8th Annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children & Youth
Presenters & Panelists
Dr. Pamela Gigi Chawla, MD. Senior Medical Director
Primary Care, Children’s Clinics and Hospitals of Minnesota
Dr. Gigi Chawla is the Senior Medical Director for the Primary Care division
at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. She is a pediatrician and
hospitalist with Children's. She attended medical school and completed her
pediatric residency training and chief residency at the University of
Minnesota. Gigi was employed at Boston Children's Hospital as a full-time
hospitalist before moving back to join the Children's Clinic (St. Paul campus)
in 2001 as a pediatrician. Her areas of interest are the care of complex
special needs patients, premature infants, ventilator dependent children, and
care of hospitalized patients.
Dr. Michael Troy, PhD. Medical Director
Behavioral Health Services, Children’s Clinics and Hospitals of Minnesota
Michael Troy, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Medical Director of Behavioral
Health Services at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Michael
received his undergraduate degree from Lawrence University in 1980, and his
PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1988. He
completed his internship and fellowship at Hennepin County Medical Center
and has been on staff at Children’s Hospital of Minnesota since 1988. His
clinical and academic interests include diagnostic classification issues in
developmental psychopathology, models of therapeutic assessment, and
teaching child clinical psychology as part of hospital and community medical
education programs. He is co-author of the book, ‘Disorders of Childhood:
Development and Psychopathology’.
Lynn Haglin, Vice President/KIDS Plus Director
Northland Foundation – Duluth
Lynn Haglin’s experience spans over 30 years in education, administration,
community development, and philanthropy, with an extensive background in
early childhood, youth development, and intergenerational programming. She
began her career as a Kindergarten teacher and Early Childhood Family
Education (ECFE) educator. Since 1992, she has led the Northland
Foundation’s nationally recognized KIDS PLUS Program, which, under her
guidance, has grown into an array of children, youth, and intergenerational
initiatives encompassing 52 community coalitions throughout northeastern
Minnesota. She holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and
Administration from Western Michigan University and Bachelor of Science
degree in Elementary Education from Bemidji State University.
Frank Forsberg, Senior Vice President
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Frank Forsberg is the Senior Vice President of Systems Change and
Innovation. He oversees impact planning, public policy government relations,
and external engagement. He came to United Way in December 1999, from
Catholic Charities, where he was administrator of the Advocacy and Outreach
Division. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from St. John’s University
and a master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University. Frank
also serves as the chair of the MinneMinds campaign which advocates for
increased funding for early childhood initiatives in Minnesota.
Melvin Carter III., Director
Minnesota Office of Early Learning
Melvin W. Carter III was appointed Director of the Office of Early Learning at
the Minnesota Department of Education in July 2013. Prior to joining the
department, Carter served on the Saint Paul City Council from 2008 to 2013.
In his role at the Office of Early Learning, Carter oversees the implementation
of policies effecting Minnesota’s youngest learners. Carter holds a Bachelor’s
Degree in business administration from Florida A&M University and a Master
of Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University
of Minnesota.
Marcie Jefferys, Director
Minnesota Children’s Cabinet
Marcie Jefferys was appointed Director of the Minnesota Children’s Cabinet
in April 2013. The Children’s Cabinet strives to better coordinate and align
policies, programs and resources across state agencies and communities to
support improved outcomes for Minnesota children. Marcie works with
Minnesota’s Commissioners of Health, Education and Human Services to
achieve this goal. She was previously the policy development director for the
Children's Defense Fund of Minnesota and the director of the Center for
Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota. She holds a
Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, a master's degree from the
University of Chicago, and a bachelor's degree from Carleton College.
Denise Mayotte, Executive Director
The Sheltering Arms Foundation
Denise Mayotte is the Executive Director of the Sheltering Arms Foundation
and the co-chair of the Start Early Funders Coalition. Previously, Denise
worked as a program officer for the arts at the McKnight Foundation and as
the executive director of the Neighborhood Resource Center. She serves on
the board of In Progress, a youth media organization, as Policy Committee
Chair of the Strategic Leadership Team for Youth Community Connections in
addition to numerous other civic and community leadership roles.