Our Staff
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Catherine Atkin, President Catherine leads Preschool California’s day-to-day work and collaborates closely with senior staff on strategy. She is an attorney with legal and policy expertise in the area of early care and education and more than a decade of professional legislative and policy experience. Prior to joining Preschool California, she was the principal of a consulting firm specializing in early education research and analysis, a directing attorney at Public Counsel Law Center in Los Angeles and minority subcommittee counsel for the Banking and Financial Services Committee of the United States House of Representatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford, a law degree from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall and a master's degree in urban planning from UCLA. She is the mother of two and regularly wows her colleagues with her ability to multi-task. |
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Scott Moore, Senior Policy Advisor Scott Moore is a social entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in education policy and management. His accomplishments include helping establish the Transitional Kindergarten grade in California (2010), the largest state preschool program in the U.S. (2008), a private Montessori school in Oakland (2004), and UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs (1994). Since 2008, Preschool California sponsored legislation has increased state pre-k access to more than 150,000 children a year, with no new costs to the state. In 2010, Scott took a leave of absence from Preschool California when he was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Executive Director of the California Early Learning Advisory Council. He is former Director of Early Education and a current board member for Kidango, the largest non-profit state preschool and Head Start organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. Scott received his B.A. from UCLA and MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern. He loves singing opera, despite equally loud protests from his 6 year old son, Duncan. |
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Deb Kong, Director of Communications As Preschool California’s communications director, Deborah works with staff and partners to develop communications strategies and messages about the power of preschool. Prior to joining Preschool California, she was a reporter for 11 years at media outlets including the Associated Press, San Jose Mercury News, and Philadelphia Inquirer. Deborah has also acted as a policy analysis and fund raising consultant to foundations and nonprofits. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy and a bachelor of arts degree in English with a specialization in Asian American studies from UCLA. She swims and runs, mostly to offset the effects of her other two hobbies: food and eating. |
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Ernesto Saldaña, State Field Director As field director for Preschool California, Ernesto develops and executes preschool advocacy strategies across the state. Previously he served as executive director for Public Allies Los Angeles; deputy director of constituency services and director of communications at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund; and he currently serves on the Liberty Hill Foundation’s Fund for a New Los Angeles Community Funding Board. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Fullerton and his law degree from Whittier Law School. Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Ernesto is a second-generation Latino born of Bracero farmworker parents. His hobbies include researching and discovering good film and TV with his life-partner Corina. |
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Kevin McCarty, Legislative Advocate Kevin serves as Legislative Advocate for Preschool California. He works closely with senior staff to expand access to effective preschool programs by working with policy makers at the State Capitol. Prior to joining Preschool California, he served as policy director for Lieutenant Governor Cruz M. Bustamante, and worked in the state Legislature as a budget consultant for the Assembly Budget Committee for then-Assemblymember Denise Moreno Ducheny. Kevin also serves as a local elected official, elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2004. He studied Political Science at CSU Long Beach and Public Policy and Administration at CSU Sacramento. He lives in Sacramento with his wife Leticia, twin toddlers Victoria and Barbara and their chocolate Labrador, Biko. He enjoys working in yard, walking in the neighborhood, rooting for the SF Giants and playing in the "Preschool Sandbox" with the twins. |
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Araceli Sandoval, Deputy Field Director As the deputy field director for Preschool California, Araceli supports our efforts to develop and implement preschool advocacy strategies across the state. Prior to joining us, she served as the parent program specialist for California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) and public relations director for the former Los Angeles Unified School District Board President, José Huizar. She’s actively engaged in the community and presently is a member of the board of directors for California Children’s Academy and East LA Community Corporation, the chair of Time Warner Cable Hispanic Advisory Committee, a founding member and treasurer of Latinas Guiding Latinas of Tomorrow and sits on the UCLA Bruin Caucus Council. She was honored with the “Mujeres Destacadas Award” (Exceptional Women Award) by La Opinion Newspaper in 2007. She earned a bachelor's degree in International Development and Chicano Studies and political science minor from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Born in Zacatecas, Mexico and proudly raised in the Boyle Heights Community, Araceli is committed to increasing educational and economic opportunities for all students. Her hobbies include wine tasting, reading, and spending quality time with her husband José Gonzales and their three dogs, Camila, Maddy and Winston. |
