Member Spotlight – Nursery Co-Chairs
Are you ready to meet our dynamic Nursery Committee duo? Drumroll, please… Jessica Parker and Erin Shepardson! You’ll see these friendly faces at our monthly general meetings.
Meet Jessica Parker
Jessica Parker, one of our Nursery Co-Chairs, can whip chaos into shape. I admired her from afar at my first CECPTA meeting when she helped dozens of kids check into the nursery, reassuring parents of fussy kids that they would be well taken care of, all the while keeping an eye on her youngest, Tripp. When I bumped into Jessica twice around town that same month, she was friendly and welcoming and helped me realize my decision to join CECPTA was a good one!
Jessica has been a CECPTA member since 2016 and served on the board for three of those years. Her favorite thing about CECPTA? “Above all, it would have to be the community of moms right at your fingertips ready to provide support, laughs, advice, food… the list goes on!”
Jessica and her husband have two kids: Piper, age 5, who graduated from Orange group last year, and Tripp, age 3, who is in Blue group. Jessica shares the best parenting advice she’s ever received: “I ask myself, “Why not?” before saying no to my child’s request. It has really helped to curb potential meltdowns and my children can safely explore and learn!”
The Parkers enjoyed a vacation together to Surfside Beach, Texas. “The kids love the ocean and on our recent trip learned how to boogie board!” But she says her dream vacation would be Hawaii: “Pick an island, any island!” Jessica grew up far from the ocean in Wichita Falls, Texas, as an only child.
If you’re as “obsessed” with “Married at First Sight” as Jessica is, chat with her about it next time you see her! Or you could surprise her with her favorite Starbucks drink: a grande white chocolate mocha with soy, no whip, hot or iced.
Meet Erin Shepardson
Erin Shepardson, our other Nursery Co-Chair, is equally friendly and amazing at multi-tasking. When asked about her hidden talents, she said, “They’re still hiding,” but I beg to differ. When Erin’s not coordinating with our amazing nursery sitters, she is serving as interim director of a church preschool, helping people register to vote, decorating for holidays with her son, and baking beautiful unicorn cakes for her daughter’s birthday.
Despite her busy duties at one general meeting, Erin spent a while getting to know me when I was still quite new and didn’t know many CECPTA people. She also helped my daughter transition to the nursery on an especially fussy morning.
Erin has been in CECPTA for about four years and has helped with the Nursery for a few of them. Her favorite thing about CECPTA is service opportunities. “My kids love serving others, so for Thanksgiving, since we can’t travel, we are delivering for Meals on Wheels!”
These generous kiddos are Megan, age 6, who just graduated from Orange group, and Ben, age 7. Together they enjoy camping. When asked about any parenting hacks, Erin said, “Meal planning is life! Not sure if that’s a hack, but, it sure makes life easier.”
Someday, Erin dreams of traveling to Australia, and if she could request an unlimited amount of one thing, she’d choose airline or hotel points. Naturally, her favorite Netflix binge is “Travels with My Father.”
As a kid, she loved “Punkie Brewster” and “Little Mermaid.” She grew up in Wylie, Texas, Erin loved holidays with her extended family and playing the game Sorry.
Erin and Jessica hope to see you and your kiddos at our next General Meeting on Friday, December 11th! Registration for the next meeting will open on November 30th. Please visit the Nursery Reservations page for more information about our Nursery program.
About the Author
Leah married Greg, her best friend, five years ago, and they have a 3-year-old daughter, Zoe, in Blue group and a 1-year-old son, Russell, in Red group. Leah taught elementary school before becoming a full-time mom. In her free time, Leah loves to read—especially historical fiction—and run, although it’s more of a slow jog at this point. She is the Member Connections board member, and she enjoys overseeing seven committees: Playgroups, Events, Educational Socials, Parents’ Night Out, Sunshine Meals, and Hospitality and Nursery for General Meetings. She’d love an extra hand to help out, so send her a message at cecptaconnections@gmail.com.
