Our Leadership Team
Barb W.
Director
Barb Wigstadt has been the director of TLC Early Learning Center since 1989. Her background is in Special Education, Secondary Education, Preschool Education and History. She completed her BA work at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD and her M.Ed. at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Barb has been in the education field since 1976 and has been active with NAEYC Accreditation since its beginning in 1986, serving as a validator and later sitting on the commissioner panel in Washington DC. Barb has three grown children and one grandson and lives in Burnsville with her husband. Barb loves to travel, read, and her passion for photography can be evidenced throughout the center.
Karen W.
Asst. Director & KinderPlus Teacher
Karen is the Assistant Director of TLC-ELC and teaches the Kinder-Plus class. She has been with TLC-ELC since 1991 when she earned her BS degree in Elementary Education with a Kindergarten endorsement from St. Cloud State University. Her favorite part of teaching is reading to the children. Karen loves spending time with her family, playing pool, having bonfires and watching the Minnesota Vikings. She lives in South Minneapolis with her husband, Jason, and their children, Preston and Makien.
Our Teachers
Ally H.
Ally started at TLC-ELC in 2020. She came to the center with one year of experience in different child care settings. After graduation from Jefferson Bloomington High School, Ally attended the University of North Dakota for one year. Early in 2021 she was determined to complete her National Child Development Associate (CDA) requirements which included classroom instruction, portfolio work and observations. Ally completed everything November 2021 and is teacher qualified. Ally is one of the two lead teachers in the Turtle room. She says, "I absolutely love working in the Turtle room and I couldn't be happier!" When Ally has free time she enjoys sleeping, hanging out with her mom and doing embroidery.
Claire B.
Claire came to TLC-ELC with a variety of experiences with children when she started at TLC-ELC in 2017. Claire is attending Normandale Community College and will be finishing her Education degree from Mankato. In addition to working at TLC-ELC and attending college, Claire teaches dance. She is grateful for the flexibility that TLC-ELC has always given her in her ambitions and busy schedule. Claire enjoys sharing her many creative ideas with the children in her care and loves watching them grow and develop new skills throughout the year. Claire lives in Richfield with her family, if she has any spare time it is spent hiking and with her dogs.
Ellen H.
Ellen started at TLC-ELC in 2016 after working in other centers for about 35 years. She has a ECH Certificate from Rasmussen College in Bloomington, and loves working with the older toddler group - helping them learn and grow. This is the time when they learn to be potty trained, they start to learn how to play with a friend and not just next to a friend, they enjoy listening to stories, and they love to dance. There is a great deal of joy in Ellen’s class. When Ellen can get away, she enjoys going to her cabin up north.
Eme S.
Eme started at TLC-ELC the summer of 2014, spending the majority of her days with the children in The Adventure Club (TAC) room. She returned to work at TLC-ELC during her various breaks from Carthage College. Eme has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Production and likes to share her love of theatre with the kids through theatre club. Since the spring of 2020, Eme has worked full time with the TAC kids, supporting their distance learning and having fun with them. Eme likes to spend her free time reading, being outside, and going on adventures with friends.
Kelli h.
Kelli has worked for TLC-ELC since 2004. She completed her AAS in Early Childhood Education through Dakota Technical College in 2006. Kelli likes working with the children and being able to learn alongside them, as well as, teaching them new things. Kelli is also the staff representative on the ELC Board of Directors. She lives with her husband, four children and Moe, their dog, in Bloomington. When Kelli has any extra time, she enjoys spending it with family, watching hockey, being outside, going boating and shopping.
Laura K.
Laura began her association with TLC-ELC as a parent when her oldest three children attended the center. In 2001, she started working at TLC-ELC. Laura’s youngest started in the Turtle room in 2003, and while raising four children Laura took classes through Hennepin Technical College to become a teacher. She has worked primarily with the Penguin group since then, and enjoys doing crossword puzzles, going for walks, and spending time with her four children.
Leslie J.
Leslie has worked for TLC-ELC since 1991, and has moved up from being a high school aide to a teacher over the years. She supervises the entire Adventure Club (TAC), which is for school-aged kids in the afternoon and during the summer. During the COVID period, she is overseeing the children who are involved in distance learning. Leslie really knows each of the TAC children and their families, as many of them spend 4-6 years in her room. Leslie loves theater and has been known to drive all over the state to see a good Shakespeare play. She loves exploring the Twin Cities area with her mother and daughter (if you want to know a great place to visit or eat, Leslie is the one to ask). Leslie and her husband, Steve, live in Bloomington with their daughter Hannah.
