Governor Greg Abbott appointed Felicia Penn and Lori Gabbert Chaney to the Early Childhood Intervention Advisory Committee for terms set to expire on February 1, 2027. Additionally, the Governor appointed Kathryn Shields to a term set to expire on February 1, 2029. The Committee advises the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Division for Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Services on development and implementation of policies that constitute the statewide ECI system.
Lori Gabbert Charney of Austin is the Texas Title V director and the Maternal and Child Health Section director for the Texas Department of State Health Services. She is a certified project manager professional from the Project Management Institute. Charney received a Bachelor of Arts in Government from The University of Texas (UT) at Austin and a Master of Public Affairs from the UT Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Felicia Penn of San Antonio is an education manager for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Penn received a Bachelor of Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University, a Master of Arts in Education, Adult Education & Training from the University of Phoenix, and a Master of Social Work from Texas State University.
Kathryn Shields of Arlington is the volunteer coordinator for Hagar’s Heart in Arlington. She is a member of the Fort Worth Alpha Delta Pi Alumnae Association, PTO member for the Arlington Classics Academy, and a ninth-grade girls’ leader at Fielder Church. Shields received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas Tech University and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon.