NIHSDA
National Indian Head Start Directors Association
Standing Strong for American Indian and Alaska Native Children
2026-2027 Board of Directors
Interested in serving on the NIHSDA Board?
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Jayme Trevino is a member of the Kickapoo Tribe and her first language is Kickapoo. She was born in the Kikapu Traditional Village in Nacimiento, MX. She moved to Oklahoma with her family at the age of four(4). A unique fact about her is that she is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Mexico. Jayme is a proud Kickapoo Head Start Graduate!
She has been in her position as Director at Kickapoo Head Start of Oklahoma for ten years! Her passion has always been advocating for youth. In her previous work, she served as the KTO Education Director for 10 years and operated federally funded programs, and one competitive tribal youth grant. Alongside her fulltime duties, she served on the KTO Election Board for 6 years, and the KTO Tax Commission for 9 years.
Ann Cameron is the Head Start Director of the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc., Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. She is responsible for the overall administration of early childhood programming for seven tribal communities. She also serves as the Online Student Advisor for the Bay Mills Community College Early Childhood Education students. She is a member of the American Indian Alaska Native Head Start Research Center Steering Committee and is a long-standing member of the National Indian Head Start Directors Association Board of Directors.
Andrea Pesina is a proud community member of Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico. In 1987, she graduated from the Isleta Pueblo Head Start program. Years had passed, she became a Head Start Parent and, soon after, an Employee. Andrea has been employed with the Isleta Head Start program for 17 years. She started as a Teacher’s Assistant, then became the Education Coordinator, and now she has been the Executive Director for almost two years. Andrea earned her Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood. Her passions include working for and giving back to her Isleta Pueblo community.
Kristin Ramstad is the Director for Chugachmiut Birth to Five Head Start. Kristin is a life-long Alaskan with over 25 years’ experience working for Head Start. Most of her career has been in supporting, managing, or directing Head Start and Early Head Start programs in remote Alaskan AIAN communities. Ever since she started as a Family Services/Mental Health Coordinator, Kristin’s passion has been for providing and advocating for, high quality culturally appropriate Early Head Start and Head Start services to children, families, and communities across Alaska. For Kristin, it is all about “the kiddos and their families.”
Kristin has over 10 years’ experience as a Head Start Director/Executive Director, was a Region XI Training and Technical Assistance Grantee Specialist, and a Developmental Specialist in Early Intervention. To expand much-needed 0-3 services and support Head Start in rural and remote Alaska, Kristin wrote and led Alaska Native Education and Administration for Native American grants to provide culturally relevant home visiting programs. Kristin has her M.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education.
Zone 1 Representative
Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York,
North Carolina, South Carolina
Tina Routh
Mississippi Band of Choctaw HS/EHS
601-650-1722
Zone 1 Alternate
Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York,
North Carolina, South Carolina
Vacant
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Ms. Routh is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and lives on the Pearl River Indian reservation in Choctaw, Mississippi. Ms. Routh is celebrating 29 years of marriage and has three children. Ms. Routh has a Master of Arts from Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi.
Ms. Routh brings 22 years of management, training and technical assistance experience in early childhood environments, including 6 years as a department supervisor, 9 years as a Child Development Specialist of a four county-wide agency. She has trained Head Start, early head start, and childcare staff. Active in state associations, she has served on planning committee for training in Mississippi. She has presented at numerous state, regional and national conferences and has participated in numerous federal reviews as a CLASS reviewer. Ms. Routh is the current director of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Department of Early Childhood in Choctaw, Mississippi.
Zone 2 Alternate
Minnesota, Wisconsin
Vacant
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Zone 3 Representative
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
Vonda Pourier
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
605-747-2391
email
Zone 3 Alternate
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
Anne Reddy
Rural America Initiatives HS/EHS
605-341-3339
Vonda Pourier-Whipple has dedicated nearly 39 years to Head Start, beginning her career in 1987. Since 2010, she has served as Director of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate Head Start/Early Head Start Program, providing leadership for comprehensive early childhood education and family services across the Rosebud Reservation and surrounding communities.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Human Services and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mental Health and Chemical Dependency. Her experience informs her commitment to high-quality programming, strong family partnerships, and responsible stewardship of federal resources.
During her tenure as Director, the program has grown from approximately 78 employees and a $2.2 million annual budget to approximately 132 employees and more than $7.5 million in annual funding. A major milestone was the award of Early Head Start funding in 2015, expanding services for infants, toddlers, pregnant women, and families. Other improvements have included facilities investments, a transportation bus garage, an employee wellness center, an advanced infrastructure, and enhanced safety and professional development initiatives.
Vonda oversees education, health and safety, nutrition, disabilities, mental health and wellness, family engagement, transportation, and fiscal operations. She works closely with the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council, Education Committee, Policy Council, program staff, families, and community partners to strengthen accountability and continuous improvement.
