In honor of Mother’s Day this month, Stroll M Streets is highlighting moms in our community. One organization that came to mind is the Mockingbird Early Childhood PTO. The MECPTO is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded by moms in our community who volunteered countless hours to build an organization from the ground up. The founding three moms created a wonderful organization that our neighborhood can enjoy for years to come.  

Katie Balderston served as the first President of the MECPTO. She is the mom of two boys, George and Colin, is a prior elementary school teacher and the Early Childhood Director at Wesley Prep. Katie’s passion for children and education made her a driving force in the creation of the MECPTO. 

Lindsey Siglin served as the initial VP of Marketing. Lindsey is the mom of three girls, Sawyer, Emory and Marin, and is a prior elementary school teacher. She has maintained the MECPTO social media pages for years and does an amazing job notifying members of upcoming events. 

Mary Dryden, who filled the role of VP of Community Outreach, is the mom of Teddy and Lyla and is a Psychologist at Children’s Dallas working with families affected by autism. Mary supported the MECPTO by organizing give-back nights and membership engagement activities such as the Valentine’s Cookie Delivery and the annual coat drive each December.   

  

Katie Balderston shared how the idea began in the Fall of 2018. One day several local moms were talking about how many families with young children must be in the area that they had never met. This group had chosen to live in the M Streets because it fit their families, but didn’t see the same level of young family connections that occur in the suburbs. After looking at well-established ECPTAs in surrounding neighborhoods they thought, “why don’t we have the same opportunities?” 

The founders worked for an entire year to create playgroups and drive the MECPTO to be an official non-profit organization when, in September 2019, the official kickoff party was held at Leela’s wine bar. Katie said, “We looked around at that event with nearly 100 parents of young children and realized that the group was truly creating connections.” When asked what she enjoys most about the organization Katie continued “It’s been incredible that friendships that began at a small playdate at the park have grown into sports teams, Bible studies, Halloweens and watching kids grow up! It makes our big city feel small.”

In May of 2021, Ann Pierce became the second President. She is the mom of two, Claire and Charlie, and is a business manager for Electric Drilling Technologies. She has been a MECPTO member since the beginning and previously served as a playdate coordinator. Over the last two years, she led the organization through the end of the pandemic and planned multiple events such as mom’s nights out, kickoff parties, and recently the angel tree drive in partnership with the Peace Pantry at Mockingbird Elementary.  

“I hope that families continue to connect, build friendships and enjoy all that our neighborhood has to offer. You don’t have to wait until elementary school to make lasting friendships and find people to enjoy life with!” said Ann for her hope for the future of the MECPTO.  

Lauren DiLivio will be leading the MECPTO as President starting in May 2023. She is the mom of two girls, Elizabeth and Emma, and works for Experian in their direct-to-consumer marketplace. Lauren is excited to continue the momentum and growth of the MECPTO.

Would you like to learn more about the MECPTO? Visit the website mockingbirdecpto.org, ask to join our Facebook page Mockingbird ECPTO, or follow us on Instagram @mockingbirdecpto.  MECPTO’s mission is to connect a community of expectant parents and families with children ages 0 – 5 who are zoned to attend Mockingbird Elementary and join together to support our neighborhood schools and local non-profit organizations.   

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