Meet the Illinois AEYC Staff

Christy Horn - Executive Director
Christy is looking forward to her first year as Illinois AEYC Executive Director/Statewide Accreditation Project (SAM Project) Coordinator. She brings 16 years of experience in Early Childhood. Christy and her husband, Josh, reside in Southern Illinois. They, along with their children , Gracyn and Caden, enjoy being outdoors, sports, and spending time friends.

Lee Ann Mowers - Administrative Assistant for Member and Chapter Relations
Hello, my name is Lee Ann Mowers. I am married and have two adult children and one grandson. I have my bachelor’s degree from Bradley University and an associate degree from Illinois Central College. I am retired from my full-time job as Manager of Child Care Services at UnityPoint Health in Peoria and Director of Methodist Family Child Care Center after 12 years of employment. Prior to that, I worked at the Child Care Connection CCR&R in Peoria for 14 years as supervisor of the Child Care Assistance Program. I began my career working with children and advocating on behalf of children while in high school. Throughout my professional career, I had the pleasure of meeting and working with many wonderful people who truly care about the lives of children. I am delighted to continue this journey with Illinois AEYC!
Contractual Staff

Denny Cave - Web Developer
SAMentors

Anna Brothers
I have helped over 20 sites to received their accreditation. I currently have a Co-Hort group with twelve active sites. I am trained in NAEYC and NAC Accreditations Procedures.

Suzette Turner

Tracy McCowan
Tracy McCowan joined the SAM Mentor program in 2016 as a mentor for programs pursuing NAEYC accreditation and re-accreditation. Tracy spent most of her time in the field of ECE as an Executive Director, serving community-based and corporate-sponsored NAEYC accredited programs. Tracy is currently a mentor and gateway approved trainer

Sheri Reynolds

Amy Law

Barbara Lattimore
Barbara Lattimore has been a member of a team of consultants who visited community colleges across the United States. This team visited colleges in an effort to assess how their curriculum for Early Childhood Professionals met the national standards for excellence. She has served as a member of the Gateways to Professional Development Trainer’s Registry. . Barbara Lattimore is a volunteer of Women on Call, a nonprofit organization assisting nonprofit organizations and has served as a member of the Board of Directors for several privately owned Day Care Centers. She is a graduate of De Paul University with a degree in Child Development, a Master of Science Degree in Early Childhood Administration from Erikson Institute, and a Masters Degree from Roosevelt University in Training and Development. Barbara Lattimore is also the CEO of B & J Early Childhood Consulting. She is currently working on creating a project that involves the introduction of art appreciation to preschool children focusing on art from the Harlem Renaissance. Ms. Lattimore has published several articles and had paper presented at the National Mental Health Conference in Mexico, 1991.
