Sherrie Sutton
Early Head Start Director
Sherrie has been with OSU-EHS since the grant was awarded in 2015 and was integral in developing the program structure, as well as partner and provider relationships. In her current role, she provides day to day oversight and leadership with staff, 19 child care providers and 14 community and university partners. She is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and previously worked as a therapist in private practice for fifteen years and at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for six years.
Michelle Dunlap
Fiscal Officer
Michelle manages the expenditures for the program. She previously worked as a Grants and Contracts Manager at Ohio State’s Medical Center Department of Neuroscience and has 14 years’ experience in grants management and fiscal operations with the state of Ohio.
Donald Fuzer
Principal Investigator
Don has over 20 years in leading early childhood education programs around the state. He serves as director for The Ohio State University Child Care Program located on the Columbus campus as well as The Early Head Start Partnership Program. Don is a part-time faculty member at the University of Akron, School of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Latoya Jackson
Education Specialist
Latoya has been an Education Specialist for nearly a year with OSU-EHS but has been in the field of early childhood education for almost ten years. She spent five of those years working as a Mixed Age Group Teacher and Age Group Lead at Schoenbaum Family Center. Latoya uses her knowledge of early childhood development and developmentally appropriate practice to assist educators in their environments.
Navya Nalla
Family Education Specialist
Navya is a proud OSU alum who is passionate about education equity and being a change agent in the community. She earned her bachelor’s degree specializing in speech pathology, sociology and education in 2019. In her role, she will focus on family engagement and reenergizing how parents and children embark on their early childhood literacy pathway. In her free time, Navya enjoys working out, listening to music as well as spending time with her friends.
Stacy Orbaker
Education Specialist
Stacy works with the teachers who provide quality care to the infants and toddlers in our program. For over 20 years, she has been advocating for children. Stacy has experience in all levels of early childhood including teacher, administrator, mentor, coach, and presenter. The Reggio Emilia Approach to education is central to her teaching philosophy which supports her passion for art and natural materials in the classroom.
Melanie Tracy
Service Integration Coordinator
Melanie works with Early Head Start’s community partners and providers to bring essential comprehensive services to the children and families enrolled in the program as well as leveraging new partnerships to fill gaps in service. She has extensive experience in marketing and communications and over 20 years of reputation building in higher education. She is the recipient of three American Advertising Awards (ADDY) from the American Advertising Federation.
Jessica Woodruff, MBP
Data Analytics & Compliance Manager
Jessica has worked with the EHS partnership since 2017, first serving as the Education Coordinator. She currently manages data and empowers proactive and ongoing compliance efforts. She has over 15 years of experience with project management and process improvement. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (psychology, sociology & business management) from Capital University and a master’s degree in Business Psychology from Franklin University.
Erin Woodson
Project & Data Manager
Erin supports overall program operations as well as the partnership directors. She previously worked for Dublin City Schools as a substitute teacher and coach. She also served as an administrative assistant at The Ohio State University Medical Center’s Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute and the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology.
Lisa Welsh
Lead Education Specialist
Lisa coordinates the Early Head Start curriculum, assessment and learning services with EHS directors, teachers and child care providers. She has over 15 years experience in the field of early childhood education as an early childhood special educator, early intervention service coordinator, supervisor, and professional development consultant. She presents regionally and nationally on evidence-based early childhood practices including coaching, family-centered practices, and team collaboration.
