Our Team

Together, we support families

Gay Litteken, BS

Executive Director

Gay is our Chief Problem Solver, Big Picture Thinker, and Community Cheerleader. She has a background in early childhood education and has been with First Chance since 2022.

Amy A., MBA

Finance Manager

Amy oversees the day-to-day financials and is responsible for all things budget related. She has over 11 years experience in the financial field and has been crunching our numbers since 2011.

Tammy Byington, BS

Director of Parent Education Programming

Tammy coordinates the multifaceted programming of First Chance and provides direct service to families. She has extensive experience in early childhood and has been with First Chance since the very beginning.

Janìce Mericle, BS

Family Resource Specialist

Janice provides intentional, tailored programming to families through home visitation programs. She has been in the field for over 30 years and brings multiple trainings, models, and curriculums with her. She has been supporting families with us since 2010.

Charity Quinn, BSW

Lend and Learn Coordinator

Charity provides parent support and child development activities in a fun, engaging atmosphere. She brings a social work background to family education, creating a strong, exciting program for parents and children. She has been facilitating fun with us since 2019. 

Ludi Gienger, BS

Family Resource Specialist

Ludi provides support to families through home visitation programs. She has over 20 years of experience plus multiple trainings in the field. Ludi walks alongside of families and meets them where they are. She rejoined our team in 2022 after previously working with us from 2010-2019.

Jessica Wieberg, BS

Family Resource Specialist

Jessica provides intentional, tailored programming to families through home visitation programs. Twelve years ago she started out as an early childhood educator for infants and toddlers. She expanded her focus to serving families with quality care and resources. She has been educating families with us since 2022.

Verena Wilkerson, BS

Baby Bags Diaper Bank Coordinator

Verena supports the operation of our diaper bank program by working directly with families and raising funds, everything in-between! With an extensive background in early childhood education, she knows what families need & how to secure resources that bridge gaps and improve lives. She has been educating families with us since 2021.

Nicole Schmitz, BSW

Program Specialist

Nicole supports both Verena and Charity with their programs. She has been instrumental in all of our programs and events, jumping in with both feet to any task and making our team stronger. She shows genuine interest and care for families, makes both children and caregivers smile with her playfulness, and works hard to make sure everyone has a great experience.

Join the Effort!

Opportunities to support families

Volunteer

Make your community stronger by signing up to volunteer at one of our many opportunities.

Donate

With multiple ways to give, you can make a difference in the lives of families right here in our community.

Apply

Join our team of dedicated staff working to support families through the first years of parenting.