Behavior Management Experts
Amy Taylor Executive Director
Amy has an MSW in Human Services Management from Boston University and a BA in Psychology from Purdue University. Amy brings over 20 years as a nonprofit leader with success in advancing the mission of organizations and improving effectiveness.
Her expertise is in executive management, administration, strategic planning, board development/training, major donor/fundraising, public speaking and talent development.
Before joining us, Amy was the Executive Director for SitStayRead, the VP of Development for American Nutrition Association, Executive Director for After School All-Stars, Managing Director of Development and Operations for Accelerate Institute, Alain Locke Charter School.
Rich Arend, Ph.D Clinical Child Psychologist
Richard A. Arend, Ph.D., is a clinical child psychologist who began at Tuesday’s Child in 1987. He supports our Behavioral Intervention services on Saturdays. Dr. Arend obtained his doctorate at the University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development, where he did ground breaking research on the mother-infant attachment relationship and how it relates to children’s later competence. He has clinical experience in individual and family psychotherapy, consultation to schools, crisis intervention, and parent education.
Elizabeth Schropp, Ph.D. LCSW/LISW
Elizabeth is a licensed clinical social worker, who obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Northern Iowa. Prior to joining the Tuesday’s Child team in November 2023, Elizabeth worked with children and families in a variety of settings. These include residential programing, child and welfare services, school-based therapy, non-profit mental health, and clinical private practice. Elizabeth is passionate about supporting families as they create behaviors which promote a safe, secure, and value oriented environment. Elizabeth understands that each family is unique, and is committed to highlighting the resiliency and diversity of all dynamics.
Connie Weil, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Weil is a licensed clinical psychologist who obtained her doctorate degree from Michigan State University with a specialty in child and family psychology. She has extensive experience in cognitive, behavioral, and emotional assessment of children and in individual and family psychotherapy. Dr. Weil joined the Tuesday’s Child program after spending much of her career at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. While at Lurie Children’s Hospital, Dr. Weil specialized in the evaluation and treatment of families and young children with a variety of concerns, including children with both internalizing and externalizing mood and behavioral concerns, children with severe food allergies and other chronic medical concerns, and children who graduated from the NICU. This work has also included consultation with schools and other community groups in the Chicago area.
Gary Koenig Development Director
Cheryl L. Kaplan, MS, MFA Director of Parent EducationCheryl first came to Tuesday’s Child as a parent in 2018 with her 2 young boys and truly believes the program changed their lives for the better in every way possible. Passionate about Tuesday’s Child mission, and wanting to stay connected, she continued as a volunteer peer mentor and is now Director of Parent Education overseeing the parenting component of our Behavioral Intervention program. She holds an MS in Disability and Human Development, and an MFA in Directing for the Theatre. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Letty Perez Bilingual Coordinator
Letty started at Tuesday’s Child in December 2021. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University where she earned a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Spanish. In July 2021, she completed her Masters of Arts in Counseling with a concentration in Art Therapy. Letty is a Bilingual Coordinator at Tuesday’s Child, where she coordinates our Familias Felices bilingual program. Letty works directly with our families and focuses on working with our Spanish speaking families by providing them with parenting support and advocacy. She also does outreach to present workshops to the Spanish-speaking populations that could benefit from our Familias Felices Program. Her future plans are to have her own clinical practice and advocate for mental health awareness.
Juanita Tullis
Curriculum Coordinator/ Parent Liaison
Juanita came to Tuesday’s Child in 1985 as a parent participant with her three children. After completing the program, Juanita volunteered for Tuesday’s Child and was shortly after hired to work in our classrooms. After completing her degree in Early Childhood, she became the Curriculum Coordinator – designing and implementing Child Center activities, screenings and supporting individual learning styles. She works directly with our “Big Kids” classroom – working with children ages 4-6.
Fran Smith Teacher
Fran holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois – Chicago and has continued her professional development in special education from Northeastern Illinois University. She spent 2 years in the Peace Corps in an Infant Survival Program and also worked in the Chicago Public Schools as a special education assistant. Fran has been involved with Tuesday’s Child since 1982. Fran originally came as a community volunteer and with time she became a member of the teaching staff.
Dede Stone Social Emotional Expert
Hello , everyone! I am so happy to introduce myself. My name is Dede and I am a brand new member of the Tuesday’s Child family. The positive energy of the TC family is contagious and I am so excited to join in on it. My role will be the Social Emotional Expert for the TC Scholars Preschool. As for a little bit about me, I have taught PreK as a lead academic teacher for the past 2 years. I completed the Teach For America Corps and attended National Louis University where I attained my Masters degree in Early Childhood Education at the same time. I am very passionate about Mental Health and working with students to help them achieve their highest potentials. I was born and raised in Elmhurst, a western suburb of Chicago, so I am also an avid Chicago sports fan. Go cubs! In my free time, I love to run, spend time outside, take pictures with my camera and travel. I look forward to continuing this journey with Tuesday’s Child and continuing to make a positive difference in children’s lives.
Amanda Scott Director of Preschool
Amanda came through Tuesday’s Child over 30 years ago with behavioral concerns. As she became older, Amanda began volunteering in the classroom and then joined the staff in 2007 as a Classroom Teacher. She is now the Lead Teacher at TC Scholars and Tuesdays Child summer camp. Amanda is currently pursuing a degree in early childhood education and brings her unique behavioral perspective to her academic lessons. She is a proud mother of three and believes that working at Tuesday’s Child has made her a better parent.
Ashanti Brown Teacher Assistant
Hello, my name is Ashanti Brown. I am a 23 year old native Chicagoan and I am thrilled to be working as a full-time assistant teacher with the TC Scholars. I feel incredibly fortunate to have joined such an amazing and welcoming team, and I am eagerly looking forward to working with the children and getting to meet the lovely families. A little bit about my background: I attended Harold Washington College, where I pursued a major in biology. However, I have recently been contemplating returning to school to study early childhood education. Working in this field brings me immense joy and fulfillment, and I believe it is where my true passion lies. During my free time, I enjoy spending quality moments with my beloved cat, Donut. I also have a penchant for shopping and gaming, which serve as enjoyable pastimes for me.
I am excited for this new chapter in my career and the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of the children at Tuesday’s Child.
Carlos Nava Teacher Assistant
I started working at Tuesday’s Child in August of last year during my fall semester. I am currently going to LFC and will be finishing my undergraduate degree in December. I originally was not sure if I wanted to work with kids. While looking for internships to do for my fall semester, Tuesday’s Child came up. After my experience going through the program, I really enjoyed working with kids and want to continue working that path. Currently, I am working as a teachers assistant for the summer program. Once the summer program is over, I will be the Behavioral Intervention Teacher’s Assistant. My favorite part about TC is working with the kids. Each kid brings in their unique personalities and I enjoy getting to know the kids on an individual level.
Bill Gubrud Marketing Specialist
Bill joined Tuesday’s Child as their Marketing Specialist in May of 2023. He created the first ever Gay Pride night in sports history in the world in 2001. He also secured ads with the Cubs in 2000 in an lgbt paper making the ads the first professional sports team to market to the lgbt community. Bill has now joined Tuesday’s Child to help promote the great and essential work they do with children that have behavioral concerns.
Loretta Rode Education Coordinator
Loretta came to Tuesday’s Child in 2016 with her family after her son was struggling with preschool. Going through the core program made such a difference in her son’s behavior and impacted her entire family, that she continued on with Tuesday’s Child becoming a peer mentor and helping over 30+ families going through the same struggles she experienced as a new mother. Now Loretta has been given the opportunity to be a part of the TC family on an even larger scale and she plans to continue working with families and giving them the tools to succeed in an ever changing world.
Maria Perez Office Manager
Maria joined Tuesday’s Child in November of 2022. She oversees the daily operations of the office and plans meetings for the staff. She possesses excellent organizational and communication skills that help ensure the effectiveness of the company’s staff and processes. She has taken on the role of working hand in hand with our internship coordinator to ensure that all our interns have everything they need in order to succeed in our program.
Our Interns
Tanner Duderstadt– Intern
School: Loyola University Chicago
Major/Degree: Psychology
Tanner Is a new intern that will be starting in August 2023. He will be helping out in the TC Scholars room and the BI room. Tanner’s future career goal is to become a therapist! Tanner is from Pittsburgh, PA and has one older brother. A favorite experience of Tanner’s with working with children is when he worked at an Animal Shelter camp and was able to help them learn new things about animal care. A few of Tanner’s favorite things include the color green, licorice candies and elephants. He likes to eat pretzels. His favorite movie is Spirited Away. As a child Tanner liked to play with legos, Pokemon and Thomas the train. Welcome to the team Tanner!!!
