Meet our Executive Director

Francisca Decker

My name is Francisca Decker. I was born in Yuscaran, a town in Honduras and immigrated to the United States when I was six years old. Growing up in the Bronx in New York City, I learned self reliance and hard work from my father and five siblings. I loved growing up in a culturally diverse bilingual community and this significantly shaped the person that I am today. I attended Marymount College of Fordham University where I graduated with a B.A in psychology. After graduating, I worked as an afterschool site director for the Y.M.C.A. and was an assistant teacher at a Montessori school. It was the experience of learning and applying the Montessori method that made me want to dedicate my life to teaching.
Though New York City is a fantastically diverse place, I found myself wanting to see more of the world and I decided to move to Japan to teach English as a second language. I loved Japan so much that I ended up staying for ten years. I taught at public elementary schools and then switched to working at a private conversation school. We used language learning to build cultural bridges for our students. For me, that’s the beauty of becoming bilingual, it provides people with two different ways of looking at the world.
I am a mother of two young curious children. As they are learning about and exploring the world they continually inspire me to do so as well. I believe in having a sense of wonder and that it is a teacher’s responsibility to cultivate a sense of wonder in their students. Curiosity is one of the primary tools our children use to engage with the world and when I teach I try to create a classroom environment that stimulates and encourages curiosity.
I also enjoy traveling, especially on foot. My own travels have taught me that travel, especially walking through a country, is one of the best ways to learn about different people, other cultures and ourselves. After leaving Japan my husband and I decided to take a year of our lives and dedicate it to traveling. During that year we walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Camino Portugues in Portugal and the Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan. We ended our year of travel by trekking to Mt. Everest base camp in Nepal. All said and done we walked over 2,000 miles together before returning home to start a new life and family.
Now that I’m a mother of two BCGC kids I won’t be making any long treks in the near future but my family and I are really enjoying all of the hiking trails and parks in and around Bloomington. My personal favorite spot is McCormic’s Creek. Getting out into nature with our kids is so important, especially now in an era where many people may feel trapped inside. I am genuinely looking forward to being a part of this wonderful community and embarking on this new journey of getting to know you and your children.

Meet our Assistant Director

Kinsey Clark

Meet our Teachers

Infant 1 (2022-2023)

Cynthia

Teacher

Cynthia is from Puerto Rico. She is married with two children. When she is not at work, Cynthia spends her time riding bikes and going to the park.

Laura

Teacher

Laura is from Mexico. She has two children, a daughter who is 11 and a son who is 5. She received a Child Development Associate credential in 2022. When she is not at work she enjoys spending time with her kids and sleeping.

Infant 2 (2022-2023)

Deyanira (Deya)

**Senior Lead Teacher**
Originally from Tabasco, Mexico, Deyanira has lived in the United States for over ten years. She is the mother of two amazing young girls. She has a special love for children and feels that it is our duty as adults to provide them with the best childhood possible, and it is this love that has brought her to Bloomington Center for Global Children. She believes there is never a dull moment when you work with children and she looks forward to learning from all of the children in our care as well as to guiding and loving them. Further, she values teaching children Spanish as a way to open up future opportunities for them. Deyanira earned a Child Development Associate credential in 2012.

Estela

Teacher

Toddler 1 (2022-2023)

Lucrecia

**Teacher**
Lucrecia was born in Costa Rica but spent much of her life in Nicaragua. While living in Nicaragua, Lucrecia became a nurse. She worked in hospitals in many different fields, and it was here that she discovered her love for working with children. Lucrecia has worked with children for 10 years and has her Child Development Associate’s credential. Lucrecia has one son and enjoys shopping, reading, and traveling in her free time.

Toddler 2 (2022-2023)

Gisela

**Teacher**
Gisela is originally from Puebla, Mexico. She grew up helping her mother raise her five brothers and although it sometimes meant a lot of hard work, she remembers her childhood as being full of fun and laughter. She appreciates how much her upbringing taught her the values and respect towards others she holds today. She is now married and has two children of her own. Gisela greatly enjoys working with the infants and toddlers at BCGC and is always looking for ways to expand her knowledge as a teacher. In her free time she likes to read, cook and watch her children play sports. Gisela is currently pursuing a Child Development Associates Credential.

