Team

Robyn Lightcap 

Robyn serves on the Governor's Early Childhood Advisory Council and is Board Chair of Groundwork Ohio, Ohio's early childhood advocacy organization. She has led complex projects in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, including at IBM, Chicago's Willow Creek Community Church and Evenflo. She has a business degree from Wake Forest University. Email

She is responsible for all the accounting functions of the organization. She has years of experience in public accounting, corporate accounting and has taught financial and managerial accounting at the University of Dayton. Marie graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and earned a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Dayton. Email

Barbara Elrod 

With more than 20 years of experience in education, for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations, Barbara streamlines our processes and keeps our organization running efficiently. She is excited to help our families, providers and Montgomery County fulfill the educational needs of our youngest learners. Email

She is an accomplished, career educator with over forty-five years of experience. Her fellowship through The Dayton Foundation is assigned to Preschool Promise to create workforce pathways. Dr. Brathwaite earned a B. A. in education, M. S. in education and a professional diploma in the administration and supervision of education. She earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Dayton. Email

Erika has 10 years of experience in child-based non-profit organizations, committed to serving the community through fundraising efforts. She is responsible for submitting proposals for private and public funds, discovering new funding opportunities, and building and maintaining relationships with funders, donors, and others within the community for Preschool Promise.  She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Anthropology.  Email

Senior Director of Operations 

Ashley leads the operations team in managing the application process, Star Attendance, building and maintaining Preschool provider relationships. Previously, Ashley was the Director of the University of Dayton’s Demonstration School, the Bombeck Family Learning Center. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton, where she studied early childhood education and received her master’s in educational leadership. Email

As a member of the operations team, Lindsey is dedicated to supporting families and helping students join Preschool Promise. She has spent the last nine years as the Director of a community-based SUTQ preschool program and is passionate about ensuring all children have access to quality early learning opportunities. Lindsey graduated from the Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University. Email

Mollee McCourt 

She is passionate about eliminating the barriers families face when trying to find and afford a high quality Preschool for their children. She assists families in finding a Preschool that's right for them as well as offering continued support throughout the school year. Ryhan has over 15 years of experience in providing legal advocacy support to survivors of relationship violence in both Ohio and Georgia. She attended Central State University and studied economics. Email

Shannon feels passionate that the first five years matter in setting the foundation for a quality education, and enjoys helping families find affordable, high-quality Preschool for their children. Her background in customer service and work as a School Board member give her a unique perspective when speaking with families. She is a proud wife and mother to 4 children. Email

Shelly has a background in early education holds a BS in Communication Disorders from Bowling Green State University. She is passionate about our goal that all Montgomery County children are ready for Kindergarten, and connecting families with resources to assist this readiness. Shelly's commitment to cultivating relationships with community partners and neighborhood leaders is integral to the outreach team's impact within all populations of Montgomery County. She has proudly completed UDCL's Women Lead Certification and Neighborhood Leadership Institute, and has three grown children.  Email

She has been working with Preschool Promise since the Kettering Pilot in 2014-2015. She ensures all families’ requests for tuition assistance are processed and maintains our database. Tiffany graduated magna cum laude from Strayer University with a Bachelor of Science in accounting. Tiffany says, "My work at Preschool Promise gives me great pride. My No. 1 goal is helping families to ensure a high quality Preschool experience for their child." Email

She is helping Montgomery County Preschools implement effective curriculum and leading the work to promote strong relationships between teachers and young learners. She has been a classroom teacher, 4C for Children coach, and Team Lead. Sandra is proud graduate of Wilberforce University, and earned her Master's in Education from Antioch University McGregor. Email

Catherine coordinates programs to support teachers at Preschool Promise sites and supports the Quality Education team with implementation of ongoing projects. Catherine has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work and has almost 30 years of experience in the nonprofit and government sectors. She has been involved with promoting quality early childhood education for more than 15 years. Email

Christopher James 

Christopher is from Cleveland who fell in love with Dayton as a college student at Wright State University. As the Senior Program Manager, he will grow our male volunteer endeavors, discover avenues for high school students to matriculate into early childhood education, and assist our preschool partners with efforts in equity. Christopher brings experience from all levels of education and has long been a community advocate. E-mail

