Leadership Roles

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ELISA SPADAFORA (M.Ed) ​​

Elisa has an undergraduate degree in Psychology, and Early Childhood Education from Seton Hill University and an M.Ed. from California University in Special Education.  She started her professional career at Westmoreland Community Action in 1992 as the Director of Community Services.  In 2001 Elisa went to Family Behavioral Resources to manage the BHRS services at the Monroeville site, then later to Milestone Centers Inc. as the Director of Children’s Services.  Prior to her appointment as the CEO of Early Learning Connections, she acted as the CEO of Seton Hill Child Services.    Elisa enjoys outdoor activities, snow skiing, golf, and spending time with her family.

KELLY E. HERBERT (M.Ed)

Kelly started her career teaching for Lawrence County Head Start in 2002 in a Head Start/Child Care full day full year collaboration. She then moved into center-based child care and school-age programming as the director of the New Castle Community Y and most recently started a new center at the Buhl Club in Sharon, PA. Kelly graduated from Clarion University in 1998 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and dual concentrations in Special Education and Science. While with Head Start she obtained her Child Development Associates (CDA) degree and completed her Master’s degree in Teaching and Curriculum from Penn State University and her PA Directors Credential from North Hampton College.  

Kelly was born and raised in New Castle, PA and currently lives in Sharon, PA with her husband Corey, two boys, Roger and Corey, and her dog Ginger. She enjoys being outdoors, reading, drawing, and loves to cook and bake. She is very excited to be part of the Early Learning Connections team and is looking forward to working with all the classroom staff, children and families. ​

BRITTNEY COURSON (M.Ed)​​  

My name is Brittney Courson and I have been working in the field of early childhood education since 2011, when I graduated with a B.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Slippery Rock University. After graduation, I had the opportunity to nanny for an infant/toddler for a year before I decided that I’d like to move into a classroom so that I could have the opportunity to reach more children and see them grow. I began working for Early Learning Connections in 2012 where I began as a Head Start teacher and later moved to a Pre-K Counts teaching position, during which time I also earned a M.Ed in Special Education. In 2020, I had the opportunity to move into a Program Manager position in Armstrong County, where I have grown and learned so much about working with a variety of people and children. I am now the Education Director for ELC and excited to learn and grow into this position. 

GINA YOUNG (BA)

Gina graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylyania in December of 2004. She has been working with Head Start since 2007, starting as an Assistant Teacher. In 2020 she joined Early Learning Connections as our ERSEA Coordinator. Then, in December of 2022 she became our Family Engagement/ERSEA Director. 

Gina currently lives in Armstrong County with her husband Mike and their two children, Maria and Jack.

KATHY FREDERICK (B.Ed)​​

Kathy has been responsible for the management and supervision of programs at ELC in a variety of capacities for over 30 years.  She is currently the Program Wide Positive Behavior Support and Intervention (PBIS) Facilitator and Kindergarten Transition Coordinator. Kathy graduated from Slippery Rock University with a BS in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education and then earned a Specialized Diploma of Leadership for Early Childhood Education Program Directors from Northampton County Area Community College as well as the Pennsylvania Director Credential. Kathy earned official endorsement from the PA Positive Behavior Support Network as an Independent Program-Wide PAPBS Facilitator in 2021. She is a PA Keys to Professional Development Certified Instructor and a Certified Pre-K CLASS Observer.

HEATHER QUEEN (B.Ed)

Heather Queen graduated with a B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education from Clarion University. She has been working at Early Learning Connections for over 20 years and is currently the Program Center Director at the Bon Aire location in Butler County. Prior to this position, she was employed as the Home-Based Program Manager overseeing the Early Head Start and Head Start Home-Based programs in both Butler and Armstrong County. Over the course of her time working at Early Learning Connections, she has gained knowledge on implementing the Head Start Performance Standards, School Readiness Goals, promoting Social Emotional Competence, supporting co-workers on a regular basis along with supporting families in everyday situations. 

TIMOTHY SISINNI (MA)

Tim has a B.S. in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, Special Education Teaching Certificate, M.A. Counseling Psychology, and Principal Certification K-8. He taught kindergarten, fifth and sixth grade, remedial math for all grade levels kindergarten-sixth. He also taught special education students with learning disabilities, autism, and emotional support in grades kindergarten through twelfth. Tim taught Early Childhood college classes at Butler County Community College and supervised student teachers from Slippery Rock University majoring in Early Childhood/Elementary and Special Education. Tim was an elementary principal for 20 years and after retiring from the Pa Public School System he began working for Early Learning Connections as a Program Manager for the past 3 years.

RACHEL WINBERG-HINCH (B.ECEA)

I hold an Associate degree in child development, and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education administration from Ashford University.

I have been in the of early childhood field since 1994. I started first as a classroom teacher and then as a Center Director early on in my career. My early childhood administrative experiences have been working for a variety of early childhood organizations from; corporately owned, privately owned, franchised and the non-profit sector.  In July 2022, I accepted the position of Head Start Program Manager. I am extremely excited to be a part of the team who provides a high-quality head start experience. My most recent experiences were as a regional director where I oversaw 6 early childhood learning centers. Prior to that, my most tenured position was with the Butler YMCA Early Learning Center (2005-2019) as the early childhood specialist overseeing the infant, toddler and preschool programs and teaching teams.

I graduated from Mars High School and now reside within the Butler School District with my husband; we have 2 daughters, and a dog. I enjoy walking, hiking, kayaking, and boating along with spending time with my family and friends.

 The roots of a child's ability to cope and thrive, regardless of circumstance, lie in that child's having had at least a small, safe place (an apartment? a room? a lap?) in which, in the companionship of a loving person, that child could discover that he or she was lovable and capable of loving in return. If a child finds this during the first years of life, he or she can grow up to be a competent, healthy person. 

Fred Rodgers

JACQUELINE HRANICA (M.Ed)

My name is Jacqueline Hranica and I have been working in the field of early childhood education in various capacities since 2007 when I was a paraprofessional who assisted in infant, toddler, and preschool rooms at a local daycare while working towards a B.S. in Accounting. I realized that I preferred working with children, so I went back to school and obtained a M.S. in Prek-4 Education from Duquesne University. I began working for Butler County Children’s Center/Early Learning Connections in 2017 as a Head Start classroom teacher, changed positions to Practice Based Coach in 2019 and then served as interim Program Manager before officially moving up to that role in 2021. One of the aspects of early childhood that I enjoy the most is building relationships and seeing growth with both my teaching staff and the students in our classrooms. 

ALISON LEIGHTON (M.Ed)

Alison has a bachelor's degree in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from California University of PA and a master's degree in education from Indiana University of PA. She has recently completed her director's credentials from Aracadia University. Alison has been working for Head Start for over ten years but has been employed by Early Learning Connections for the past five years, working as a teacher, practice-based coach, and now the program site manager for Ford City classrooms.