Meet Our Team of Experts
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Eileen Mouyard
INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A member of SSTC’s team since 2019, Eileen has worked within the organization to develop strategic messaging, communication, and outreach plans consistent with SSTC’s mission, vision, and values. Additionally, she coordinated a coherent and organized approach to WNC region-wide SSIC implementation that supports and expands local agencies’ capacity for building resilient, family-focused communities that measurably improve early childhood learning and health and social outcomes for children and families.
She grew up in a rural Appalachian community on the West Virginia and Maryland borders and developed an early awareness to the challenges that individuals and families can face from living in rural landscapes. Her background is compiled with work in communications, team and brand management, and writing. She believes that all people—especially children— deserve opportunities to thrive.
Her passions and curiosities outside of her professional wheelhouse include gardening, reading, cooking and baking, and exploring the mountains on hikes, bikes, and runs.
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Ansley Harron
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS
We are delighted to introduce Ansley Harron in her new role as Director of Programs and Operations at Smart Start of Transylvania. Ansley has been with Smart Start of Transylvania County for three years, previously serving as the Family Support Lead. She has demonstrated remarkable dedication and expertise in enhancing family support and early childhood education initiatives within our community.
A Transylvania County native, Ansley graduated from Brevard High School in 2016 and went on to earn her Bachelor of Social Work with high honors from Western Carolina University in 2019.
With nearly four years of experience as an early childhood educator in both Transylvania and Jackson counties, Ansley has been a driving force behind our Home-Based Care Network and GetSet Babies programs.
In her expanded role as Director of Programs and Operations, Ansley is poised to bring her extensive knowledge and innovative approach to assist in the leading of our organization’s initiatives. Her commitment to understanding family support on a national scale, coupled with a passion for social justice, aligns seamlessly with our mission to create a continuum of care and support for families in Transylvania County.
Beyond her contributions within our organization, Ansley was elected to the NC Family Child Care Advisory Council, highlighting her dedication to representing and advocating for home-based providers.
Outside of work, Ansley enjoys reading, spending time with her two dogs and her family, and traveling.
Ansley’s leadership will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Smart Start of Transylvania.
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Aiyanna Lollis
ADVOCACY AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Aiyanna works to influence positive change in the early childhood community of Western North Carolina and advocate for families on behalf of SSTC. Her roles works to help build capacity and quality in early child care, support policy changes that positively impact the development of infants and young children, and share knowledge and resources with families in the community so that all children enter school prepared to succeed. Much of her work is rooted in communications and she supports our Sesame Street in Communities regional partnership through social media management, content creation, and public engagement.
She was raised in the upstate of South Carolina and spent many weekends of her childhood exploring the hiking trails of western North Carolina with her family. While pursuing her Bachelors of English at College of Charleston, she worked for a nonprofit serving at-risk children living in poverty and developed a passion for equality in early childhood education. She is especially driven to increase childhood literacy and wants all children to have access to the resources and foundational materials needed to thrive academically.
Her personal interests include writing, traveling, live music, and going on long walks with her pup, Nico.
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Chelsea Stewart
COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK FACILITATOR
Chelsea’s role as Network Facilitator works to aid multiple programs and initiatives that encompass SSTC’s family support. Most notably, our GetSet Babies program, which offers family support for expectant and new parents, caregivers, and their babies. As well as our Family Friend and Neighbor care network, which offers support to our home-based child care initiatives.
She and was born and raised in Brevard, North Carolina and received her Bachelors in Psychology at Western Carolina University. After graduation, she moved back to Transylvania County to start a family and raise her children in her hometown.
Chelsea brings to SSTC her sincere and authentic passion for helping people and enabling them towards thriving. She believes in community based approaches to assisting families and meeting people where they are and that anyone has the ability to be resilient if given the proper support and tools.
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Kathryn Woodward
FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES ADVISOR
As the Family Health Services Advisor, Kathryn is excited to support and enhance new and innovative pilot programs as well as existing services to ensure that community needs are being met. The role is dedicated to ensuring that all eligible families in Transylvania County have the access to support and opportunities that they need to be able to thrive and be successful. She is excited to expand upon the services that Smart Start can offer and continue to impact positive change in Transylvania County.
