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Established in 2020 by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Clearinghouse was transferred to Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness in 2021.
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Executive Council
Jeffrey Cartmell currently serves as the Executive Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Prior to his appointment, he most recently served as Counsel to Secretary of State Brian Bingman and as a Senior Advisor to Governor Kevin Stitt. In these roles he provided strategic legal, policy, and ethical counsel to the Governor, Secretary Bingman, and other senior level administration officials.
Before assuming his role as Counsel to the Secretary in 2021, Cartmell served as Deputy General Counsel under Governor Stitt for two years. Between 2017 and 2019, Cartmell worked in the private sector as an associate attorney at Lytle Soule & Curlee after serving two years as a division director within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. Cartmell was a Deputy General Counsel to former Governor Mary Fallin from 2012 to 2014.
Cartmell earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Cartmell became an adjunct professor of law at his alma mater in 2021, teaching a seminar course on government law.
Robert J. Ross currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation. The Foundation was founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982. He previously was employed as an Attorney with the Oklahoma City law firm McAfee & Taft.
He is a graduate of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School and Washington and Lee University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He received his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma.
Ross was appointed to the Board of Regents for The University of Oklahoma by Governor Kevin Stitt in March 2022 and is a member of the following Board of Directors:
Freedom Center of Oklahoma City
Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce
Oklahoma City Airport Trust
Oklahoma Hall of Fame
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
Oklahoma State Fair
Bob has received the following awards:
2011 Plaza District Association’s Urban Pioneer Award
2012 OKC Beautiful Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Service
2013 Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits’ Visionary Impact Award
2015 United Way of Central Oklahoma’s John Rex Community Builder Award
2018 YMCA Service to the Youth Award
2019 OKC Friday’s OKCityan of the Year
2023 Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County
Aubrey K. McClendon Lifetime Achievement Award
2023 E.C. Joullian Distinguished Citizen award
Bob is married to Heather Ross and has a daughter, Lilly, and a son, Frank.
Sarah Roberts currently serves as Vice President of Programs at Inasmuch Foundation. The Foundation was founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982 and makes grants in Oklahoma and Colorado Springs in these broad categories: education, human services, community and journalism.
Sarah has been employed at Inasmuch Foundation for over 17 years. Inasmuch Foundation has placed emphasis on forging public/private partnerships to fund evidence-based interventions for vulnerable children and families as well as attracting much needed federal investments to Oklahoma City. Examples of a few successful public/private partnerships are: Pivot, Oklahoma City Educare, ReMerge, Metafund, Community CARES Partners, and Smart Start Central Oklahoma.
Sarah previously served as Chairman of the Board of ReMerge and co-chaired the ReMerge capital campaign. Sarah is currently Chair of Sunbeam Family Services and Vice Chair of Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board of Directors. Additionally, Sarah serves on the Board of Directors for: The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma City Police Athletic League (PAL) and Community Action Agency of Oklahoma County. Sarah previously served on the following Board of Directors: Integris Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition, ReMerge and Wes Welker Foundation.
Sarah is a 2016 graduate of SALLT, Class 8 (Salt and Light Leadership Training) and a 2019 graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, Class 32. In 2008, Sarah was recognized by OKCBusiness as a recipient of the Forty under 40 Award. In 2020, Sarah was recognized by Pivot as their Advocate of the Year for building collaborative efforts to address youth homelessness in Oklahoma City.
Sarah was previously an instructor with the Clarksville Montgomery County School System in Tennessee where she taught 5th grade. Sarah is a graduate of Bishop McGuinness High School (1992) in Oklahoma City and Sweet Briar College (1996) in Virginia where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Government with a teaching certificate. Sarah has been married to Hayden Roberts for more than 21 years. Hayden works for Oklahoma State University. They live in Oklahoma City and have two sons, Jackson who is 17 years old and Owen who is 11 years old.
Ginny Bass Carl is a lawyer 3 times over, fundraiser, donor, and a planned giver herself. She has two kids, Collin and Rachael, a husband, Peter, and dog, Kenzie. She's a trustee, executor, member of various boards of directors, and an avid volunteer. A self- described governance junkie, voracious reader and foodie, Ginny has a serious case of wanderlust and a desire to change the world one planned gift at a time.
Ginny is licensed to practice in Hawaii, Texas and Oklahoma and is a fifth-generation Oklahoman. She has honed her skills working for and serving on the boards of small and large nonprofits, local and statewide, in multiple sectors from education and health to social services and religion.
With over 24 years of experience in early childhood, Paula currently leads the Early Childhood Services program at Sunbeam Family Services as Chief Program Officer. Her broad range of experiences working in the field gives her a unique advantage in overseeing Educare Oklahoma City and a complex range of multi-faceted partnerships serving at-risk children and families under the Office of Head Start Child Care Partnership program.
After years of owning her own child care center in NE Oklahoma, and then to directing non-profit early childhood centers, she became an integral component of the team that designed and implemented the Educare OKC model.
With the opportunity to advance her knowledge base and share her insight with Early Head Start and Head Start grantees statewide, Paula joined the Office of Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network in 2010. Returning to Sunbeam in 2015 to implement new partnerships between Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, Paula has created a dynamic team that leads one of the state’s premier early childhood care and education programs.
Paula holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oklahoma, and has happily raised four children in Norman with her husband and partner, Galen Miller.
Annie Van Hanken oversees George Kaiser Family Foundation’s (GKFF) early childhood education and common education initiatives.
Before joining the GKFF in 2002, Annie worked in inner-city Los Angeles at a community-based youth development center. She serves as board president for Tulsa Educare and a board member for Tulsa Legacy Charter School.
Annie is also a gubernatorial appointee on the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board. She has a master’s degree in education, with an emphasis on learning disabilities, from the University of Texas at Austin and a dual bachelor’s degree in English and history, with a minor in classics, from Tulane University.
Dr. Lana Beasley is a licensed Clinical Child Psychologist and is currently an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Beasley’s research has included working on randomized clinical trials and program evaluation all in the area of supporting high risk children and families. She holds expertise in qualitative research and has been a co-investigator on many grants involving a program of research developing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding evidence-based home visiting programs serving high-risk populations.
Dr. Beasley also conducts mixed-methods research in the area of adaptation of treatments for diverse populations and examining engagement and attrition of high-risk families.
Carrie Williams has served as executive director of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation since May of 2021. During her tenure, she has overseen Oklahoma’s Early Childhood Advisory Council and facilitated streamlining of programs and services on behalf of Oklahoma’s children and families. She leads the Oklahoma Clearinghouse for Early Childhood Success, which has funded implementation of more than $8 million in projects to improve outcomes for children and families through public/private partnerships. Carrie’s work includes a collaborative effort between OPSR and Oklahoma Human Services to secure $36 million from the Administration for Children and Families to improve Oklahoma’s early childhood system.
Prior to joining OPSR, Carrie served as executive director of Rainbow Fleet from 2014-2021. During her time there, she led efforts to allocate spaces and create opportunities for students entering the early childhood field to practice what they learn in the classroom. Carrie serves on Oklahoma City Public School’s Early Childhood Task Force with the goal of expanding early childhood programs in Oklahoma City. She serves on Rose State College’s Family Services and Child Development Advisory Committee and OSU-OKC’s Early Care Advisory Committee. She is also a founding member Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Advisory Board in Oklahoma under the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Carrie is a member of Leadership Oklahoma City Class 38, Rotary Club of Oklahoma City and was awarded the Journal Record’s Achievers Under 40. She received recognition from the Oklahoma Bar Association for her work as secretary of the Oklahoma Justice Commission.
A native of Marlow, Okla., Williams is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma where she studied Journalism. Carrie lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Brian Williams, and their two sons, Noah, age 12, and Benjamin, age 7.
Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. has been teaching and training in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She attained her college education at the University of Oklahoma achieving a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Adult/Community Education as well as Administration.
Although the formal education is highly valued, her greatest learning moments have been while working with children and the adults in their lives. She has a never-ending passion for children and families and has served in many capacities in the area of early childhood education, professional development and teaching.
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Tyler Tokarczyk is a senior program officer for Inasmuch Foundation. His work primarily focuses on journalism, education, and workforce development. Tyler serves on the board of directors for ReMerge of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, The Verge OKC, and Oklahoma Media Center.
Outside of the office, Tyler enjoys traveling with his wife and young daughter, and aspires to visit every Major League Baseball stadium. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York (Go Bills!) he majored in journalism at Washington and Lee University and earned his MBA at the University of Oklahoma.
Outcome and Research Committee
Purpose: To prioritize outcomes and recommend research-informed practices and practice-informed research that meet the needs of the early childhood system.
Stacy Dykstra, Ph.D., CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
Stacy Dykstra joined the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma as its CEO in October 2020. She is the third CEO since the organization was founded in 1980. Prior to joining the Regional Food Bank, Stacy served as the executive director of Smart Start Central Oklahoma, an early childhood education nonprofit, since 2006.
In her role with Smart Start, Dykstra participated in more than 100 community meetings in which she presented, facilitated, and/or served as the coordinator. Using a variety of teaching styles, she has trained hundreds of professionals serving young children and their families and taught various college courses focused on family support.
Stacy holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum.