Patrick L.
Patrick started working at TLC-ELC as an aide in 2010. After graduating from high school, Patrick started Culinary School while continuing to work for TLC-ELC. While completing his diploma in 2013, Patrick decided that he wanted to pursue a degree in early education. He started at Rasmussen College in 2014. In his free time, he can be found drawing and writing as well as playing video games, reading, playing guitar, and of course, practicing his cooking skills.
Renee G.
Renee started teaching at TLC in 1995. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Dakota in Sociology (with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and Psychology). She also serves as TLC-ELC's Fundraising Coordinator. She live in Lakeville with her husband and daughters. Her family and teaching enriches her life beyond measure. She enjoys spending her free time with family, traveling, biking, hiking, and reading.
Stephanie H.
Stephanie came to TLC-ELC with 19 years of experience in 2018. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from Hennepin Technical College. She loves being able to work with children of all different ages, watching them learn and grow into confident, independent individuals. Stephanie’s free time is spent with family, fishing, camping, hiking and anything outdoors. Stephanie lives in Eagan with her son, Spencer, who attends TLC-ELC.
Tracy M.
Tracy has taught at TLC-ELC since 1991. She holds her BA in Elementary Education from North Central Bible College with experience in teaching kindergarten. Tracy has put a great deal of time in researching healthy eating and its importance for children. Her hobbies include sewing, baking, knitting, and crocheting. Tracy lives in Bloomington with her husband, two daughters, Kendra and Riley, and son Tobin, who attends TLC-ELC.
Our Assistant Teachers
Caitlin T.
Caitlin attended TLC-ELC for about 10 years as a child, and started working here in 2017. She has volunteered for six years with the elderly, and has shown her love and care for people on both ends of the age spectrum. Currently, she is a student at Normandale Community College. Caitlin loves being around children and often babysits children whose parents she has met children at the center. She feels that she is rewarded in knowing that she has had a positive impact in their lives. Caitlin has lived in Bloomington her entire life.
Chloe S.
Chloe started working at TLC-ELC in 2013 while in high school. She attended to MSU at Mankato, continuing to work at TLC-ELC during school breaks. She started working full time at TLC-ELC in 2019 and is currently pursuing her National CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential through Rasmussen College. Chloe brings a mixture of calmness and compassion with goofiness and fun to the classroom, and enjoys the fact that no two days are the same. Chloe loves cooking and trying new recipes, hiking, camping and finding new places to explore in Minnesota.
Our Aides
Brandee D.
Brandee returned to work at TLC-ELC in 2011, after taking time off to get married and raise three sons. She originally worked here from 1992 – 1997. Brandee loves working at TLC-ELC and being a part of the children’s lives, of their growth and education. In her free time, Brandee can be found at their cabin up north going for long walks and sitting by warm bonfires or shopping around town, looking for shoes and purses. She has been married to Chad, her husband for over 25 years, and lives in Savage. Their sons are grown now and two are mechanics and one is serving in the military.
Spencer K.
After working for TLC-ELC for six years, Spencer left for three years and has been working with the Bloomington Public Schools for the last two years. He returned to TLC ELC part time in 2019, and has also been working on his elementary education degree. The TAC children like seeing Spencer at Westwood during the day and at TLC-ELC in the afternoon. He loves watching movies and reading books in his spare time, and has a dream of reviewing movies some day. Spencer has lived in Bloomington for his entire life.
Our Kitchen Staff
Tracy Witte, Chef
Tracy Witte has been cooking professionally for over 25 years, but her love for cooking started when she was about 10 and her mom taught her how to cook and bake. She loves making homemade soup - there are so many varieties, and she has a chance to try many new foods here at TLC-ELC. Her true passion is baking, which she does at home to relax, and then brings her creations to the staff for all to enjoy. Tracy has a real gift of taking care of others and her favorite way is through their tummies. She loves the fact that the children and staff share their love for each other so freely here. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband fishing, and has four daughters and 14 grandbabies, who she loves teaching how to bake.