Meet the Team
The Parents’ Choice core team is a smart, talented, and fun-loving group that leads the experts and family testers with whom we are so fortunate to work. Whether at our desks, playing on the floor, walking the aisles of Toy Fair, attending conferences or reading up on industry trends, it would be rare to find a more dedicated and hard-working bunch.
Claire Green
PRESIDENT
In addition to helming the Foundation’s work, Claire is a member of the National Toy Hall of Fame® and Toy of the Year (TOTY) nomination committees. She lives with her husband Tom in the Maryland woods where they’re constantly searching for plants the deer won’t eat.
Jacqueline Yau
Vice President
A graduate of Stanford University and the Anderson School of Business at UCLA, Jacqueline serves as an associate director in donor relations for Stanford University Medical Center Development. She and her husband live in Sonoma County, California, where they enjoy exploring the wine country’s backroads.
Jennifer Wells
Digital Products Expert
Jennifer has been developing kids’ digital products for 20+ years for organizations from Highlights Magazine to LEGO. As a child she and her group of imaginary friends went everywhere together, playing with refrigerator boxes-turned-spacecraft and an Apple IIc. But Fisher-Price’s Little People were always closest to her heart.
Karena Rush
Principal Investigator
Currently a psychology professor at Millersville University, Karena previously served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and as a psychologist at Sheppard Pratt Hospital where she worked with children with special needs.
Keri Zeiler
Awards Program Manager
Keri keeps the awards application and evaluation process running smoothly. She enjoys camping, the beach, and making six pounds of macaroni salad when two will do. Keri’s love of family and children gives her a perfect playground for her work.
Krista Kane
Content Director
Before joining Parents’ Choice in 2016, Krista spent 10+ years researching, testing, and playing with all manner of toys, games and gadgets at FamilyFun magazine. Although she spends her days with the latest and greatest, the classics are what she loves best.
Contributing Editors
Our contributing editors help guide us through the ever-changing landscape of children’s media and toys. They evaluate and review with the eyes, ears, and experience of skilled professionals. Only a parent or once-in-a-lifetime teacher can provide the perspectives they share.
Lahri Bond
Father, writer, music historian, designer and illustrator, and a professor of art at Holyoke Community College, Lahri lives in Massachusetts with his wife, two cats and way too many books.
Gina Catanzarite
Gina is an award-winning television producer, writer, teacher, and media consultant. Her work includes national documentaries for PBS. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and twin sons.
Emily Crawford
Emily holds a BSE in electrical engineering and computer science. She is a homeschooling parent and lives with her husband, three children, three cats, and thousands of LEGOs.
Lynne Heffley
Lynne spent more than 20 years writing about the arts and children’s arts and entertainment for the Los Angeles Times. When not on assignment, Lynne is apt to be found strumming one of her seven ukuleles.
Naomi Lesley
Naomi taught middle and high school English for six years. She earned a Ph.D. in English at the George Washington University, focusing on issues of race in American children’s literature and now teaches English at the college level.
Kemie Nix
Kemie, Children’s Literature for Children, Inc. founder, began teaching literature to children four decades ago. Since its inception, CLC has placed more than two million books in hospitals and schools around the globe.
Ann Oldenburg
Assistant Director of Georgetown University’s journalism program, Ann began her career at The Washington Post and went on to spend more than two decades with USA Today, where she covered pop culture.
Don Oldenburg
Director of publications and editor for the National Italian American Foundation, Don spent 22 years as a feature writer for the Washington Post. The coauthor of two books, his legendary muse continues to be his first baseball