About Us

Ted Dreier the Founder of the Children’s Kindness Network, with Moozie the cow as the Ambassador of Kindness. Ted’s life changed when, in 1998, he discovered that children loved and connected with the message of kindness coming from a robotic talking cow he had built. Ted’s impacts include those of a nationally known speaker on customer relations and the founder of a mystery shopper service used across the US. In 1998, he stepped back from his corporate life and committed this next life chapter to reducing violence among children. His history includes authoring four books; teaching in Malawi, Central Africa; performing as a mediator in Dallas, Texas; and actively serving in jail ministry in Breckenridge, Colorado. As the founder of CKN, Ted recognizes the terrific importance volunteers – as well as parents and teachers – hold in helping spread Moozie’s message of kindness.

Vic Legerton is the President and CEO of Children’s Kindness Network. He has served as a middle school math teacher, an engineer and scientist with Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA for 45 years, a book and computer retailer, an encyclopedia salesman, and other entrepreneurial ventures. Vic also has been an officer, director, leader, and/or administrator of many nonprofits for over 60 years, most of them associated with community service and improving the lives of children and families.

Trish Cronin is Executive Director of Children’s Kindness Network. She also serves as CKN Secretary. After enjoying an extensive New York-based business career at JPMorgan Chase Bank and FIS/SunGard, Trish feels blessed to live in middle Tennessee and spend time with family and friends. She is delighted to be part of CKN and partnerships that focus on Moozie’s top priorities, children and kindness. Trish actively engages with the community through volunteering, mentoring and outreach centering on kindness, personal development, and faith.

Raul is Treasurer of CKN and a Board Director. His background includes responsibility for the development and implementation of business and financial policies and procedures for the Lake Junaluska Assembly of the United Methodist Church. He has been on numerous boards and currently is on the Mexican-American Program Advisory Board of the Perkins School of Theology at SMU in Texas, and the Wells Fargo Bank Advisory Board of Directors of Haywood County North Carolina. Vic previously was the Vice President of the Board of Education, Napa Valley Unified School District, Napa, California. He has designed and implemented programs of employee benefits to meet the needs of church-related organizations including hospitals, schools, colleges and childrens’ homes.

Stephanie Barca is a CKN Director and therapist at Benjamin Holmes Counseling. She has seen the considerable benefits of kindness in her profession and as the mother of two young boys, one affected by autism. Stephanie enjoys using creativity and resourcefulness to affect change in the community through CKN and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Music City, where she is President-Elect.

Connie Casha, a CKN Director, is the Director of early learning programs at Middle Tennessee State University. She coordinates the early learning services provided by the Home and Community-Based Early Intervention program, the Ann Campbell Early Learning Center, and the Child Development
Center lab school. Connie was first introduced to Ted Dreier and Moozie in the early 2000’s and has been on the CKN Board in various capacities for the past 10 years. Connie is passionate about resources for promoting positive social and emotional development in young children, and the Moozie resources do just that.

Monique Gooch-Brown is a CKN Director. Monique Brown is a full-time professional editor at R.H. Boyd Publishing in Nashville, TN and moonlights as a writer. She also has four short stories self-published and a newly released novel. Monique’s writing activities can be followed by accessing her website: www.author-moniquegooch.com.

Bethany Patel is a CKN Director. With ten years of experience in education in the context of both counseling and behavioral therapy, Bethany’s involvement with CKN reflects her long-standing dedication to working with children. She has counseling experience in local community of Nashville,
Tennessee as well as townships of Cape Town, South Africa. Throughout her career in education, she has developed and implemented pro-social counseling curriculum. One particular initiative that she originated at a local elementary school aimed to “cultivate a culture of kindness” among faculty and students. Bethany is a Franklin resident and Nashville native. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee, she attended Peabody College at Vanderbilt University where she earned her master’s degree in Human Development Counseling. She earned her post master’s certification in Behavior Analysis, in 2016, from Lipscomb University. She is currently a full-time homemaker and mother to her three-year-old son. Both her current endeavors and past work with children in professional settings have led to her commitment to the advancement of kindness to others (people and animals!), and to our planet Earth.

Gitanjali Rao, is a CKN Director, and Young Innovator and Author. She attends MIT, starting in the Fall of 2023. She was recognized as America’s Top Young Scientist and received an EPA Presidential award for inventing “Tethys”—an early lead detection tool. Anjali is also the inventor of “Epione”—a device for early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction using genetic engineering, and “Kindly”—an anti-cyberbullying service using AI and Natural Language processing. Anjali was honored as Forbes “30 Under 30 in Science,” in 2019, and TIME’s “Top Young Innovator” and “TIME Kid of the Year” for her innovations and STEM workshops that she conducts globally, inspiring over 75,000 students across six continents and 45 countries. In these sessions, Anjali shares her own process of innovation that can be used by students. She often presents in global, corporate forums on innovation and the importance of STEM.

Anjali is the author of the book “Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM,” that guides students, educators, and teachers with a prescribed five-step innovation process. She was honored as one of America’s Top Youth Volunteers by Prudential, in 2021, and was appointed as a UNICEF Youth Advocate for using science for solving social problems such as cyber-bullying and developing solutions for environmental protection. She received a grant as a National Geographic Young Explorer to expand and sustain future workshops.

Bob Rudman, a CKN Director, has been President of The Marketing Connection for 20 years, representing major medical companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Kendall Healthcare, etc. in developing new markets for their products. During his career with NBC (National Broadcasting Company), he managed major television programs such as Huntley-Brinkley and Jeopardy. Bob serves on the Advisory Board of Mercy Community Healthcare, on the Executive Committee of Serra International, and with the Knights of Columbus. He also engages in various Catholic church and diocese marketing assignments.