|
Background
Grin and Grow is a private, non-profit child care agency founded in 1943 by the Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls. Originally founded as a nursery for the children of women working in local factories during World War II, Grin and Grow has continued to provide child care services to parents of Waterloo since the end of the War. Grin and Grow provides a unique educational experience in a quality environment. |
Staff

Ed Gruenwald - Director of Operations and Development - For over 20 years I have been working with youth. This has mostly taken the form of outdoor related activities. My very best experiences have been taking groups of young people on outdoor adventures such as river trips to the Ozarks and on the Cache River in Southern Illinois or leading hundreds of campfires and singalongs, and the hours and hours of just sitting by the lake telling stories. These experiences led me to pursue a Masters degree in Forestry majoring in outdoor recreation. Since that time I have worked with a number of nonprofit and local government organizations to increase funding to do the good work of improving the lives of children.

Trebion Wade- Hi Everyone! I'm so excited to be a new addition to the Grin and Grow family! A little bit about myself, I am a born and raised Michigander. I've lived in Iowa for just under 2 years. I'm joined here by my Husband, Diavonte and my 2 children, Titan and Nova. I graduated from Central Michigan University (Fire Up Chips!), with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Child Development and I'm currently pursuing a Masters of Science degree in Organizational Management. I have been working in Early Childhood Education for the past 4 years and am super excited to continue my passion of working in the childcare setting. I look forward to working with the staff, learning from the kiddos, and watching them grow!

Mary Neisen - Program Coordinator - Hello! My name is Mary Neisen. I am a Program Coordinator for Grin & Grow Child Care. I have worked in the early childhood field for over 30 years with Grin & Grow. I really enjoy and love children. In fact, my personal mission is to make all families and children feel welcomed and loved.