Colleen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Studies and Master’s Degree in Leadership and Organizational Design. She possesses more than 19 years of experience in leading, evaluating, restructuring, and providing professional development opportunities to Early Childhood Education programs across the nation.

As a Board Member for both the Region 9 Head Start Association and Head Start California, Colleen is actively engaged in advocacy efforts for our nation’s youngest and most vulnerable children at the state and national levels. She remains grounded in intentionality related to strategic program planning, service delivery, and professional development opportunities for all Head Start and Early Head Start staff. Additionally, Colleen feels strongly about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for all through program leadership, staffing, curriculum, and professional development in all (children’s, parent’s, staff’s) learning environments.

In her new role as the Chair of the Board for the Region 9 Head Start Association, Colleen is dedicated to supporting the transformational changes needed by the Region’s Head Start programs as state funding, thus preschool age slots, becomes increasingly more available. We know that Head Start programs will continue to persevere through these changes, as they always have, by focusing on community and agency needs, and the critical role of planning, continuous quality improvement, and strength-based professional development opportunities. And, through collaboration, intentional planning, and a passion for what we, and Head Start programs do, the Region IX Head Start Association will be here to support Head Start programs excel through these changes every step of the way. Through this commitment and collaboration, long-lasting and positive impacts on children’s development, parent engagement, workforce competencies, and program excellence are achievable and sustainable.