Potential MembersCPAC members are appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the Board of Education. State law requires that CPAC membership includes equal representation from child care consumers, child care providers, public agency officials, community representatives, and discretionary representation. We would love to develop the greatest pool of possible member candidates. If you are interested in becoming a member of CPAC please contact Graham Dobson at email graham@dcyf.org. Current Members
Lourdes AlarconBiography coming soon. Judith BakerBiography coming soon. Sandee BlechmanSandee Blechman is Executive Director of Children’s Council of San Francisco (CCSF) which provides child care resource and referral services, administers child care voucher and subsidy programs, and provides a wide array of services to support and enhance the work of child care providers in San Francisco. Ms. Blechman has an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and has provided executive leadership for a variety of non-profit organizations in San Francisco. Prior to coming to CCSF, Ms. Blechman served as CFO, COO, and CEO at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, a large provider of child care services including preschool, afterschool, summer day camp, and teen programs. Ms. Blechman has three adult children that she raised in San Francisco while working full-time. Alan BroussardNatalie BruttoCurrent CPAC 2nd Vice-Chair Natalie Brutto was a family child care provider serving at-risk infants and toddlers for nearly 10 years. Since 2002, Natalie has worked as a child care consultant coordinating the WAGES Plus Family Child Care Program, Family Child Care Network and the Family Child Care Peer Mentor Collaboration. She works very closely with the family child care community and consults with support agencies in the surrounding Bay Area Counties serving Family Child Care providers as well. www.nakaliconsulting.net Karen BurchSharon DonovanCurrent CPAC Secretary Sharon Donovan is a full-time faculty member in Child Development and Family Studies at City College of San Francisco where she also coordinates the San Francisco Early Childhood Professional Development Project. She has followed her interest in cultural approaches to child rearing and family since her undergraduate days in Psychology at Regis College, Weston, MA and the graduate program in Early Childhood Education at San Francisco State University. She is the mother of two sons, Eóin Keelan Meisel, and Liam Flatley Meisel, both of whom work in Early Care and Education in San Francisco. www.sfchildnet.org M. Teresa GarciaMs. Garcia works as a business consultant for family child care businesses with Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA). She is dedicated to grassroots small businesses and community economic development in underrepresented communities. Ms. García has an excellent understanding of business and economic development issues for start-up micro-enterprises, especially family child care facilities. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. For more information on MEDA services go to www.medasf.org or email Teresa directly at mtgarcia@medasf.org Deidre HaydenDee Hayden is Project Manager for the Special Needs Inclusion Project (SNIP) based at Support for Families of Children with Disabilities. She has over 30 years of experience working with children with disabilities and their families, and currently provides training and technical assistance for San Francisco out of school time programs to improve their inclusive practices. www.snipsf.org Sue Humbert-RicoBiography coming soon. Melinda Kanter-LevyMelinda (Lynn) Kanter-Levy is proud to be one of the "founding mothers" of Marin Day Schools, which celebrates 30 years of high quality child care and innovative developmentally appropriate early childhood education in the San Francisco Bay Area. Melinda graduated from New York University with a degree in early childhood education with a specialization in learning disabilities. She taught special education in New York City prior to moving to California. Currently Lynn is the Director of External Affairs for Marin Day Schools and Bright Horizons. Her responsibilities include being the liaison to public agencies for the City of San Francisco and the State of California, helping families with decisions about kindergarten placement, working with the families of special needs children, fundraising for Marin Day Schools, providing articles and workshops for faculty and families on issues relating to children, families and education, being an active consultant to Marin Preparatory School (a Jr.K through grade 8 Spanish infused independent school in SF), and being a member of CPAC and the Marin Child Care Commission. Melinda lives in Marin County with her husband. They have four adult daughters and five "practically perfect" grandchildren. Karen LamBiography coming soon. Sally LargeBiography coming soon. Simon LeeSimon Lee is the Executive Director at Growth and Learning Opportunities (GLO), a non-profit direct service after-school organization in San Francisco. Simon has a Master's degree in Education and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from San Francisco State University (SFSU) and now teaches part-time at City College of San Francisco and SFSU. Simon is a past recipient of San Francisco's Week of the Young Child "Provider of the Year" award. He was also CalSAC's Leadership Fellow for the Trainer network and currently serves on their board as President-elect. Mardi LucichMardi Lucich has worked in the field of early care and education (ECE) for 12 years. Presently, Mardi is the citywide child care administrator for the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and their Families (DCYF) where she provides policy analysis and expertise on all citywide ECE issues, including advising on DCYF's early childhood programs and investments. Her work includes acting as a change agent to make possible and promote effective delivery systems, facilitating critical partnerships and collaborations with public, private, and philanthropic stakeholders to align investments and innovate strategies that address gaps and needs, and to develop a better integrated and coordinated citywide ECE system. Maria Luz TorreMaria Luz Torre worked at an environmental organization in the Philippines and earned Law and Political Science degrees from the University of the Philippines. Ms. Torre was a full time mother for three years before working as one of the founding organizers of Parent Voices (1996). Five years into Parent Voices, Ms. Torre received the Children's Council of San Francisco and Providian Shining Star Award for Child Care Advocacy in 2002. Ms. Torre is currently the President of Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, a board member of the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, Co-Chair of the Member Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Health Plan, and a consumer representative in the SF Health Authority. www.parentvoices.org Barbara ManzanaresCurrent CPAC Treasurer Heidi McLaughlinBiography coming soon. Elaine MerriweatherBiography coming soon. Ingrid MezquitaAmanda MontagueCurrent CPAC Chair Michele RutherfordMichele Rutherford is the Program Manager of Child Care Policy & Planning at San Francisco's Human Services Agency (HSA) where she manages a portfolio of investments in child subsidies, capacity building and provider supports. Ms. Rutherford holds a MSW- Policy Planning & Administration and has collaborated with CPAC and the child care community in designing and implementing many of the city's key child care initiatives – WAGES Plus, the San Francisco Child Care Facilities Fund, Gateway to Quality, the Child Care Challenge, Inclusion Project, and Preschool for All (PFA)-- to name a few. Ms. Rutherford is the CPAC Co- Chair of the Citywide Child Care Plan, represents HSA as a First 5 Commissioner, serves as Co- Chair of the County Welfare Directors Association Committee (CWDA) and is active in child care policy at a local and state level. Alyson SuzukiMarjorie WeissMarjorie Weiss is the Executive Director of San Francisco State University’s Head Start/Early Head Start Program, a federally funded program that serves 1,398 low-income children 0-5 years and their families. Ms. Weiss has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and more than 10 years experience as a Head Start Director. Ms. Weiss also has a background in regional planning and understands the importance and benefits of bringing diverse groups of people together to work together to meet the needs of children and families, particularly low income children. Ms.Weiss was appointed to CPAC in August 2011. Candace WongCurrent CPAC Vice-Chair Candace Wong is the Director of the Child Care Facilities Fund with The Low Income Investment Fund and is 1st Vice Chair of the Child Care Planning and Advisory Council. Ms. Wong is a champion for the early care and education field, and as program director successfully implemented the San Francisco CARES program, an innovative program to encourage the education and retention of our child care workforce. Ms. Wong has served on many committees to advance the work of child care and early education. Some of these committees have included: past President of the Child Care Planning and Advisory Council, member of the Preschool For All Advisory Board, and serving on the Child Care Economic Impact Report Advisory Board. |
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