Johanna

Teacher

Pre-K (2021-2023)

Daniela

Teacher

Meet our Kitchen and Maintenance Staff

Jose Luis

Center Maintenance

Meet our Board of Directors

Megan Stahly, MSW, LCSW

Megan is a Bloomington native who lives in town with her husband and 2-year-old son. Megan worked in two daycares/preschools throughout college. During the academic year she worked at the local school where she attended college in Hanover, and over the summer she worked at Hoosier Courts Nursery School. She has worked in the mental health field for the last 10 years and is passionate about empowering individuals, families and communities. She initially did home-based work with children and families before moving on to work in schools as their mental health clinician. Prior to her current job, she helped develop a mental health program at a local pre-school as the school's clinically trained mental health expert. In that role she worked closely with leadership and the Board of Directors to develop policies and procedures, in addition to providing services to the students and their families and training for the staff. She is now in a clinical leadership role where she supervises Suboxone clinics in the Southwestern part of the state. Megan feels that BCGC is such an asset to the community and is very excited to be serving on the Board! She joined the Board in 2021 and currently serves as the Chair of the Board.

Fiona Taggart, MIS

Fiona is almost a Bloomington native. She moved here in middle school from Salt Lake City, UT and graduated from Bloomington High School North. Fiona attended Whitman College in Walla, Walla, WA and stayed after graduating with her BA in Spanish and Anthropology to complete one year of service with AmeriCorps as a paraprofessional at a bilingual elementary school. She returned to Bloomington in 2010 and served another year in AmeriCorps as Volunteer Liaison at Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County. She attended graduate school at the IU School of Information and Library Science. After graduating with her Master of Science in Information and Library Science, she worked at a health information exchange assisting healthcare practices in process improvement and exchanging information with their electronic medical record. She currently works remotely for IU Health West Central Region as a project manager for population health initiatives. Fiona and her husband Zandro have two sons. Hugo started at BCGC in 2018 and Fox started in 2020. Fiona enjoys camping and having picnics with her family. She joined the board in December 2021 and serves as Vice Chair.

Crystal 2.jpg — Crystal Love, PhD

Crystal received a PhD from the University of Chicago in Developmental Biology, studying the development of neurons in the embryonic brainstem in zebrafish. Interested in living abroad for a postdoc, she moved to Marseille, France, and then Geneva, Switzerland, and was able to practice speaking both French and Spanish. She moved to Bloomington in 2018, where she lives with her husband and two children, and works as a Proposal Development Specialist at IU. Crystal is committed to upholding the excellent educational, nutrition-focused, and loving environment at BCGC. She joined the Board in 2019 and serves as co-Treasurer.

Megan Capouch, BBA

Megan has been a Hoosier her whole life. Megan attended IUPUI where she met her husband, Donald. She then went on to achieve her bachelor’s degree from IU in Business Administration. Megan worked as a medical office associate for a neurosurgical office before she made the jump to work as a gift associate at the IU Foundation, where she works today. In May 2021, Megan and Donald welcomed their son, Henry Edwin, to the world. They also have a golden retriever named Archie. Megan enjoys reading and traveling. Megan has always had a passion for helping and teaching children. Her goal is to see BCGC thrive and be even more inclusive and successful in the future. Megan is currently the board Secretary.

Cindi Merrill

Cindi joined the Board in 2022 and currently serves as co-Treasurer.

Kat Rodda, PhD

Kat was born and raised outside of Chicago. She attended Purdue University for undergraduate studies, earnings a BA in Psychology and a BS in Animal Sciences with a specialization in behavior and welfare. Upon the completion of her undergraduate degrees, Kat relocated to Bloomington to pursue doctoral studies in neuropsychobiology at Indiana University. Her dissertation work explores how sleep disruptions in infant mice alter subsequent social and emotional development. After completing her PhD, Kat began working as an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Kat has a long professional history working with children and adolescents as a case manager and in a residential treatment facility. She has also worked as an animal trainer, veterinary technician, and as an animal behavior researcher. Kat currently shares her home with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a senior kitty. Kat is excited to join the BCGC board of directors and to give back to the BCGC community.

