Baby University Board Members
Our passionate team that helps steer Baby U
Frank Echelmeyer
Board President
Frank is the Relationship Manager with Camelot Portfolios, an investment management company, located in Maumee, Ohio. He serves on the firm’s investment committee. Frank has 19 years of experience in the financial services industry, and he has recently worked as the chief compliance officer of an RIA. He was previously portfolio manager in the trust department of a large super-regional bank. Frank earned his MBA in Finance from Case Western Reserve University, located in Cleveland, Ohio. Frank is securities and advisory licensed (Series 7, 24, 63, and 65), and he is a Certified Kingdom Advisor. Frank and his family are active members of the Christ the King Parish in Toledo where Frank serves on the parish endowment committee.
Belinda Costin
Vice President
Belinda Costin first joined Baby University in August 2010 where she continues to work as the Child Care Supervisor. Currently, Belinda works as Principal of Discovery Express School, an educational endeavor for Kindergarten through Fourth Grade students, begun by Children’s Discovery Center. Her previous positions with Children’s Discovery Center since starting there is 2002 include Head Teacher, Administrator, and Education Director. In the past, she had been employed by High Reach Learning as a contracted writer for ECE Curriculum. She has previously taught 2nd through 8th Grades and was the Principal at two separate Kindergarten to Grade 8 private schools. Belinda is on the Board of Directors for the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children and Chairperson for the Maria Early Learning Center Board of Trustees. Belinda has her Bachelor of Science in Education from Bowling Green State University and is a Graduate of the University of Dayton with a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration.
Mary Siefke
Treasurer
Mary Siefke is a CPA with over 20 years of experience in the accounting field. She began her career at Ernst & Young LLP and moved to ProMedica where she spent over 12 years in various roles, including as Director of Finance at Paramount Health Care. She served as CFO at the Toledo Museum of Art for 3 years, and is currently the Director of Finance and Medical Economics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Mary graduated from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana with a major in Japanese Studies. After meeting and marrying her husband in 1995, she went on to achieve her Masters in the Science of Accounting from the University of Toledo and has lived in the greater Toledo area ever since. Mary currently resides in Perrysburg with her husband and 2 children. Mary is Chairman of the Baby University Finance Committee.
Mary Ann Rody
Secretary
Mary Ann Rody currently serves as Secretary of the Baby University Board, in addition to helping with grant-writing for Baby U. Mary Ann has spent the past 26 years working at Children's Discovery Center, a large, locally-owned child care chain with six locations in the greater Toledo area and two locations in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston. In her most recent role as Chief Operating Officer, Mary Ann provided training and oversight of daily operations for a staff of almost 250 at CDC, which provides high-quality, full-day educational child care to approximately 1,400 children daily in all eight centers. Before being named COO, Mary Ann served as Kindergarten Teacher, Administrator, Human Resource Manager, and Vice President at CDC. Mary Ann taught Sunday School in her church for a number of years when her children were little. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from John Carroll University, and many credits toward a Masters in Early Childhood Education from the University of Toledo. Mary Ann has served on the board of ProMedica Caring Services, EC3 Committee for Help Me Grow, Membership Chair for OACCP, Advisory Board for Penta Early Childhood Program, and President of TAEYC. Mary Ann lives in Maumee, Ohio with her husband of 38 years. Together they have two grown daughters, and one grown son.
Kelly Kaiser
Executive Director
Kelly and David Kaiser started Baby University in 2010 as a result of friendships they had developed with some young families in the inner city. In an effort to find an effective way to support families and children struggling with poverty, Baby University was birthed. Kelly and her husband David have raised 5 kids, and are enjoying being grandparents. Kelly is a Licensed Physical Therapist and a Certified Bridges Out of Poverty Trainer. Kelly is Chairman of the Baby University Curriculum Committee.
