Kallie brings her passion for educating and engaging youth, their caregivers, and their communities to First3Years as the organization’s CEO.  Kallie has had the opportunity to nurture her passion and grow professionally through her 17+ years in education and family engagement.  Her diverse background includes serving as the head of the Library Services Department for the Houston Independent School District and the manager of Youth Services for the Houston Public Library system. Her non-profit experience comes from her time serving as an exhibit educator and program manager at the Children’s Museum of Houston.  Kallie’s career began serving young children as a PK teacher and elementary librarian in HISD.  She graduated from Widener University, in Philadelphia, PA, with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences from the University of North Texas.  This extensive repertoire of experience has led her to First3Years with the vision to combine the best aspects of the non-profit, city government, and educational fields to increase the efficacy and impact of our organization. 

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Kallie grew up in Reading, PA, then moved to Houston in 2005, where she currently resides with her husband, two children, and pets.

Claudia is truly an asset to First3Years and we appreciate the knowledge and expertise she brings to her work. 

Nahomi studied at Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) in Monterrey, Mexico and moved to Texas in 2003. Since then, Nahomi has worked in office management and bookkeeping. After taking a break to focus on motherhood, Nahomi rejoined the workforce and has used her administrative support, attention to detail, organization skills and accuracy to help assist organizations with daily tasks and ensure effective development.

Outside of work, Nahomi is a very active member of her community. She has a passion for helping the well-being of animals and rescues which has granted her donations from different associations to continue supporting this cause. She’s volunteered with various non-profit organizations, including HISD and has contributed to different research projects at the University of Houston, investigating the impact of COVID-19 school closures and remote learning on Latina mothers in rural communities in Texas. Her professional expertise played a role in assisting with reliability checks for translations and generating new project ideas.

Jyrah Knight is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University where she received her Master’s degree in Family Studies and Bachelor’s degree in Child Development. Jyrah’s work with children and families has been one of her greatest accomplishments thus far. She takes a family centered approach in all her work. Jyrah formerly worked as an Early Intervention Specialist for ECI, where she learned the true meaning of influencing a child’s microsystem, how to reach all families no matter their cultural background, how to help families navigate crisis and engaging exercises to encourage the development of young children. She is also an advocate for Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) which she believes plays a great role in infant mental health.  Jyrah has a passion for educating and empowering families of children with chronic illnesses and disabilities and currently serves as the President of Chronic Endurance.

Stephanie is the Safe Babies Director of First3Years and oversees Tarrant and Dallas Counties. Before joining First3Years, Stephanie worked in the child welfare system with the Dallas juvenile and family courts. Stephanie also has experience in program development for early childhood education, parent engagement, and community collaboration. Stephanie attended the University of North Texas and has been involved with various non-profits since 2012. Stephanie is bilingual, experienced in program alignment, staff management, and grass-roots outreach. Stephanie’s passion comes from the desire to help build a strong foundation for child success; she recognizes that this success stems from parent empowerment and engagement in their child’s development.

Alexandra Mylius serves as Director of Awareness for First3Years. Her charge is to lead early childhood systems-building work for First3Years at the city, county, or regional level and advance statewide advocacy efforts to help align multi-sector services, supports, programs, and policies that—in partnership with families—improve outcomes for young children and families. She brings 6 years of experience in establishing and growing a local early childhood coalition in exurban and rural central Texas. She completed her coursework towards a Master of Science in Child and Family Studies at Texas State University in 2009. Alex lives in San Marcos, with her spouse and 4 children, where she can be found enjoying the natural beauty of central Texas. 

Renee Mirick graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with her Master of Science in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders as well as a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Child Learning & Development. Growing up, Renee noticed a lack of support for parents and children, particularly those in low-income communities, and in her education has sought to gain the knowledge so that she could support individuals and families. In her position as Early Relational Health Specialist, Renee seeks to begin supporting families by building awareness of the importance of the parent-child connection and teaching best practices for families of infants and toddlers.

Laura’s role as Community Systems Manager leads her to collaboratively develop an integrated and coordinated community system within Baytown, TX where every family has an equitable voice, is supported, and can readily access and choose from quality resources and services for their young child.

