FUNSHINE EXPRESS® - Key Persons
Beth holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business, and a Master's Degree in Education. FunShine Express began in 1995 from her search for curriculum materials to use in her licensed child care home. While licensed in Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota, she was active in local early childhood associations and conducted training for ND Child Care Resource and Referral. Beth is the 2010 National Small Business Award Winner and a recipient of the Greater ND Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. She is a member of the Dickinson and ND Chambers of Commerce; Stark Development Corporation; SWND Manufacturer's Roundtable; Job Service ND Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council; Vistage, Chapter 3133; Dickinson Catholic Schools Educational Foundation; and serves on various community and school committees. She has three daughters and spends free time with her children, horses, and garden.
Charlie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education, and has over 10 years of experience working in early childhood classrooms including teaching and writing curriculum. She is originally from Puerto Rico, with Spanish as her first language. Charlie has 2 children, and enjoys spending time with her family including planning road trips and traveling. Her favorite hobby is cooking authentic Puerto Rican food to share with her coworkers and friends.
Cora holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with studies in management and marketing. She has 10 years of experience in retail sales and customer service, with her most recent focus on email marketing, social media, and website management. Cora is married and has two young children that keep her busy. She enjoys cooking, watching movies, and cheering for her favorite hockey and football teams.
Job Titles:
- National Alignment Specialist
Debbie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master's in Educational Psychology. Debbie has over 20 years of experience in education, with the last 16 spent in publishing and eLearning. She owned a small publishing company for several years, during which time she earned the National Association for Gifted Children Curriculum Award in 2002 and 2003. She has worked as a teacher, instructional coach, and a trainer, and has presented at local, state, national, and international education conferences. She has been an active member of an international bible study for 13 years and has served as a Sunday school teacher and Director of Children's Ministries in her church. Debbie is married with one daughter and enjoys gardening, cooking, swimming, and camping with her family.
Job Titles:
- Preschool Curriculum Creator
Katie holds a Bachelor's degree in Child Development and Family Science, with a minor in Extension Education. Since childhood, she always knew that she desired a vocation involving young children. Katie began her career as a Parent Education Specialist for a non-profit organization, and discovered that she had a passion for creating and writing developmentally appropriate lesson plans, newsletter articles, and parent informational handouts. After having her own children, Katie operated her own in-home licensed child care business for over 8 years. She became familiar with the FunShine Express preschool curriculum by utilizing it in her own setting, and both of her children were fortunate enough to experience a well-rounded preschool education through the program. Katie is married, has two children, and a spoiled cavapoo dog named Oreo. She enjoys reading, stays active chauffeuring her kids to various activities, and especially loves to plan and coordinate her family vacations.
Job Titles:
- Customer Service Specialist
Mary Kay began her career in the health care field and after 30 years came to FunShine Express and joined the Customer Service team. Born and raised in Dickinson, ND, Mary Kay is married and has 2 children. In her spare time, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and spending time with her husband watching and learning about a variety of sports, especially football.
Job Titles:
- Customer Relations Specialist
Melissa brings prior customer relations experience from her previous years of working in the Financial and Health Insurance fields. Melissa's passion has always been children. She and her husband, while raising their 4 sons, also brought foster children into their home. They are known as Mama and Papa Kuntz to their son's friends. She loves camping, hunting, reading, and most of all spending time with her husband, their adventurous 4 young men, and all of the young adults that have adopted them.
Patricia holds a degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. Patricia began her career as a Developmental Specialist providing early intervention for Idaho's birth to three population with developmental delays and disabilities. After several years she decided she wanted some in-classroom experience and spent four years as a Preschool Teacher and Site Supervisor. She found a passion for creating developmentally appropriate activities for a variety of ages that could easily be carried out in the classroom. Patricia is married and has a very spoiled black lab. She enjoys hiking with her husband and dog, gardening, cooking, and traveling in her free time.
Teresa holds a BA in English, an MFA in Creative Writing: Writing for Children, and an MEd in Early Childhood Education with a specialization in Administration. She has over a decade of experience working in education, most recently having been an adjunct instructor and a pre-K teacher. Teresa strongly believes that research, theory, and practice should inform one another, and she strives to integrate all three perspectives in her work. She values children's curiosity and creativity and seeks to nurture children's social/emotional growth by encouraging exploration and independence. She enjoys spending time with her husband and son, running, visiting the library and museum, and drinking English breakfast tea.