M. Anthony Brumfield, II, Chair
Anthony Brumfield moved to Boone in 2007 and has lived in the area on and off since then. He is currently the Assistant General Manager at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Boone, NC. Anthony loves being involved in many different ways with the community. It is important to him that people who live in a community make a positive impact on that area. He enjoys attending his church Cornerstone Summit Church! Faith, Family and the upliftment of other people are key to him. Anthony loves serving on the Board and is excited to see the organization continue to grow. 
Crawford Cleveland, III -- Personnel and
Finance Committee Crawford grew up on the Gulf Coast and moved up to the High Country from New Orleans. He is a partner with the law firm di Santi, Watson, Capua, Wilson & Garrett, PLLC. Prior to joining the firm, he served as Corporate Counsel to one of Louisiana’s largest construction companies. His primary focus of law is construction law, government compliance, and general civil litigation. He is married to Brynn Cleveland, a third-grade teacher with Watauga County Schools. They have two young boys, Harry and Ferris. As a father and member of the Board of Directors for the Children’s Council, Crawford is dedicated to ensuring that all of the children in our area receive the best possible early childhood experience. 
Paul Holden -- Personnel and Finance
Committee Chair Paul Holden is a native of McLean, Virginia, in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He moved to North Carolina in 2002 after having spent the previous 18 years in Tampa, Florida. Paul is a sports enthusiast who participated in varsity swimming as an undergraduate and has coached 35 sports teams over the span of his professional and parenting career. Paul has been a licensed clinical social worker since 1989. He has served in seven school districts across Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina. The school districts have ranged in size from 200,000 plus students to his current district of Watauga County Schools which serves 4,400 students. His last 15 years have included managing student services programming in three NC school districts, including his current role as Student Services Director in Watauga County Schools. Paul’s passion for early childhood services has grown from his managing the Pre-K program in two school districts and engaging with early childhood partners in every district where he has worked. Paul holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of South Florida, a Master of Social Work from Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Georgetown University. Paul and his wife, Kim, are in the process of raising six children. Kim has served as the executive director of the Catawba County Partnership for Children for the past 19 years. 
Tom Hughes -- Personnel and Finance Committee
Tom Hughes is a native of the North Carolina High Country and ASU alumni. He is Watauga County Social Services Director and is deeply committed to helping others. Tom loves camping and touring the mountains, especially on the back of a motorcycle. He enjoys working with and getting to know new people. He is passionate about his service to vulnerable populations and is dedicated to helping people reach self-sufficiency and full potential. Motto: Let us work hard to leave it better than we found it. 
Maria Julian, Secretary
Maria Julian is the Director of Community Health Services for AppHealthCare. Maria and the Community Health team work to strengthen public health outcomes through community partnerships and coalitions. Maria enjoys hiking with her husband and dogs. 
Tina Kesler, Fund Development Committee
Tina Kesler moved to Boone in 2002 to attend Appalachian State University. After falling in love with the area, she decided to make the High Country home for her and her children. She has worked in Early Intervention since 2011 and strongly believes in the mission of the Children’s Council of Watauga County. Tina joined the board of directors of the Children’s Council in 2015 and has been the Chair of the Fund Development Committee since 2016. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, swimming, and gardening. 
Meggan Knight -- Programs and Services Chair
Program Coordinator for Who Needs A Change Meggan has always been an advocate for young children. She has worked with young children for over 15 years as a teacher, teacher's assistant, coach and early interventionist. Meggan received a degree in Child Development from Appalachian State University and was an educator for 7 years with the public school system. She lives in Blowing Rock with her husband and 6-year-old daughter. Meggan started 'Who Needs a Change? of the High Country' because of her belief that all children deserve equal care and basic necessities and all children should have the opportunity to remain clean, healthy, and happy. Meggan also serves on the Board of Directors of the Children's Council and is the co-chair of the Fund Development Committee. 