A Texas native, she fell in love with the Carolinas first through Clemson University, which she graduated from in 2011 earning her Bachelors in Social Work. Having worked the last thirteen years within South Carolina child welfare and the nonprofit world she is excited to continue that passion of improving outcomes for children and families here in Western North Carolina.
Her personal interests include hiking, animal rescue, trying all the local bakeries and coffee shops and volunteering in the local community. She is excited to explore Transylvania County more and all that this area and community has to offer.
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Susan Thrower
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROJECT LEAD
Susan is a dedicated and accomplished professional with a multifaceted background encompassing childcare, education, entrepreneurship, and administration.
As the Early Childhood Project Lead, Susan is responsible for leading the team in critical family support project areas such as maternal and Infant support programs and the home based childcare network. Susan’s role is also essential to assessing community needs and implementing effective solutions.
For Susan, advocating on behalf of children is both a professional and a personal responsibility. Her passion for empowering families is deeply rooted in the philosophy that diversity is vital to the richness of a pluralistic society, and that there must be equity in child development if every child is to realize their full potential.
Susan was born in Charlotte, NC and attended the College of Charleston in SC where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Education. She also completed the Teacher Licensure program at Brevard College. Susan most enjoys spending time with family, reading, nature and travel.
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Laura Towell
EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTOR
Laura is committed to creating lasting and positive change, one family and one professional at a time. In her role as Early Childhood Mentor, Laura extends her support through in-home visiting services, providing an empathetic and holistic approach to guide and empower parents, children, and families. Additionally, Laura dedicates her time to developing and nurturing the early childhood workforce in Transylvania County by coaching and coordinating professional development opportunities. She collaborates with childcare centers, high schools, and higher education institutions to ensure the growth and proficiency of the early education field. Laura strives to foster safe and compassionate partnerships and believes that children's well-being is our future.
She grew up in Tampa, Florida and fell in love with the spirit and beauty of WNC. Laura graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Child Development - Child and Family Studies and a minor in Nonprofit Management.
In her free time, Laura enjoys hiking, traveling, playing in the sunshine, and teaching yoga & meditation.
Team & Leadership
Board of Directors
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Pam Pallas is currently enjoying her second career as the owner/innkeeper at The Bromfield Inn in Brevard, but her first career and first love was early childhood special education. Growing up with a sister with developmental delays, she began working with children with special needs by volunteering for ARC summer camps. She began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher and started working with younger and younger children as research and experience confirmed the need for intervention and support beginning as early as infancy.
Pam earned a Bachelor’s in elementary education, a Master’s in special education, and a PhD in early childhood special education. She taught pre-service teachers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Florida and was the director of several child care centers over the years. The last 13 years she was the director of Baby Gator Child Development and Research Centers at the University of Florida where she developed three fully inclusive centers serving over 350 children ages birth to five.
Pam shares innkeeper duties with her husband Abe. In her free time, she enjoys visiting their children Molly and Christopher and doting on grandchildren Charlie, Jacob, Josiah and Isabel, reading a good mystery and making quilts.
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Stacy has a BA in Psychology and has managed the Foster Grandparent Program at Land of Sky for 15 years. Stacy currently serves as a Board Member for the Southern Cluster for the National Association of Foster Grandparent Program Directors, has served on the planning committee for the National Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion and RSVP conference for the past two years as well, and has served as a Mentor of the Corporation for National & Community Service National Peer Mentoring Program.
In addition, Stacy serves on the Early Childhood Initiative, CARE Coalition, and Madison County Children’s Collaborative.
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Lisa Sheffield is the Adult Services Librarian at the Transylvania County Library and is serving her second term on the Smart Start Board. She wears many hats at the Library including responsibilities for programming for adults, collection development, IT support, supervision of Reference, Outreach Services, and Technical Services, and staff training.
She grew up in Albany, GA, attended Georgia Southern for a BA in History, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for her Masters in Library and Information Science. She and her husband Scott have one daughter, Emily, who attends the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and three cats, London, Luna, and Thalia. She loves to read books of all types, be outside in our beautiful mountains, and to spend time watching the Atlanta Braves play baseball.
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Nicholas Iosue currently serves as Senior Commercial Lender for United Federal Credit Union. Raised in Hendersonville, Nicholas and his wife currently reside in Mills River where they raise their two daughters, Caitlyn and Nicole.
As a socially concerned business leader, Nicholas has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations in our community, with a focus on supporting the youth in our area. In addition to serving on the board of Smart Start of Transylvania County, he has served or is serving on the boards of Brevard Academy, Pisgah Forest Rotary Club, the North Carolina Young Bankers Association, and the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce.
Nicholas is a graduate of Western Carolina University, as well as the North Carolina School of Banking at UNC-Chapel Hill.
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Jeanette Chapman grew up in Swain County, North Carolina. She attended Mars Hill College earning an associates degree and then earned a bachelor of science degree in Education from Western Carolina. She taught in Transylvania County for 6 years before starting a family.
Once she raised her children, she joined Transylvania County Child Development where she worked for 28 years in the capacities of teacher and director of a child care center. Since retiring, Jeanette has enjoyed her three grandsons and spends her time helping family, neighbors, community and church wherever and whenever needed!
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Liz Dobbins-Smith is a Raleigh native but moved to the mountains of North Carolina in 2018. She resides in Brevard with her husband Joe and their energetic kids (8 year old son Elliot and 5 ½ year old daughter Eleanor) who tirelessly keep their parents running in circles!
Liz currently serves as Executive Director for the North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA). She loves being at the heart of NCEDA and working to strengthen North Carolina’s economic development community every day.
Liz has had great opportunities in her career working for the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, Leadership North Carolina (LNC), the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the North Carolina Bankers Association and the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association.
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Mark Ellenberger is a lifetime resident of Transylvania County. He attended Straus Elementary, Brevard Elementary, Brevard Middle and graduated from Brevard High School in 1990. In addition, both of Mark's parents retired from careers at Transylvania County Schools.
He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he received a degree in Criminal Justice. Upon graduation, Mark returned to Transylvania County and began his role as an Adult Probation/Parole Officer. After working in that capacity for two years he then accepted an appointment as a magistrate judge in Transylvania County. He was a magistrate for ten years before moving to the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office.
For 13 years Mark served as the School Resource Officer at Brevard High School. Most recently, Mark moved to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff's Office where he currently serves as the Sergeant in that division.
His wife of 25+ years, Missy, is also a lifetime resident of Transylvania County and has worked her whole career with the Transylvania County Schools. She currently is the Director of Curriculum for grades 9-12, Director of Safe Schools and the Director of Student Services. They have two boys, Tanner and Luke. Both went on to play college football after they graduated from Brevard High School. Tanner played at Appalachian State and graduated in May 2020. Luke is currently in his 3rd year playing football at Coastal Carolina University.
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Chuck is a lifelong resident of Transylvania County. Chuck is married to his wife April and they have two beautiful daughters. He graduated from Brevard High School in 1994 and then graduated from Mars Hill College with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology with a concentrate in Criminal Justice.
Chuck started his career in law enforcement in 2002 when he swore in with the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office. Chuck has held the position of Deputy Sheriff, School Resource Officer, Sgt. in the Patrol Division and is now the Professional Standards and Training Lt.
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Kimberlee Dodson is an ordained deacon in the First United Methodist Church of Brevard, with her certification in Christian Education. She is a graduate of Furman University and Scarritt Graduate School. After working in Naples, Florida and Durham, NC, she and her husband, Marcus, moved to Brevard in 1993. Kim served as a full time educator from 1993-1998.
When her second child was born, she became a full-time mother while also continuing her work leading an adult Sunday School class, teaching, and helping with other community endeavors. In 2006, Kim returned to a part-time role in which she still serves today. She has three children, Maggie, Jeremy, and Emilee, who were all born and raised here in Brevard and are now spreading their wings in the world.