Laura J. Briley
Laura Briley has been President and Owner of Day Schools, Inc, since 1976. She currently operates four NAEYC accredited centers in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She set up a pre-school in Orphanage #5 in Bucharest, Romania from 1990-1994 and trained Peace Corps Volunteers and UNICEF personnel in best practices. Laura founded Pikler-Loczy Fund USA in 2003 to assist in raising awareness and support for this model residential institute. Last October, she organized a training for orphanage personnel from Belize, México, Israel, Singapore, and Indonesia to go to Budapest to learn how to better care for institutionalized children.
Anna Tardos
Anna Tardos is a child psychologist. She has been the Director of the Pikler Institute in Budapest, Hungary since 1998. She joined Dr. Emmi Pikler, who started the Pikler Institute in 1961, and has taken part in Dr. Piklers’ research activity ever since. For decades she has done research of self-initiated free movement and play activity of young children. To this date, she has published 60 articles in five languages. Anna is also author, co-author or editor of many hand-books and curricula.
Another important part of her work is the teaching work in the field of infants’ and young children’s education – she is the author or editor of several books in the field, and expert of a television and video series for professionals and also for parents. She delivers lectures at congresses, conferences, leads trainings and workshops not only in Budapest, but also in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Northern Ireland, USA and Switzerland. She is honorary member of the French division of the international professional organization, World Association for Infant Mental Health and of the University of Liege.
Agnes Szanto-Feder
Agnes Szántó-Féder, PhD in Genetic Psychology from France. She was born in Budapest, Hungary, and has conducted university courses in France, in Belgium, and in Argentina. She is Professor in Escuela Practica de Psicomotricidad (Argentina) since 1991. She has been the Vice President of the Association International Pikler and Vice President of the Association Pikler-Lóczy de France. She is also on the Board of Pikler-Loczy Fund USA. She is the author of 18 books on early childhood psychology, with an emphasis on early motor development. She is a sought after international presenter with recent conferences in Chile, Peru, and Ecuador.
Denes Zsuzsa
PhD in psychology from Hungary. Dr. Denes has worked in children’s homes and childcare in Budapest, Hungary since 1960. She also works with adoptive families preparing families for the adoption and working with them after the child has been adopted to assist in a smooth transition. In 1992 she was one of the founders of Mosesbascet Association for Adoptive Families of Budapest.
Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Janet Gonzalez-Mena, MA has been teaching others about infants and toddlers for the last 30 years. Her book Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers is in its 8th edition, and she has written 11 other books and numerous articles. She trains trainers for WestEd’s Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC). Janet has studied at the Pikler Institute in Budapest and was a student of Magda Gerber. She has presented across the U.S. and internationally on early care and education, infants and toddlers, diversity, and family-centered care. Janet is a Resources for Infant Educarers Associate and Secretary of the Board for the Pikler-Loczy Fund USA.
Beverly Kovach
Beverly A. Kovach, MN has been working with and consulting in early childhood centers for more than 30 years. Beverly consults with Magda Gerber’s Resources for Infant Educarers as a mentor teacher and board member. Beverly is a Montessori teacher- trainer, consultant, and presenter at national and international conferences. She is co-author of Being with Babies. She founded Little Learner’s Lodge and Montessori of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina in 1977 and established Waverly Place (the first RIE Satellite Center in the USA) in 2003. She is Vice President of Pikler-Loczy Fund and has trained extensively in the Piklerian approach since 1995.
Elsa Chahin
Elsa Chahin was born in México and grew up in both the United States and México. She is a RIE Associate and a Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers (PITC) trainer. Elsa is a UCLA certified lactation educator and works with professionals and parents. She is on the Board of Pikler/Loczy Fund USA. As a Certified Interpreter/Translator, Elsa collaborated in the Spanish translation of Magda Gerber’s book Your Self-Confident Baby and the video, See How They Move. She has written several articles and presents nationally and internationally on infant and toddler development.
Maria Vasquez
Maria Del Carmen Vasquez, President of the Foundation “AMIGOS DE LA VIDA”.
Studies: Sociology, Pediatrics, Neurobiology, Psicopedagogy.
Maria is a Founding member and President of Foundation “Friends of Life”, which promotes the creation of suitable environments for human development.
She is the Director of the Shelter Home “A Home For Us” which gives care and respect to children from 0 to 4 years old who have disabilities or have suffered abandonment or mistreatment.
She directs the social reunification process for families in extremely difficult situations, from a human and rights-based perspective.
Etienne Moine
Etienne Moine is a French industrial engineer and business administrator and manager.
Etienne is a founding member of “Pestalozzi educative foundation” and was in charge of managerial and pedagogic aspects in the field of education through autonomous and spontaneous activity of children.
He is currently in charge of tourism, agriculture and industry management, as well as being one of the members of the cultural foundation OCHO Y MEDIO in Quito, Ecuador. Etienne Moine has been invited to many national and international workshops and conferences regarding education and care for the early childhood.
He is a founding member of the “Friends of Life” foundation and administrative director of the project “A home for us”. This project aims to the fostering of sensitivity and acceptance of children as “legitimate human beings” and serves children 0-4 years of age who are in extremely vulnerable situations.
Alexandra Curtis Boyer
Alexandra Curtis Boyer has worked with infants, toddlers and parents/caregivers since 2001, when she was first introduced to the work of Magda Gerber and Resources for Infant Educarers. Founder of www.acorntooakbaby.com, Alexandra is a RIE Associate and continues her studies in Maternal and Child Health. Mother to three lovely daughters, a Certified Lactation Counselor and Newborn Massage instructor, Alexandra leads Parent Infant Classes and runs a Prenatal Education Program for Tampa’s Baby Bungalow Child Abuse Council.
A Board Member of the Pikler-Loczy Fund USA, promoting excellence in Infant-Toddler Development, Alexandra presents on a variety of “birth to two” and parenting topics, both nationally and internationally. How to Play – Simple Toys Make Active Babies is Alex’s first publication in addition to translations of early childhood research for the Pikler Institute.