Who We Are
Family Forum, Inc. is a private, non-profit corporation that provides programs for families in Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, and Price Counties of Wisconsin. The corporation is made up of a Governing Board who manage the affairs of the corporation through the Executive Director. The programs provided by Family Forum, Inc. are Head Start / Early Head Start.
Mission Statement
We are dedicated to preparing children and their families for success; through high quality programming, family support and wellness education, while fostering meaningful relationships.
Our Vision
Partnering with families and communities to build school readiness for all children through passionately committed relationships that connect families to goal oriented outcomes.
Meet the Executive Team
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Jeanne Myer
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jeanne is the Executive Director at Family Forum, Inc. She has worked for Head Start for 27 years. For 24 of those years, she has been with Family Forum Inc., and seven of those years she has been the Executive Director. Jeanne has experience in various positions at Family Forum, Inc. as a Family Service Worker, Head Start Pre-School Teacher, and Early Head Start Home Visitor. She also worked for the Office of Head Start as an Early Childhood Specialist in the Training and Technical Assistance department. Jeanne holds a master's degree in education. She is proud to see staff building resilient classrooms, and to see each adult's focus on widening their windows of tolerance. Jeanne's goal is to aid staff, children, and families in making positive choices that create positive changes. A fun fact about Jeanne is that she served in the Army National Guard for nine years and was ranked as sergeant. Jeanne enjoys participating/watching sports and four-wheeling/ATV riding in her free time.
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Joan Keeler-Pellman
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Joan is the Early Head Start Director at Family Forum, Inc. She has been with the agency for 31 1/2 years and has worked for the last five years as the Early Head Start Director. Previously, she was an EHS Assistant Director, Center Manager, Health Coordinator, and Health Assistant. She has a bachelor's degree in human services with education in nursing, nutrition, and family services. She is extremely proud of the wonderful work and connections she sees staff make with the children and families that come through our program. Joan feels honored to work with all of the staff, to learn from them, support them, and work side-by-side with them as they support the children and families. Overall, Joan feels very lucky to work for such a wonderful agency that truly cares about the children, families, staff, and communities that we are a part of, Joan explains that, "We are working with families to plant seeds of hope, knowledge, acceptance, civility, and kindness." Joan's goal is to shift more program focus on children three years and younger and prenatal women within the next five to ten years to make the greatest difference in the lives of children and families within our communities. Joan loves spending time outdoors; hiking, biking, and enjoying the sun. One fun fact she shares about herself is that she is a fangirl of Mr. Rogers.
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Lynn Timmons
FINANCE OFFICER
Lynn is the Finance Officer at Family Forum, Inc. She has worked for the agency for five years, the whole time in her current position. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Lynn is proud of the agency's ability to help young children to be successful in kindergarten. Her goal is to help find the financing to provide program supplies to the families within our program. A fun fact about Lynn is that she is not from Wisconsin. Lynn loves putting together a good puzzle and playing a game. She is also the proud pup-parent of one of the cutest dachshunds in the world (verified by an outside source). She would love to find a dachshund owners group in the area.
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Lilian Hassel
HUMAN RESOURCES LEAD
Lilian is the newest team member in our Executive Team and brings to the table 16+ years of human resources experience. Lilian joined Family Forum, Inc. because of the culture and wanting to further her education. Lilian is proud of being able to create environments that make employees feel heard and safe in her role in human resources. One fun fact about Lilian is that she enjoys cosplaying with her kids as a family.