Joel Ryan
Executive Director
WA State Assn of Head Start and ECEAP
I've been the Executive Director of the Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP for the past 15 years. I've worked on everything from state funded preschool, special education policy, child care, housing, food insecurity, and most recently supporting families during COVID. I'm probably most proud of my work last legislative session where I successfully advocated with lawmakers, the Governor, and coalition partners to secure more than $400 million in new investments in early learning through the passage of the Fair Start for Kids Act.
Before coming to Washington State I was the Government Affairs Director at the National Head Start Association where I served as the Head Start community's voice in DC. I worked closely with members of Congress and the White House. I travelled all across the country and had the opportunity to teach grassroots organizing to low income communities which I really enjoyed.
I have a law degree from American University in DC where I focused on constitutional law and a BA degree from Brandeis University in History and Politics. I'm an Americorps alumni—serving as a City Year Corps member in Boston where I was a literacy coach and helped to set up a community wide volunteer program and educational spring break camps.
My most important job is that of a husband and dad to a 15 year old. I coached her basketball team for 7 years and have coached track as well.
www.wsaheadstarteceap.com
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Executive Director
WA State Assn of Head Start and ECEAP
Katy Warren
Deputy Director
WA State Assn of Head Start and ECEAP
Katy Warren has been working at WSA Head Start and ECEAP for 15 years after wandering the world in her 20’s. After college at William and Mary she served as legislative assistant and Press Secretary for Rep. Sid Morrison, (R, Zillah) and then went travelling off to central and South America. She has worked as a cafeteria dishwasher, a public engagement consultant, an insurance adjuster assistant, a database developer and quasi-interpreter for a weatherization program, a waitress in a pancake house, a census taker, a focus group facilitator, an English as a Second Language teacher in Vietnam, a bookkeeper back when they wrote things on ledgers, a title company clerk, and a Spanish drill instructor. She loves to travel and have been to 34 countries and has lived in Mexico, Spain and Vietnam. Now she tries to make the world a better place for children and families by hassling elected officials and bureaucrats. She writes children’s books for her niece Eliza, who is also the person upon whom she experiments with all the CLASS instructional support strategies she learns while walking through the trainings she arranges for early learning staff.
www.wsaheadstarteceap.com
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Deputy Director
WA State Assn of Head Start and ECEAP
April Messenger
Director of Family Engagement and Advocacy
WA State Assn of Head Start and ECEAP/ Washington State Parent Ambassadors
April is our first full time staff person for the Parent Ambassador program. April was a Parent Ambassador in PA 2- 2010 where she was involved in the creation of the WA-Kids program and the 12 month subsidy authorization. Head Start and ECEAP played significant roles in all of her children’s lives, but most importantly the diagnosis of a hearing loss in her middle daughter at the age of 3. In cohorts 3 and 4, she served as a Parent Coordinator. She left our program upon getting hired at the Department of Early Learning, where she led the work for the re-establishment for the Parent Advisory Group. April has worked in various capacities in early learning over the last decade with the League of Education Voters, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Children’s Alliance. April most recently managed the work of the Early Learning Action Alliance, a statewide coalition of early learning organizations focused on early learning advocacy and policy. April’s passion and commitment to parents and family advocacy has always been first and foremost in every position she’s held.
April lives in Olympia with her husband and their blended family of 7 kids, (3 bio, 3 bonus and a foster) and two grand daughters! April is excited to work with creating the Parent Ambassador 2.0 program and getting back to what she really enjoys, working 1 on 1 with parents to empower them to engage in advocacy.
https://wsaheadstarteceap.com/parent-ambassadors/paoverview/
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Director of Family Engagement and Advocacy
WA State Assn of Head Start and ECEAP/ Washington State Parent Ambassadors
Devin Stubblefield
Speaker. Trainer. Coach.
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Devin Stubblefield is a frequent financial education instructor for WSA’s Parent Ambassadors program, the Puget Sound Educational Services District, and other agencies across the state of Washington. He is a certified financial education instructor and certified financial coach who provides training and technical assistance to front-line staff and family support workers equipping them to have meaningful conversations about money with the families they serve.
Devin leads monthly financial empowerment events on behalf of government agency programs to include the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Your Money, Your Goals, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Money Smart for Adults.