Clark Fannin– Intern
School: Loyola University Chicago
Major/Degree: Psychology
Clark is a new intern that will be joining us in August of 2023. He will be helping out in the TC Scholars and BI classroom. Clark’s future career goal is to be a school Psychologist. He is from Jacksonville, Florida and has 4 siblings. In his free time Clark loves creating music and it is a big part of his life. A few of Clark’s favorite things include the color red, nerds candy, pizza and guinea pigs. His favorite movie is Napoleon Dynamite and his favorite book is What Was I Scared Of? By Dr. Seuss.. As a child Clark’s favorite toys were legos. Welcome to the team Clark!!
Katie Feekin– Intern
School: University of Chicago – Illinois
Major/Degree: Masters in Social Work
Katie is a new intern starting in August 2023. She will be helping out in the TC Scholars classroom and the BI room. Katie’s future career plan is to work with expecting mothers and new families. Katie grew up in Palatine, but has lived in Chicago for 11 years and has one older sister. One of Katie’s favorite experiences working with children is watching them learn, grow and gain confidence at new milestones. She has had experiences as a nanny, after school care supervisor and in day camps. A few of Katie’s favorite things include the color purple, Reese’s candy, and giraffes. She loves to eat pasta, especially Mac and Cheese. As a child Katie loved anything arts and crafts. Welcome to the team Katie!!!
Tonia Gokey– Intern
School:Loyola University Chicago
Major/Degree: Social Work
Tonia is a new intern that will be joining us in August 2023. She will be helping out in the Behavioral Intervention room. Tonia’s future career is to get her LCSW and take it from there. Tonia is from Madison, Wisconsin and has two older brothers. Tonia has worked as a SpecED Para & RBT. Her favorite moments have been seeing kids learn new skills. A few of Tonia’s favorite things include the color purple, Twix chocolates, and lasagna. As a child Tonia loved to play with her barbies and hot wheels. Welcome to the team Tonia!!!
Rosemary Roberts – Graduate Intern
School: Loyola University Chicago
Major/Degree: Social Work and Psychology
Rosemary is a new intern who will be starting in August 2023. She will be helping out in the TC Scholars preschool and BI classroom. Rosemary is from St. Louis, Missouri and has one older brother. Her future plan is to become a children’s therapist. In her free time Rosemary enjoys coffee and tea. One of Rosemary’s favorite experiences working with children was through a tutoring program, she felt it was extremely rewarding working with the children. A few of Rosemary ’s favorite things include the colors orange and green, Reese’s peanut butter cups, tomato soup and frogs. Her favorite book is “Play it as it Lays” by Joan Didion. Her favorite movie is “A League of their Own”. As a child Rosemary always enjoyed doing any type of arts and crafts. Welcome to the team Rosemary!!!
Avery Ackman – Undergraduate Intern
School: University of Illinois-Chicago
Major/Degree: Masters in Social Work
Avery is a new intern that started in August of 2023. She will be helping out in TC Scholars preschool and in the BI room. Avery is from Chicago, Illinois. A favorite experience working with children was running a soccer camp alongside her best friend. A few of Avery’s favorite things include the color Purple, Sweet Tart Ropes candy, and fries. Her favorite book is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Huego, and her favorite movie is Mulan. Welcome to the team Avery!!
Emily Schwefel – Intern
School: National Louis University
Major/Degree:
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Emily is an intern who will be joining us in August of 2023. She will be helping out in the TC Scholars preschool and BI classroom. Emily is from Lombard, Illinois and has one younger sibling. Emily’s future career goal is to become a counselor for children. In her free time Emily enjoys binge watching friends and exploring new coffee shops. A favorite experience of hers was working with children with autism as a behavior technician. A few of Emily’s favorite things include the colors pink and red, snickers, chicken nuggets and dogs. Her favorite book is “Winter Street”, and her favorite movie is “Legally Blonde”. As a child Emily enjoyed playing with dolls, riding her bike, and bubbles. Welcome to the team Emily!!!
Grace Balcazar– Undergraduate Intern
School: DePaul University
Major/Degree: Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing
Grace started as an intern in the fall of 2022. She is from Joliet Illinois, and has two siblings, a brother and a sister. Grace’s future career plans are getting her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with Child Focus. A few hobbies of Grace are reading, baking and writing. A favorite experience working with children is when she was working with children they were fascinated with her hair. Theory asked questions about it, braid it and put it in updos. She enjoyed seeing the children interact with something they were not used to seeing. A few of Grace’s things include the colors pink and purple, sour patch kids, Pozole, and Monkey’s. She likes the book City of Dusk by Tara Sim and the movie Wall-E. As a child Grace loved to play with legos, toy trucks and carebears. Grace would like the staff to know that this is her first internship and first time working with children in a therapeutic setting.
