with minors in Health and English, and a MSE in Exercise Physiology.  The University of Colorado at Boulder became home to her doctoral degree in Biomechanics.

In 1992 she was an alternate on the Olympic Track Team in Barcelona, Spain.  However in 1996 she made the Olympic Track Team and participated in the Atlanta Games,  Although no medals were won she returned to Arkansas where she was named Northeast Arkansas Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Gaines is a national youth speaker with presentations focusing on: the champion’s mind, tools to thrive under pressure, how to develop a consistent inner vision. She conducts lectures and workshops on sports-specific training throughout the nation. She is a certified educator with the Department of Education, ACE, Kids in Motion, and CSCS.  She is a professional member of AAHPERD, NEA, NAGWS, and Florida Freelance Writers Assoc. She and her father have written a Physical Education text book which is under publisher review.

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Karen Gayle-Penna, Ed.S., NCSP
Education Specialist, Nationally Certified School Psychologist
License School Psychologist SS#880

Karen is the mother of two boys. Both of her boys receive services in an exceptional student education program. The oldest is gifted and the youngest autistic. Karen has earned an Education Specialist degree in School Psychology at University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from the University of Central Florida where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. She has worked in the Florida public school system for more than 10 years, advocating for children. Karen is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, as well as a Certified and Licensed School Psychologist in Florida.
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