2009-2010 Board Members

Our board consists of parents and community members. Potential parent-board members are identified by the Nominating Committee and elected by the current parents enrolled at the center. Potential community-board members are identified by the Nominating Committee and approved by standing board members.

Anne M. Mueller, MA, President
Development Director, A Studio in the Woods & Independent Fundraising Consultant Anne received a BA in history from Bennington College and MA in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture. With over 15 years of non profit experience, her professional background covers a broad range of areas including grant writing and annual giving programs. A native New Orleanian, Anne is committed to the city’s revitalization including volunteer work with the LaSPCA and the redesign of Danneel Park. She is mother to Max (preschool).

Chrissie Roux, MSW, Secretary
Social Worker, Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans
Chrissie was born and raised outside of Orlando, Florida. She attended New College of Florida, a small liberal arts college in South Florida, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she pursued an advanced degree in music theory, before moving to New Orleans in 2001. She holds a Master's degree in Social Work from Tulane University and is currently employed as a clinical social worker at Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans. She has experience in various social service settings, including work with individuals with developmental disabilities, case management, supported employment, inpatient psychiatric work with children and adolescents, and individual and group psychotherapy. She is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Louisiana Association of Clinical Social Workers. She lives Uptown with Cade and Sydney (2s) and is expecting Roux #2 in July 2008.

Dana Eness, MA, Vice President/Treasurer
Executive Director, Stay Local! Dana first came to New Orleans in 1987 to pursue a Master’s degree in Latin American studies at Tulane University where her work concentrated on the forced resettlement of indigenous populations in highland Guatemala. Although originally from Iowa, she spent the year prior to moving to New Orleans in Central America, so the transition to New Orleans’ climate and culture. Over the past ten years, Dana has honed her non-profit administration, programming, and community development skills while developing and managing cross-cultural and literacy programs at Tulane University and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Dana was a founding board member of Stay Local! in 2003, and lives in the Riverbend neighborhood with her husband and two children, one of whom attended Abeona House.

Aimee Williams Hebert, J.D.
Partner, Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLP
In a “former life,” Aimee worked as a child care worker for a residential treatment center for abused children in Austin, Texas and toured with a children’s theatre group. Most importantly, Aimee is mom to Luc, who entered Abeona House when he was eight weeks old. After watching Luc thrive in this setting, Aimee became a true believer in Abeona House and is committed to continuing the great work of the founding families.

Marci Johnson, Ed.M.
Marci has worked in the field of education both domestically and internationally for more than sixteen years. She graduated with highest honors from both UCLA with a BA in English/Creative Writing, and from Harvard Graduate School of Education with a Master of Education where her central focus was early education, specifically, the Reggio Emilia program. She taught Creative Dance Therapy to children with AIDS for nine years, and has taught, researched, and consulted with preschoolers and early educators nationwide and internationally.

Maxine B. Kimbrell, MSW, LCSW-BACS
Statewide Social Work Consultant, Louisiana Office of Public Health Maxine has over 25 years experience working with youth. She has worked as a high school language arts teacher, has managed programs in teen suicide prevention, worked as a school guidance counselor and social worker, taught clinical coursework for allied health professionals, and provided individual support to youth and families. She recently became the Statewide Social Work Consultant for the Louisiana Office of Public Health. Her professional interests include family-centered service provision and transition from early intervention to preschool services. She is Grandmother to Finley (2s).

Dr. P. Sheehan McHugh
Assistant Professor and Early Childhood Program Coordinator University of New Orleans Patricia has been involved with early care and education for most of her professional career and feels very passionately about the need for all young children to have access to quality early care and education. Much of her service in New Orleans has been directed at working on helping centers with NAEYC accreditation and Quality Start ratings available from the state. I firmly believe that in order for all students in primary schools to achieve their highest potential, they need to have a quality preschool experience that builds the foundational skills necessary for their success. Her interest in Abeona House stems from the belief that the arts basis of a Reggio approach is very congruent with the strong arts culture of New Orleans.

Jean-Marc Duplantier, Ph.D.
Teacher, Jesuit High School, New Orleans Jean-Marc holds a BA from Colorado College and an MA and Ph.D. from LSU in French Studies. He has worked with children in various capacities for years, including as a backpacking guide in New Mexico, a camp counsellor in Maine, and an administrator at an orphanage in Haiti. Before teaching at Jesuit he taught at St. Paul's High School in Covington. He is the father of Marie-Irène (1s room) and Abeona alumnus Armand.