About Virginia Head Start

Virginia Head Start State Collaboration Project

The Virginia Head Start State Collaboration Project is administered by the Virginia Department of Social Services.  It is located within the Division of Child Care and Development.  For more information, click here.

The overall goal of the Virginia Collaboration Project is to establish and nurture partnerships and collaborative efforts to build an effective early care and education system committed to achieving positive outcomes for children by working with Head Start and other programs, families, professionals and communities. 

In addition, the Virginia Collaboration Project works with VaHSA to ensure that there is Head Start representation on the many ECE related advisory boards and committees operating at the state level.  VaHSA members also serve on the Collaboration Project along with other early childhood representatives. 

Advisory Committee Members

Mark R. Allan, Director of Elementary Instruction
Virginia Department of Education
Richmond, VA

Cynthia Bayless, Head Start Director
Monticello Area CAA Head Start
Charlottesville, VA

Toni Cacace-Beshears, Chief Executive Officer
Places and Programs for Children, Inc.
Portsmouth, VA

Mary Ann Cornish, Head Start Director
Higher Horizons Day Care Center, Inc.
Falls Church, VA

Barbara Couto Sipe, Director, Success By 6
United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg
Richmond, VA

Tanisha Dorsey, Collaboration Project Assistant
Virginia Department of Social Services
Richmond, VA

Lawanna M. Dowden, Director
STOP Organization
Norfolk, VA

Helena Fedak, Chair
Virginia Head Start Health Advisory Committee
Fredericksburg, VA

Bethany Geldmaker, Early Childhood Health Program Director
Virginia Department of Health
Richmond, VA

Robert Goldsmith, Community Action Agency Director
People, Inc. of Southwest Virginia
Abingdon, VA

Bonnie Grifa, Monitoring Consultant
Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation & Substance Abuse
Richmond, VA

Phyllis Grooms-Gordon, Head Start Director
VCU Head Start Program
Richmond, VA

Peggy O. Harrelson, Head Start Director
Hanover County Public Schools Head Start
Ashland, VA

Gail Johnson, Chair
Child Day Care Council
Glen Allen, VA

Kathy Massie, President
Virginia Head Start Association
Fredericksburg, VA

Paula Mercer, Child Care Program Consultant
Virginia Department of Social Services
Richmond, VA

Phyllis Mondak, Special Education Specialist
Virginia Department of Education
Richmond, VA

Jon Morris, Executive Director
STEP, Inc.
Rocky Mount, VA

John C. Purnell, Jr., Executive Director
Friends Association for Children
Richmond, VA

Joan Robbins, Head Start Director
Community Improvement Council, Inc. Head Start
Danville, VA

Thomas L. Shortt, Executive Director
Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals
Richmond, VA

Cheryl Strobel, Early Childhood Specialist
Virginia Department of Education
Richmond, VA

Mary Jo Thomas, Director, Child Care and Development
Virginia Department of Social Services
Richmond, VA

Stephen Troxell, President
Head Start Director's Council
Fishersville, VA

Sharon Veatch, Executive Director
Virginia Child Care Resource & Referral Network
Richmond, VA

David Williams, Head Start Director
Henrico County Public Schools
Richmond, VA