Our Mission • Our Philosophy • Staff • Board Members
Staff
Audrey Krisbergh, M.Ed., Director
With a strong belief in the importance of the role of parents in the healthy development of children, and with an interest in preventative programs that have a positive impact on families and communities, Audrey founded and became Executive Director of the Center for Parenting Education in 1997. Since that time, she has been responsible for the administration of the Center and its programs as well as the management of the Parenting Educators who work there. She also serves as the liaison between the Center and the community and its other service organizations.
Audrey has been a Certified Parenting Educator since 1991 and has been certified to teach the Training Class to prepare others to become Parenting Educators since 1995. She leads parent discussion groups, educational workshops, book discussion groups, and Training Classes. Audrey has also been involved in the development of new curriculum and programs at the Center.
From 2000 to 2003, Audrey served as the Co-Chairperson of the Abington Community TaskForce (ACT), an umbrella organization of social service, educational, law enforcement, and civic organizations in Abington Township whose mission is to promote a healthy environment in which the youth of Abington Township can grow and thrive. In 2005, she became a member of the Governor’s Initiative for Parental Involvement for Abington School District.
Audrey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University in 1969, majoring in Education. She earned a Masters of Education degree in Guidance and Counseling from Boston University in 1970. She has worked as an elementary school guidance counselor in Framingham, MA; as a counselor in an out-patient psychiatric hospital in Detroit, MI, as a counselor in an out-patient facility of a state psychiatric hospital in Brooklyn, NY; and a community mental health clinic in Laguna Beach, CA.
Audrey lives in Abington, PA with her husband. They have a son and a daughter born in 1978, both of whom live in New York City. Audrey is an avid yoga practitioner.
Deb Cohen, Assistant Director
Deb has worked in the field of Parenting Education since 1995. As the Director of Marketing at The Center for Parenting Education, Deb coordinates marketing efforts in line with the strategic plans of the Center and plays a key role in determining the strategic direction of the organization. In addition, she coordinates and facilitates on-going parent discussions for parents of young children. Deb leads discussion groups, educational workshops, supervises other Parenting Educators, does Personal Parenting Coaching, contributes articles to the monthly newsletter of The Center for Parenting Education and develops new workshop curriculum.
Prior to having children, Deb attended Lehigh University and had a successful career in Marketing Research. Where she once helped companies determine why consumers do what they do, she now aids parents in figuring out why their children do what they do and what parents can do about it. Her three children give her many opportunities to practice her parenting skills.
About the Parenting Educators
There are over twenty active Parenting Educators at The Center for Parenting Education who facilitate the programs. They have a variety of degrees and pre-parenting education experience; many of their degrees are in related social science fields such as psychology, social work, guidance and counseling, early childhood education, teaching, marriage and family therapy, nursing and adult learning theory.
The common background that all Parenting Educators have is that they have successfully completed a 26 week, 100 hour Training Class conducted by Lakeside’s Parenting Resource and Education Network. The class includes curriculum dealing with the foundations of emotionally healthy parenting, leadership training, group management skills, group dynamics, and an apprenticeship and internship in which the participants are mentored by experienced and certified Parenting Educators.
Certified Parenting Educators
Arlene Alessandro
Susan Arnhold
Debbie Beck
Suzanne Blatstein
Deanna Bosley
Annette Castor
Jane Cero
Marianne Clunk
Deb Cohen
Carolyn Cutilli
Tonja Deviney
Karen Eble
Luanna Fisher
Kate Forest
Claire Gawinowicz
Sherrie Glensky
Karen Kanter
Audrey Krisbergh
Bill Lessa
Joan Lord
Terry Lynn
Debra MacDonald
Teri Mahoney
Rosemary Melnick
Sherry Mischler
Ellen Mishel
Pam Nicholson
Tsipora Razon
ML Reitz
Amy Roak
Randi Shamis
Janet Shepard
Susan Singer
Michelle Smith
Andre Stormont
Jennifer Sumner
Therese Tiger
