Meet Our Team
Maria Soter
Executive Director
Maria Soter has immersed herself in the world of Early Childhood for over 25 years, from the inception of Salt Lake City's first Preschool for Homeless children in 1998 to, more recently, the creation of the Coaching Model and program for Head Start. Maria has always had a passion to serve children and their families, especially where a need is unmet.
Her vision for The Sammy Center became a reality in 2018 when she heard the CEO of a local program speak on behalf of the Early Childhood mental health crisis that was on an uprising. She has made a commitment to herself, the community, and the children of Salt Lake City to give them an added level of support through The Sammy Center.
Noelle MArgetts
Teacher
Noelle graduated from the University of Utah with their child psychology and infant and early childhood mental health degree. They have always been drawn to working with infants and young children and felt they have been able to heal their own inner child through this work. They started at The Sammy Center as an intern and fell in love with the kids, the staff, and the mission of the school.
Grace Chapman
Teacher
Grace is going to be a sophomore at the University of Utah, majoring in Early Childhood Education. She started at the Sammy Center as an intern and is excited to transition into a teaching role. With a passion for fostering development, Grace is excited to make a positive impact at the Sammy Center.
Ivy Tran
Teacher
Ivy has a double degree in Psychology and Family, Community, and Human Development, along with a certificate in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Her passion has always been centered on working with children and advocating for the mental health of those who may not have a voice. She firmly believes that patience, love, and understanding can make a profound difference, and that every child deserves a safe and supportive space to grow and thrive. Starting as an intern, she discovered a deep sense of purpose at The Sammy Center, and it’s been a privilege to turn that passion into meaningful action
Savannah Kreider
Teacher
Savannah Kreider, known to many preschoolers as "Miss Savannah," is a third-generation Alaskan, born and raised on the beautiful Kenai Peninsula. She began teaching preschool in January 2019 and has never looked back. Savannah recently earned her A.S. in Early Childhood Education & Development at UVU and is currently pursuing a B.S. in Human Development & Family Studies, a minor in Psychology, along with an Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health certificate at the University of Utah. She is deeply passionate about her work and eager to expand her knowledge through her experiences at The Sammy Center. Savannah’s ultimate goal is to open her own Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool center on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula.
jada hays
Teacher
Jada is a University of Utah student studying for her master's in psychology and minoring in human development and family studies. Jada has had a life full of kids with different struggles and backgrounds, with her mother being a foster parent since she was 6 years old. This led her to the love of children's mental and emotional development. She is beyond honored to love and care for every child at The Sammy Center.
Alicia christ
Internal Education Coach
Alicia has lived in Utah since 1996. She enjoys camping with her family and floating local rivers. Alicia has worked with children her entire adult life, starting out at a local daycare while still in high school. She took an interest in helping children with special needs and individual concerns and started taking classes to support them. Having worked with Maria previously, she jumped at the chance to be part of The Sammy Center family. Since having her own child, Alicia has focused on coaching and training others.
Maya Karlinsey
Paraeducator
Maya is a dedicated and compassionate behavioral health professional with experience working in educational and therapeutic settings. She currently serves as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). She specializes in providing one-on-one support. She has worked in diverse classroom settings as a substitute teacher. She is passionate about the work that she does and strives to make a positive impact on the environments she is a part of.
kelly noorda
Chairperson
Kelly Noorda is the Lead Partnership Director for Promise Partnership Utah, where she facilitates cross-sector collaborations to advance early learning strategies and drive meaningful system change. With more than 25 years of experience in early childhood education, she believes that relationships are the foundation of progress, and that through innovation and collective work we can achieve far more together than alone.
Kelly holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Human Development and Family Studies and in Psychology from the University of Utah. Her career has spanned roles as a therapeutic preschool teacher and parent educator at The Children’s Center Utah, a Head Start preschool teacher with Utah Community Action, an education specialist providing coaching and behavior management support to teachers, a program coordinator overseeing multiple sites, and a leader of professional development programs focused on onboarding, training, and teacher growth. She also served as an Assistant Education Manager, where she guided curriculum implementation, data-driven practices, and coaching and mentoring programs.
In her role with Promise Partnership Utah, Kelly leads early childhood initiatives for children ages 0–8, building alignment across networks, local communities, and state policy to strengthen and transform early learning systems. She also serves as Chair of the Early Childhood Utah Early Care and Education Committee, contributes to the Utah Early Childhood Conference Committee, and advises statewide efforts through councils such as the Office of Child Care, Waterford Upstart, and Early Childhood Utah.