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In her previous role, she served as the Senior Director of Operations for the National Diversity Council to advocate for the value of diversity and inclusion within the private, public and non-profit sectors. During her time at the Council, she also led the efforts to coordinate and execute a four-year writing program in partnership with Rice University for high school students, which resulted in granting over $40K in scholarships. She is a Leadership Houston alumna, Class XXX, where she served on the Communication Committee and was previously named one of Houston’s 100 Hispanic Women in Leadership by the Houston Chapter of Hispanic Women in Leadership. Laura is also a board member for Communities in Schools Baytown and Our Promise for West Baytown. Laura is a graduate of Lee College in Baytown, TX with an associate’s degree in business administration. As part of her mission of continuing to give back to her community, Laura currently serves as a City of Baytown Councilmember where she serves as the Secretary for the Municipal Development District and Vice President of the Architecture & Engineering Committee.

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Deasia Reynolds is a Licensed Master Social Worker with a passion for infant mental health. She is a proud mother of two beautiful children and a Tennessee native. Deasia received a bachelor's in psychology from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and shortly after completed her Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Go VOLS). Deasia aspires to receive her LCSW, where she plans to become an Infant Mental Health Therapist.  Deasia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role at F3Y. She embodies a strong background in serving her community, through advocacy and empowerment. Deasia's warm and caring nature, coupled with her ability to adapt, makes her an invaluable asset to the team. She is committed to creating nurturing and stimulating environments that support children's overall growth and development.  

As the Reflective Supervision Specialist, Natalie’s goal is to provide professional development through engaging and connecting with early childhood experts to deepen their impact with families. Natalie has worked with young children and families since 2001 when she began her graduate studies at the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton. During her schooling she worked as a research assistant in the child development lab and supported community partners through university resources. Natalie’s career has included working in a variety of positions in nonprofit organizations such as Nexus Recovery Center, Rainbow Days, and First3Years. Natalie has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Austin College, a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from UNT, and she is a licensed childcare director in the state of Texas. For many years Natalie has taught as an adjunct professor at both UNT and the University of Texas at Dallas. The first several years of Natalie’s career included direct practice with children and families, and since 2011 she has positioned herself to provide professional development and training to the workforce. Natalie is excited to return to the team in this capacity to offer her skills as First3Years continues to grow.

Erica Martinez is the Professional and Parent Education Coordinator. Prior to joining First3Years, she worked in the non-profit sector as a college and career advisor where she helped students and their families access higher education. Erica also has experience working to identify and assess food deserts throughout Harris and surrounding counties. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston with a minor in Health. Erica’s excited to bring her skillset to First3Years and help our community of infant and early childhood mental health professionals.

Sarina holds both a Bachelor of Science in Community Health and a Master of Science in Health Education from Texas A&M University. Here, she worked with a breadth of grassroots health organizations to increase community engagement and ensure individuals were served in meaningful ways. Her passion for mental health education and desire to support infants and their families led her to her current position as First3Years’ Community System Coordinator. Through this role, Sarina primarily serves the Houston area by strengthening the network of care for infants and toddlers. She brings experience in evidence-based practice to the table as she consistently strives to bridge the gap between theoretical and implementable.  Outside of First3Years, Sarina loves starting new craft projects and exploring the great outdoors.

Heather Pugh graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor's degree in Speech-Language Pathology and then completed a Master's of Science in Infant/Child Specialist. For almost a decade, Heather has specialized in infant and early childhood mental health and currently supports efforts by First3Years to change the trajectory for infants, toddlers, and their families impacted by the child welfare system. Heather has experience in the field supporting statewide infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) workforce training, supporting state-level IECMH policy work, nonprofit operations, and early intervention. 

Heather brings with her a passion for challenging the current status quo of current child welfare systems. Her tenacity for change is seen through her trauma-informed lens supporting relationship-based work with infants, toddlers, their families and the systems that serve them. Heather has maintained her Endorsement as an Infant/Family Specialist and has provided several trainings around topic areas like transitions for young children, goodbye rituals, infant mental health 101, the power of hope, and several others. 

