The INA Board of Directors are representatives of the INA Membership, which consist of nannies, newborn care specialists, caregivers, educators, agency owners and staff, parents and industry service providers. Each year the nominating committee strives to bring the membership nominees who will serve the organization to its fullest and meet or exceed the qualifications required to be eligible to serve on the board of directors. Once the nominees are accepted, a ballot is presented to the INA membership to cast their votes. Voting will begin Thursday, March 1, 2018. Members will log into their INA Member Portal to access the official submission form.
Why Should I Vote for the INA Board of Directors? We’ve put together an informative piece to provide you with insight and answers to the Board of Directors’ process.
The elected officers will be installed during the Board of Directors Installation at the 33rd Annual Conference, Thursday, May 17, 2018.
Returning Board Member Nominees:
Tonya Sakowicz
Tonya is an INA Credentialed Nanny, Newborn Care Specialist (NCS), CAPPA trained Doula, and Parent Educator who does both consulting and in-home sleep conditioning for her clients. Tonya has over 32 years of experience as a Nanny and NCS. She is a certified Eco-Maternity Consultant and Green Birth Educator and founded Baby Go Green, Inc. In 2003 Tonya was voted the Professional Childcare Provider of the Year and a year later nominated for the INA Nanny of the Year. That same year, she was nominated by her peers for the NAN Harriette Grant Memorial Award. Tonya is the founder of Newborn Care Solutions dedicated to the training of Newborn Care Specialists and helping families adjust to life with their newborn baby. In 2016, Tonya was honored with the DEMA Educator of the Year Award and most recently, in 2017, was again honored with the DEMA Educator of the Year and was the recipient of their prestigious DEMA Lifetime Achievement Award. Tonya is a proud wife and mother of two. Tonya has been a member of the INA since 2001 and joined the board in 2015.
Megan Metzger
Megan Metzger, Founder and President of Preferred ChildCare, turned her hobby of babysitting into a successful business with one of the largest temp. divisions in the nation. Today she employs over 200 on-call and part-time nannies as well as places traditional full-time nannies. Megan is a mom to three children, Hunter age 9, Lily age 6, and Emma Grace, age 3 and finds her business more useful now than ever. Megan is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she previously acted as Vice President of the Alumni Board. She is a founding member of the North Carolina Board of Entrepreneurship and serves on the Executive Board of The International Nanny Association. Megan also owns Megan Metzger Consulting and provides consultation services for numerous nanny agencies and other entrepreneurs, she is passionate about helping others grow their businesses.
Stacie Steelman
Stacie Steelman, Founder and CEO of Crunch Care, Inc., began her career in the corporate staffing industry. Starting out as a Corporate Recruiter, she interviewed and placed hundreds of accounting and financial professionals for Adecco Corporation, a $5 billion-dollar global recruitment leader. Stacie oversaw the Los Angeles region for the Accounting and Financial division and led her team through a large-scale acquisition during those years. In 2001, Stacie relocated to La Jolla, San Diego and worked for a boutique recruiting firm. Shortly after having her first child she resigned from the corporate world and began her entrepreneurial adventure. Recognizing the obvious need in the San Diego market for reliable, trustworthy, “on call” in-home care solutions, Stacie began her new venture by founding Crunch Care, Inc. in 2006 which specializes in the recruitment of babysitters, nannies, and caregivers for newborns, children, the elderly, and post-surgical patients. Her experience in the corporate recruiting industry has landed her the opportunity to hire and source candidates at a high volume while managing teams of recruiters and sales professionals over the years. Stacie has been an INA member since 2007 and joined the Board of Directors in 2013.
Greta Schraer
Greta has been in the childcare industry for over 20 years. She began working with children at age 12, after becoming a Red Cross Certified Babysitter, and has loved it ever since. In 2010, Greta was the recipient of the International Nanny Association’s Nanny of the Year award. Starting as a local community for nannies in Cincinnati, Ohio, Greta founded CincyNanny in 2009. Greta has a passion to coach nannies as they navigate their career, face challenges in their job, and seek to excel in the industry. She feels privileged to guide families as they navigate their way through quality care choices for their children. Greta has written for Regarding Nannies, as well as articles for the INAVision. Greta has been a member of the INA since 2009 and joined the Board of Directors in 2015. She is currently the Chair of the Volunteer Steering Committee Meritorious Service Award Committee.
New Nominees:
Candida (Candi) Vajana
Candi Vajana is a Professional Career nanny with over 25 years of experience working with children from birth to 12 years of age. She is an NNEB trained and qualified Nanny and she has lived and worked across Europe, the US and the Middle East. She is currently living and working in California where she takes care of one child aged 2. She is the current INA Nanny of the Year, and she is passionate about all child related issues as well as ensuring that her fellow nanny and many colleagues are treated fairly in the work place. Candi has extensive experience working with HP and HNW employers and is experienced in working with teams of people. Candi is currently organizing a Nanny Ball in California, National Nanny Training Day and is also going to be a speaker at the Great British Conference. She is the owner of The Funny Nanny Blog, the Administrator of Nanny Jobs USA as well as a group for Italians living in her area. She organizes events regularly. Candi Vajana speaks two languages fluently and can make herself understood in two more. Candi is not afraid of challenge and is always eager to help others.
Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy is a Qualified British N.N.E.B Nanny with over 27 years of experience as a Nanny, Newborn Care Specialist, Night Nanny and Childcare Consultant. Helen has devoted her career to the care of children at all stages of life, with all levels of needs. Helen saw a gap in the market and set up Top Baby Guru a bespoke Parenting Company and as their motto says “No Job Too Small. No Question Too Silly.” In 2015 Helen returned to nannying and now organizes meet-ups, hosts parties for Nannies, their charges and finds great pleasure in baking birthday cakes. Helen was honored the 2016 International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year. Helen’s dedication to the nanny industry doesn’t just stay in her home country of the United Kingdom but travels worldwide. After being named INA Nanny of the Year, Helen showed support to her fellow nannies by traveling to Nannypalooza OZ in Australia, Nannypalooza in Hartford, Connecticut and the Nanny Ball in Brooklyn. In 2017 Helen helped bring Nannypalooza to the UK with 100 Nannies from across the globe attending. She has now joined forces with three fellow Nannies to launch UK Nanny a company for Nannies by Nannies.
INA Board of Directors Nomination Committee
Merrilan Kougias – Chair
Carli Lintemuth
Kellie Geres