Childhood Matters - Rona Renner RN - Radio Talk Show - 98.1 KISS-FM - 105.1 KOCN-FM

Meet Rona & Team

	Rona Renner, Executive Director and Childhood Matters Host Rona Renner, RN, is an accomplished parent educator and talk show facilitator. In addition to her role as host of Childhood Matters, she has been a guest expert on radio and has appeared on national television segments on CNN and 20/20. Rona is the parent of four children, ages 19-37, and has been a registered nurse for 40 years with a wide range of experience in health care, administration, and patient education in New York, California, Zaire, and India. For the past twenty years, Rona’s focus has been on parent education and community outreach. She was trained by Kaiser Permanente as a Temperament Specialist, helping parents adjust their approach to parenting in light of their children’s individual temperaments. She’s been a speaker at national conferences on Children’s Temperament and ADHD and presents trainings for school faculties and community-based organizations on a wide variety of topics. She regularly offers assistance to parents regarding their children's rights in school issues and health care access. Rona developed a monthly parenting series at the Berkeley YMCA, taught parenting classes at Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center, and founded the Childhood Matters nonprofit radio show, all aimed at providing free comprehensive compassionate parent education.
	Nazmin Bishop, Director of Development Nazmin has been in the field of Development/ Marketing most of her professional career, which spans more than two decades. She began in the business world in corporate aviation and has held positions in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors. She has worked extensively on state and federal government student loan contracts, most notably working with the U.S. Department of Education. During her tenure in the nonprofit world, Nazmin served as Corporate/Community Relations Officer for a domestic violence agency and went on to become Executive Director of a children’s advocacy group that addressed the needs of those impacted by childhood abuse. Although her vast professional career has been gratifying, her true passion is working on community building projects, especially those that focus on children. She and her husband Daryl, are proud parents of two daughters, Sharisse and Mckinsey.
	Xan West , Producer Xan holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism from American University's School of Communications. She has worked extensively in talk radio for outlets such as XM Satellite Radio, NPR, and KPFA. She has produced shows such as Interfaith Voices, All- American Talk Radio, Prison Abolition Radio, and many more. In her spare time she enjoys gardening with children. Xan is also a proud Oakland native. Xan is very excited to be working with the Interactive Parenting Media team.
	Lacey Daniell, Associate Producer Born and raised in New Mexico, Lacey graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) with a degree in Journalism. Her short career has included working as a reporter for an NPR affiliate and a production assistant at Bloomberg Television as part of the Washington, DC Center for Politics and Journalism. Outside of being a news junkie, she is interested in many forms of dance and was a member of NMSU's student run dance company. She is excited to help bring valuable information and resources to California families as a part of the Interactive Parenting Media team.
	Anthony Georgetti, Assistant Producer and AmericorpsVISTA* Originally from New York, Anthony moved to the Bay Area after an eleven year stopover in Virginia. Anthony has a BA in psychology from Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. His previous production work includes a barely broadcasted college radio show and the production of his self written and directed film The Scholarship. His outside interests include health, writing, and drama.
	Liz Courtois, Communications Associate Liz grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and moved to the Bay Area in 2006 after graduating from Kalamazoo College where she studied Theatre and Anthropology, and had the opportunity to live in Spain. When not working, she reads, teaches herself to cook, hikes, and works on her unofficial career as a music listener.
	María Álvarez, Community Outreach Coordinator María Alvarez is responsible for community relations with different organizations in the Bay Area and Monterey County. She has over 15 years of professional journalism experience in broadcast, print and online media, and has worked as an international correspondent in Central and South America. Her academic degrees include a B.A. in Journalism from the Central University in Venezuela, and a M.A. in Communications from the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. Currently, Maria is working towards a Non-Profit Management Certificate at Cal State University. In addition, she brings her own personal parenting experiences to the team. She has an adorable 18 month old son, Ricardo Amador. Maria loves travelling and her favorite and most frequent destination is Venezuela, her birthplace and where the majority of her family currently lives.
	María José Muñoz, Community Outreach Coordinator María José was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia and has lived in California since 1997. Since arriving in the Bay Area, she's worked with the Spanish speaking population in a variety of ways including conducting outreach for non-profit community development organizations. She enjoys helping people access resources to aid them in making educated decisions. María José is the mother of a 7 year-old child that fills her life with all the joys and challenges of parenting and along with her husband, they are learning and growing together in their discoveries of human nature. She holds a BA in Anthropology.