He is the author of Advance Your Prosperity; a financial planner and journal written to guide individuals and families to build up money confidence and increase their financial well-being.
Devin is a member of the National Financial Educators Council, the Washington State Financial Empowerment Network, and the Washington Financial Educators Task Force.
Email: info@devinstubblefield.com
Web: https://www.devinstubblefield.com/
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinstubblefield/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devin.stubblefield
https://www.devinstubblefield.com/
About Devin Stubblefield
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Speaker. Trainer. Coach.
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Erin Jones
Educational Consultant, author, and former Assistant Superintendent at OSPI
Erin Jones, LLC
Erin Jones is recognized in Washington State as a leader on issues related to equity and social justice, funding and galvanizing community leaders and partners. She has 25 years of experience in education, with over a decade of experience as a successful athletic coach and classroom teacher. Erin was able to translate her “coach moves” from athletics into the context of supporting educators in their classrooms, which led to her being recognized as Washington State’s Milken Educator of the Year in 2013.
Erin’s national recognition led to an executive role at the WA State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. She was also responsible for helping develop policy and training around culturally responsive practice. She also managed the state’s school improvement work, for which she took a hands-on approach. She invested a great deal of time coaching principals, district administrators and superintendents.
In 2016, Erin ran to lead the Office of Superintendent. Though she lost that election by a mere 1%, she gained invaluable experience during her campaign as she visited close to 100 school districts and developed a following, which she has now translated into a consulting business that deeply understands the needs of local school districts.
https://www.facebook.com/erinjonesdreams
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Educational Consultant, author, and former Assistant Superintendent at OSPI
Erin Jones, LLC
Cynthia Savini
Director
Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center
Cynthia A. Savini, M.Ed. of the Makah, Jamestown S’Klallam and Quileute tribes, is the Director of the Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center for the Suquamish Tribe. Formerly the Family Service Division Director for the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation in Seattle, WA. Cynthia is an alumnus of Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, and City University, Bellevue, WA. Cynthia has taught all ages from infants to adults and has worked in both the public and private sectors for the K-12 system, tribal schools and pharmaceutical companies as an educator, trainer and speaker. Cynthia has rich experience in children's' brain development, children’s literature, Native culture and education as well as deep knowledge of curriculum and instruction. Prior experience includes Native culture curriculum development, summer youth activity coordination and teaching culture and language at a BIE tribal school. Cynthia is the grand-daughter of Pearl Kallappa Warren, founder of the American Indian Women’s Service League, and the daughter of Dr. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles A. Hall, both of the Makah nation.
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Director
Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center
Byron Jackson
CEO
Jackson's Asset Accounting
Byron Jackson, the CEO and accountant of Jackson’s Asset Accounting, had a previous career as a meteorologist before switching over to accounting. Started Jackson’s Asset Accounting in December 2019 and expanded the business after graduating in June 2021. Byron is a Navy veteran, serving for 7 years and before working full time as an accountant, worked as a tax accountant (preparer) since 2008. When he is not busy crunching numbers, he is busy giving back to his community as a Den Leader and Assistant Scoutmaster (Pack 21 and Troop 120 respectively) and being an advocate for early learning education. He has three sons!
https://jacksonsassetaccounting.com/about/our-team/
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CEO
Jackson's Asset Accounting
Allison Krutsinger
Director of Government Affairs and Community Engagement
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Allison Krutsinger serves as the Director of Government Affairs and Community Engagement for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. She has spent her career focused on creating better outcomes and opportunities for children and families through direct service work, program leadership, policy development and advocacy. Throughout her tenure she has experience in micro-level work directly with children and families and macro-level work leading system level change through program implantation and policy advancement. Prior roles include Early Learning Policy Director at the Children’s Alliance, Program Director at Child Care Resources, Early Learning Quality Improvement Coach in Arizona and Legislative Assistant to Representative Ruth Kagi.