Dykstra’s prior work experience includes serving as co-director of the Lower School at Westminster School, project director for the Early Childhood Collaborative of Oklahoma and as a pre-K and kindergarten teacher for Oklahoma City Public Schools. Her graduate work in instructional leadership as well as her experience with project management contribute to her ability to listen, appreciate multiple perspectives and facilitate constructive conversation and consensus-building. Stacy and her husband, Chris, have two daughters.
Dr. Maher is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of OU’s Data Institute for Societal Challenges. Her research focuses on the intersection of poverty and child maltreatment, child well-being, and family functioning.
She works with state agencies to evaluate social programs in these areas. She brings an applied focus to her scholarship and an emphasis on using and communicating research results in policy and practice.
Prior to coming to OU, she served as Director of Research for a large national foundation conducting large scale program evaluations in child welfare. She has published extensively in journals reflecting a variety of academic disciplines.
Dr. Lana Beasley is a licensed Clinical Child Psychologist and is currently an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Beasley’s research has included working on randomized clinical trials and program evaluation all in the area of supporting high risk children and families. She holds expertise in qualitative research and has been a co-investigator on many grants involving a program of research developing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding evidence-based home visiting programs serving priority populations.
Dr. Beasley also conducts mixed-methods research in the area of adaptation of treatments for intersectional populations and examining engagement and attrition of families facing challenging circumstances.
Marianne “Marny” Dunlap, M.D., a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital, was named the 2019 Gretchen Hunsberger Medical Champion for her efforts in fighting illiteracy.
Dunlap has established herself as a champion for early literacy, which led to the founding of the Reach Out and Read program at The Children’s Hospital. For two generations, the program has promoted the benefits of early reading, not only in enhanced learning and academic performance, but the parent-child bonds that are built through reading together.
Reach Out and Read partners with healthcare providers to offer free books to patients at their well-child visits with pediatricians. More than 85,000 books are distributed each year.
Marianne “Marny” Dunlap, M.D., a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital, was named the 2019 Gretchen Hunsberger Medical Champion for her efforts in fighting illiteracy.
Dunlap has established herself as a champion for early literacy, which led to the founding of the Reach Out and Read program at The Children’s Hospital. For two generations, the program has promoted the benefits of early reading, not only in enhanced learning and academic performance, but the parent-child bonds that are built through reading together.
Reach Out and Read partners with healthcare providers to offer free books to patients at their well-child visits with pediatricians. More than 85,000 books are distributed each year.
LaDonna Atkins, Ed.D., is a professor in the Family Life Education- Child Development program at The University of Central Oklahoma. Dr. Atkins also serves as the administrator for the University of Central Oklahoma’s Child Study Center.
Dr. Atkins is a past president of the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma. She currently serves as the past president of International Play Association (IPA) United States Board, where she advocates for children’s right to play.
Dr. Atkins has also served on the International Play Association World Council. Research interests include: play, infant/child development, and early childhood curriculum development.
I am a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University and Assistant Program Coordinator for Early Childhood Education. I earned a PhD in 2014 from the University of Oklahoma in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum.
I joined the OSU-HDFS department in 2016 after holding an Assistant Professor position at Texas A&M San Antonio. In 2016, I was recognized as a Teaching Fellow with Association of Teacher Educators (ATE).
I am passionate about the development of future early childhood educators, and their ability to grow as novice teacher.
Dr. Brittany Zaring-Hinkle, PhD, joined the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness as the Director of Research in April 2024. She received her doctorate in psychology in 2022 from the University of Texas at San Antonio and has more than five years of experience serving on evaluation teams for several federally funded grants.
She has extensive experience in grant writing, data dissemination, conducting literature reviews, assisting with the design of proposed programs, evaluating appropriate local assessments for data collection and procedures, as well as conducting statistical analyses.
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Process and Implementation Committee
Purpose: To determine a process and workflow for evaluating & implementing research-informed practice and practice-informed research that meet the needs of the early childhood system.
With more than 24 years of experience in early childhood, Paula currently leads the Early Childhood Services program at Sunbeam Family Services as Chief Program Officer. Her broad range of experiences working in the field gives her a unique advantage in overseeing Educare Oklahoma City and a complex range of multi-faceted partnerships serving children and families under the Office of Head Start Child Care Partnership program.
After years of owning her own child care center in NE Oklahoma, and then to directing non-profit early childhood centers, she became an integral component of the team that designed and implemented the Educare OKC model.
With the opportunity to advance her knowledge base and share her insight with Early Head Start and Head Start grantees statewide, Paula joined the Office of Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network in 2010. Returning to Sunbeam in 2015 to implement new partnerships between Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, Paula has created a dynamic team that leads one of the state’s premier early childhood care and education programs.
