Board of Directors
The INA Board of Directors consists of nannies, newborn care specialists, educators, agency owners, parents and industry service experts.
As a not-for-profit organization, the INA members choose their Board Members annually. The INA Board is then tasked with making decisions that will benefit our association while being mindful of the individual interests of our members as well as the entire industry.
It is our goal to continually strive to create a team that represents the entire industry. However, we are dependent on those within our community to step up and help us lead. We encourage those who want to make a difference to consider nomination to the INA Board of Directors. Check out our Nomination qualifications and process.
Service on the Board of Directors is not the only way you can have a voice and be involved. We encourage feedback through our Board Meetings, our Members Facebook Group, and via email to info@nanny.org. You can even submit an official proposal to the INA Board on a new idea or project for them to consider. Simply fill out the Proposal Template and submit it to the INA Secretary 2 weeks before their next Board of Directors Meeting.
We also encourage you to join a committee and be apart of a growing community of professionals. Find the list of Committee Chairs and a description of our committees.
The INA Board has developed Association Strategic Goals for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year.
Growth in Membership
- Increase new and lapsed membership by 20%
- Increase retention rate of existing members to 70% – Current retention rate is 61.8%
- Increase diversity in INA membership by 25% – increase race / country of origin / international location / sexual or gender identity / male members)
Growth in Stability:
- Create a nest egg of a total of $115,000. $45,000 allocated for the operating budget and $70,000 for conference expenses. The first year’s goal is to contribute $25,000 and the second year would be to contribute $20,000. On July 1, 2024 we will review the financial health of our accounts and determine if we are able to contribute more than $25,000 this year to the nest egg, with the intention of doing so.
- Increase revenue by $35,000 to allow for hiring additional office support and security needs for INA by end of year 2023.
- Run a conference that is profitable by at least 20%.
Growth in Roots + Branches
- 75% of new board members fully onboarded and trained with committee assignments within 90 days
- Overall an average of 75% or higher satisfaction on the Board Satisfaction Survey tracked quarterly.
- Overall average of 75% or higher of the Members for the Net Promoter Survey tracked through monthly president’s messages.
- Unexpected board attrition of less than 10% annually (unexpected meaning a board member does not honor their full term for any reason)
2024-2025 Board of Directors
Cate Matejivich
President
Cate Matijevich – (Bolingbrook, Illinois) Cate from Chicago, Illinois has worked in the domestic private service industry for over 15 years. Being a nanny and managing principal’s homes is her passion and brings joy beyond what she ever thought was possible. Cate is an avid learner always seeking the best solutions for children and their families. She enjoys staying current with childrearing trends and ongoing professional development trainings. Continuing education is a priority for Cate and she currently attends Florida International University, pursuing her degree in Hospitality Management with a focus in HR and Leadership.
Cate actively participates in events that support the nanny and greater domestic private service industry, including traveling internationally for conferences and events. Her desire to strengthen and grow industry relationships globally, is a proud goal. Cate also directs an Estate Management group that meets monthly to network and continue education.
Recreationally, Cate loves to golf and spend time outdoors with her partner, John, and their three pups. Cate is proudly involved in her local community and volunteers with the village on ad hoc committees and serves as Secretary on her HOA board of directors.
While Cate is always on-the-go, her peers will also say that she makes time for all things important to her, and fulfills her commitments with the utmost pride and diligence. Please see the Committee Appointments list for a list of committees for which Cate is the chair.
Tamara Gardner
Vice President
Tamara Gardner (Baltimore, Maryland) is a career nanny with twelve years of experience, working with children from the newborn stage through the teen years. She has a Bachelors of Science of Psychology from Towson University. Tamara loves to engage with children and families as a whole to create fun, stimulating, and educationally based activities for all the youth she interacts with to thrive.
Her professional childcare experience includes seasons in both the fields of Nannying and public childcare sector.
As a nanny, Tamara has worked with children in the capacity of Multiple Sibling Care, Nanny Shares, Special Events, and more. In addition to nannying, her public childcare experience also includes her work as an After School Program Director, Child Watch Area Coordinator, and Summer Camp Leadership, focusing on developing and executing monthly youth centered events, daily child care, programmatic advancement and complex financial responsibilities.
