Meet The Board

Stephen Karmol

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Co-President

Stephen Karmol, MAT, is the director of Wild Lilac Child Development Community in the Foster-Powell neighborhood of southeast Portland. Prior to becoming a full-time administrator, he taught in kindergarten and preschool classrooms for over a decade. Stephen is passionate about inclusion, anti-bias education, emergent curriculum, and growing the visibility of early childhood educators and our profession. 

Kacie Wende

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Co-President

Kacie Fleming, BA, is a Professional Development Coordinator at a Head Start Agency in Portland, Oregon. Kacie's professional experience consists of many years of teaching, directing a certified child development center, ECE master trainer, and builder of children's learning materials. Kacie is currently Secretary for Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children's Governing Council.

Patrick Earnest

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Treasurer

Patrick Earnest is Center Director at St. James Child Development Center in Portland, Oregon.  Patrick’s professional experience comes from more than twenty years working in Early Childhood Education.  Holding just about every position in certified centers, he has a passion for helping each staff member pursue their professional goals, learning and growing as teachers.  Patrick previously taught Preschool at St. James for fifteen years, and has five years of experience working in before and after school-age care programs.  

Dylynn Robertson

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Secretary

More information about Dylynn coming soon!

Roberta Recken

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Member At Large

Roberta Recken, M.Ed has been working in the field of early childhood education for the past 43 years, including executive director of Fruit and Flower Child Care and as a site manager for Mt Hood Community College Head Start. She is a graduate of Bank Street College in NYC, and a past intern at NAEYC in Washington, DC.  While she is interested in all aspects of early childhood,  she  spends time and thought considering the impact of poverty on children and families,  and how to grow the best early care and education professionals.  Roberta feels everyone, from babies to elders, would benefit from eating more vegetables, spending more time outdoors, and of course, singing.