Gary T. Moss, Jr. - Fund Development
Committee His best and most enjoyable times are spent with his family. Whether they are hiking on a sunny afternoon on Grandfather Mountain, watching an Appalachian State football game, or walking on the beach in Cherry Grove, there is no place he would rather be than with his wife, Fuschia, and their three children, Skylar, Thomas, and Mitchell. Having played competitive soccer from a young age through college, he understands the importance of a team, and his family is his team. Family is the most important part of his life. Because of this, he believes in the importance of planning for the future. Gary’s community Involvement includes volunteering with Meals on Wheels, a member of the Boone Chamber of Commerce, Watauga Leadership Challenge Participant, member of the Lees McRae College Alumni Board, participant of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the American Red Cross. 
Julie Page, Programs and Services Committee
Julie was born and raised in California, and it was there she met and married her husband John of 28 years. They attended Bible college together in Los Angeles and when John graduated they took their first appointment in Boone North Carolina. They were pastors of a local church for 16 years. They felt this Boone was a wonderful place to raise their five children. As their children got older Julie opened a Family Child Care Home and has been loving it for 6 years. She saw how much the Children’s Council supported her business, Little Jewels Home Child Care, and young children in Watauga county and wanted to be a part and to give back. 
Rhonda Russell, Fund Development
Committee Rhonda has been a public school educator in Mississippi, Virginia, Avery County and Watauga County Schools. She taught 2nd grade, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten with over 25 years of teaching experience. Rhonda’s undergraduate degree was in Family and Consumer Sciences and Elementary Education. She also earned a Master’s degree from Appalachian State University in Child Development: Birth-Kindergarten. She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and is past President of The Children’s Playhouse Board of Directors in Boone. Rhonda has been a resident of Watauga County since 1991. She has been married to Ray for 40 years, has two daughters and three grandchildren. 
Larry Turnbow -- Personnel and
Finance Committee Larry Turnbow has been married for 34 years with three children, “and a few other kids who were ‘theirs’ for a time.” Larry is a retired Applied Environmental Microbiologist; A+ certified computer technician, and an Army Veteran. He retired from a career in Environmental Management and now proudly supports our schools and jobs in sustainable industries. 
Moriah Stegall, Fund Development Committee
Ms. Stegall has been a lifelong champion of children. Realizing her passion for supporting children's learning early, she completed both a Bachelor's and a Master's in Child Development: Birth through Kindergarten at Appalachian State University. She has worked with infants, toddler, preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders of all ability levels in private, public, non-profit, and home educational settings, taught in the Family and Child Studies department at ASU, and is now the Director of the ASU Child Development Center. Her diverse career trajectory provides a well rounded perspective for children, families, teachers, and student employees. Her professional experience pales in comparison to the life lessons her own three children have taught her about loving and raising young children. "I have devoted my life’s work to cultivating a sense of kindness by providing enriching experiences for children and supporting families in their own journey. I rely on the pedagogical influences of Jean Piaget’s constructivism and Magda Gerber’s educaring approach. Both of these figures and their influences on the field of early childhood development inform my practices as an administrator, a teacher, and a mother. Keeping abreast of cultural and industry advancements helps me understand and appreciate the myriad of issues surrounding early care and education, especially as it pertains to families and the broader community." |
Schedule for Meetings for 2018-2019
12 PM Board of Directors – 4th Monday of the month. Call our office to find out meeting location. 9 AM Executive – 3rd Monday of August, October, December, February, April, June at the Children's Council in Boone 10 AM Programs and Services – 2nd Tuesday of July, September, November, January, March, May at the Children's Developmental Services Agency (CDSA) in Boone 10:30 AM Finance/Personnel – 3rd Wednesday of July, September, November, January, March, May at the Children's Council in Boone North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Committee Meetings 12 PM NC PreK Committee Meetings -- August 2, 2018; August 30, 2018; February 20, 2019; March 28, 2019; May 15, 2019. Meetings held at Watauga County Schools Central Office. Click here to view our Children’s Council Annual Report 2010-2011 Click here to view our Children's Council Annual Report 2011-2012 Click here to view our Children's Council Annual Report 2012-2013 Click here to view our Children's Council Annual Report 2013-2014 Click here to view our Children's Council Annual Report 2014-2015 Click here to view our Children's Council Annual Report 2015-2016 Click here to view our Children's Council Annual Report 2016-2017 Click here to view our Children's Council Annual Report 2017-2018 |