Tamara believes one should never let the fear of the unknown and matters being too difficult, shape one choice and decision in life; and hopes to utilize all her experiences to be a dedicated addition to the INA Board, given the opportunity. Please see the Committee Appointments list for a list of committees for which Tamara is the chair.
Tassecia Simpson-Little
Treasurer
Tassecia Simpson-Little (Yonkers, New York) Is better known as Sherry to some. I am a proud professional nanny with over a 20-year career history. I was born in Jamaica, West Indies where I spent most of my childhood days, until I migrated to the US in 1992 at the age of 12. I grew up in the Bronx, NY. Although I experienced this great culture shock I enjoyed my new schools, friends and family. It took a lot of getting used to, and with the help of great teachers and mentors I was able to adapt easily. During my first year high school year I attended a job readiness program where they placed me to intern in an after school program working with elementary aged children. I believe that is when I realized my love for children and wanting to be a great mentor to them just like I had growing up in such a diverse country.
I consider myself a fun and creative individual. I love the outdoors and think it’s best to enjoy it when I can. I like trying new things and definitely exploring all options. I believe that’s where my creativity kicks in. I try to pass that on to the children I Nanny. Another love of mine is singing. I’m not the best singer, but singing can bring such joy, peace and calm. I have a song for almost everything, child related and not child related. I also like to create some songs my own based on the moment and situation we are in. I love the opportunity to get messy, loud and energetic with children. Knowing they had a full fun and educational day makes me feel accomplished at the end of they day. I truly love caring for children, discovering their unique personalities, offering my talents and wisdom for fun and wonderful memories. My overall goal is to be the change that I would like to see in the world and help other nannies do the same. Please see the Committee Appointments list for a list of committees for which Tassecia is the chair.
Helen McCarthy
Secretary
Helen McCarthy – (London, United Kingdom) Helen is a Professional Qualified British Nanny (N.N.E.B) with over 33 years experience as a Nanny, NCS, Childcare Consultant and has worked in Europe, Asia, USA, UAE and the UK. Helen has devoted her career to the care of children at all stages of life, with all levels of needs. Over the course of the past 24 years, Helen has developed an exclusive focus on caring for new-borns. As one of the pre-eminent NCS’s, she has amassed a deep understanding of the needs and development of newborns including premature infants, twins, triplets, and babies with allergies. 2015 saw Helen returning to nannying after attending Nannypalooza which inspired her to become a member of the INA. Helen was named INA 2016 Nanny of the year which saw her travel to Australia where she spoke at Nannypalooza OZ and being featured in the Financial Times Documentary on the new Upstairs Downstairs. Helen’s passion for educating Nannies to the highest level has seen the launch of UK Nanny, Ltd., the only events company for Nannies. Helen has been an INA Member since 2015 and joined the Board in 2018. Please see the Committee Appointments list for a list of committees for which Helen is the chair.
Jessica Rector
Director
Jessica Rector grew up in North Carolina surrounded by babies, thanks to her large family of four sisters. Her natural caregiving spirit led her to the private care industry at the young age of 19 when she began her journey as a professional nanny. Over the years, Jessica has gained extensive experience, particularly in caring for multiples, preemies, and children with colic and reflux, as well as mastering various sleep training methods.
Jessica’s expertise has taken her to over 20 countries, where she has provided more than 20,000 hours of personalized newborn care, including specialized 24/7 support for both first-time and veteran parents. She is CACHE-certified as an Advanced Newborn Care Specialist, CAPPA-certified as a Postpartum Doula, and a Certified Lactation Consultant.
What truly defines Jessica is her commitment to personal and professional growth. She takes pride in learning from her past mistakes and believes that transparency in her journey—both successes and setbacks—helps her connect with others and guide them through their own paths. Jessica’s adaptability and willingness to share her experiences have made her a trusted resource for families and fellow professionals alike. Whether working in the Turks and Caicos, Paris, or elsewhere around the globe, Jessica ensures families receive the highest level of care for their newborns while fostering strong, open relationships.
