Parenting Educators

Milly Arbaje
M.S. in Social Work and B.S. in Psychology, Boston College; LCSW
Milly has been leading Families First workshops since 2003 as a bilingual parent educator in both English and Spanish. Milly has extensive experience facilitating professional trainings for various agencies throughout Greater Boston. She is currently the Director of the ABCD Parker Hill Neighborhood Service Center in Roxbury, MA.

Pam Bailey
B.S. in Human Services, specializing in Counseling, Lesley University; OCCS Certification in Early Childhood Education, Wheelock College; Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts, Rhode Island Junior College
Pam has a wide breadth of experience working with children and families. She is currently the Senior Family Liaison with Oliver W. Holmes Elementary School in Dorchester and has been leading programs for Families First for over ten years.

Lisa Bibuld
M.S. in Education, Bank Street College of Education
Lisa Bibuld is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and has worked with children and families for over 15 years. In addition to her 12 years of inner-city teaching experience, Lisa has worked as a development specialist in early intervention and as a therapist for homeless women and children.

Shawne K. Blake
B.A. in Liberal Arts, Vassar College; LSW
Shawne has been a Families First Leader since 2001. She has facilitated parent workshops in a variety of settings, including transitional environments and educational centers. Shawne is currently the Senior Mentor Supervisor for Dare Family Services, where she works with specialized foster parents and children.

Debra Broadley
M.A. in Counseling Psychology, Lesley University; B.S. in Education, concentration in Special Education and Psychology, Baruch College, City University, NY; LMHC and CEIS
Deb has 30 years of experience working with children and families, including several years as a mental health clinician for a large early intervention program. Deb currently consults to a public school system and has a private psychotherapy practice specializing in issues of parenting special needs children, grief and loss, infertility, depression, and relationship concerns.

Marilyn L. Buckler
M. Ed. in Counseling, Northeastern University; B.S., New York University
Marilyn Buckler is a licensed educational psychologist and parent educator with over 30 years of experience in the field of education and working with children and families in a variety of settings. She currently serves as a Parent Program Consultant at the Stone Center.

Carol R. Darcy
Ed.D., Boston University School of Education
Carol has been leading a variety of parenting and professional development workshops for Families First since 1997. She has taught courses in many colleges and universities throughout the United States and currently balances the demands of her educational consulting practice with leading a variety of parenting and professional development workshops for Families First.

Nina Dickerman
M.S. in Human Development and Family Support, Wheelock College; B.S. in Business and Psychology, Ithaca College
Nina has spent nearly 20 years educating parents and professionals working with families through workshops in the workplace, shelters, community organizations, national and local conferences, and schools. Nina is currently the Work/Life Liaison for the Harvard School of Public Health.

Briget Evans
M.S. in Social Work, Salem State College; B.S. in Human Services, University of Massachusetts; Associate in Liberal Arts, Roxbury Community College; LICSW
Briget currently works within the Cambridge Public Schools as a School Clinician/Student Support Coordinator, where she counsels students and works with families and faculty.

Marionette Fennell-Patterson
M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, Lesley University; B.A. in Adult Training and Development, UMass Boston
In addition to serving on several boards (including the Boston Children’s Museum and the Boston Public Schools’ Kindergarten Curriculum Committee), Marionette’s experience includes four years at the Department of Social Services, 15 years providing drug addiction and rehabilitation services to families and individuals, and over 20 years in the Boston Public School system as a teacher and Parent Coordinator/Trainer.

Beth Fredericks
M.Ed in Early Childhood Development, Eliot Pearson School at Tufts University; B.A. in Education, Eastern Michigan University
Beth has been a part of the evolving work-life field for 25 years, providing advice and guidance to families, professionals, and companies dealing with employees' off-the-job pressures and on-the-job productivity. In addition to leading parenting programs for Families First, Beth is working independently on various consulting, writing, and training projects, with a focus on work-life initiatives and human resources.

Alejandra Hernandez
B.A. in Educational Psychology, Cambridge College; Masters in Communications, Art & Communication College, Santiago, Chile
Alejandra has worked with parents and students in the Boston Public Schools as Lead Parent Coordinator, Student Coordinator, and most recently as the Family and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Warren Prescott School in Charlestown. Alejandra served as a Latino Outreach Coordinator for Families First.

