Experience

Background

I have a Ph.D. in Education and Masters in Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ ECSE) and also in International Studies. My Bachelors is in Agriculture. I am currently a Faculty member at Linn Benton Community College. I am an EI/ ECSE Specialist and have worked in this field for many years. I began my EI/ ECSE work at LBL ESD  and continued in this profession at Willamette ESD in Salem and the University of Oregon in Eugene. I have also worked as a Special Education teacher for the Corvallis School district.

I've served on the Board for the Corvallis Multicultural and Literacy Center. I have also participated on Advisory Committees for the Corvallis School District.  This includes the District Equity Leadership Team Advisory (DELTA) and the Boundary Review Task Force. When I lived in Albany I was part of the Human Relations Commission, City of Albany. This commission focuses on acceptance, inclusion, and belonging. 

Safeguarding the future of young children is very important to me.  I am deeply concerned about the national and local issues surrounding the suspension and expulsion of young children in early childhood programs. This has driven my involvement with the Early Childhood Suspension and Expulsion Prevention Program Advisory Committee, Early Learning Division, Oregon. The committee aims to address the root causes of these challenges in a holistic way. I recently completed an endorsement as a Family Specialist through the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association and am currently pursuing additional training to become an Early Childhood Mental Health Reflective Consultant/Supervisor.

You can learn more about my professional work on linkedin.