Our team.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Connie Black
After many years serving children and families as a guide (teacher) in Montessori Children’s Houses (early childhood environments), Connie saw the opportunity to reach exponentially more children and families through adult education. She recently served as the Director of Training for the Boston Satellite of Montessori Training Center Northeast, working with adults preparing to guide Montessori Children’s Houses. She also serves as an examiner for the Association Montessori Internationale, consultant, and guest lecturer on AMI Primary Courses. Connie has worked her entire career to bring Montessori back to its roots, making it more broadly accessible to all children and families.
Connie holds a B.A. in English and Theatre from the University of Tennessee at Martin, as well as a M.Ed. from Loyola University Maryland. Connie loves living in Duluth, with her husband and dog. Her four grandchildren call her “Grand.”
BOARD CHAIR
Aparna Katre
Aparna is the principal faculty and Cultural Entrepreneurship program director at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She is passionate about developing an ecosystem bridging the academic and workforce needs of students and those of the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Her research is practice-led and community-engaged at the nexus of entrepreneurship, strategy and design-thinking for sustainable development and social change. She studies innovative entrepreneurial and community ownership models, and design-led interventions for solving societal issues of underserved communities. Aparna has provided leadership in the areas of strategy, organizational change management, business process improvement, and program management at Global Information Technology consulting firms. She led a technology based nonprofit organization and was a small business owner prior to taking the current position at the University in 2013. Aparna received her PhD in Management (Designing Sustainable Systems) from Case Western Reserve University in the United States in 2013 and has a Master’s in Statistics from Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India.
Jennifer Webb
Jennifer is an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Minnesota Duluth. This job opportunity brought her and her husband, Geoff, to Duluth in 2006. Soon after arriving in Minnesota Jennifer joined the Junior League of Duluth (JLD), an organization focused on improving the lives of those living in the Twin Ports and in training women leaders. During her time as an active member of the JLD, she helped to rebuild Playfront Park and was involved with the fundraising for, design of, and final building of the deep-winter greenhouse in West Duluth. Through the latter project she learned a great deal about food insecurity in our communities and forged connections with individuals and organizations that inspired her to seek out new opportunities. Most recently she supported the initiatives of Duluth Thrives to raise awareness around Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their impacts and to educate other on who best to create trauma-informed spaces where all may “thrive.”
At UMD, Jennifer teaches classes that explore the histories of visual culture, architecture, and the built landscape. She also has led several study abroad programs to Italy which allow her to share her love of the Italian landscape and its rich history. She always seeks out opportunities where she can learn alongside others.
Molly Harney
Molly Harney is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her primary teaching responsibilities are in the Early Childhood Studies and Early Childhood Special Education program. Her teaching and research focus include early brain development, cognitive development, emotional development, attachment theory, childhood adversity, trauma informed care, and early childhood special education. Her past experiences include early childhood education teacher, parent educator, early childhood special education teacher, and childcare center director. She has worked with children and families in a teen parent program, Head Start programs, corporate childcare, and public-school programs. She is currently engaged in a project focused on supporting women impacted by trauma and homelessness in Duluth and has been fortunate to partners with some of the women to write Minnesota Department of Human Service curriculum for childcare providers. The curriculum is under revision for a second edition and addresses homelessness and the impacts of the adversities children and families face.
Molly’s research in the areas of early brain development and the impact of quality care has been presented both nationally and internationally. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Parent Education, a master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Studies.
Chelsey Jonason
Chelsey is excited to be a new board member for the Duluth Center for Women & Children. She is looking forward to building community and supporting initiatives that empower women and create opportunities for children. Chelsey moved to Duluth in 2020 and is an attorney for Essentia Health. Before moving north she worked as a healthcare attorney at a large firm in Minneapolis and volunteered with organizations like the Children’s Law Center and the Advocates for Human Rights. In her free time she loves to explore Duluth’s many outdoor offerings and work in her garden.
Caitlin Smith
After School Program Coordinator, CHUM
Julia Williams
Julia Williams, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Education Emeritus with the University of Minnesota Duluth. She holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a B.S in Secondary English Education. Her areas of specialty include assessment, continuous improvement processes, and program evaluation. She is a licensed secondary principal and district superintendent. Dr. Williams taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in assessment, program evaluation, curriculum, and leadership. She also served as Faculty on Special Assignment for her last five years at UMD, working to design and implement campus assessment processes and practices and developing trainings and providing assistance to faculty and staff to institute strong assessment practices and reporting. Dr. Williams’ research and publications include studies of schools and the integration of leadership, staff development, student achievement and supervision and she has presented and published nationally and internationally. She has served as primary investigator and as evaluator on several significantly funded multi-year, multi-site grants awarded by the National Science Foundation, the Blandin Foundation, the Wilder Foundation and the US Department of Homeland Security. Julia has served as lead evaluator for accreditation reviews for over 100 schools, systems, digital schools, corporations, and corporation systems. She was a member of the NCA/CASI Minnesota State Council for many years and received the Excellence in Education Award for the state in 2013. She received the UMD Chancellor’s Award for Service in 2017.