Alissa Pulkrabek - Early Childhood Licensing Supervisor 
Alissa graduated from North Dakota State University with a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science, following a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. She has spent her career supporting best practices and advocating for children and families.
Alissa has worked in the early childhood field for many years, beginning as an in-home childcare provider while raising her children before transitioning into a childcare center director position. Alissa has also served as a child and adult protection investigator in North Dakota and Minnesota which has given her a unique blend of child development expertise and investigative experience in her leadership role.
Alissa loves her work and strongly supports the licensing specialists she works with. She believes that guidance, support, and empowerment are the keys to successful coaching.
Fun fact: Alissa has a playlist specifically for pretending she is in a music video while doing chores!
Cary Forrester - Early Childhood Licensing Specialist
Cary graduated from the University of Texas in 1992 and has dedicated the past 36 years to the early childhood field. Throughout her career, she has served in a variety of roles, including teacher, director, coach, and licensing specialist, which has given her a broad understanding of the challenges and rewards of working in early childhood education.
Cary’s experience includes five years as a teacher, seven years as a childcare director, and eleven years as a coach with Child Care Aware. These opportunities allowed her to support programs, mentor educators, and help providers strengthen the quality of care they offer to children and families.
Today, as a Licensing Specialist, Cary believes that her role is to be a resource and support for providers. Early childhood professionals have one of the most important and challenging careers, and Cary strives to work collaboratively with providers, offering guidance, encouragement, and assistance as they navigate licensing requirements while continuing to provide high-quality care for children.
Kris Albers - Early Childhood Licensing Specialist
Kris graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science and a minor in Literacy. Since then, she has taught elementary school in Montana and Texas. Both teaching positions were located in low-income communities where providing strong academic and personal support was essential to helping the students succeed.
After the birth of her first child, Kris and her family chose to return to the Minnesota-North Dakota region so their children could grow up knowing their grandparents and extended family. During this time, Kris owned and operated a childcare business for eight years, which provided valuable experience in early childhood development, family support and business management.
In August 2003, Kris began her career as an Early Childhood Licensing Specialist. In this role, Kris has had the opportunity to work closely with childcare providers while promoting awareness of the critical importance of early childhood experiences in a child's growth, development, and long-term success. Kris finds great satisfaction in supporting quality early learning environments and helping providers meet the needs of children and families in their communities.
Lori Hopewell - Early Childhood Licensing Specialist
Lori graduated from college with a degree in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in Special Education and Pre-K. Lori has had the opportunity to work with children through many different roles throughout her career.
Lori began by opening her own childcare after discovering a family member needed specialized care. Lori then worked as a preschool director for 16 years. Following that, Lori worked in Minnesota as a quality improvement relationship based professional development coach.
Lori has also worked in the community as the Summer Art Camp Co-Director for over a decade. Lori’s favorite part of her career has always been helping early childhood educators enhance their programs while ensuring they feel valued, supported, and appreciated for the work they do every day.
Kayla Ness - Early Childhood Licensing Specialist
Kayla graduated from Northland Community and Technical College in 2012 and earned a Bachelor of Applied Science from Mayville State University in 2022. Prior to becoming a Licensing Specialist in 2023, Kayla worked for a Head Start program beginning in 2013, serving in roles focused on enrollment, family services, and program support.
One of Kayla’s greatest strengths as a Licensing Specialist is building positive, collaborative relationships with childcare providers. Through clear communication, technical assistance, and ongoing support, Kayla helps providers understand and meet licensing requirements while delivering quality childcare services within their communities.
Kayla is passionate about the early childhood field because she recognizes the critical role quality childcare plays in supporting children's development and helping families thrive.
Irena Anderson - Early Childhood Licensing Specialist
Irena graduated from the University of North Dakota with a bachelor’s degree in social work. During her internship, she worked closely with children who exhibited challenging behaviors, spending many hours observing, documenting, and learning about child development and behavior patterns.
That experience provided a strong foundation for Irena’s current role as a Licensing Specialist. Today, Irena uses those observation and assessment skills when conducting licensing visits, reviewing compliance, and helping childcare providers create safe, healthy, and supportive environments for children. Irena’s background allows her to view situations through both a regulatory and child-focused lens, helping ensure that licensing standards support the well-being and development of the children in care.
One aspect of Irena’s role that she enjoys is partnering with providers to identify solutions, strengthen practices, and promote continuous quality improvement across childcare programs.