KIDS FIRST STAFF

	Dorothy Brayley, MBA - Executive Director Dorothy earned an MBA from Bryant College, a BS in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University and an AS in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University. She has worked a variety of jobs that include full-time college instructor, school lunch professional, consultant to RI Department of Education, entrepreneur/chef, sales and customer service. She is the co-founder of Kids First and the co-founder and chair of the RI Healthy Schools Coalition, working to improve children’s nutrition for over 12 years.
	Karin Wetherill - Associate Director & Healthy Schools Coordinator Karin has a Bachelor of Arts from Providence College in Sociology and Public Administration. Along with currently working with Kids First, Karin also works with Nelson Management Company and MCH Evaluations. She has years of marketing and sales experience and has worked in the human resources-recruitment field. She volunteers for Barrington Public Schools and has served as Vice President of the Barrington Parents for Music Education.
	Patricia Diminico - Marketing & Operations Manager Pat attended the Sawyer School of Business, Pawtucket, RI and the Marketing Courses at Community College of RI. She has a degree in Human Resource Management from Bryant College and Paralegal Certification from Blackstone Academy. Prior to her connection with Kids First, Pat worked in a variety of positions at a nursing home for 20 years. She was the Assistant to the Nursing Director, the Personnel Director and a Nursing Assistant. She has 16 years of graphic design experience and serves on the East Providence Health & Wellness Committee.
	Mary-Elena DeLuca, MS, RD - Chief Dietitian; Program Coordinator Mary-Elena is a Registered Dietitian and has a Master of Science in Nutrition from Saint Joseph College, a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Science, Home Economics from University of Rhode Island. Mary-Elena has extensive nutrition experience, she has worked with the WIC Senior Program implementing program procedures and services to WIC participants. She previously worked as a freelance home economist at the Boyd Corporation in Massachusetts and was a home economics teacher.
	Sandra Sepe - Chef & "Power Up" Program Coordinator Sandy is a certified chef and food safety specialist who is involved in all aspects of workshop planning and coordination at Kids First. Sandy is dedicated to working with school administration, cafeteria staff, parents and students to ensure that school meal programs statewide incorporate healthy foods, especially lots of fruits and vegetables. Sandy also works with various committed community partners in the state, including Whole Foods, to present coordinated efforts and events that promote the Kids First mission.
	Marti Breau, RD, MBA - School Food Safety Specialist Marti has her Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University, Boston, MA, a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY and she is a Registered Dietitian. Marti has extensive education in clinical nutrition, food service management and nutrition education and is a member of the American Dietetic Association. She is a Certified Food Safety Specialist at Kids First working part-time through a contract with RIDE on the Food Borne Illness Prevention priority area in the Coordinated School Health Program funded by the Centers for Disease Control. She is currently also employed at Hancock Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center as a Consultant Dietitian.
	John Fratiello - Food Safety Inspector John Fratiello has a Culinary Arts degree from Johnson & Wales University and a Business degree from Bryant University. John has a career in food service that spans 25 years including fine dining and restaurant start-ups. For over a decade, he has worked in school food service, both in small and large accounts throughout Rhode Island and Connecticut, making him uniquely aware of the USDA National School Breakfast and Lunch program operations.
	Carole Toselli - Healthy Schools Coordinator Carole earned a Doctor of Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and attended the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. She has a Bachelor of Science from Boston College. Carole was a consultant for article review and data abstraction for Evidence Based Medicine projects. She was a Research Assistant at Dartmouth Medical School, Department of Endocrinology and is currently a member of the Barrington Public Schools Wellness Committee and the School Improvement Team at Barrington High School.