	Monica Barbour, Community Outreach Specialist Monica was born in central valley of California. She was raised in the Bay Area. She attended Brigham Young University and majored in Political Science. She has been married for 19 years and has two children. She currently resides in the Monterey Bay Area. Monica has run various businesses and has been a Sunday school teacher for over 25 years. She recently went back to college to learn about radio and television. She looks forward to serving the children and families of the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding areas.
	Holly Wilder, Controller For over twenty years, Holly has been working with nonprofits in accounting, human resources, and administration. She earned her business degree from JFK University. In addition to her work in business administration, she does conflict resolution work with individuals, groups, and organizations. Holly is a member of CompassPoint’s Nonprofit Finance Professional’s Network and previously served on the board of Blue Skies for Children (formerly the Association of Children’s Services).
	Peter B. Collins, Radio Production Consultant Peter B. Collins is a well-known broadcaster, voice-over talent, entrepreneur, and media consultant. He started in radio in Chicago in the 1970's as an air personality and talk show host. Peter moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1976 and spent most of the 1980's hosting a top-rated morning show. In 1989, he moved back into talk radio and is currently the host of “The Peter B. Collins Show” which airs daily. Peter’s distinct and authoritative voice has been heard in hundreds of radio and TV commercials, as well as station promos and voice mail systems. Since 1986, he has served as Board President of the Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit based at San Quentin Prison, which provides legal and investigative assistance to wrongfully convicted inmates in California.
	Mick Renner, Communications Consultant Mick has been a college professor of English, an actor, director, and producer in Bay Area theatres, and, since 1985, an award-winning technical writer. Mick is a senior technical writer at Varian, Inc., and teaches in the University of California, Berkeley, Extension Program. He is a father, a stepfather, and now a grandfather!
	Dayna West, Consulting Psychologist Dayna West, PhD, MEd, is a bilingual, licensed Clinical Psychologist, credentialed teacher, mother and stepmother. She has worked as an educator, therapist and School Counselor and Administrator in the US, Europe and South America. Formerly on staff in the Department of Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Oakland, Dayna is a consultant to Interactive Parenting Media. Her work includes outreach, fund-raising and project management.
	Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne, Nuestros Niños Host Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne, Ph.D., has practiced as a licensed clinical psychologist for over 20 years. She dedicates her career to fostering the well being of our children and families, with special attention to the Latino community, through child development and parenting classes, individual and family psychotherapy, training of therapists, interviews in the media, and educational and inspirational writings. Her work has earned official recognitions, and the appreciation of innumerable families.
	Marco Berger, Nuestros Niños Producer Marco Berger has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 28 years. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Communication Arts. Marco enjoys working in the community and developing good relationships with people. In 1992, he earned his teaching credentials with Spanish Bilingual emphasis from the University of San Francisco. Marco was a teacher for 15 years, first in Redwood City working with bilingual students, and then taking on various teaching roles in San Francisco. He then served as Community Engagement Specialist at Parent Services Project in Marin County, supporting and helping parents to be leaders in their children’s schools and in their communities. In 2007, he coordinated the Parent Leadership Institute.
	Zoila Cartagena, Nuestros Niños Associate Producer "Greetings. Children and parents, are my work and passion. My mother's struggle and the war in my country of origin have left the most important mark and legacy in my life, which is the love and struggle so that our children can develop and grow in a home and a society filled with love and good values. Nuestros Niños offers me the opportunity to be close to the community and to listen to the voices of mothers, fathers, and children from communities throughout the world. I have learned that media is a powerful tool to make a difference in our society. Day by day I meet with you in schools, theaters, churches, and other places in the community. Your voices and your stories count! The work that I see is like a miracle. What you do as a parent is the essence of how you can transform you children's lives for the better. I strongly believe that our children are the most important seed of today and the future. ¡Si se puede!" Zoila was born and raised in El Salvador. She has a BA in Communications Sciences and currently studies Sociology and Media at San Francisco State University.
	Pedro Reyes, Nuestros Niños Board Operator Pedro is an alumni of San Francisco State University and recently earned his teaching credential with a BCLAD in Spanish from New College of California. He has worked with organizations such as E.O.P.S/CARE, Barrios Unidos, Streetside Stories, New College Of California, East Oakland Community High School, FLASHPOINTS, as well as radio shows such as La Onda Bajita on KPFA, and Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1FM. Pedro is the father of a thirteen year old as well as one year old twin girls.