The Maryville Leadership Team
Maryville takes great pride in its leadership team that’s comprised of professionals who are passionate and committed to helping our children and families reach their fullest potential. They are highly-educated, accomplished, innovative and have extensive experience in working with children and families. As leaders, they empower staff to be the best that they can be while encouraging communication and collaboration among departments and programs, our children and families, and the agencies and partners we work with.
Every day, our leaders. together with our Maryville staff, work to make a difference to deliver long-lasting and positive changes in the lives of the children and families in our care.
Evelyn Smith, M.A.
Associate Executive Director
Joined Maryville on August 16, 1991
Evelyn began her ministry at Maryville in 1991. She began her Maryville service as a family educator, then took up the increasing responsibilities as assistant program manager, case manager, program manager, program consultant.
In 2005, Evelyn became director of what is now called our Residential Services Division. Evelyn earned her B.S. in business management from Southern University, her Masters degree in Applied Professional Studies from DePaul University, and her Masters in Bible Studies from Moody Bible Institute.
Nina Aliprandi, M.A.
Associate Executive Director
Joined Maryville on April 16, 1986
Nina Aliprandi earned her Bachelor of Science in law enforcement administration degree, minor in psychology and sociology, from Western Illinois University and her Master of Arts degree in community and family counseling from Northeastern Illinois University.
She has received certifications for CPR, first aid, infection control, medication education and monitoring, and crisis prevention intervention. She joined Maryville in 1986 and managed multiple residential homes for abused and neglected children, and coordinated the day-to-day operations for the shelter and residential programs.
Since 2005, Ms. Aliprandi has served as the director of Maryville’s family services which includes the Children’s Healthcare Center. She is a member of the Pathways Medical Round Table and serves on the Board of Be Strong Families.
Anne M. Craig, M.S. Ed
Director of Educational Services
Joined Maryville in April of 2008
Anne Craig is an experienced director of services with a demonstrated track record and expertise in individual and family services. She is a skilled professional with extensive experience in education, nonprofit organizations, case management, instructional design, program development, and interdisciplinary teaching. She has two master’s degrees with a focus on educational leadership and administration from Aurora University.
She provides leadership, coordination and direction for educational services, specificaly Maryville’s Jen School, where she also serves as principal.
Her favorite quote is: What we are ethically called to do is create a safe space in our schools and classrooms where all students can walk in and, for that day or hour, take off the crushing weight of their armor, hang it on a rack, and open their heart to truly be seen.” – Brene Brown
And another favorite that she keeps a copy in her desk throughout her career is: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Sarah Melgarejo, LCPC
Clinical Director of Residential Programs
Joined Maryville in August of 2002
Sarah Melgarejo earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology, with a minor in Women’s Studies, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University.
Soon after graduating from Northwestern, she joined Maryville Academy in 2002 as a clinical therapist in one of our residential programs. Sarah worked in multiple different programs as a clinician over the next eight years, and gained experience working with youth involved in juvenile justice, in the inpatient psychiatric hospital setting, inpatient addiction and recovery, and youth with developmental disabilities.
In 2010 Sarah began an administrative role as program director over several residential youth homes, and in 2013 she became the clinical director for Maryville Academy. In this role, Sarah oversees all clinical services in our residential programs, as well as mental health services at the Family Behavioral Health Clinic. Sarah also leads training efforts and continued implementation of our trauma-informed model of care – ARC (Attachment Regulation & Competency).
Her areas of interest and expertise include group relations and dynamics, as well as complex childhood trauma. Sarah also serves on the board of North Center for Handicapped Children.
Amy Kendal, M.S.
Early Childhood Services Director at Maryville Crisis Nursery
Joined Maryville in June of 1986
Amy Kendal is the co-founder of the Maryville Crisis Nursery and the administrator of Early Childhood Services. She has 34 years of experience at Maryville working directly with children, youth and families in various capacities. She earned a master’s of science Child Development degree from Erikson Institute.
Amy is an experienced program director with a demonstrated history of working in the individual and family services industry. Skilled in nonprofit organizations, crisis intervention, program evaluation, case management, and volunteer management. She is a strong business development professional whose dedicated and passionate about Maryville’s children.
Frederick Smith, M.B.A., M.P.H.
Director of Community Services
Joined Maryville in 1996
Frederick Smith, after high school, joined the United States Army and served in the 325th Airborne Infantry Paratrooper Unit during Desert Storm. He is a member of Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Fred earned his B.A. in communications from Northeastern Illinois University and his Master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and in Public Health (MPH) from Saint Xavier University.
He is described by colleagues as a great leader who provide direction, paid attention to every detail to make sure the job gets done correctly and an effective communicator.
In his down time, Fred spends time at the indoor/outdoor batting cages as a great way to relax. His favorite quote is “Peace if possible but justice at any rate” (Author Unknown).
Mary McCann Sanchez, MA, MS
Administrator
Joined Maryville in March 2017
Mary McCann Sanchez has dedicated her career to the support of human rights through service and education. Trained in language, literature and education at Benedictine College, Northern Illinois University and the University of Notre Dame, Mary believes that each individual has a voice to be heard and that civil society is strengthened by each of those voices. In particular, the aspirations and voices of children and youth have much to offer.
Mary came to Maryville in March of 2017 to serve as Program Director for Maryville’s Jovenes Adelante, which supports newly arrived children in the United States. Under her leadership more than 1,000 children who had suffered violence, abuse or chronic poverty have been reunited with family in the United States or settled into a safe environment. This important work is supported by a large team at Maryville with expertise in trauma-informed residential care, counseling, medical attention, education, case management and recreation.
Mary brings an international background of work with refugees and the displaced in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Her 25 years of service in community development and human rights in Latin America also include teaching in Chile, medical missions to Bolivia and program development in Nicaragua. Early in her career, she was inspired by the role that children and nature play in inspiring unity, as expressed poetically by Chilean Nobel Laureate, Gabriela Mistral. That voice comes back to her at Maryville where children from many countries enjoy beautiful outdoor settings and diverse friendships, thus building a global community:
Where shall we go to weave the round? Let’s go to the woods. Voices will wreath together with voice. Songs of children, songs of birds, making the round. We’ll go to the woods to twine the wreath and weave it wherever the hills come down and along all the beaches of all the seas.