Paula holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oklahoma, and has happily raised four children in Norman with her husband and partner, Galen Miller.
Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. has been teaching and training in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She attained her college education at the University of Oklahoma achieving a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Adult/Community Education as well as Administration.
Although the formal education is highly valued, her greatest learning moments have been while working with children and the adults in their lives. She has a never-ending passion for children and families and has served in many capacities in the area of early childhood education, professional development and teaching.
Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. has been teaching and training in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She attained her college education at the University of Oklahoma achieving a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Adult/Community Education as well as Administration.
Although the formal education is highly valued, her greatest learning moments have been while working with children and the adults in their lives. She has a never-ending passion for children and families and has served in many capacities in the area of early childhood education, professional development and teaching.
Paula A. Brown, MAEd, has 36 years of combined experience in Early Childhood and supporting individuals with varying needs. She continues her role as a Manager for United Community Action Head Start and is a PhD student at Oklahoma State University in Human Development and Family Sciences through the Institute for Building Early Relationships (IBEaR).
Amber Cuyler took on the role of Director of Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) at Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness in July of 2023. Amber has worked as an advocate for children, families and child care professionals in a career with CCR&R that spans 20 years. Having held a position at each level from Consultant and Regional Director to state CCR&R Director, she is most proud of her reputation for bringing creative solutions, leveraging collective strengths and creating strong connections through relationship building at each level.
When families in her rural school district were desperately seeking child care, she built a partnership with school administrators and local business owners to open a licensed Child Care program, Wild & Wonder, where she remains Executive Director.
Amber earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma and her Master of Education degree from the University of Oklahoma. She received the 2022 Anne Roberts People’s Choice Award for Child Advocacy from OICA in recognition of her advocacy efforts on behalf of Oklahoma’s children, families and the ECE workforce. Amber serves on Child Care Aware of America’s Joint Leadership Council, is a Co-facilitator of Oklahoma’s State Leadership Team for Pyramid Model Implementation, is a Conscious Discipline Endorsed Facilitator and an American Heart Association First Aid/CPR Instructor.
Amber and wife Deedra live on the border of the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Oklahoma with their teenaged son Jaxson and twin daughters Baylee and Carlee.
Anthony Stafford is the Senior Program Director for Early Childhood Services at Sunbeam Family Services. He joined Sunbeam in 2021 and has dedicated his career to working with Head Start programs. His personal experience with Head Start fuels his commitment to building brighter futures for children and families. Anthony holds a degree from the University of Oklahoma. In his role, he oversees early childhood education initiatives, emphasizing the importance of early brain development and creating supportive learning environments.
Prior to joining Sunbeam, Mr. Stafford was employed as the Division Director of Early Childhood Education for Big Five Community Services, Inc. based in Durant, Oklahoma. In that capacity Mr. Stafford served on the agency’s leadership team and was responsible for the administration and implementation of early childhood instruction, primarily those involving Early Head Start services to children six months to three years of age and Head Start services to children three and four years of age.
Mr. Stafford has more than 25 years of administrative experience working with non-profit organizations particularly in the areas of preschool and adolescent children. He has served on numerous boards and committees over the course of his career and currently serves as a member of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, the Region VI Head Start Association Boards and the Oklahoma Head Start Association.
“It gives me great pleasure to serve as part of the implementation committee for the Oklahoma Clearinghouse for Early Childhood Success,” Stafford said. “I look forward to my role in this very important and worthwhile endeavor for children across the State of Oklahoma."
Rachel is the President of Child Care, Inc. and the current President of the Oklahoma Child Care Association. As a second-generation child care owner and operator in central Oklahoma, she continues her family’s legacy of providing high-quality early childhood education.
Under her leadership, Child Care, Inc. has been serving Oklahoma families for over 40 years, fostering a commitment to excellence in child care and early learning.
Gabrielle Moon serves as the Executive Director of St. Luke’s Children’s Center, which provides full-day, five-day-a-week programs in a nurturing, safe, and supportive environment. In her role, Gabrielle oversees the operations and management of three children’s centers located in Oklahoma City and Edmond.
With 20 years of dedicated service at St. Luke’s, she brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to early childhood education, ensuring high-quality care and learning opportunities for young children.
Deborah Smith has been with the Oklahoma Human Services for nearly her entire career since 1998, starting as a Child Welfare Specialist in McIntosh and McClain Counties. Over the years, she held various roles, including Program Administrator and Program Director, before being named Director of Child Welfare in 2010—a position she held for five years.
Following her tenure as Child Welfare Director, she served for five years as the Regional Program Manager with the U.S. Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, in Kansas City. She returned to Oklahoma Human Services in 2019, where she has since held multiple leadership positions, ultimately rising to her current role as Deputy Director.
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