Head Start Training and Technical Assistance
Meet the Region 10 T/TA Team

Terry has a Ph.D from the University of Illinois with a double major in Early Childhood Education and Educational Evaluation. Her Master's work was in Special Education and her Bachelor's degree was in Elementary Education. She has served as Assistant Dean at Pacific Oaks in Pasadena, California; as Director of the Head Start Training Office for the State of Kansas; as Director of the Child and Family Program at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory; as Director of K-12 Partnerships in the Vice Provost Office at the University of Washington; and most recently as the Senior Early Childhood Associate for the Early Head Start National Resource Center at ZERO TO THREE in Washington, D.C.

My early childhood background is long and varied. From teaching at a NAEYC accredited preprimary school in Virginia for wealthy families, teaching fours and fives at a local community college classroom, to working in Head Start classrooms in Bellingham. I have most recently started and managed an Early Head Start program in Walla Walla and have also served as the interim director for a local Head Start program. I have a Master's degree in Psychology from Western Washington University and a Bachelor's degree from Fairhaven College. I have also served as an adjunct instructor in Early Childhood Education at Columbia Basin College. I am excited to join this dynamic team and serve Washington's Head Start and Early Head Start community.

I have 18 years of experience in Early Childhood and Social Services. I began as a preschool teacher in a cooperative preschool and a parent educator through the local community college. Over the years I completed my Associate’s Degree with many classes in Early Childhood and my Bachelor’s Degree with an emphasis on family systems. I have been involved with Head Start since 1990, working in positions from family advocate through mid-management, and finally as a director. I have also been adjunct faculty teaching early childhood classes and a trainer and field mentor for the Social Competency Based Training through Portland State. I have been a Head Start reviewer since 1993. I believe in Head Start and am
dedicated to supporting programs.

Rob has spent the last decade working with multiple grantees in Washington and California in many different capacities. He has spent time in all positions from Teacher, Director, Transition Coordinator, Education Manager, and Training Manager in both Head Start and Early Head Start. Rob also spent time as the manager of a Developmental Disabilities Program here in Washington. He continues to participate in multiple Fatherhood Initiatives as well as develop local programs. Rob holds a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Development and enjoys expanding his knowledge of both the French and Spanish languages.

Louise has worked with Head Start since 1992, as the Family Service Worker with Franklin Pierce Head Start, and as the Family Services Coordinator with Olympic Educational Service District 114, Head Start/EHS/ECEAP. She has four years experiences as a Head Start Reviewer where she participated on reviews in Regions V, VIII, and X. Some of the areas she continues to be active in is the Fatherhood Initiative, Program Governance, and areas involving local programs in family and community partnership. In 2006, she served on a national committee to write and produce the Family Services Protocol for the 2007 Head Start PRISM federal monitoring tool. Louise holds a bachelor degree with a double major in Psychology and Sociology.

Gene Gousie is the new T/TA Fiscal Content Specialist who most recently was at the National Child Care Information Center in Vienna, Virginia as the Technical Assistance Coordinator. In our region he has served as the President of the Board of the Denise Louie Education Center, as the Director for the Puget Sound Educational Service District Head Start Director of the four Seattle delegate agencies and as Education and Disabilities Coordinator for Head Start Programs in King and Pierce Counties. He was one of the first Head Start Fellows to the Head Start Bureau in 1996. He has also served as the Regional Administrator for DSHS Division of Child Support in Seattle, Washington. He most recently served as a Commissioner for the National Head Start Fellowship Program.

My commitment to quality early childhood care and education began in 1974 when I started my career as an early childhood educator. For the last 22 years I worked with Tanana Chiefs Conference as the Director of Early Childhood Programs serving families with children ages birth to five living in rural remote tribal communities, enrolled in Head Start and Early Intervention programs.

My formal education resulted in a BA in Elementary Education from Alaska Pacific University with on going learning through the University of Alaska. I have learned and grown most from my rich experiences with families and staff and am passionate about ensuring quality services are available and accessible. I look forward to serving Head Start grantees through my new role as a Technical Assistance Specialist.

I have 17 years experience in Family Services at Southern Oregon Child and Family Council, starting as a Family Advocate in 1983, but mostly as a Family and Community Partnerships Manager. My passion has been supporting Policy Council in responsible leadership, and implementing evaluation tools to support excellence and promote program accomplishments. My work at SOHS involved working with Early Head Start, Full/Day Full Year, home based, combination, and center based models. As a trainer and educator, I have presented at National Head Start Association conferences on Outcome Based Evaluation, Leadership, and Effective Work with Parent Groups, and also served as a trainer and field advisor for the Social Services Competency Based Training. My professional experience also includes 7 years as a Federal Reviewer, and 5 years teaching College level Psychology and Communications. I have a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Diploma of Education, a post graduate teaching degree. I am excited to join the T/TA team to support Oregon Grantees.

I have recently returned to Seattle after spending the last three decades in Alaska working in a variety of public health and children's health settings. I am a nurse and a Family Nurse Practitioner with a graduate degree in Community Health. I worked in a statewide rural Head Start program as coordinator of Health/Dental/Nutrition and Mental Health components. I also have worked as a Nurse Practitioner in a rural community health clinic, School Nurse in Anchorage, WIC Program Coordinator for Southeast Alaska, and in substance abuse treatment. I have lived in 'Bush' Alaska and have first hand experience with the limitations of rural health care systems.

My professional focus has always been prevention, health promotion and supporting an improved health care system for everyone. I share the goals of comprehensive and preventative health services for Head Start children and families and feel it is a great opportunity to promote healthy child development.

Most recently, Dawn has been working with children with disabilities in the public schools in Seattle. She was in involved in research on Head Start programs in Michigan. Dawn has also worked with the Martin Luther King After-School program through Harvard University, in providing instruction on African-American history through the use of technology. Dawn has a B.A. from the University of Michigan in Elementary Education and another B.A. in African and African-American Studies. She received her M.Ed. in Human Development and Psychology, specializing in Risk and Prevention from Harvard University in 2001.

Maria received her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her Master's work was in Literacy and Dual Language Acquisition. Her Bachelor's degree was in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Washington. As a Speech Therapist, Maria worked in Birth to Three programs, both private and public preschools, as well as, different school districts throughout the United States while her husband served in the Armed Forces. Her 10 years with Head Start encompasses a variety of experiences; first as a Speech Therapist, Lead Teacher, Education Coordinator and finally as Program Manager for the Muckleshoot Head Start program in Auburn, Washington. Maria is excited about joining this dynamic T/TA team and the opportunity to serve Early Head Start and Head Start programs throughout Region 10. Maria is fluent in Spanish and looks forward to assisting programs with their culturally and linguistically diverse children and families.