	Marisa Anand - Chef Team Leader Before joining the Kids First Staff, Marisa was a Kids First Professional and is a familiar face in school cafeterias statewide. She is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and has extensive managerial experience in the restaurant industry, where she helped develop assessment and evaluation systems for the successful performance of kitchen staff. Marisa is fluent in 4 languages - English, French, Spanish and Italian. In her role a Chef Team Leader, Marisa is responsible for continuing to develop Kids First partnerships with school food service directors, chefs and staff in order to assist in the ongoing goal of serving Rhode Island students healthy and delicious school meals every single day.
	Kimberly Sporkmann - RI Farm to School Project Coordinator & Healthy Food Specialist Kimberly graduated suma cum laude from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Nutrition and an AS in Culinary Arts. In her Farm to School work at Kids First, Kimberly helps bring RI grown produce into RI schools, develops and offers educational programs about farms for children and their parents, and helps to develop sustainable relationships between farmers, food service directors and distributors.
	Leah Sarris, "Power Up" Program Coordinator & Healthy Food Specialist Leah graduated cum laude from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Nutrition and an AS in Culinary Arts. Along with her work at Kids First, Leah works as a Research Chef, Culinary Nutritionist, and Project Manager for Chef Services Group, Inc. where she is responsible for developing operational standards, recipes, employee and management training, product selection/procurement and vendor relations.
	Kim Korb - Agriculture/Garden Programs Instructor Kim is a Master Gardener who has been involved at Kids First for over a decade. She develops curriculum for community garden programs, healthy eating and gardening programs and coordinates garden workshops with a focus on health, food safety and nutrition. Her focus is on helping to give children the knowledge to grow and eat their own food from a garden.
	Ellen Shaw, RD - Grant Writer Ellen has a BS in Health and Physical Education from Northeastern University a MA in Health Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a BS in Dietetics and Dietetic Internship from University of Rhode Island. She is also a Registered Dietitian. Ellen has an extensive background in teaching health and nutrition and as a Kids First staff member, she works as a nutritionist and grants writer for the Farm to School Project.
	Jennifer Quigley-Harris - Director of Communications Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts from Connecticut College, New London Connecticut and a Graduate Professional Degree in Book Publishing from University of Denver Publishing Institute. Jennifer has worked in book publishing for ten years before becoming a freelance writer. She serves as a member of the Health & Wellness Committee in Newport.
	Heidi Carla - "Power Up" Program Coordinator Heidi holds a Certificate in Culinary Arts from Boston University, an MFA in Literary Arts from Brown University, and a BFA in English from Roger Williams University. She has worked extensively in the fields of education reform and career education. In addition to her work as a chef educator for Kids First, she is a School-Based Coordinator for Cranston Public Schools.
	Kelly Swanson - Communications Associate Kelly graduated from URI with a degree in journalism and has worked in sales at various television and radio stations for 20 years. She is an active member of the Coventry PTA and serves on the Health & Wellness Committee in Coventry.

 

 

Staff Profiles

Meet Karin Wetherill, Associate Director & Healthy Schools Coordinator

Her Role:

Karin has been part of the Kids First team for six years, involved in many of the organization's initiatives, including coordinating the RI Healthy School Coalition's Breakfast for School Leaders, developing the annual Healthy Foods Marketplace, facilitating district Wellness Committees throughout the state and managing many of the organization's federal and private grant based projects.

Before Kids First:

Karin's professional background was in healthcare and her personal interests have always been in preventative medicine and healthy living. She was an active volunteer in schools locally and at the state level while doing consultant work for healthcare clients.

In Her Words:

"At Kids First, I'm able to interface with school administrators, teachers, students, food service workers, parents, state officials and even farmers! I'm thrilled to work with a wonderful group of dedicated and passionate Kids First staff and consultants."

Karin's Faves:

Veggie: Asparagus

Fruit: Raspberry

Work Out: Spinning

Daily Healthy Habit: Early morning power walk - in all weather!

CONTACTING OUR OFFICE

KIDS FIRST, Inc.
5 Richmond Square
Providence, RI 02906
Telephone: (401) 751-4503
Fax: (401) 421-0248
E-Mail: info@kidsfirstri.org