Central to her leadership is the belief that children thrive when they are safe, supported by their families, and grounded in their culture. She is a strong advocate for the integration of Lakota language and values into early childhood education while preparing children for success in school and life. Her ongoing priorities include workforce stability, child safety, program quality, and meaningful opportunities for children and families.
Anne Reddy is a former Head Start Parent, current EHS Grandparent, and has been a Director for 20 years. She is the mother to 2 daughters and grandmother to 4 granddaughters, and owns 2 very spoiled chihuahua’s. Ann is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and currently her program serves 271 Children on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation and in Rapid City South Dakota. She enjoys advocating for our American Indian Children in the region of North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
My name is Monica Fisher, and I serve as the Childcare and Early Head Start (EHS) Director for the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
My journey in early childhood education began in 2005 as a classroom teacher. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to grow professionally, serving as an Assistant Director and later as a Center Director, a role I have held since 2020. In 2021, I took on the responsibility of leading the childcare department for the Delaware Tribe of Indians, where I remain passionate about supporting children, families, and staff while providing high-quality early learning opportunities for our community.
I hold a current Certificate of Mastery from Tulsa Community College, along with both an associate degree and a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma Wesleyan University. My education and years of hands-on experience have helped shape my commitment to early childhood education, program development, and the well-being of the children and families we serve.
Outside of my professional life, I am a proud momma of five children. My husband and I enjoy spending time together golfing and tailgating for our Kansas City Chiefs. Family, community, and a passion for helping children thrive are important parts of who I am, both personally and professionally.
Sarah Kelly is the Director of the Otoe-Missouria Head Start in Red Rock, Oklahoma, and serves as the Treasurer for the Oklahoma Indian Head Start Directors Association. Her dedication to early childhood education began in 2001when she became a Kindergarten teacher. She transitioned into the role of Head Start Director in 2016, bringing with her knowledge and a vision to strengthen the relationship between area public schools and the Otoe-Missouria Head Start. She passionately advocates for her staff’s wages and for the professional recognition of their advanced certifications and degrees. Sarah is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in early childhood and elementary education and a Master of Science in teaching learning and leadership. She is also National Board Certified in Early Childhood Literacy. She lives on a farm near Ponca City, Oklahoma with her husband, two children, three dogs, and several cows, pigs and chickens.
Dr. Carla Spaniel serves as the Director of the Laguna Division of Early Childhood, where she provides leadership and vision for early childhood programs and services supporting young children and families in the Laguna community. With a strong commitment to culturally responsive early childhood education, Dr. Spaniel works to strengthen opportunities for children and families while honoring the traditions, values, and identity of the community.
Dr. Carla Spaniel brings over 37 years of educational experience. After earning her bachelors in Special Education at Oklahoma State, she began her career in Dallas ISD as a Head Start Teacher for developmentally delayed students. It was during this period that she earned her Masters in Educational Administration from Texas A&M and went into Administration, her belief is to help teacher growth within the classroom. Upon completion of her Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction from NMSU in Las Cruces, NM.
Carla loves making an impact on children by sharing the love of learning and teaching. Carla is a published author on How to Implement Effective Teaching & Classroom Management. Her passion has always been the babies and her love of the Head Start programs. Carla is now is so honored to be the Director of Division of Early Childhood with Laguna Department of Education, Carla is married and has two children of her own. Her belief is with an early start and solid foundation for young children while building that strong foundation when they are young will help develop into their full potential.
Lyndy is the current Director of the Alamo Navajo Early Childhood Program, where she oversees Head Start and Early Head Start services for children and families within the Alamo Navajo community. She is dedicated to strengthening high-quality early childhood education through effective leadership, program compliance, staff development, and family engagement. She believes that strong partnerships, culturally responsive education, and continuous program improvement are essential to ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed.
Zone 6 Representative
Arizona, Navajo
Heaven Sepulveda
Salt River Pima-Maricopa
480-362-3407
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Dr. Rolanda Billy is a proud member of the Navajo Nation with more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education. Her distinguished career includes service in Head Start programs and as a kindergarten teacher at the elementary school level. Throughout her career, Dr. Billy has held a variety of leadership and educational roles, including Teacher, Family Services Liaison, Education Specialist, School Readiness Coach, Director of Educational Services, and Interim Assistant Superintendent of Navajo Head Start. Dr. Billy earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership for Change and is deeply committed to advancing educational excellence through culturally relevant teaching and learning practices. Her professional interests include research focused on culturally responsive curricula, Indigenous education, and effective instructional strategies that support the success of diverse learners.