As the owner of The Baby Boss, a prestigious nanny placement agency, Jessica leverages her deep industry knowledge to match families with the best possible care. She also works closely with private staff professionals to help them grow their businesses, always emphasizing the importance of embracing challenges and learning from them.
Jessica’s passion for newborn care, combined with her belief in transparency and growth, makes her a respected leader in the industry. She strives not only to provide excellent care but also to inspire others to navigate their own journeys with resilience and openness. Please see the Committee Appointments list for a list of committees for which Jessica is the chair.
Joy Colino
Director
Joy Colino (Oakland, California) A natural connector with over 30 years of experience as a professional nanny and agency owner, Joy knows what thriving family teams look like. Her mission is to honor and balance the needs of the families and candidates she works with, and to elevate the domestic staffing industry. Joy built her agency, Nannies Plus, from the ground up holding true to the belief that practices grounded in integrity and transparency, while not always a path of ease, is the only way to operate. Nannies Plus proudly holds membership to The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies, and the International Nanny Association, and Joy is the recipient of the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies’ 2022 Rising Star Award. Joy contributes to the domestic staffing industry and community in many ways, including leading a weekly mastermind group, hosting quarterly in-person events for agency owners’ and staff, as a contributor to Nanny Magazine, and is a member of the Invisible Consulting team. She is also the founder of a 900+ member Meetup group, Unwind: Bay Area Women Entrepreneurs. Please see the Committee Appointments list for a list of committees for which Joy is the chair.
Danny Rosenthal
Director
With a childcare career spanning over 20 years, Danny J Rosenthal has established himself as a prominent authority in the realm of childcare. As the author behind “Nanny ABCs: The Sitter’s Handbook”, the host of the parent’s guide to being a proper nanny boss “Be The Best Nanny Boss Ever Podcast,” and, the host of Enginehire’s “How to Build a Nanny Agency” podcast Danny’s expertise is widely recognized and respected.
Danny founded United NannyAgency in Chicago, IL to provide the highest level of customer service to both famailies and nannies with a seamless and stree-free placement process. Danny is concurrently the Director of Community and Partnerships for Enginehire, the leading childcare agency software, where he able to assist the leaders who run the childcare industry equally as much as the clients and candidates the who depend on it.
Danny’s expertise has been featured by the US Nanny Association, CareNectar, Adventure Nannies, Seattle Nanny Network, Via The Village, Care.com, Huffpost, Enginehire, and the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies. Furthermore, Danny has had the privilege of presenting at the 2021 and 2022 US Nanny Conferences as well as the 2022 International Nanny Association conference.
While Danny Rosenthal’s professional achievements are notable, he attributes his success to the unwavering support of his loving wife, Alice, and his son.
Chelsea Klassen
Director
Chelsea Klassen is a travel nanny based in Canada with 10+ years experience working with families from around the world. Her travel nanny experiences have taken her to four continents. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Global Development Studies in 2018 and a Master’s degree in Development Studies in 2022. Chelsea is a faculty in the Global Development Studies program at the University of the Fraser Valley and the lead researcher at the CHASI Hub. Chelsea centres her nanny practice on excellence, education and empathy, and strives to provide families with bespoke care that is considerate of each member’s unique needs.
Reagan Fulton
Director
Reagan is a Cincinnati native, nature lover, and mom with a dynamic career journey that spans from being a dedicated career nanny to serving as the Marketing Coordinator for Adventure Nannies and the Director of Nanny Camp. With a deep passion for creativity, adventure, and continuous growth, Reagan brings a wealth of experience in community-building and storytelling to the INA Board of Directors. Reagan is committed to advancing the mission of the INA by supporting and empowering the nanny community, particularly focusing on helping isolated subsets find their people and fostering vibrant, inclusive connections. Reagan’s work is centered on creating opportunities for nannies to connect, learn, and grow, ensuring that every member of the community feels valued and supported.