Meet the NCMC Child Care Initiative Team

The NCMC Child Care Initiative team is dedicated to fostering high-quality early childhood education and supporting families in our community. With diverse backgrounds in education, social work, and child development, each team member contributes a wealth of knowledge and passion to the initiative.

Jen Harris, M.Ed.

Jen Harris spent 15 years teaching in Montessori early childhood classrooms, four years in school administration, and a year as a school improvement manager at the American Montessori Society before founding Schoolward Consulting, a firm deeply invested in the power of early education to drive positive change. Jen has recently focused on increasing access to and capacity for Michigan's high-quality early childhood education programs. Contracting with NCMC to work on the Child Care Initiative as a project coordinator is a natural fit for her.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and art from Kalamazoo College, a master’s in education from St. Catherine University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in early childhood education at Oakland University. Jen is particularly interested in the business of child care, true-cost fiscal modeling, and policies that support improved compensation for the early childhood workforce and expanded support for families with young children.

Kristin Jardine, BSW

Kristin Jardine, CCAMPIS advisor and activity coordinator, joined North Central in 2024, bringing more than 13 years of experience supporting families through infertility, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period at her family and birth center.

With a background that includes running a home daycare, teaching preschool, and working within the K-12 school system, Kristin’s current role supporting student parents in higher education is a natural extension of her lifelong commitment to family well-being. As an academic advisor and social worker providing wraparound support, Kristin is passionate about helping student parents balance their educational goals with family life. She is particularly interested in mental health, especially the impact of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) on young children’s development.

Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree in wocial work from Spring Arbor University and is completing her master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan.

Anne Thornton

Anne Thornton, NCMC Early Learning Center program director and adjunct instructor in the NCMC Early Childhood program, has spent her entire career in early childhood education. From Chicago to the mountains of Colorado, and back to Northern Michigan, Anne has fulfilled diverse roles in teaching and leadership positions in early childhood programming, fund development and grant writing, quality improvement coaching, and resource and referral.

Anne holds a master's degree in educational administration and policy from the University of Denver and was selected to participate in the Buell Early Childhood Leadership cohort. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Family and Community Services with an early childhood focus from Michigan State University.  In her role as program director at NCMC, Anne will lead the initiative and build out a Reggio-inspired microcenter on campus.

Laura Tuthill, Ph.D.

Laura Tuthill, project coordinator for the Child Care Initiative and adjunct instructor in the NCMC Early Childhood program, has 17 years of experience in early childhood education and 12 years in higher education teaching at Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Laura holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in curriculum and instruction, with a focus on early childhood education from the University of Denver, and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Butler University. Her teaching experience spans curriculum development, administration, parent and community involvement, diversity, and child development. Laura has a passion for young children and has worked as a preschool teacher, center director, and Early Head Start consultant.

Jennifer Wixson, M.S.

Jennifer Wixson joined North Central in 2019 as the Program Coordinator and Professor for the Early Childhood Education program. Before this, she spent over two decades as an adjunct instructor, enriching her early care and education professional journey. In her current role, Jennifer leads the NCMC Child Care Initiative, focusing on creating a sustainable and viable child care system in Emmet County.

Her extensive experience includes roles as a preschool teacher, Head Start teacher, kindergarten and 1st-grade teacher, and child care program administrator. In addition to leading the Child Care Initiative, Jennifer has authored and received several grants to fund projects including the Access and Impact Analysis and NCMC's CCAMPIS initiative.

Jennifer holds a Master of Science in Child Development and Family Studies from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Teaching from Michigan State University.