KATIE MALARKEY
President, Advisory Board
Katie came to Parenting Village as a stay-at-home Mom looking to help families find the “village” that it takes to help raise a child. With an education in physics and desire to help parents find the support and connection they need, Katie works in many aspects of Parenting Village including the weekly Parents Circles, Nurture program, and as event planner for the annual Family Fest. She is grateful to have the opportunity to work with a board of wonderful, dedicated, and talented parents to help bring this organization to local community.
MICHELE BURTNER, CNM, MS
Board Member, Advisory Board
KARA JUSZCZAK, LCSW-R, CCFP
Board Member, Advisory Board
JANE OSWALD, RN, BFA/AASN
Board Member, Advisory Board
Jane has a background in Fine Art and Nursing, and has worked for over a decade as a Registered Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital. As a caregiver to critically ill patients and their families, and a caregiver to her own young children, Jane has found that strength often comes from connection. She was pleased to find how well Parenting Village fosters connection within our community, and provides access to important resources to families in times of transition. Jane is excited to join Parenting Village as it grows and reaches more families in the Rochester area.
SARAH OZIMEK, MS, CD(DONA)
Board Member, Advisory Board
Sarah first came to Parenting Village as a Nurture volunteer, providing in-home peer support to families adjusting to their parenting journeys with new little ones. As a birth and postpartum doula, Sarah advocates for seeking support early on to help make the transition to parenthood as peaceful as possible. Sarah is passionate about Early Intervention and Parent Advocacy, and is a trained Support Parent through Parent to Parent of New York State. She lives in the Rochester area with her husband and two children. Her background in marketing communications ties into her role at Parenting Village as she works to expand the reach & access of Parenting Village’s work to all in the Rochester community.
JENNIFER TAROLLI, J.D.
Board Member, Advisory Board
SHAWNA PETERSON, LMSW
Nurture Coordinator
Shawna was excited to hear about the idea of Parenting Village at the very first community meeting. At the time, Shawna was a first-time parent seeking connection with other parents in the Rochester community. She was intrigued about the possibility of connecting her professional skills with her new experience of becoming a parent. Shawna is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and is currently working toward her DONA Postpartum Doula Certification. Shawna has recently participated in trainings related to Maternal Mental Health and Infant Mental Health and is hopeful that her increased knowledge of these topics will help in the growth of Parenting Village.
BETSY BRINGEWATT, PH.D., M.S.W.
Chief Program Officer of Child & Family Services at JFS
Betsy has played many roles at Parenting Village in the past, including Executive Director and Co-President of the Board. Betsy currently serves as liaison to Jewish Family Service of Rochester, where she is the Chief Program Officer of Child and Family Services. Betsy came to Parenting Village with over 10 years of experience conducting research on programs that support children and families. She has a Masters in Social Work and a Ph.D. in Social Work and Sociology from the University of Michigan. Her dissertation involved a qualitative analysis of how children diagnosed with mental health disorders learn about and experience their diagnoses, and how parents can be supported in this process. She lives in the Rochester area with her husband and sons, and hopes that all parents will find the support and connection that she has had in her parenting journey.
EMILY HOROWITZ, MA, LMHC, LPC
Founder
Emily is a licensed professional counselor who specializes in perinatal and infant mental health. When Emily moved to Rochester in 2010 and opened her private practice, she found that there was a dearth of resources targeting families with infants and young children. She subsequently founded Parenting Village in order to meet this community need. Emily has worked in various capacities in the nonprofit sector for over 18 years, including program development, clinical supervision, and fundraising. Her work has targeted a wide spectrum of populations, including creating supportive housing, advocating for women impacted by domestic violence, and helping vulnerable children and their families heal from trauma and form healthy attachments. Emily relocated back to CO in 2016 with her family, but maintains close connections to Parenting Village and serves as an ad-hoc advisor when the need arises. She is currently a therapist and Training Director at the Postpartum Wellness Center of Boulder, and she serves on the board of a CO-based nonprofit, Dance To Be Free, which uses Dance and Dance Teacher Training as a way to change the trajectory of incarcerated women. More than any position held or endeavor undertaken, Emily’s personal transition to motherhood has been her greatest teacher.