Ericka Serrato- Intern
School: DePaul University
Major/Degree: Psychology
Ericka is an intern who will be joining us in August 2023. She will be helping out in the BI room. Ericka is from the South suburbs. A favorite memory of Ericka’s working with Children was reading books to them and doing fun/creative activities together. A few of Ericka’s favorite things include the color green, kit kats, pizza and elephants. Her favorite movie is the Harry Potter saga, specifically the 3rd one, and her favorite book is Into the Water by Paula Hawkins. As a child Ericka loved Build a Bears. Welcome to the team Ericka!!!
Maddie Atlas- Intern
School: Loyola University Chicago
Degree: Social Work
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Maddie is an intern who will be joining us in August 2023. She will be helping out in the BI room as well as in our TC Scholars room. Maddie is from Northbrook, IL. Maddie enjoys helping the children distract from their separation anxiety, as well as using imagination and doing arts and crafts. A few of Maddie’s favorite things include the color yellow and black, Necco candy, and bugs. Her favorite movie is John Carpenter’s The Thing or Shrek and her favorite book is Michael Crichton’s Prey. As a child Maddie loved Duplos, playing in her wooden kitchen, and instruments. Welcome to the team Maddie!!!
Arianna Masi
School: UIC
Degree: Applied Psychology
Pronouns: She / Her / Hers
Arianna Is a new intern that will be starting in January 2024. They will be helping out in the Behavioral Intervention Room. Arianna’s future career goal is to receive her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is from Chicago and has one older brother. She used to work with children teaching them all about teamwork, leadership skills, as well as social and emotional intelligence. Some of Arianna’s favorite things is the color black, chocolate, pasta and sloths. Her favorite movie is Someone Great and favorite book is Divergent. As a child She enjoyed playing with dolls, race cars, and plastic animals. Arianna enjoys going to the gym, walking her dog and watching a good show.
Welcome to the team Arianna!!!
Laila Smith
School: Roosevelt University
Degree: Psychology – Child & Family Concentration
Pronouns: She / Her / Hers
Laila Is a new intern that will be starting in January 2024. They will be helping out in the Behavioral Intervention Room. Laila’s future career goal is to get her MSW, become a LCSW and a registered play therapist. She is from Chicago and has a younger sister. Laila has been working as both a substitute and extended day teacher, she loves to see all the ways they grow. Some of her favorite things include the color pink, M&M’s, sushi and dogs. Her favorite movie is Legally Blonde and her favorite book is The Alice Series by Phyllis Reynold Naylor. As a child Laila loved playing with Legos, Littlest Pet Shops, and a stuffed dalmatian. Laila enjoys crafting, dancing, cooking and walks with her dog.
Welcome to the team Laila!!!
Estefany Ruiz
School: National Louis University
Degree: Social Work with a Minor in Human Services
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Estefany is joining us Fall 2023. She is from Chicago, IL and is the middle child between her older brothers and younger sisters. She enjoys listening to music, going to the movies and spending time with family and friends. Some of her future goals include working with children with disabilities. She would love to work in areas such as homelessness and mental health in both adults and children. Some of her favorite experiences working with children is being able to work hands-on and seeing the growth of both herself and the children. Some of her favorite things include the colors purple, black and blue, she likes Kit Kats and Skittles. Her favorite book is the After Series by Anna Todd. Welcome to the team Estefany!!!
Jessica Lopez-Guzman
School: UIC
Degree: Masters in Social Work
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Jessica Is a new intern that will be starting in January 2024. They will be helping out in both the TC Scholars and Behavioral Intervention Room. Jessica’s future career goal is to become a licensed therapist. She is from Mexico but grew up in Chicago and has 3 siblings. Jessica loves to see how children feel proud of themselves after mastering skills they thought were too hard before. Some of her favorite things include the color forest green, carrots, Cheese Blintzes and dogs. Jessica’s favorite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. As a child her favorite toys were plushies. Jessica loves learning new things and feels like she is a walking encyclopedia.
Welcome to the team Jessica!!!