MICHELE BURTNER, CNM, MS

Board Member, Advisory Board

BECKY JAGLA

Board Member, Advisory Board

I came to Parenting Village as a Nurture Program participant and single mom of two young kids seeking support. As I struggled to find my “village” I was met with caring volunteers and life long friendships. Because of these connections, I became an advocate for letting others know about Parenting Village and eventually joined the board. I now co-facilitate the Single Parenting circle and continue to offer support to parents who may need it.

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 serves as Parenting Village’s Marketing Workgroup Chair and as a Circle Facilitator. 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/postpartum doula and mom of two children, she 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. Her marketing communications background ties into her role at Parenting Village as she works to expand the reach & access of Parenting Village’s important work to all Rochester families needing support and connection.

SHAWNA PETERSON, LMSW

Volunteer 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. Since that first meeting, Shawna has volunteered for Parenting Village as a board member, chairing the Connections Workgroup and as a Nurture Volunteer during the preliminary pilot stage. In 2017, In an effort to help expand the Nurture Program, Shawna’s role transitioned to becoming Parenting Village’s Nurture Program Coordinator. Shawna is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and has participated in a DONA Postpartum Doula training offered through Beautiful Birth Choices (BBC), an Infant Mental Health training offered through the Society for Protection and Care of Children (SPCC) and multiple Maternal Mental Health trainings offered through Postpartum Support International (PSI). Shawna enjoys connecting with families and volunteers in our community and is passionate about making sure families have the support they need on their parenting journey. She lives in the Rochester area with her husband and three children.

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.