Michael Maxwell
Board President
Michael Maxwell, Ed.D. has dedicated over 30 years to a career in education and social services. He is the Principal of Maximized Education Consultants which offers services that run the breadth of his experience in educational leadership, most recently as Vice-President of Acelero Head Start operations throughout the Las Vegas valley. In addition to Head Start, Dr. Maxwell’s leadership roles have included years of service with the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada Child Care Development Program (as a contractor with the Las Vegas Urban League). 16 years of his career were spent in roles such as Assistant Principal, Middle School teacher and inaugural Kindergarten teacher at the former Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. Prior to that he spent over a decade teaching for CCSD. His career started as a Title 1 Pre-K teacher with CCSD and the majority of his teaching career was in Early Ed; Title 1 PreK and Kindergarten. He is believed to be the first African American man with a state issued teaching license to teach Title 1 preschool in the state of Nevada. He also currently serves on the Nevada Commission on Mentoring and is a Board member for FuturEdge Charter School. Dr. Maxwell is married with three children (adults now), he loves to travel and spend time outdoors in nature. You can find him on IG as DrMikeMax or on LinkedIn as Michael Maxwell, Ed.D.
Kim Cullen
Secretary
Kim Cullen is currently a Program Manager at The Children’s Cabinet supporting capacity building projects in the business sector and also overseeing early brain development programs. Kim has been in the education field for 20 years; she has served as a Teacher, Principal, and Sr. Operations Program Manager. She is passionate about education and dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young people. Kim is honored to be the NevAEYC board secretary.
Danielle Holmes
Treasurer
Danielle Holmes is originally from Long Beach, California where she worked as a teacher, lead teacher, director and adjunct professor in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 15 years. Danielle has a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and Family Studies and holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from California State University, Long Beach. In 2010, she accepted a position as Program Manager at The Children’s Cabinet in Las Vegas. Danielle is currently the Program Director for The Children’s Cabinet, where she oversees the operations and programs in Southern Nevada. For the past four years, she served as Vice President of Membership, and she is looking forward to her new role as Treasurer. Danielle lives in Las Vegas with her husband Chris, daughter Gianna, and their cat Lily. Danielle enjoys going to Las Vegas Aviators games, shopping, bowling, and cooking.
Jennifer Butler
Board Development Chair
Jennifer Butler is the Quality Assurance Manager for the Las Vegas Urban League, Early Childhood Connection. Jennifer has worked with the Child Care Subsidy and Child Care Resource & Referral programs for the past 26 years and worked as a Head Start teacher for 6 years. Jennifer is honored to be a member of the Nevada AEYC Board as Southern Chapter Representative since 2021, as well as a member of the Southern Chapter Leadership team and their efforts to promote quality early care and education for Nevada’s children, and to advocate for increased support of the Early Childhood workforce. Jennifer was also appointed as a Member to the Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council in 2022. She serves as the Co-Chair for the NECAC Communications & Engagement Committee and is a member of the NECAC Leadership Committee. Jennifer is a Nevada Registry approved ECE Generalist Trainer (level 6.2) and enjoys developing and facilitating training for staff and providers. Jennifer has a master’s degree in leadership, a bachelor’s degree in business management, and associate degrees in early childhood education and in business. Jennifer is a proud Las Vegas native, and in her spare time, she enjoys going to movies and watching hockey (GO KNIGHTS GO!) with her husband Matt and son Timothy.
Lyra Bach
Northwest Committee Representative
Lyra Bach has over 17 years of experience in early childhood education, beginning her career in the classroom and advancing into leadership roles supporting educators and programs across Nevada. She holds a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, which has guided her commitment to supporting children, families, and educators. As a Nevada Registry Approved Trainer and Early Childhood Education Coordinator with the University of Nevada, Reno – Extension, Lyra designs and delivers professional development and coaching to strengthen teaching practices and promote high-quality learning environments. She is deeply committed to supporting teacher growth and well-being through reflective practice, emotional intelligence, and inclusive instruction. Lyra has lived in Reno for more than 25 years, where she resides with her husband, Trevor, and daughter, Maia. Lyra is honored to serve as the Northwestern Nevada Representative on the NevAEYC board and is dedicated to reinvigorating and promoting the early childhood education field for children, families, and educators across the state.
Sarah Carone
Northeast Committee Representative
Sarah is a QRIS Program Coordinator/Coach for The Children’s Cabinet in Elko. Her focus is to be a voice for childcare providers in rural Nevada counties to ensure they get equitable access to support for providing high quality care and education. Sarah has a Bachelor of Science dual degree in Early Childhood Education and Human Development and Family Studies and a Master of Art in Early Childhood Special Education. She has been in the Early Childhood field for almost 30 years as an Assistant Teacher, Lead Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher, Master Teacher, Infant/Toddler Director, Child Center Director, QRIS Program Coordinator/Coach and Trainer. Sarah serves on various other committees such as the Elko Early Childhood Advisory Council, Pyramid Model Regional Team and Parents as Teachers Advisory Committee to support teachers, children and families in the communities she serves. She loves serving as the Northeastern Nevada Representative as it allows her to bring the needs and successes of rural Nevada to the state level. Sarah has lived in Elko with her husband of 20 years, Scott, and two daughters, Zoe and Hollie for the past 11 years. She enjoys going to movies, watching her daughters play sports, traveling (South Africa, Hawaii and Georgia have been amongst her favorite trips) and watching her beloved Atlanta Braves play baseball.