Rosalyn Levy
B.S. in Elementary Education, Slippery Rock State College
Rosalyn has worked with families for over 30 years, primarily victims of domestic violence. She has facilitated trainings and discussion groups on a statewide basis.

Lilly Marcelin
B.A. in Human Services, University of Massachusetts
Lilly Marcelin has been involved in the areas of violence against women, family advocacy, immigrant rights, and human trafficking for over two decades. Born in Haiti, she left her country at the age of 13 to attend secondary school in Montreal in 1974. She has been living in the US since 1978. Lilly has extensive experience in violence prevention and safety care, immigrant rights, modern day slavery, racism, anti-oppression, and community organizing and empowerment.

Susan Marx
M.A. in Education, California State College at Long Beach
Susan is an elementary classroom teacher and a writer and editor of educational materials for students and teachers who has appeared in spots on Boston TV and cable networks and has been interviewed by major newspapers and parenting magazines. In addition to over 700 workshops for parents and professionals, Susan has led Families First’s multicultural training initiative and has served as the Senior Training Specialist responsible for recruiting and training new workshop leaders as well as providing ongoing training for the existing leader pool.

Maribel Molina
M. Ed. School Guidance Counselor, Boston University; B.A. in School Psychology, Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena, D.R.
Maribel Molina worked for more than ten years as a school psychologist in the Dominican Republic in addition to her private practice specializing in psychological testing and family therapy. She has conducted workshops on Positive Discipline, School Success, and Self-Image. Her areas of interest include supporting families and women facing transition and the role of faith in the well being of individuals and families.

Gail Parsons
M.S. in Infant and Toddler Development, Wheelock College; B.A. in Psychology, University of Rhode Island
Gail has extensive experience leading and facilitating support groups and focus groups. She offers training on child development, parenting, managing stress, balancing work and life, and helping older relatives. Gail is one of five experts featured in a nationally marketed, multi-media CD-ROM financial guide entitled Quicken's Parents' Guide to Money and has been interviewed and featured in the nationally syndicated column entitled Child Life.

Marta Rivera
B.A. in Political Science, Northeastern University
Marta is an active member of a number of civic organizations and serves as Chair on the board of Sociedad Latina. Marta is passionate about issues involving youth and Latinos, and her professional life is a reflection of her deep commitment to being an advocate for disenfranchised communities in Boston, particularly Mission Hill, where she grew up. Through her work and volunteer service to community-based organizations, Marta strives to make a significant difference and contribution to the future of Boston.

La Verne R. Saunders
M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling, Northeastern University; B.S.N. & R.N., Howard University
After 25 years in direct service and management positions in human service organizations, La Verne now utilizes her educational, professional, spiritual, and life experiences as a training specialist and consultant.

Haji Shearer
B.A., Management of Human Services, University of Massachusetts; LSW
Haji has been working in the field of family support since 1993 and is an experienced group facilitator. He currently directs a statewide fatherhood initiative and is a sought-after trainer on issues relating to fatherhood and co-parenting.

Marcia Strauss
B.A., Geography, University of Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
Marcia has worked with immigrant communities for the past 13 years and is a Portuguese Parent Liaison for Lowell Public Schools’ School Success Program of the International Institute of New England-Lowell. Additionally, she has started a program at IINE that assists legal permanent residents with becoming naturalized citizens free of charge, helping with N-400 filing and teaching civics classes for the naturalization test. She has been leading Families First workshops since 2007.

Yvette Thomas
B.A. in Family and Community Services, University of Massachusetts
Yvette has been working in the field of human services for over 20 years, with a strong emphasis on work to build and strengthen family bonds. Yvette is also a trained mediator and conducts mediations in Family and Probate Court. As a trainer and mediator, Yvette has worked with teenagers, teen parents, homeless parents, parents raising children in urban areas, prisoners, and non-profit and corporate employees.

Doug Weinstock
M. Ed., Harvard Graduate School of Education; B.A., Harvard University
Doug Weinstock has worked with Families First since 2001 as a leader/trainer of parenting and professional workshops. Doug is a multi-cultural consultant with VISIONS, Inc., providing training and consultation to individuals and organizations addressing issues of multiculturalism. Prior to 2001, Doug spent 30 years as a public school educator (teacher, staff developer, principal) in several Boston-area school districts.