Zone 7 Alternate
California, Nevada
Verlet Montano
Mountain Empire School District
619-473-9022 x815
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Rhonda Laughlin has over 30 years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education, including 17 years dedicated to Tribal Head Start programs. Throughout her Head Start career, she has served in various roles including Teacher, Education Manager, and Head Start Manager. Rhonda holds an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in preschool from Truckee Meadows Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences from Portland State University. She is deeply passionate about supporting and strengthening Tribal early education programs and is committed to fostering meaningful, culturally grounded learning experiences for young children and their families.
Verlet Montano has nearly 20 years of experience in child development and special education, serving as a teacher, administrator, and college instructor. She is the Director of Early Childhood Education for Mountain Empire Unified School District, overseeing Campo Kumeyaay Head Start and five other toddler and preschool programs. In addition to her leadership role, she teaches college-level child development courses, with a focus on behavior support, social-emotional learning, and relationship-based practices. Currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in curriculum and instruction, Verlet is dedicated to advancing equity, cultural responsiveness, and hands-on learning experiences for children, families, and future educators.
Zone 8 Representative
Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming
DeAnn Brown
Confederated Tribes of Siletz
541-444-2532
Zone 8 Alternate
Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming
Minnetta Armstrong
Blackfeet Early Childhood
406-338-7370
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DeAnn Brown is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and has two children, Brandy Florendo (Warm Springs/Wasco/Siletz), and Westman Mathews (Pawnee/Comanche/Siletz), one grandson, Kai Florendo Blomstrom (Warm Springs/Wasco/Siletz), and numerous granddogs and grandcats. She began as the Head Start Director for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in 1992 and assumed leadership of the tribe’s CCDF program in 1998 and the tribe’s childcare center in 2014. In her spare time she enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with her family.
Zone 9 Alternate
Washington
Mary DuPuis
Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation
360-709-1871
Sheryl Fryberg, MSW: Sheryl is a Tulalip Tribal member and has lived on the Tulalip Indian Reservation for her entire life. She has been in Leadership positions that have influenced the life-long learning programs of children in her community since 1990. She loves working in education as it allows her the opportunity to lay a strong foundation for children that have in the past been disenfranchised from educational systems.
Sheryls’ passion as a Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Tribal Member and Leader is to Revitalize Language and Culture for our tribal children. She has been involved with cultural activities all of her life with her family and for her tribe (Tulalip Tribes)since 1990. She wants our children to know their Lushootseed language, their history and their cultural ways of life as well. Sheryl loves that research tells us that if our children are well grounded in their language and cultural way of life, they will be more successful in their academics, careers and in their life.
Dr. Mary DuPuis, is the Director of Education and Development for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation (Chehalis) and an enrolled member of the Chehalis Tribe, which is located in Oakville, WA. She received her Bachelors of Science in Sociology from the University of Utah, her Masters of Public Administration with an Emphasis in Tribal Governance from the Evergreen State College, and her Doctorate of Indigenous Development and Advancement from Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in Whakatane, New Zealand. Her master’s thesis focused on the development of Tribal history curriculum for implementation in school districts, and her doctoral dissertation, A Long Time Ago, When the Earth Was Young, an examination of Chehalis Tribal history from a Chehalis Tribal perspective, won the award for top thesis the year she graduated.
As Director of Education and Development, Mary supervises the child care, Head Start and Early Start programs for the Chehalis Tribe. Previously, Mary was an instructor in the Reservation Based, Community Determined Program at the Evergreen State College where she taught college level junior and senior students at the Nisqually and Chehalis Tribal sites. During this time, she was also employed by the South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency (SPIPA) as the Program Coordinator for Fiscal Services for their Tribal TANF program. Mary has been a foster parent since 2002 and she is a former student and former Policy Council member of the Chehalis Tribal Head Start program.
Mary and her husband have four children, three of whom previously attended the Chehalis Tribal Head Start/Early Head Start and she resides in Olympia, WA.
Jennifer Russell serves as the Child Development Program Manager for the Tanana Chiefs Conference Birth to Five Head Start Program in Fairbanks, Alaska. She began her Head Start career in 2016 as the Education and Disabilities Coordinator before transitioning into a leadership role as Program Director.
Jennifer is passionate about the positive impact Head Start has on children, families, staff, and communities. She believes that Head Start plays a vital role in building stronger, healthier communities by supporting families and creating opportunities for young children to thrive.
Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, relaxing at home, and enjoying the company of her dogs.
Anne Shade has lived in Alaska since 1992 and has dedicated her career to serving children and families. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Neuroscience and has worked with children throughout her professional life. Anne began her career with the Bristol Bay Native Association in 2003 as a Home Visitor and, within six months, was hired as the Head Start Director—a role in which she has provided strong leadership and advocacy for early childhood programs. She currently serves as the Treasurer for the Alaska Head Start Association, continuing her commitment to strengthening Head Start services across the state.
Staff