Jon Eldon

Jon joined the board in 2022.

Nate Herr

Nate joined the Board in 2022.

Wil Stahly

Wil joined the Board in 2022.

Former Board Members

Beth Mooradian, PhD

Beth is a midwesterner, through and through. She was born and raised just outside of Columbus, OH, went to Michigan State for her undergrad (BS in psychology and Kinesiology) and Masters (MS in Exercise physiology) degrees, before moving to the Chicago-land area to work as a Scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). While at GSSI, Beth studied fluid and electrolyte balance in elite and professional athletes. She had the opportunity to work with the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, USA Rugby, Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova, Landon Donovan, and others. Although very exciting, Beth’s heart was into helping children be active. As such, she and her husband, Tom, moved to Bloomington, for Beth to pursue a PhD at IU, focusing on increasing physical activity in children through active play and developmentally appropriate interventions. While finishing her degree, Tom and Beth welcomed their daughter, Kaianne (now 20 months) into the world. Beth earned her PhD (Exercise physiology) on Kaianne’s 6 month birthday, and now works as an adjunct professor at IU’s School of Public Health. Beth served as the Chair of the BCGC board from 2017-2022.

Janaya Jansen, DDS

Janaya, a graduate of the IU School of Dentistry, has been providing dental care in Bloomington for over six years. She is married to William Bernard. Transplants from NE Indiana, they have two children, Evelyn (September 2015) and Caroline (June 2017). Janaya is passionate about the health and growth of the youngest in the community. She sees BCGC as an asset to the Bloomington community and to those it serves. She served as the Treasurer of the Board until 2020.

courtney copy_WEB.jpg — Courtney Fitzpatrick, PhD

Courtney Fitzpatrick graduated from the University of North Carolina with highest honors in Visual Art and then directed a photography program at a Manhattan social services agency for LGBTQ youth. She later received her PhD in biology from Duke University, studying the evolution of reproductive strategies in wild female primates. Her son Parker (2) was born during her first postdoctoral fellowship at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham. She and her husband, Sam Stephenson, then moved with Parker to Bloomington for her second postdoctoral fellowship in the biology department at IU, where she continues to use mathematical models as tool for understanding the evolution of animal behavior. She was introduced to Spanish as a second language at a young age, which she now considers to have been a great gift. Courtney is committed to BCGC because of the dedicated and loving teachers, the international perspective, and the nutritious food. She served as the Secretary of the Board until 2019.

Meg Nickless, LMHC

Meg is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Indiana University. She has been working in mental healthcare for over 7 years in the Bloomington community and has provided clinical services in multiple settings. She currently works as a counselor at IU CAPS and has a private practice. She is married to Chad, and their children attended BCGC since October of 2018. Meg joined the Board in 2019 and served as Secretary until 2021.

Jessica Steinberg, PhD

Jess arrived in Bloomington in 2014 after completing her graduate degree in political science in Ann Arbor, MI. She is an Associate Professor in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, where she conducts research and teaches about international issues including global development, the environment, and conflict and cooperation. Jess is excited to be the board of BCGC, and she brings to the team an understanding of how groups can cooperate to achieve a common goal, and a knowledge of the importance of community. She lives with her husband, Jon, their daughters, and two loveable pups. She joined the Board in 2019 and served as co-Treasurer until 2021.

Rachel Martínez de Canada

Rachel is an alumna of the University of Minnesota. After graduating with distinction, she began working in undergraduate admissions and worked closely with the local Chicano/Latino community and other communities of color. She then served as the associate director of admissions at the University of Minnesota Law School where she was responsible for recruitment, administered the school’s scholarship program, and designed a summer admissions preparation for underrepresented students. After moving to the Bay Area, she joined Breakthrough Collaborative, a national education non-profit working to provide students in under-resourced communities with access to academic opportunity at 25 programs across the country. As the chief people officer (who now works remotely from Bloomington), she oversees recruitment and talent, alumni relations, and Salesforce. She and her husband, Greg, moved to Bloomington two years ago with their two daughters, Paloma (8) and Carolina (2). She served as the vice-chair until 2022.