Pete Allesee
Development Director
Originally from Northwest Indiana, Pete moved to the Toledo area in 1992. He worked for Marathon Petroleum for 31 years, holding a variety of positions in Sales, Operations and Real Estate. He retired in 2012. Pete coached baseball for 20 years for his sons Matt, Chris and Sam. He now enjoys working on charitable ventures, real estate consulting and sports. Also, he and his wife, Gayle, spend time with their 2 granddaughters and travel. Pete has worked on charitable fundraising with the Perrysburg Athletic Boosters, The Epilepsy Center of NW OH and Children’s Miracle Network.
Carmen Kruse
Board Member
"My goal has always been to help those in need. She is a graduate of Perrysburg High School. My bachelor and medical degrees have been graciously bestowed on me through devotion to education at The University of Toledo and The University of Toledo Health Science medical school. When I matriculated into medical school, my first child was 4 months old. During residency, I was chosen and given the honor of Chief Resident. I had my second child midway through residency. I am very proud to say ; I financed my entire educational journey through faith, hard work and student loans. Upon graduation, I joined Perrysburg Pediatrics and had my third child as an attending physician. To provide care and promote the health and well being of children has always been my passion. Children are our future.
For every child is precious. We all must embrace and envelope them with the greatest care. Meet all their needs - physical health, mental, spiritual.
Advocate for them
Support, mentor, educate, counsel
Love and respect them.
Their success defines ME!
A person is at their tallest when bending to help a child.
“ your word is like a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.“ Psalm 119:105"
Stacey Hudak
Board Member
Stacey Hudak grew up in Erie, Michigan and attended Erie Mason High School. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising from Michigan State University. After college, she worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative for over 10 years and enjoyed her time in sales. However, she left that career in 2015 to join her husband Andy in business. She wanted more ownership in her career and she felt she could have a deeper impact on her community by educating and protecting families financially. So, together, they operate a business specializing in retirement planning and life insurance. Stacey joined the Baby University Board in December of 2018. She had an instant connection with the organization after she visited a Baby U class and saw in-person the impact they can have on young parents. The course had incredible content. The instructor possessed great empathy and compassion, yet also held her students to a high standard. She saw the value that Baby U was bringing to the community and wanted to be a part of it. Stacey is passionate about personal growth and development, as well as empowering women to live their best lives, so Baby U is a perfect fit. Stacey resides in Sylvania Township with her husband and two daughters, Sloane and Preston. She enjoys playing and watching sports and spending time with her family. Stacey is Chairman of the Baby University Fundraising Committee.
Sarah Salatin
Board Member
Born in Toledo, Ohio and raised in both Toledo and Petersburg, Michigan, Sarah is the Manager of Sales at COACT Associates. She holds multiple degrees, including an Associate of Applied Science in Human Resource Management from the Community College of the Air Force, which she earned while serving on active duty for six years. After her military career, she attended Lourdes University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Social Sciences and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership. Sarah has extensive experience in both the private and public sector of mental health agencies and was drawn to the mission of Baby University through her work helping local non-profits who focused on strengthening the lives of Toledo families and children. In addition to serving on the Baby University Board, Sarah also volunteers in the St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center NICU, cuddling babies. She is an active parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, serving on the Pastoral Council and is the Youth Group Coordinator there. She has served on the Board for the Springfield High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. (JROTC) and remains heavily involved with this organization as two of her daughters participate on the nationally ranked drill team. Sarah lives in Maumee, OH with her husband of twenty years, Chris, and their three teenage daughters, Caroline, Shelby and Cacee. Sarah is Chairman of the Baby University Marketing Committee.
Emilie Vassar
Board Member
Emilie has been a proud member of the Toledo legal community since moving to Toledo two days after her graduation from Boston University School of Law in 2008. Emilie worked in legal aid and then as a charter school compliance specialist and attorney for several years before moving to her current position as an employment and education attorney for Eastman & Smith Ltd. The child of an educator and a life-long avid learner, Emilie has always been passionate about the value of education, but her commitment to early education was heightened when her oldest daughter entered daycare in 2015. Emilie and her husband, Zak, are raising two precocious young girls. Emilie enjoys supporting the efforts of her husband and his incredible team at the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts, and she can often be seen out at Toledo Symphony and Toledo Ballet events.