Amanda Mowry
VP of Communications
Amanda Mowry currently works at Nellis Air Force Youth Programs as the Youth Director. She has worked in the Childcare field for over 20 years as a Child Care Provider, Family Child Care Home Provider, Training and Curriculum Specialist, Assistant Director and Director. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She works as an advocate for paid and quality training opportunities, increased support for Providers, and strengthening behavioral assistance for children with challenging behaviors. She is passionate about collaborating with Childcare providers as they provide meaningful programming, educational opportunities, learning supports, and a sense of belonging for our children. Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband of 19 years and their son. She enjoys exploring nature, reading, meditating, and listening to music. As the VP of Communications & Technology, Amanda hopes to learn from and make lasting connections with others in the field.
Jencie Davies
TEACH Advisory Chair
Jencie Davies is academic faculty and the program coordinator for the ECE and HDFS degree programs at TMCC. She previously served as the VP of Public Policy and got her start on AEYC boards as a Member at Large in the Reno Chapter. Jencie earned a Master’s Degree in Human Development and Families Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno and holds over 15 years of diverse experience working in the field of early childhood education. She is looking forward to the work ahead advocating for accessible, affordable and high quality professional preparation.
Carrie Paldi
Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council Liaison
Carrie Paldi is a Regulatory Compliance Manager for Leaning Care Group, which has 20 locations in Southern Nevada under the following brands: Creative Kids Learning Center, La Petite Academy, and Childtime Learning Centers. Carrie studied early childhood education at UNLV and has worked in Early Childhood Education for over 35 years as a teacher, administrator, supervisor, district manager, trainer, and compliance manager. Carrie is currently the Provider Representative of the State of Nevada Early Childhood Advisory Council (NECAC). Carrie currently serves on the NevAEYC Board as the NECAC Liaison. Carrie is proud to be a “Native Nevadan” and lives in the city of Henderson with her husband of 36 years Danny. They enjoy spending time with their two sons Jordan and Logan, and their German Shepard Evie. Carrie and her family love camping, hiking, swimming, and are sport fans that enjoy watching the Boston Red Sox, Vegas Golden Knights, Henderson Silver Knights, Las Vegas Aces, and the UNLV Runnin’ Rebel’s.
Mary Regan
Board Conference Chair
Mary Regan is the Director of the Early Childhood Education Lab Program at the College of Southern Nevada, overseeing their NAEYC-accredited campus child care centers that serve student-parents and provide practicum experiences for ECE students. Mary has more than 25 years of experience in early childhood education as a teacher, director, and advocate. She is passionate about family engagement, professional development, and creating inclusive, high-quality learning environments for young children. As an active member of NevAEYC, Mary has presented at local, state, and national conferences, supporting educators in building collaborative, equitable early learning programs. She has served as the Finance Committee Chair for the Southern Chapter of NevAEYC for many years. She is excited for this new opportunity to serve as Conference Chair and continue fostering professional growth and community for Nevada’s ECE workforce.
Patrice Gardner
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Chair
Patrice currently works as an Education Programs Supervisor for the Nevada Department of Education, in the Office of Early Learning and Development. In this role, she manages the Child Care Development Fund Grant for Nevada and serves as the Director of the Nevada Head Start State Collaboration office. She is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and families and is truly passionate about this work.
Tiffany Alston
VP of Membership
Tiffany Alston brings over 20 years of training and leadership experience to her role as Director for Sunrise Children’s Foundations Early Childhood Education Programs. She oversees key initiatives such as Early Head Start, Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting, Nevada Ready Pre-K, and the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) programs. Tiffany is deeply involved in the community, serving as Chair for Nevada’s Early Childhood Advisory Council, President of the Nevada Head Start Association, and overseeing membership for the Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children. Her dedication to professional and grassroots initiatives ensures equitable access to quality early childhood health and education. Above all, Tiffany cherishes her role as a mother, which profoundly influences her work. Her firsthand experience as a parent fuels her passion for creating supportive, nurturing, and effective educational environments. This personal insight drives her commitment to building a strong future for all children and families, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Julie Houchins
VP of Public Policy
Julie Houchins, Senior Director of Early Education for United Way of Southern Nevada has been in the Early Childhood field for over 30 years supporting non-profit, for-profit and local school districts from North Dakota to Nevada. She has been with United Way of Southern Nevada since 2016 supporting their early education efforts throughout Southern Nevada. Julie has collaborated with NDE to manage the Nevada Ready! State PreK programs within private early learning centers/schools throughout the Valley. She is a member of NevAEYC and supports the SNC NevAEYC as Public Policy Committee Chair, she was a member of the ECAC Board from 2020 to 2024. She is very passionate about providing high quality education to our youngest learners and is a strong advocate Universal PreK.
Denise Sidney
VP of Educational Development
Denise has been in ECE for almost 40 years. She has AA, BA, and M.Ed. all in Early Childhood Development and Leadership. Denise earned her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership in Higher Education. Denise held various positions in CA in ECE before moving to Nevada in 2013, where she is currently a tenured ECE Professor for the College of Southern Nevada and Director of Early Childhood Programming for the Education department. She trains locally and nationally in ECE and leadership topics and is a Nevada Registry trainer deeply committed to leadership and professional development. She is a committee leader for the Southern Chapter of the Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children and chair of the Professional Development Committee. She serves on the NevAEYC as the Education Development Chair and is a member of the Professional Development Team at CSN.
nevaeyc.org 