About Us
Our team at The Short Years Partnership all share a commitment to helping children have the best possible start in life. We know that parents in our community want the best for their children, and we also know from our own experiences that parenting is challenging. Our STAFF, PARENT EDUCATORS, and BOARD OF DIRECTORS are passionate about providing the families we work with the information, tools, support, and resources they need to help their children learn and grow.
Meet the Staff
Parent Educators
Sheena Sullivan
Executive Director
Sheena Sullivan has 15+ years of experience leading and consulting nonprofit organizations. An Iowa native, she spent almost two decades living in Chicago and Denver and is happy to have returned to her home state in 2019.
Sheena has a master's degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago and is a candidate for a Ph.D. in organizational development and leadership from the University of Arizona Global Campus.
She is passionate about proactively supporting families during the critical time of early childhood.
Rachel Bardwell
Program Director,
Parents As Teachers
Rachel has always been drawn to helping other people realize their potential. After college, she worked in various family support positions before taking time away from the workforce to start a family. When her first child was born 16+ years ago, she quickly realized that all her “book knowledge” on parenting was not going to cut it! Parenting was more challenging, draining, AND rewarding than she ever could have imagined.
In her role as supervisor for the PAT program, Rachel works with our incredibly talented team of Parent Educators and appreciates their passion and commitment to helping families move through these early years.
Rachel and her husband have two sons who keep them very busy and entertained! In her spare time, she enjoys scrapbooking, gardening, and relaxing.
Danielle Kenworthy
Program Supervisor,
Parents as Teachers
Danielle joined The Short Years Partnership as a parent educator in May of 2018 and loves it! She finds it a joy to meet and work with families while helping guide and observe the development of their children. Prior to becoming a parent educator, Danielle taught kindergarten and first grade for 20 years. She graduated from Morningside College with degrees in early childhood and elementary education.
In addition to her teaching experience, Danielle learned about children through foster parenting, adoption, and her own children.
Born and raised in Iowa, Danielle calls Lake Panorama home. In her spare time, she enjoys boating, driving her ’66 Ford Mustang, spending time with family, attending concerts and musicals, cheering for the Iowa State Cyclones, and traveling.
Erin Paugh
Program Manager,
Short Years Diaper Bank
Throughout Erin's life, she's been reminded of how true the saying "It takes a village" actually is. She was born and raised the oldest of six kids in a small farming community in southern Iowa. From an early age , Erin learned firsthand the support that community can offer families and the impact that they can make.
Erin graduated with a degree in Community Health Ed. from Iowa State and worked 17+ years at state and local levels in various programs relating to children's health issues. She recently had the privilege of working directly with youth in the Indianola Schools.
Erin and her husband have called Indianola home since 2002. They're raising three beautiful kids that keep them very busy; two daughters and a son. In her free time she loves creating in any capacity (baking, refinishing furniture, home projects) but her favorite thing to do is to take an outdoor adventure with her kids.
Parent Educators
Bonnie Forsyth
Parent Educator Mentor
Bonnie was born and raised in Creston, Iowa. She has always had a big desire to do all she could to make a difference in the lives of children.
Bonnie spent 25-plus years doing child abuse prevention work. From an early home visitation project to serving eight years on the Prevent Child Abuse Iowa Board and six years on the Iowa Respite and Crisis Care Board, she has always aimed to better the lives of children.
Bonnie dearly loves being a cheerleader for Parent Educators. She is honored to be welcomed into the family's homes and lives. Bonnie is grateful for the opportunity to contribute positively to both the parents and children's day to day experiences. She has always felt that all parents (including myself) want to do the very best job possible of parenting.
Sami Heithoff
Parent Educator
Sami has lived in rural Madison County nearly all her life. She and her husband are blessed to be raising their three sweet and energetic boys close to where she grew up.
Sami's professional background includes teaching special education and third grade for 6 years. She spent the last 11 years as a stay-at-home mom during which time she was also a substitute teacher and reading tutor.
Parents As Teachers benefited Sami's family when her boys were younger and she is now excited to be a PAT educator herself and partner with families on this exciting adventure called “parenting”!
Sami currently spends much of her time supporting her children's extra-curricular activities and volunteering at school and church. When she has “free” time, she enjoys photography, shopping, and catching up with family and friends.
Deb Seeman
Parent Educator
Deb is a born and raised Iowa girl. She and her husband have two grown children and she has always loved being around kids.
In her younger years, Deb spent many hours babysitting and teaching swimming lessons. During her career, Deb was a Para-Educator in a preschool, a Lead Teacher in a daycare, and most recently, a Nanny.
Deb joined Parents As Teachers as a Parent Educator in May 2019. She enjoys meeting new families and helping them in any way she can.
In her free time, Deb enjoys reading, crafting, traveling, spending time with my family, and playing with her dogs.
Ricki Schroeder
Parent Educator
Ricki joined Parents as Teachers in July of 2020. Joining Parents as Teachers has been a blessing that has allowed her to continue to fuel herpassion for working with children and families in a new and exciting way.
