A few weeks ago the INA introduced the 11 amazing childcare professionals who were nominated for the INA Nanny of the Year™ this year. Today we will introduce you to the 5 INA NOTY™️ Finalists. Here they are in Alphabetical order.
Sierra Forney is a CACHE Certified Newborn Care Specialist and childcare professional with over ten years of experience. She is also an ALPP Certified Lactation Counselor, Postpartum Doula, New Parent Educator, and has completed many other industry-specific certifications and courses. Sierra began her career as a nanny, where she worked with families in a multitude of capacities. Over the past five years, Sierra has focused solely on newborn care, providing support and evidence-based guidance across the U.S. Her caring and attentive approach as well as her passion for helping each child reach their highest potential shows with the lasting impact she leaves. Sierra holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Washington College, where
she served as President of the Service Council Club. Additionally, she is a member of several professional organizations, including the International Nanny Association, where she strives to help advance the childcare industry as a whole. As a Girl Scout growing up, she earned her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. This shaped her outlook on life, seeing every day as an adventure to learn something new and give back to her community. This led Sierra to found Newborn Care Of The Hamptons, a perinatal care agency to help fill the void of support in the area for parents. Sierra’s dedication to providing the highest quality care has earned her a reputation as a trusted expert, and she is excited to continue caring for others and helping families enjoy a smooth and stress-free transition into parenthood.
Angela Johnson Sutherland has worked with children and parents in various ways for over 40 years. She has been a Preschool Teacher, Speech and Motor Clinician, Playgroup Director, Child Development Instructor, Home Daycare Owner, Church Nursery Director, Parenting Coach, and Nanny, to name a few. Most recently, she has served as a Newborn Care Specialist, Lactation Educator, and New Parent Educator.
Angela holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and a certificate in Special Education. She has also studied Business Management Accounting and American Sign Language. Education is crucial to her, so she continues her studies through continuing education courses, professional development workshops, online webinars and classes, child development conferences, and monthly educational meetups with her peers.
Kenda Horst has been a professional Nanny in San Francisco for 29 years, working with ages 0-12. Newborn Care Specialist and teen communication coursework are two of Kenda’s continuing special interests. She delights in helping create a family home filled with joy, laughter, and love, for the parents to come home to at the end of the day. Kenda has extensive experience working with families anticipating their second child, helping new siblings bond. Kenda sees the entire family as a system—an ecosystem. She seeks to promote health and wellness within this living, interconnected system by cooking healthy food and supporting smooth household functioning. Kenda sweats the small stuff!Her employer, Ms. B., says of Kenda: “[My husband] and I were grateful that someone so nurturing, so proactive, and so knowledgeable was caring for our baby. We were relieved to see her each morning. Kenda is exceptionally punctual and dependable.”
In pursuit of her values and her vision, Kenda enjoys giving back to her communities and bringing people together. For twenty years, she served as a board member with PFLAG San Francisco, a support organization for members of LGBTQIA communities and families. She also plans InterNational Nanny Training Day for San Francisco Nannies and serves on a variety of committees at her faith community, First Mennonite Church of San Francisco. A fitness enthusiast, she swims, lifts, or runs at 5:00 a.m. every weekday. Kenda is particularly passionate about continuing to grow her professional expertise and to build community among Nannies.
Cynthia Rosemberg Also known as Cece is a native of Peru and is a bilingual nanny. Her Peruvian roots and culture are strong and are an important part of who she is as a person. Cynthia has 15+ years of experience in the Nanny industry in which she has taken certifications and trainings as a Postpartum Doula, CNA, Lactation educator, and Newborn care specialist. She will be completing her Pediatric Sleep consultant training soon and continues to learn about early childhood education. Her true passion is working with children and supporting the family to thrive. Cynthia is a strong leader within the Nanny community in Providence, Rhode Island. She’s very well respected by her fellow nanny friends. She enjoys putting together play dates, celebrating national nanny appreciation week, and this year she has sold out the first National Nanny Training Day in Rhode Island. Cynthia wishes to represent and advocate for all nannies with different backgrounds, especially the Hispanic Latino community. Her true inspiration is her mother who left her country to become a nanny in the USA to be able to give her a decent life back in Lima. Cynthia currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband Chris, her son Liam, her daughter Emilia and her dog Shorty. Cynthia feels blessed to have touched many little hearts and to have positively impacted wonderful families, creating long last relationships all these years.
Danielle Taylor is a full-time, career nanny in Seattle, Washington and is honored to be a 2023 Nanny of the Year finalist. She is a proud member of the International Nanny Association, US Nanny Association, and Positive Discipline Association. Prior to discovering her passion for nannying, Danielle earned bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education & Psychology. She worked as a classroom teacher before finding her first full-time nanny position and falling in love with the career. Danielle adores working with children and believes in always treating her charges kindly and respectfully. She enjoys working closely and cooperatively with parents to help raise children who are confident enough to advocate for their own needs while still being empathetic to others. Parents whom Danielle has worked for have described her as “the best thing that has ever happened to us” and “truly, part of the family.” Danielle bases her work in childcare around the Positive Discipline philosophy and is a certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator and certified Positive Discipline Early Childhood Educator. Danielle enjoys teaching others about Positive Discipline as well. She works part-time and writes blogs for Sproutable, a small, local business that offers trainings for parents, teachers, nannies, & caregivers. She’s a voracious learner who delights in professional development opportunities, recently completing trainings on Conscious Discipline, Attachment Theory, RIE, homeschooling, & more. When Danielle is not working, you’ll find her reading, crafting, or listening to records with her husband and two cats.