WHO WE ARE

WAGE$ TEAM

Heather Hicks

Heather Hicks

Chief Officer of Statewide Initiatives; Director, Child Care Resource & Referral Network

Heather holds a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. As Director, she is responsible for the oversight and direction of the Child Care Resource and Referral Network and its subcontracts. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Director, where she managed the Data Contract, Family Engagement, Technical Assistance, Infant Toddler Services, Health and Safety, Media and Public Relations and the Quality Assurance process which assures consistent delivery of services to all 95 counties and contractual compliance by each subcontractor.

Jen Tedder

Jen Tedder

Director

Jen Tedder holds a BA in Applied Psychology from Carson Newman University, a Masters in Social Work from University of Tennessee Knoxville and an Ed.S. from Middle Tennessee State University. She most recently served in an administrative role in higher education where she gained experience managing a program that served approximately 1600 students in a 6-county region. Previously, she worked as a school social worker to support families and children of all ages. Jen is passionate about high quality education for every child and sees Childcare WAGE$ as an innovative initiative to keep great teachers in the classroom.

Alli Tootle

Alli Tootle

Deputy Director

Alli is an Education Counselor with the Childcare WAGE$ Tennessee Team. Alli has a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University, and she served as an elementary school teacher for several years prior to working at Signal Centers. Alli is excited about working with early childhood educators in order to recognize and reward them for their hard work and commitment to making a difference in the lives of children.

Erin Wilcox

Erin Wilcox

Administrative Support

Erin provides administrative support to the Child Care WAGE$® Tennessee team. Erin is a native of the Chattanooga area and has worked in the nonprofit community in Chattanooga for the last 13 years. Growing up in a household with educators as parents, education has always been important in her life. After graduating high school, Erin went on to attend college in Alabama and Chattanooga for Early Childhood Education. She became a preschool teacher at a local learning center, then later became the Assistant Director at that same center.

Alex Farrell

Alex Farrell

Marketing and Communications Specialist

Alex is a Marketing and Communications Specialist for Signal Centers. He has been instrumental in developing social media strategy, designing web and print collateral, and participating in outreach events for the agency. He is excited to leverage his skills to ensure the Child Care WAGE$® Tennessee program thrives across the state of Tennessee. Alex has a bachelor’s degree in Theology and the Arts from Belmont University and a master’s degree in Theology and the Arts from the University of St. Andrews.

Josué Vega

Josué Vega

Marketing and Communications Specialist

Josue Vega earned his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Media Production at Southern Adventist University. While there, he served as a social media assistant, news producer, and talk show segment producer. Additionally, he worked with the National Public Radio WABE station in Atlanta and the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce before turning his passion for nonprofit work into a full-time job with Child Care WAGE$® Tennessee. He is excited to use creativity to show how much the program can benefit its community.

Jewell Lavalas

Jewell Lavalas

Education Counselor

Jewell graduated from Southern Adventist University with her bachelor’s degree in Family Studies Psychology, and is currently going to school to receive a Master’s of Social Work. She has been working in child care for several years and has a passion for Early Childhood Education. Until recently, Jewell was working as an Assistant Teacher in the child care program at Signal Centers, and is excited to continue her journey with Signal Centers in a different capacity.

Stephanie Willingham

Stephanie Willingham

Education Counselor

Stephanie graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies. Prior to working with Signal Centers, she was a preschool teacher and then Director at another local early learning center. Early Childhood Education has always been a passion of hers and she is excited to work for a program that not only recognizes the importance of early childhood educators but is actively making a positive difference in their lives.

Kayli Jefferson

Kayli Jefferson

Education Counselor

Kayli graduated from MTSU with a Bachelor's degree in Child Development and Family Studies. While completing an internship at a child care facility, she was offered a teaching job working for that same center. A few years later, Kayli moved to Chattanooga where she worked as an Early Head Start teacher serving children six weeks to five years of age. She has always had a passion for helping not only children, but her community as well.

Shelby Quillin

Shelby Quillin

Education Counselor

Shelby has a bachelor's degree in Child Development and Family Studies from Tennessee State University. She served as a Developmental Therapist in Nashville to coach and support families with children with developmental delays or disabilities in their homes or childcare centers prior to working at Signal Centers. Shelby is thrilled to be working for a program that acknowledges Early Childhood Educators hard work and dedication to children, families, and their communities.