Ricki originally began her professional career in corporate America. Upon having little ones of my own she realized her true passion and desire to work with children and exited the corporate world to open her home to other working parents and their children for the next 12 years.
Ricki is a long-time resident of Warren County, Iowa, was born and raised in Indianola, and now proudly calls Norwalk home. She and her husband have been blessed with three amazing children. In their free time, they enjoy cycling, boating, traveling, and spending time with their children and pups.
Khulud Abdulhamid
Parent Educator
Khulud was born and raised in Iraq where she grew up in a large extended family enjoying time with my many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She graduated from the University of Baghdad, Department of Business Administration and then owned a computer office store.
Khulud moved to Iowa in 2009 with her husband and young sons. Since being in the US, Khulud volunteered and worked as a translator for schools, hospitals, or anyone who needed assistance.
She finds it a joy working as a Parent Educator, especially the opportunity to serve families by communicating in their language, understanding their needs, supporting them, and helping their children prepare for school.
During her free time, Khulud enjoys spending time with her family, painting, and the newest member of their family, a British Shorthair kitten.
Mariana Gil Gomez
Parent Educator
Mariana was born in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México, and was raised by her grandparents in a small town near the city. She has two children whom she loves and enjoys spending time with. Mariana studied Psychology but didn’t complete her degree, as she decided to move to Des Moines, Iowa, 19 years ago, which she now considers her second home.
Throughout her career, Mariana has consistently worked in roles where she can help the community. For the past three years, she worked as a Spanish Interpreter at a high school, serving the Hispanic community. Now, she is excited to begin a new chapter as a Parent Educator, a role she is grateful for and is committed to giving her best effort.
In her free time, Mariana enjoys outdoor activities with her kids, especially anything related to nature and animals. She and her family also love visiting México for vacations and spending time with extended family.
Tracie Backstrom
Parent Educator
Tracie’s passion in life has been to support children and families in central Iowa. After serving 20 years as a public schools special education teacher in Des Moines and surrounding suburbs, she is thrilled to have found the perfect career as a Parent Educator for Jasper County. She is committed to serving the individual needs of the families she works with; and understands how crucial the early years of a child’s development is, and the importance of parents being their child’s first teacher.
Tracie lives at Holiday Lake in Brooklyn with her husband PJ, who is also a special education teacher. They have 7 children ranging from age 5 to 17. The kids keep them busy and they love spending time as a family doing all things outdoors-fishing, boating, swimming, and riding ATVs.
Felicia Hazelton
Parent Educator
Felicia was born and raised in Newton, Iowa and grew to find her passion in working with children. Graduating from University of Upper Iowa with a Human Services degree and Psychology Minor, Felicia has worked in a number of different fields with children including: Head Daycare Teacher, Shift Supervisor at ChildServe, and a Teacher Aide in a school setting. In 2021, Felicia came across Parents as Teachers, and she instantly fell in love with her role as a Parent Educator and the families she served.
After becoming a new mom in 2023, Felicia took time away from PAT to be a stay-at-home- mom to her daughter. Felicia is beyond excited to be back as a Parent Educator, serving both Jasper and Marion counties.
During her free time, Felicia enjoys traveling, riding her bike, camping, boating, and spending time with her family and friends.
Jennifer Murray
Parent Educator
Jenn is a long-standing member of the Marion County community, residing proudly in Pleasantville. She married her high school sweetheart and they have four children. During her free time, Jenn enjoys attending her children's extracurricular activities, spending quality time with her family, and actively contributing to the community.
Her professional journey began in corporate America before she pursued her aspiration of being a stay-at-home parent. She later owned and operated a daycare before transitioning to a Paraprofessional in preschool.
Keri Emerick
Parent Educator
Keri has lived in Marion County nearly all her life. She married her husband, Josh, in 2008 after meeting in 2003 while both were on active duty in the army. They have two beautiful daughters, Rylie, 18, and Raegen, 16, and are very proud of their girls and all of their accomplishments.
After her time in the army, she began working at a dialysis facility. When Josh was called to active duty in 2008, she decided to stay home with their daughters. She became state certified and earned her CDA, running her in-home childcare for 10 years before deciding to return to work. That’s when her journey with Parents as Teachers (P.A.T.) began. She worked with P.A.T. for four years at Marion County Public Health, then briefly returned to dialysis before realizing her passion was working with children. This led her to return to P.A.T., now with Short Years Partnership.
In her free time, she enjoys camping, watching movies (especially The Notebook), fostering animals, and spending time with family and friends.
Board of Directors
Mark Elcock
Elcock Law Firm/State of Iowa/SWCC - Magistrate/Professor
President
Alyssa Caldbeck
Iowa Project Launch/Drake University- Mental Health Consultant
Vice President
Heather Gaumer
Sallie Mae, Assistant Region Head - Midwest
Treasurer
Lisa Connell
Iowa Economic Development Authority, Legal Counsel
Secretary
Morgan Konrad
Choices Therapy Services, Counselor
Director
Lilly Dunlop
Norwalk Police Department, Police Officer
Director
Justine Fridley
Indianola Child Care, Assistant Director