Crystal received a Master's in Talent and Development from Tusculum University College of Education. Her role at Preschool Promise is to provide coaching, and professional development for early childhood educators and staff.  She brings over twenty-five years of experience in child care as an administrator, classroom, and home-based teacher. Crystal is passionate about building relationships, improving teacher quality, child outcomes, and training. Email

Derrick Edwards 

Derrick seeks to build positive classroom environments by encouraging collaboration and creativity and fostering a love of learning for both teachers and students. His career spans both work in early child care management and as an administrator for "Nurturing Dreams and Visions, a congregate living facility for juvenile boys. He enjoys flipping houses in his free time. Email

Erica Bohannon has 18 years of experience and expertise in curriculum and working with infants and toddlers. She graduated from the University of Dayton, where she obtained a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy. Erica has served as a teacher, early intervention service coordinator, and education specialist. She helps facilitate professional learning communities where she supports early care educators in learning about developmentally appropriate practices that best support our youngest learners. Email

Jacquel Harper comes to Preschool Promise with over 18 years of experience in early childhood education. She obtained her Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education with a specialization in family and community engagement. She has served as a lead teacher, education support supervisor, and quality specialist. She is well versed in curriculum implementation, Conscious Discipline, and CLASS. She is excited to serve as a Kindergarten Readiness Coach!

Kay is a vital part of the Ready to Read, Hope Zone coaching staff. She has worked in Early Childhood Education for more than 30 years and is excited to be a part of the community-wide academic shift to assist in the process of preparing confident and successful Kindergarten readers! Email

Melissa was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio and has over 15 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. She recently returned to Ohio after living in Florida for 12 years, where she worked as a home visitor for Brevard Early Head Start. She is an Ohio-approved trainer and was a presenter at the 2022 NHSA Conference. Melissa believes that teaching is vital to learning and that being open to a child's learning style is the most important factor in their success. Email

Shannon has been in the early education field for more than ten years, as both an educator in the Preschool classroom and as a school administrator. She has a bachelor's degree from Florida State University in Family and Child Sciences and a master's degree from the University of Florida in Educational Leadership. Shannon is a passionate Kindergarten Readiness Coach who encourages teachers to be the best versions of themselves within the classroom. Email

As the Director of Partnerships, Jen brings experience in elementary and early childhood education, business and consulting with a focus on building teams and new programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Miami University and a Masters of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Her non-profit committee service includes Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, Ohio Diaper Bank Coalition and Dress for Success. Email

Dr. Amy Kronberg  

As a Parent Educator, Ayn leverages her experience as a Museum Educator at the Dayton Art Institute, where she developed a love for designing educational programming for pre-K and audiences with special accommodations. She has had the pleasure of teaching art at numerous local venues, designed costumes for the Human Race Theatre, and met powerful role models as a Company Manager for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. She is a jazz singer/songwriter in her free time, and healthily spoils her three children. It is a dream to support actionable change, promote early childhood development and empower families through education.  Email

Brittnee Hoover 

Brittnee was a Lead Early Head Start Teacher for 8 years. She was the first graduate of the Promise Scholars Program, obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Education Studies from the University of Arizona Global Campus, Summa Cum Laude. She is the mother of a special needs child and believes early education is critical because it sets the foundation for children to thrive in learning behavior and health. Brittnee's passions are to educate children and families in Montgomery County. Email

Hertia provides coaching, support, training and professional development for early childhood educators, families and staff. She specializes in implementing Conscious Discipline in our sites.  She has over twenty-five years of experience in the early childhood education field and has a passion for the Dayton community, working with families, and being of service to local charities. Hertia is a graduate of Sinclair College where she studied Early Childhood Education. Email

Hope Vuto 

Hope Vuto manages prenatal to three strategies for Preschool Promise and is passionate about leaning into the voices of parents and providers to expand high-quality health and educational supports for babies, toddlers, and families. Hope leads the Play on Purpose Collaborative, Birth to 3 Collaborative, and Parent & Family Voices Committee. She has a degree in economic development and is certified in prenatal yoga and as a birth doula. Email

Tiarra was a Head Start Lead Teacher for 4 years and has an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has a lot of energy and looks forward to impacting the lives of children and families that she will encounter through her journey with Preschool Promise. She is a mother of two beautiful children and enjoys being outdoors, crafting, journaling, and exercising. Email