Our Childcare Professionals

Christen Coco Guzman, LMFT

Clinical Director

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Christen Coco Guzman, LMFT (she/her/hers) is a Marriage and Family Therapist and passionate mental health advocate who joined Child Care Council in 2024 as Clinical Director for the mental health clinic. 

Guzman earned her Bachelor’s degrees in English and Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and her Master’s in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family therapy from Pepperdine University in California. Over the last fifteen years, she has worked in the field of mental health as a clinician, supervisor and leader in non profit mental health, with a primary focus on children, adolescents and families. She believes that everyone should have access to exceptional care, and is committed to providing access to quality care to the Rochester community, regardless of income, race or gender.  

Guzman brings her authentic self to work where she strives to create an environment that meets clients and clinicians alike with honesty, vulnerability, transparency and unconditional positive regard.

Suzette Smith

HR Director

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Suzette Smith joined Child Care Council as its first human resources director in 2023. During the past three decades, she has served and grown her expertise in multiple industries, including finance, manufacturing, nonprofit and medical. She brings a diverse perspective on employee needs and what makes them successful. She strives for a culture-driven environment, empowering each employee to be their best selves.

Smith’s personal and professional passion is to improve mental-health outcomes for children. She attended Roberts Wesleyan College and received her certification in strategic human resource management from Cornell University. 

Bethany Williams

Special Needs Services Director

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With a passion for creating inclusive and supportive learning environments, Bethany Williams has devoted most of her professional career to bridging gaps and championing equitable access for children with disabilities.

Williams strongly believes in the potential of every child when given the appropriate resources and support. Through her extensive experience working with children with autism spectrum disorders as a teacher and coordinator, she has developed innovative strategies that cater to the unique needs of children with autism and other developmental disabilities to ensure they are successfully included and thrive in child care settings.

Williams earned a master’s degree in special education at St. John Fisher University, an advanced graduate certificate in autism from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from The University at Buffalo.

Laurie Haley

Nutrition Services Director

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Laurie Haley has worked with child care programs for more than 30 years. She started her career at the Council in the Education department then moved to Nutrition Services, which includes Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Eat Well Play Hard in Child Care Settings (EWPH), Farm to Preschool (F2P), and Creating Healthy Schools and Communities. “I hope all child care programs that participate in our various nutrition programs have been inspired to provide the most nutritious meals and snacks as possible to the children in their care, while also integrating nutrition education into their weekly programming and activities.”   

Brian Waldmiller

CFO and HR Director

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Brian Waldmiller has more than 26 years of finance and operations management experience with nonprofit agencies. As CFO, he is instrumental in increasing the financial stability of the agency, overseeing all finance and the allocation of funds supporting the operations of the Council, including budgeting, financial reporting, data administration and human resources functions. He also supervises and directs the work of the HR manager, data specialist and billing specialist. 

Before joining the Council, Waldmiller served as the finance/business manager for a large suburban parish and as the budget manager for Rochester Urban League. Earlier in his career, he worked as a financial analyst for First Federal Savings and Loan.

Waldmiller earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Rochester Institute of Technology. He resides in Fairport N.Y., with his wife and four children. In his spare time, he also serves as a music director for a local parish community.

Augie Espenmiller

Inspections Director

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As director of Inspections, Augie Espenmiller supervises a team of inspectors tasked with regulating registered child care programs across Monroe, Livingston and Wayne and counties. Espenmiller and his team work with a range of 375-425 registered programs throughout the course of a year, promoting the health and safety of children and ensuring compliance with New York state child care regulations. Prior to becoming director, he performed onsite inspections as a Family Daycare and School-age child care inspector. 

Espenmiller earned his bachelor’s degree from the College at Brockport with a concentration in recreation management. He has always had a passion for human service and early childhood development. During college, he interned with the Recreational Services department, assisting with student program operations and mentoring young children as a summer camp volunteer. His service to youth continued by working at the YMCA of Greater Rochester as a before and after school care coordinator. 

Outside of work, Espenmiller spends time with friends and family, explores the Erie Canal and Genesee River Pathways, and he also enjoys basketball, golf, fishing and trying new recipes.

Reneé Scholz

Family and Employer Services Director

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Reneé Scholz joined the Council in 1998 as a referral specialist and currently serves as director of Family and Employer Services. Through her years at the Council, she has performed a variety of duties and holds different training certificates including NYS Early Learning Trainer Credential; NYS Health and Safety Trainer; NYS SACC Credential Trainer; Eco-Healthy Trainer; and Mind in the Making Trainer.

Scholz works to strengthen agency partnerships, including those with Strengthening Working Families Initiative, a partnership with Rochester Rehabilitation Services; Health Careers Program, a partnership with Action for a Better Community; Child Care Aware @ America-Little Children; Big Challenges; Vroom Brain Building Initiative and Vroom Business Cohort Partnership.

