Executive Team
Mary Malandrino |Executive Director, Children's Place at the SED
Bio coming soon!
Denise Secor |Executive Director, Children's Place at the Plaza
After graduating from Guilderland Central Schools, Denise earned a BS in Elementary Education from SUNY Oneonta and has worked with children ever since! She has experience with Early Childhood, After School programs and summer camp for school-aged children.
Denise is passionate about bringing high quality care to all families and is always looking for new and innovative ideas. When working with children, she loves to read the Llama Llama books, sing the Five Little Ducks song, and explore in the Sensory Table.
When at home you will most likely find Denise reading, walking her dog Ivy, or succumbing to her guilty pleasure: reality TV.
Nell Guilbeault |Plaza Assistant Director
Nell has been in the Early Childhood Education field for about 17 years. She grew up in East Providence, Rhode Island and graduated with her associate degree in Early Childhood Education in 2006. Nell also went to SUNY Plattsburgh for Childhood Education and plans to finish her degree in the next year. Nell has experience in all age groups 6 weeks to 5 years.
Nell is passionate about early childhood education. She loves when a child has the “aha” moment. She believes that children learn best through play and is a strong believer in Freedom of Movement for infants. When working in the classroom Nell loves implementing music and movement and open ended art projects.
When at home, Nell enjoys spending time with her 9 year old daughter. They especially love to go on outings and just hang out at home.
Valarie Evans |Assistant Director, Children's Place at SED
Val is a mother of five and has been in the early childhood field for 14 years. She has worked as a Floater, Lead Toddler Teacher, Lead Preschool Teacher and has been a member of the administrative team since December 2019.
Val loves working with young children and helping them achieve new goals. She also enjoys assisting families learn about the stages of their children's development and helping them develop strategies to guide them through their academic journey. When Val is not at the Children's Place, she is also a certified lactation counselor and birthing doula.
Victoria Downes |Interim Assistant Director, Children's Place at the SED
Bio coming soon!
