Meet Our Team
Staff
Board of Directors
Ashley Novak Butler
Executive Director of Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation
Thrive By 5 Louisville Board of Directors Chairperson
Tony Peyton
Executive VP of Policy & Chief of Staff of National Center for Families
Thrive By 5 Louisville Board of Directors Vice Chair
Lisa DeJaco Crutcher
CEO of Catholic Charities of Louisville
Thrive By 5 Louisville Board of Directors Secretary
David Calzi
Thrive By 5 Louisville Board of Directors Treasurer
Former CEO/Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul Louisville
Mariana Barzun
Executive Director of Mayor Greenberg’s Office of Strategic Initiatives
Kristen Byrd
Regional President of PNC Bank, Kentucky
David Nicklies
President & CEO of Nicklies Development
Douglas Craddock
Vice President of Community Engagement, University of Louisville
Lisa Dischinger
Founder & Co-owner of LDG Development
Michael Gritton
Executive Director of KentuckianaWorks
Allie Cowan Holtz
Adria Johnson
President & CEO of Metro United Way
Izmene Peredo Martinez
Co-founder & Co-owner of Con Huevos
Angie McDonald
Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for PPL Corporation
Lopa Mehrotra
Social Entrepreneur
Diane Scardino
Chief Administrative Officer of Norton Children’s Hospital & Norton Children’s Medical Center
Rose Smith
Executive Director of The Ace Project
Advisory Council
Susan Allen
Program Coordinator, Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education, JCTC
Brett Bachmann
CEO, Heuser Hearing Institute
Jon Lee
Associate Dean of Research, Innovation and Community Engaged Scholarship: Your solution partners
CEHD Endowed chair of Early Childhood and Director of the Early Childhood Research Center, University of Louisville
Sarah Vanover
Policy and Advocacy Director, Kentucky Youth Advocates
Cori Gadansky
Executive Director, Community Coordinated Child Care (4C)
Ashley Brandt
Director, Thriving Kids, Metro United Way
Rina Gratz
Director, Early Childhood and Primary Education Policy and Practice, The Prichard Committee
Terry Tolan
Consultant, CNPE
Deve Collins
Executive Director, Our Angels Childcare Center
Mary Jolly
Strategic Partnerships Administrator, LMPHCS
Dr. Asia Rivers
President, The Career Center for Early Educators, Inc.
Carlissa Gibson
Executive Director of Early Learning, JCPS
Kim Chevalier
Chief of Exceptional Child Education, JCPS
Hans Petersen
Regional Child Care Aware Administrator, Child Care Aware of KY, Jefferson region
Roni Witherspoon
Greater Louisville Headstart Director, Family and Children’s Place
Josie Raymond
Louisville Metro Council Member, District 10
Manager, Student Success, University of Louisville
Kathy Mullen
Director of Education, Vision Interventions and Parental Supports
Lisa Thompson
Chief Impact Officer, Louisville Urban League
Karina Barillas
Executive Director, La Casita Center
Dr. Annette Bridges
Professor of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Simmons College
Austin Nikolich
Reliability Specialist – Documentation with the National Association for the Education of Young Children