Rita Mangum
LCSW
Rita began her career in social work, facilitating parenting classes for at-risk communities in the greater Salt Lake and Park City area. Research has shown that strong parent-child bonding is one of the most important protective factors for decreasing delinquency, substance abuse, child abuse, and negative peer influences on children. Protective factors work to increase safety and emotional well-being, build strong family relationships, and promote healthy social connections. Rita has been facilitating and teaching positive parenting practices for over 25 years. She is passionate about relationships, especially those between parents and children. One of the best ways to build resiliency in both yourself and your child(ren) is to focus on the 4 Pillars of Wellness, which include Health, Home, Community, and Purpose. She is looking forward to sharing ways to decrease stress, identify emotions, make healthy connections with your child(ren), and build strong families. Her wellness classes will explore these pillars and provide knowledge, new skills, home practice exercises, and time to talk with other parents about their experiences with parenting and self-care.
The Sammy Center
Emily Bleyl
LCSW, ACSW Associate Professor UofU
Emily is currently the Director of MSW Practicum Education and an Associate Clinical Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Utah. Prior to 2020, she served for eleven years as the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, Utah Chapter, where she managed daily operations including budgets, board meetings, conferences, and continuing education, while also working closely with the Utah legislature and DOPL to draft and strengthen social work statutes. Throughout her career, Emily has consulted with state and county agencies on ethics and practice-related issues, served on numerous boards and committees, presented over 150 talks on social work topics, co-authored ASWB licensing prep materials and a state licensing manual, supervised and advised MSW students, and successfully advocated for six pieces of social work-supportive legislation. She has also taught Practice I and II and a summer elective focused on attachment in the MSW program. Her leadership earned her national recognition as the NASW Outstanding Executive Director of the Year (2013), as well as honors including Utah’s Thirty Women to Watch (2014), Utah Social Worker of the Year (2022), and Practicum Professor of the Year (2023). Emily began her social work career as a case manager at Catholic Community Services in 1995, earned her MSW from the University of Utah in 1999, and then completed intensive post-graduate training at the Yale Child Study Center and a concurrent Bush Fellowship at the Yale Ziegler Center for Child Development and Social Policy. She later directed public policy and community initiatives for United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, co-leading the development of a successful early childhood initiative. Upon returning to Utah in 2003, she worked in private practice and as a crisis social worker at the University of Utah Medical Center before beginning her leadership role with NASW. With nearly thirty years of experience in education, clinical work, policy, and administration, Emily brings a deep understanding of the biopsychosocial foundations of social work and remains committed to advancing educational resources and professional policies that support students, practitioners, and the communities they serve.
Sky Lowe
Secretary
Sky brings vibrant energy, enthusiasm, and heart to our board as our dedicated Secretary. As a professional nanny with a deep love for children, she embodies the spirit of care and connection that drives our mission. Sky is our greatest cheerleader and unwavering supporter always ready to celebrate our wins, champion our work, and remind us why we do what we do. Her passion for supporting young children and families is evident in everything she does, and we’re so grateful to have her voice, positivity, and commitment guiding our work at The Sammy Center.
dmitri smirnov
Treasure
Dmitri Smirnov, MBA, CPA (Retired) brings more than two decades of high-level corporate finance and accounting expertise to his nonprofit leadership work. After earning his MBA from the University of Louisville, Dmitri built a distinguished career with global organizations including The Boeing Company, CNH Global, and VTG Rail, where he served as Corporate Controller and oversaw financial reporting, audits, treasury functions, and departmental leadership. Now retired from corporate life, Dmitri devotes his time to community service, contributing his financial and strategic expertise as a board member and treasurer for several nonprofit organizations, including The Sammy Center, St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church, the Mushroom Society of Utah, and Lingua Bear. His commitment to mission driven work and his extensive experience in financial stewardship make him an invaluable member of the organizations he serves.
Blithe Cravens
Attorney for D.A.'s office, Juvenile Branch
Blithe Craven's professional career and experience are what drew her to become involved in The Sammy Center and serve on the board. Blithe's background in Criminal Justice dates back to 1998. Since 2018, she has worked for the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office as Senior Deputy District Attorney and supervisor of the Family and Sexual Violence Unit.
She once shared that if she could just keep one child out of the system, she would feel like she had done a good thing. Difficult as it is to have the knowledge and experience of what Blithe sees day-to-day, her commitment to making a difference and serving our community is a gift.