Our Leadership
Carrie Theall
Chief Executive Officer
Carrie was born and raised in Central Florida. She attended both Mercer University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her interest in early childhood literacy led her to earn a Master’s in library and information studies at UNCG. She also holds a certificate in Non-Profit Management from Duke University. Carrie has served children and their families at the state and local levels for over 30 years, in the areas of evaluation, early childhood literacy, home visiting, parenting, and child care quality. Prior to joining the Coalition in 2023, she was Executive Director of Alamance Partnership for Children in North Carolina, where she was awarded the Good for Kids Award by the American Academy of Pediatrics North Carolina Pediatrics Society.
LaTrisha Sims
Chief Operations Officer
LaTrisha joined the Coalition in 2010 as the first School Readiness Eligibility Coordinator. For the six years prior to that, she provided contract services to the Coalition through Childhood Development Services. Now as the Chief Operations Officer, LaTrisha directs the day-to-day operational aspects of the Coalition, including ensuring all rules, regulations, and legislative requirements are adhered to. LaTrisha is a lifelong resident of Marion County. She is a graduate of Leadership Ocala Metro and holds both an Associate degree and a Bachelor’s degree from Rasmussen University (formerly Rasmussen College). LaTrisha’s passion for helping families stems from once needing assistance herself. She says, “I do what I do because when I was at the lowest point of my life, the Coalition opened a door for me and helped me pave my way to success.”
Elizabeth Deola
Chief Programs Officer
After earning her Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and spending a few years working directly with incarcerated youth, Elizabeth changed her career path to early learning in order to make a bigger impact earlier for children. She joined the leadership team at the Coalition in 2004 as the Quality Assurance Director and has worked her way into the role of Chief Program Officer. Elizabeth has used her out-of-the-box thinking and creativity to implement unique local programming that focuses on improving early learning outcomes in our community.
Marcelle Easter
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
“Marcey” joined the Coalition in 2014 in a part-time accounting role. Over the years, she has worked her way through various roles with the Coalition. As the Chief Administrative Officer, she directs and plans the administrative operations for the Coalition, including contracts, procurements, funding, monitoring, infrastructure, maintenance, and information technology. Her passion is streamlining processes to make it easier for team members to focus on the families and child care providers the Coalition serves. Marcey is a Florida native and has lived in Ocala for over 20 years. While her children were young, the Coalition was instrumental in assisting her with finding child care, particularly her child with special needs.
Beatriz Montalvo
HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR
Beatriz started her career with the Coalition in 2010 as a client services counselor in the Reimbursement Department. She has over ten years’ experience in Human Resources and is a member of the Ocala Human Resource Management Association and the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Beatriz also serves as the Coalition’s Board Liaison. Born in Puerto Rico, Beatriz and her family moved to Ocala when she was 12. She is the proud mother of two and is passionate about serving our community.
Dr. Michelle Grant Harris
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Michelle joined the Coalition in 2023. She is responsible for the oversight of the Coalition’s early childhood programs, including Help Me Grow, inclusion, early literacy, parent education, and health and safety initiatives. Michelle has worked in early childhood education for over 25 years in numerous capacities. Prior to coming to the Coalition, she was the program manager for the North Central Florida Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program since its inception in 2016. She has a B.A. in Special Education, M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, and Ph.D. in Special Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education from the University of Florida.
Michaela Powell
PROGRAMS COMPLIANCE DIRECTOR
Michaela joined the Coalition in 2020 as a client services counselor, determining family eligibility for the Florida School Readiness program. She was born and raised in Ocala and has multiple years of experience in customer service and compliance. She is also a graduate of Leadership of Ocala Metro. As the Programs Compliance Director, Michaela oversees internal and external monitoring to ensure the Coalition is operating within State and Federal guidelines.
Wendy Williams
COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Wendy joined the Coalition in 2022 and has over 15 years of marketing, public relations, and communications experience. Prior to relocating to the Nature Coast in 2006, Wendy operated a licensed family child care home for four years in Broward County, earning National Association for Family Child Care Accreditation, Florida Department of Children and Families Child Care Services Gold Seal Quality of Care, and Broward County Gold Seal Award of Excellence. She also served as a Florida Children’s Forum consultant for the School Readiness Quality Initiative. Wendy has a Bachelor’s degree from Nova Southeastern University (formerly Nova University).
