Child Care Resources
Who We AreStaff
Baker Office
Chalene Harshman (Infant Toddler Specialist)
Chalene Harshman was born and raised in Baker City, Oregon, where she still lives today with her family. A passionate advocate for children and families, Chalene recently earned her Graduate Certificate in Infant and Toddler Mental Health from Portland State University and is honored to serve communities throughout Eastern Oregon in this capacity.
Chalene brings a unique and meaningful blend of professional experience to her work. Before entering the early childhood mental health field, she served as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor for New Directions Northwest at the Powder River Correctional Facility. There, she supported individuals in the Alternative Incarceration Program who were working to heal and grow in their roles as fathers, partners, and community members.
Earlier in her career, Chalene worked for six years as a Teller and Banker at Wells Fargo, providing financial support and services to local families while completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development.
Helping others has always been at the heart of Chalene’s journey. As she grew older, her focus naturally turned toward supporting young children and the caregivers who nurture them. She is especially passionate about early learning, trauma-informed care, and strengthening relationships during the critical early years of life.
Chalene is proud to live and work in the community that raised her and is committed to making a lasting difference in the lives of the families she serves.
Kyla Emerson (Quality Improvement Specialist )
Kyla Emerson grew up in the rural town of Monument, Oregon. Kyla graduated from TVCC with her Associate’s in Early Childhood Education. Prior to this role, Kyla worked at a daycare in Meridian, Idaho where she was the lead teacher of the two year old classroom. Working with children has always been a passion of Kyla’s, so the opportunity to work with the providers and early childhood educators is very important to her!
Outside of work, Kyla enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Kyla’s favorite thing to do is spend time cooking with her grandmother back home in Monument. When Kyla is not doing these things, she is spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, or hiking.
Staff
Ontario Office
Theresa Martinez (Child Care Resources Director)
Theresa Martinez is the Director of Eastern Oregon Child Care Resources, a role she has held for the past five years. Previously, she served as the Early Learning Coordinator for the Eastern Oregon Early Learning Hub. Through initiatives such as Preschool Promise and a variety of Hub-sponsored activities, Theresa has had the privilege of partnering with early educators across the region to strengthen programs and support children and families.
Before stepping into the Early Learning field, Theresa spent 13 years teaching Special Education and Alternative Education at every level from kindergarten through high school. Her classroom experience continues to inform her work and fuels her commitment to strengthening the early learning workforce.
Theresa also serves on the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, the Eastern Oregon Early Learning Hub Board, and the Eastern Oregon Regional Educator Network Board. While she valued her years in the K–12 setting, her passion lies in early learning and in building a high-quality, well-supported workforce to serve young children.
Outside of work, Theresa enjoys reading, theater, cooking, and traveling. She loves spending her free time with her husband and children—whether they’re playing games, solving puzzles, or cheering on her children at sporting events.
Noelia Monroy (Bilingual Administrative Assistant)
We would like to welcome Noelia Monroy to our team at EOCCR as our bilingual, English/Spanish administrative assistant in charge of coordinating all of our trainings. Noelia is a native Eastern Oregonian and is a graduate of Nyssa High School. Before she came to the EOCCR team, she spent 15 years in the early learning field in a variety of positions at Oregon Child Development Coalition in Ontario, OR.
Outside of work, Noelia is a single mother to five children. She loves spending time with them doing activities like going to see movies and going out to eat.
Amy Fernandez (Bilingual Quality Improvement Specialist)
Amy Fernandez currently works for Eastern Oregon Child Care Resources as the Bilingual Quality Improvement Specialist in Malheur County. She has experience working in an elementary school setting in a variety of roles working with both children and families. Through these many roles working to empower families, she recognizes the value of connections made between children, families and educational support. She is excited to serve the community where she was raised.
Outside of work, Amy is a resource parent who enjoys new adventures with her family.
Janice Grengs ( Inclusion Specialist)
My passion has always been to teach and I have worked in the field of education for over 25 years. I was a K12 teacher for the last seven years and am now very excited to work in the field of early learning.
As an inclusion specialist, I am invested in helping early educators understand the meaning behind the challenges they may encounter in their work and develop strategies and universal routines that enable all children to find a sense of belonging and inclusion in the preschool classroom.
Outside of work I love reading, gardening, and spending time in nature
Charmayne Scow ( Preschool Promise Coach)
Charmayne Scow is an experienced Idaho educator with more than 23 years dedicated to supporting students with diverse learning needs. She is a proud graduate of Boise State University, where she earned her degree in Special Education along with an Early Childhood endorsement.
During Charmayne’s career, she worked as a special education teacher for 4th and 5th graders, spending five years helping upper-elementary students build academic skills, confidence, and independence. She also spent ten years in early childhood special education, working with preschool-aged learners and their families. In this role, she specialized in early intervention, individualized instruction, and creating inclusive environments that set the foundation for lifelong learning.
Throughout her career, Charmayne has been known for her compassion, her commitment to student growth, and her ability to collaborate effectively with families and multidisciplinary teams. She continues to be passionate about advocating for children and empowering them to reach their fullest potential.
Charmayne is married and has two children, a daughter and a son. Her family consists of 2 cats, one dog, and two grand-dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and crafting.
Staff
Enterprise Office
Lisa Pringle (Quality Improvement Specialist)
Lisa is dedicated to helping others .