"Our best intentions and smartest interventions are only as good as our ability to be with people and create safety" - Dr. Stacey Leakey

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Jacqueline received her undergraduate degree in Child and Family Studies from Abilene Christian University and master’s degree in child development from Texas Women’s University. Since her undergraduate years, she has had a passion for children and families and how they function systematically. Jacqueline had the privilege of serving them and catering to this passion in different capacities for about 6 years. In that time, she has held positions that have allowed her to collaborate with others in childcare and behavioral health settings catering to foster youth, children with ASD, and youth from low-income communities. In her most recent position as a case manager for a child placing agency, she got to know the child welfare system better and saw a need for additional education and resources for bio parents. She is excited to play a part in offering that in her role at First3Years. Jacqueline is always excited to share what knowledge she has gained and join individuals with common goals to learn from them. She considers herself a lifelong learner. Jacqueline strives to be a person that someone can always feel heard by and safe with. In her spare time, she likes to read, paint, play card games and spend time with her very large family. 

Terris is a children & families veteran in the social work field. She has worked with children and families throughout her entire career span in social work; she also has a background in grants & compliance, as well as media expertise. Terris is originally from New Orleans but has been a Houston resident for the past 18 years. She has studied at Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans, and now Fordham University. During her spare time, she enjoys writing, traveling, spending time with her family and focusing on her newfound passion for podcasting. She hopes to become a motivator for the families which she will serve.

Carissa brings over 15 years of experience in a wide range of services such as case management, juvenile justice system, parenting programs, supervisory roles, early intervention services, prevention programs, domestic violence, and individual/group therapy to her role as the Safe Babies Coordinator in Harris County. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Work from Chicago State University. After working in the social services area for 6 years and loving the work she was doing Carissa decided to pursue her Master’s in Science specializing in Children and Adolescent development from Capella University. She also received a certificate of Nonprofit Management and Leadership that provided guidance to her in this career field. Carissa has recently relocated from a suburb of Chicago to Katy, TX. Outside of work, her 18-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter keep her busy. 

Rosalinda received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston Central Campus. Here she learned her passion was to continue working with young learners and pursued her teaching certification from the University of Houston Downtown. Rosalinda was a PreK teacher for 12 years. During her years as an educator, she discovered how important having positive connections with student’s families helped with student success. This led Rosalinda to pursue a Master of Education in School Counseling at Lamar University. She served 4 years as a school counselor in a primary school where she created and implemented parent workshops, provided social emotional learning to young learners, and collaborated with school personnel on providing a positive environment where students and their families felt safe and welcomed.  Rosalinda is excited to continue providing a positive environment with First3Years as a Safe Babies Coordinator. Rosalinda strongly believes that it does take a village to raise a child and is grateful to be part of that village.

Victoria Jones was born and raised in a family-oriented community in Acworth, Georgia.  It was in this small town of Acworth that she began to follow her calling and career path to impact society by helping others to define and redefine their lives.  She is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University where she received a Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Psychological services graduating Summa Cum Laude. She has been an internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor since 2001 and has served many individuals struggling with various types of addictions to regain and establish a healthy and productive life. Victoria has been extensively trained by The Sanctuary Institute of Boston, Massachusetts in a trauma informed model of care that emphasizes the necessity of understanding, “what happened?” to the individuals that need care, compassion, guidance and understanding. 

Prior to joining the First3Years team, she was employed with a ministry in Georgia that served children in congregate and foster care settings who required services related to mental health, behavioral issues, human trafficking, teen pregnancy, homelessness, developmental disabilities as well as other conditions. In this role, she worked diligently on the leadership teams to develop and expand programs and services that were identified as an important need in the state of Georgia for children and families thus, reducing the impact of trauma and improving the prospect of healing. 

In July of 2023, Victoria and her husband moved from Georgia to Texas to Pastor a church in Laporte, Texas.  Victoria is looking forward to establishing deep and healthy roots in Texas as she continues to serve as a catalyst for children and families to heal through past traumas preventing present progress.  Victoria’s philosophy regarding her approach to serving children and families is simply put, “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you.”

Xochitl Navarro earned her Bachelor's of science degree in both Victim Studies and psychology from Sam Houston State University. Before joining First3Years, she worked as an early interventionist for a Head Start program in the Houston area. There, She  collaborated with parents, educators, and staff to provide specialized support for children with developmental delays and/or disabilities. Her experience at Head Start ignited her passion for advocating and supporting families, which ultimately brought her to First3Years. Xochitl is eager to contribute her skills and knowledge to the Safe Babies program as a Harris county Coordinator to better serve the families we work with. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places to go on walks with her dog, tending to her house plants, and spending time with family.