Prior to joining the Council, she worked at Threshold Center for Youth, providing counseling, education and case management services for adolescents both on site and in Rochester City Schools. She also worked for the Webster School District as a paraprofessional, supporting students with diverse needs and classroom teachers. 

Scholz earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from SUNY Brockport. She has always wanted to help make a difference in the lives of youth and families. She is a wife, mother of two grown children and a lover of animals and nature. She is enthusiastic about the health and well-being of people, human rights and about alleviating the environmental impacts on quality of life.

Dana Bialaszewski

Registration Services Director

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Passionate and committed to supporting the child care community, Dana Bialaszewski has been engaged in the child care and human service field for more than 24 years. She joined the Council in 2013 as a registrar and became director of Registration Services in 2015. In addition to her responsibilities as director, Bialaszewski oversees the Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development Program. 

Bialaszewski earned her bachelor’s degree in health and human services with a concentration in early childhood from the University at Buffalo. A wife and busy mom to three children, she enjoys spending time outdoors.

Hector Santiago

Chief Operating Officer

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As director of the Administration Department, Hector Santiago oversees aspects of the agency’s day-to-day operations and manages the Livingston and Wayne County offices. He also supports in-home child care programs by providing training and technical assistance, and he has worked as a regulator for family child care programs. Passionate about child care, he has worked in the field for more than 15 years. 

Santiago has served on the board of the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting high-quality child care by strengthening the family child care profession. He was recognized with NAFCC’s Accreditation Facilitation Project Award in 2017. 

He earned his master’s degree in education with a major in curriculum and teaching in Spanish from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico and his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce Campus. He also completed college graduate credits in international human resources and completed a course in human resources administration offered by the University of Palermo in Argentina.

Kristin Perrone

Senior Program Officer

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Kristin Perrone has more than 30 years of experience in the early education field, including public schools, Early Head Start, Head Start, Universal Pre-K and child care centers. She has taught all ages of children and adults and served as an administrator. She started as a trainer at the Council and spent many years promoting and encouraging growth within the agency.

She currently oversees the nine-county Region 2 Infant Toddler Resource Network and a team of Education and Infant Toddler Specialists. She has been trained in, and experienced with, the following early childhood programs and assessments: Pyramid Model-Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool, Teaching Pyramid Infant Toddler Observation Scale, Classroom Assessment Scoring System for Infant Toddler and Preschool, Environmental Rating Scales for Family child care, Infant Toddler, and Preschool, High Scope, Creative Curriculum, and Zero to Three. She collaborates with other agencies and advisory groups related to serving young children and families.

Certifications include NYS Teacher Certification PK-12, NYSAIHM Infant Mental Health Endorsed, Child Development Associate Trainer & Professional Development Specialist, Program for Infant Toddler Care PITC Certified Trainer, NYS Training and Technical Assistance Credential. Perrone earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and psychology and her master’s degree in education from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Linda Lane

Legally Exempt Services Director

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Linda Lane joined the Council, Inc in 2007 as a legally exempt enrollment specialist and advanced to director of Legally Exempt Services in 2014. She continues to support efforts to increase the quality of care in all child care modalities, but especially in the legally exempt modality. In addition to her responsibilities as a director, Lane has coordinated agency special events, such as the annual Start Bright Gala, donation drives and holiday and staff appreciation celebrations. 

Lane earned her bachelor’s degree in general studies with an emphasis on finance from the University of Dayton. Her focus switched to child care when she was home with her own children, and she previously worked as a preschool teacher and as a paraprofessional in the Pittsford Central School District.

Rose Shufelt

Senior Community Officer

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Rose Shufelt, MA, IMH-E®, serves as director of Health and Social Emotional Wellness, which encompasses a whole child approach to wellness including health care, special needs training, technical assistance, referrals, and equipment grants, Pyramid Model work, grief support and regional mental health consultation. She also oversees the Regional Infant Toddler Mental Health Consultants in a nine-county region, ensuring that this preventative work is embedded within child care programs of all modalities. As the regional Pyramid Hub Coordinator, Master Cadre Pyramid trainer and leadership coach, Shufelt helps programs implement the Pyramid Model. 

Shufelt has worked in the early childcare field for more than 30 years, including in elementary school teaching, as a toddler and preschool teacher, child care center program director, and infant toddler specialist. Her credentials include NYS Early Learning Trainer; TTAP Coach Credential Program for Infant Toddler Care Trainer; and NYS-AIMH Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health® as an Infant Family Associate. Shufelt earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education and her master’s degree is in adult learning.

Jeff Pier

Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Pier became CEO of Child Care Council in 2020. With nearly three decades of experience working in human services, Pier has held leadership roles in areas impacting the community, such as domestic violence, rape crisis, juvenile justice and mental health. Pier believes in collaboration and working with the community to create solutions, and he enjoys working with providers and caregivers to ensure they have the resources they need. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human services administration and a master’s degree in public administration.