Alliance Staff
Merrill Gay, Executive Director
Prior to joining the Alliance in 2013, Merrill was the Executive Director of the Coalition for New Britain’s Children. He has served on a number of early childhood initiatives, including the New Britain School Readiness Council, New Britain Head Start Policy Council, Early Childhood Finance Project Work Group, Early Childhood Workforce Task Force, and Infant-Toddler Task Force. He was also co-chair of the CT Early Childhood Alliance and the New Britain lead for the Annie E. Casey Grade-Level Reading Campaign. Merrill holds a B.A. in Government Studies from Clark University and a Master’s degree in Community Economic Development from New Hampshire College, now known as the University of Southern New Hampshire. Reach Merrill at merrill@cteca.org
Vanessa Hawke, Membership & Advocacy Manager
Never one to take the beaten path when there’s a possibility for exploration, Vanessa’s career progression has been shaped by her lived experiences and passion for serving others. In 2015, she became a mom and experienced firsthand the lack of accessible information and support for new parents. This led her to train as a childbirth educator and birth doula, and eventually to owning and operating her own business. Helping expecting parents understand their healthcare rights and options for pregnancy and birth opened the door to the world of advocacy. Vanessa is a former support group leader and peer mentor for Postpartum Support International and is currently back to school to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Vanessa’s guiding principle in her work with the Alliance can be summed up with a quote from author and advocate Glennon Doyle: There is no such thing as “other people’s” children. Reach Vanessa at vanessa@cteca.org