https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/about/our-leadership/Allison-Krutsinger
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Director of Government Affairs and Community Engagement
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Victoria Hilt
Past Parent Ambassador
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Victoria Hilt (she/her) lives in Bremerton, Washington with her daughter, Lisa. Lisa is Victoria’s biggest cheerleader and supports her motivation to expand her education and prioritize her community, state, and national connections. Victoria began a partnership with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in 2013 when she was nominated as an Unsung Hero during Parent Recognition Month. Since this memorable night, she still participates yearly by reviewing nominations for more Unsung Heroes to be honored. Victoria also participates in the RFP review process for the Prevention Programs and Home Visiting Expansion programs throughout the state and provides lived experience perspective with multiple different steering committees (Early Learning Coordination Plan, Governor Inslee’s Poverty Reduction Work Group Steering Committee, the Basic Income Pilot Steering Committee, and Strengthening Families Locally).
Victoria partners with Strengthening Families Washington staff to facilitate training for communities as a Certified Trainer for the Alliance’s Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work. This training provides a bridge of understanding between parents and staff who work with families to strengthen families and prevent instances of child abuse and neglect.
Victoria began serving her community in 2012 when she joined the Kitsap Community Resources Head Start and ECEAP Policy Council, became a WSA Parent Ambassador in 2013, and throughout the years has been a member of the WSA Board of Directors, the Kitsap Community Resources Board of Directors, and the Bremerton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. As a result of her commitment to the community, she received the honor of the ‘2019 Women of Achievement YWCA Mission Award for Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women’ from the YWCA of Kitsap County.
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Past Parent Ambassador
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Cathy Garland
Head Start Collaboration Office Adminstrator
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Cathy Garland is the Director of the Head Start Collaboration Office for the State of Washington. The Head Start Collaboration Office works with all Head Start and Early Head Start grant recipients in Washington, the federal Office of Head Start, state agencies and organizations, and local initiatives to increase access to early learning and comprehensive services for all low-income children and families. Forty-nine Head Start and Early Head Start grant recipients in Washington serve 14,000 children and their families each year. Cathy joined the Department of Children, Youth, and Families in January 2018 in this role. Prior to then she served as a Regional Director for Children’s Home Society of Washington that included Head Start, Early Head Start, and ECEAP programs.
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Head Start Collaboration Office Adminstrator
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Erin Okuno
Director of the Office of Education Ombuds
Washington State Governor's Office of the Education Ombuds
Erin Okuno is the Director of the Office of Education Ombuds. Her background includes early learning policy (birth-age five) and primary and secondary education (K-12) policy work, working with communities of color, facilitating conversations, and an interest in understanding race and how it impacts communities and public education.
On the side, Erin enjoys borrowing too many books from the library and fretting about finishing them on time and finding the perfect take-out meal for under $25.
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Director of the Office of Education Ombuds
Washington State Governor's Office of the Education Ombuds
Ben Schmauss
Senior National Advocacy Consultant
Voices for Healthy Kids
Ben Schmauss MPH , M.S. , is a Senior National Advocacy Consultant for Voices for Health Kids, where he leads the early care and education portfolio and consultation efforts for the initiative.
Previously, Ben served as the Government Relations Director and Lead Lobbyist for the American Heart Association in Nevada. Prior to that, he worked for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s as the Healthy Schools Program Manager. Ben started his career as a health and physical education teacher.
He earned his undergraduate and Masters of Public Health Degree’s from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and also has a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning, specializing in Brain Research from Nova South Eastern University. Ben is an avid learner and teacher with a growth mindset.
When Ben is not at work, he loves spending time with his wife and three kids playing or coaching sports or adventuring in Alaska where he was born and raised. Ben currently lives in Eastern Washington State.
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Senior National Advocacy Consultant
Voices for Healthy Kids
Sandy Diaz
ECEAP Advocacy Fellow
Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP
Grew up in Santa Clarita, California
Graduated with my B.S in Child Development, Cal Poly SLO
Graduated with my Master’s in Education Policy from UW
A part of the Pathwaves Fellowship that elevates the voices of leaders of color within the early learning policy environment in Washington
Beginning as a preschool teacher, I knew I was passionate about early learning. Working with kids was my favorite part of the day, but I quickly realized all the flaws within the system. Because of that experience, I wanted to be advocating for the families I saw myself in at the system-level. I am excited about early childhood policy work because it has a strong foundation in community
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ECEAP Advocacy Fellow
Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP