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Vickie Ramos, Deputy Field Director As deputy field director, Vickie supports Preschool California's efforts to develop and implement early learning advocacy strategies across the state. Previously, she served as the Chief of Staff to LAUSD Board Vice President, Yolie Flores. Vickie also worked on the Claremont Graduate University’s research team, led by Dr. Charles T. Kerchner, examining education reform in Boyle Heights. She subsequently worked with Families In Schools and the Boyle Heights Learning Collaborative, focusing on community-based school reform efforts. In addition to her work on the west coast, Vickie previously led afterschool and teen programs with the Children’s Aid Society and the Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program in New York City. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pomona College, and her educational master’s degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is a co-founder of the Latino Alumni of Pomona College and currently sits on the Pomona College Alumni Board. |
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Jenny Paul-Rappaport, Senior Policy Analyst As Senior Policy Analyst for Preschool California, Jenny works to ensure that California’s early learning programs continue to improve their efficiency and effectiveness and to ensure that California’s unique voice is heard at the federal level to expand access to high-quality early learning programs. Prior to joining Preschool California, Jenny served as Policy Analyst for the Advancement Project working on state early learning policy and K-12 school facilities issues, and at the National Organization for Women on economic policy. She holds a Masters degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley and a Bachelors degree in Physics from Brown University. |
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Diana Chun, Communications & Online Advocacy Associate Diana works with the communications team to develop and bring to life Preschool California's communications and online advocacy strategies. Prior to joining Preschool California, Diana attended the University of California, Davis, where she studied both Communication and Psychology. As an undergraduate, she served as the Marketing Events Intern for United Way California Capital Region. Diana also has a diverse background in nonprofit volunteering and working directly with children. At Preschool California, Diana is ecstatic that she has the opportunity use her experiences to help our state's young learners in a new capacity. When not taking cat naps with her cat, Diana enjoys watching laughably bad movies. |
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Hedy Andersson, Field Coordinator As field coordinator, Hedy works to build policymaker and community leader engagement in support of a statewide advocacy campaign to increase access to effective early learning programs. In addition to her work with Preschool California, Hedy serves on the Career Development Committee with the San Francisco Bay Area Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. She holds a self-designed Bachelor’s degree from Fairhaven College at Western Washington University entitled Political, Economic and Social Analysis for Just Policy. As a capstone to her degree she served as an intern with the Washington State Legislature, where she contributed to the legislative process through research and constituent communications. She has additional experience increasing opportunity for young people through leading literacy activities with children in underserved communities in San Francisco as well as previously volunteering with kids in the child welfare system in Washington State. Hedy is a certified yoga instructor, teaching classes locally in Oakland, and has an intense love of learning, nature, music and all things delicious. |
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Linda Murchison, Administrative Manager As Administrative Manager, Linda ensures that Preschool California’s daily operations run smoothly, effortlessly coordinating schedules, meetings, grants and everything in between. A Sacramento-native with a penchant for organization, Linda is a longtime public servant, bringing experience from the state Office of the Secretary of Education and the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence. When she is not cooking or exploring the Bay Area, she enjoys oil painting and scuba diving. |
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Kendall Tripathi Parker, Project Associate An educator herself, Kendall is thrilled to be working at Preschool California. Kendall has been teaching in preschools for the past five years and is excited to take on a new role in the world of early childhood education. Prior to joining Preschool California, Kendall earned a degree in Sociology from Scripps College in Claremont, Ca. During college, she ran a fair trade, nonprofit coffeehouse which focused its resources toward promoting sustainable and socially just business practices. When she is not cooking with friends or listening to spoken word, Kendall continues her quest for the perfect soy latte. |
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Meredyth Gonzalez, Project Associate Prior to coming to Preschool California, Meredyth attended Brandeis University where she received her degree in Sociology and Latin American and Latino Studies. Through her student leadership experiences at Brandeis, she was able to work in low-income communities and further developed her love for social justice. Preschool California gives her that opportunity to continue helping those communities that need it the most. A self-proclaimed foodie, Meredyth spends her time reading food blogs, attempting to recreate the delicious recipes, and bringing them to work for the staff to taste. She mostly uses her Twitter account to chase down the local LA area food trucks and try their latest creations. Bon appétit! |
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Ana Rasquiza, Policy Project Associate As Project Associate for Preschool California’s Policy Team, Ana supports the Senior Policy Analysts in their efforts to develop and promote policies that expand access to high-quality early learning programs. Before joining Preschool California, Ana attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she earned a degree in legal studies. As an undergraduate, Ana completed an oral history field study with the ACLU of Santa Cruz County and co-authored a chapter on Public Policy in The SAGE Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping and Discrimination (May 2010). Her favorite authors are June Jordan and Samuel R. Delany. Because her landlord will not allow her to have a puppy, Ana spends her free time playing with other people’s puppies. |
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