NHAEYC Advisory Committee Members

 Jackie has worked in the field of education for the past 26 years. She started out working in private child care programs from an assistant teacher to a director. She has worked in public schools in the special education department and coached a multitude of sports through middle school. Jackie has her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education and English Literature as well as her master's degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology. Following her master's degree Jackie worked as a Preschool Outreach Specialist under a McKinney-Vento grant and as a mental health clinician working with children 2 to 13 years of age. Currently Jackie is the Policy and Advocacy Director for NH Early Childhood Initiatives which is an incubation for the revival of our NH NAEYC affiliation working in partnership with Maineaeyc. She is an advocate for the mental health of tiny humans, early education and childcare who has worked on creating and implementing initiatives and workshops specific to those areas. Jackie and her husband have a 21-year-old son who is currently in college in Maine where he is majoring in sports management and plays college baseball.  

 Lisa Ranfos, Ed.D, is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of New Hampshire's Department of Human Development and Family Studies. With 25 years of experience in early childhood education, she has served as a classroom teacher in Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and Kindergarten settings before transitioning to leadership roles focused on program quality and culture. Dr. Ranfos previously worked as a Child Care Resource and Referral Manager in the Concord area, educating families about quality childcare options and helping them access services that met their needs. Since 2005, she has worked in lab school environments, which she values for facilitating meaningful interactions among children, families, teachers, and pre-service professionals. In her teaching, she emphasizes the importance of child observation as a foundation for creating meaningful curriculum. She has received funding for workforce development and quality programming initiatives. Dr. Ranfos holds an Ed.D in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Plymouth State University and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College. Beyond her university role, she actively participates in state leadership and local committee work to enhance early childhood education. She resides in Allenstown, NH with her husband VJ. 

 Airole is a Director and Policy/Advocacy Consultant working across New Hampshire, with an extensive background in early childhood development and childcare sectors. Key achievements include supporting Coos County Childcare Network, the New Hampshire Childcare Network Collaborative and the Partnership for Early Childhood Progress, all of which unify resources and will engage in driving state-wide changes to improve community outcomes. With a portfolio of skills in leadership, project management, and stakeholder engagement, she has been advocating for quality childcare and fostering developmental growth in children across communities. Additionally, Airole holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of Vermont and is actively involved in multiple advisory and leadership roles aimed at advancing early childhood education. 

 Deborah is the Executive Director of Early Learning at The Granite YMCA, where she oversees five Child Development Centers and a $3 million budget. With over 35 years in the field, she also serves as the State Director of NH Youth and Government, fostering civic engagement among youth. Deborah holds an Early Childhood Education degree, a New Hampshire Credential, and is a proud recipient of the Early Learning Excellence Award. 

 I have 15 years of experience working with children in several settings. My philosophy of education stems from expertise in trauma-informed practices, nature-based, play-based learning, and social-emotional development. My goal as an educator is to meet, respect, and appreciate every child exactly as they are. In my travels, I have had the opportunity to teach and direct in Waldorf, Montessori, and Traditional schools. My soul is happiest in the classroom, but I also find joy in advocating for quality, equitable, accessible, and inclusive programming for all children. 

 Allie is a Customer Success Manager for Augintel, a human services IT company that works with child welfare and behavioral health agencies across the country. For almost a decade, Allie worked as a consultant within government social service agencies focusing on IT implementation projects and business process improvement. Recently, Allie was the Assistant Director for Early Childhood Initiatives with Granite United Way (GUW) in the Seacoast Region. In this role, she coordinated local coalitions and aligned resources across communities to increase families’ access to high quality early childhood services and supports. Now, she is a member of the GUW Seacoast Community Impact Committee where she assists with distributing grants and community engagement throughout the Seacoast region. She holds a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire and a Masters in Social Work from Arizona State University.