Meet the OCAEYC Board
The OCAEYC Board is comprised of Executive Board Members and Board Members at Large. Board Meetings are open to the community and if you are interested in volunteering with one of our committees please reach out to that person or contact the Director.
OCAEYC Board Members
Cheryl Sosa, Ed.D
President
Dr. Cheryl Sosa is currently the Director of Accountability and Equity for the Westminster School District. Her background includes serving as an Elementary School Principal and Early Childhood Education Coordinator for the Orange Unified School District. In her role of ECE Coordinator, Dr. Sosa was responsible for the district’s Learning Links, State Preschool and Fee for Service child development programs. As a practitioner, Dr. Sosa is committed to positively impacting social and emotional development of young children, providing inclusive, high quality education to all children, and aligning systems.
Dr. Sosa’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Teaching and Learning in a Global Society, and a Doctorate in Education, with a focus on Organizational Leadership. She also holds a Program Director permit, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a Clear Administrative Services Credential. In addition to her daily work, Dr. Sosa continues to support children, families and teachers by serving as a subject matter expert for WestEd, participating on pivotal committees such as the CDE/CDSS Whole Child Community Equity Workgroup and as the President of OCAEYC. In her spare time, Dr. Sosa enjoys watching her daughter play water polo, going to Disneyland and spending quality time with her friends and family.
Marilee Cosgrove
Board Development Chair
Marilee Cosgrove, M.A.
Board Development, Chair
Marilee started her career 20 year career at the City of Irvine as a Supervisor in Community Services opening the first community parks and later as an administrator in the newly established Child Care Coordination Office. The purpose of the office was to increase the number of childcare spaces for infants through school age in a high quality environment. With the growth in Irvine and the addition of Irvine Valley College, Marilee became a part of the founding faculty in the Human Services Department. In addition to Irvine Valley College, taught as adjunct faculty at Fullerton College, Orange Coast College, Rio Hondo College, and Pasadena City College. Has served as a consultant for California Parks and Recreation Society Benefits Based Research Project, and is part of the CA Mentor Teacher program, plus member and past chair of the Orange County Local Planning Council. Marilee retired in 2021 as Director of Child Development Services for the Fullerton School District and guided the team to develop a comprehensive Reggio inspired social constructivist program that encompasses a myriad of services for children, parents, and infants through eighth grade. These included tuition and grant funded preschool, after school programs, plus Early Learning Studios serving up to 4,000 children, youth, and their families daily. Marilee continues to be actively engaged in a variety of service organizations.
Hannah Maloney-Lee
Professional Development Chair
Hannah holds a M.A. in Early Childhood Education from California State University, Long Beach. She teaches at CSULB in their Child Development and Family Studies Department and has over 12 years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education/Development throughout various settings while working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers within Orange County.
During Hannah’s time in Early Childhood, she has spent a considerable amount of time providing parent and family education surrounding development and milestones. Hannah’s goals as OCAEYC’s Professional Development Chair consist of enhancing access to high-quality professional development through various methods.
Hannah believes that this can be accomplished by supporting career pathways and permits, building a strong resource network for continuous learning, promoting culturally responsive and inclusive practices, objectively measuring impact and improvement continuously, and increasing member engagement through professional learning. Lastly, Hannah believes that fostering leadership among all Early Childhood Educators is the key to continue the mission of elevating Early Childhood Education through high-quality professional learning experiences.
Deanna Parga, M. Ed.
Vice President of Membership
Deanna Parga is a Help Me Grow Community Liaison with Help Me Grow, a program of Children’s Hospital of Orange County. She is responsible for providing outreach to families, providers and physicians throughout Orange County. She provides professional development to Early Childhood Educators and helps promote training in developmental screening for all children 0-5. She serves on several collaborative efforts in addressing the needs and concerns of families with young children and community work in improving children’s readiness for school. Deanna is also an appointed member of the Orange County Child Care & Development Planning Council and is an adjunct professor teaching Child Development and Special Education. Previously, Deanna has worked as a preschool teacher, an assistant director of a childcare center, an early intervention teacher, an infant specialist and a religious education teacher. For over 10 years, she was also the Director of Children’s Services, to a department that included overseeing all early intervention programs, therapy services and a childcare center. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development with a minor in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Special Education, both from California State University, Fullerton. Deanna also earned a Teaching Credential in Early Childhood Special Education. Deanna is passionate about supporting Early Childhood professionals and families with young children especially those with special needs.
Marcherie Brooks Bey
Treasurer
Marcherie Brooks Bey is a passionate advocate and experienced leader in early childhood education. With over two decades of experience as a dedicated educator, director, and mother of eight, she brings a deep, personal understanding of the importance of nurturing the whole child. Marcherie will be graduating in June 2025 with a master’s in early childhood education from National University, where she was inducted into the Omega Nu Lambda National Honor Society and recognized on the Dean’s List.
Marcherie’s professional work is rooted in equity, inclusion, and hands-on, play-based learning. She is committed to systemic change in early learning environments, including reimagining outdoor play and strengthening family engagement practices. Her leadership style centers on collaboration, advocacy, and uplifting the voices of children, families, and educators alike.
Marcherie’s vision aligns with OCAEYC’s mission to elevate the field of early childhood education through meaningful community partnerships, policy influence, and professional development. She is honored to serve as a board member and contribute to building a stronger future for all young learners in Orange County and beyond.
Monique Rico, M.A.Ed.
President Elect
Monique began her career as an ROP student and has over twenty years of experience in the early childhood education field. Her professional experience includes teaching in private faith-based and public early learning programs. Currently, Monique serves as a high school teacher for Coastline ROP, where she imparts her expertise in child development and early childhood education. In her role, she has developed a new pathway for early childhood education at Costa Mesa High School.
This innovative program bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world experience by facilitating partnerships with local preschools and transitional kindergarten programs, in collaboration with the Newport Mesa Unified School District. She enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge and guiding aspiring students toward fulfilling careers in the child development and early childhood education fields.
She believes in the power of education to inspire and shape the lives of young learners, and she takes pride in nurturing a new generation of professionals dedicated to serving the youngest members of their community. Monique holds a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education, and a Career Technical Education Credential in Education, Child Development, and Family Services.
Poly Pantelidou-Zweigle, M. Ed.
Member Services Chair
Poly Pantelidou holds a BA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College and a Master's in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood Leadership from Brandman University. Poly started out working with children in high school in an ROP course which ended up influencing her that she wanted to work with preschool age children. With over 30 years of experience in the early childhood education field, Poly has served in numerous roles, including teacher, Director, Program Director, Senior Field Recruiter, and On-boarding and Trainer for a for-profit company. Since 2017, Poly has been an Associate Professor in the Child Development and Education Department at Saddleback College. Additionally, she also taught at San Diego Miramar College as an Assistant Professor and at UMass Global as a University Supervisor for ECE Practicum. Teaching higher education has been a goal for Poly because of the great professors and mentors she had as a student. She enjoys giving back to the field of child development and encouraging and mentoring new ECE educators. Passionate about early childhood education, Poly also volunteers working with young children. In her spare time Poly enjoys spending quality time with their own children at the beach.
Anabell Garcia-Chak
Family Child Care Committee Chair
Anabell was born and raised in Mexico, she holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business from University of Guadalajara, the second largest public University of the Country. She is a proud mother of two caring and smart young men that have been raised surrounded by children and the beautiful Spanish language and the mix of three cultures at home.
Anabell has been working for the past nineteen years as the owner of Ready Play and Learn Child Care teaching children from infants to school-aged. She currently offers a bilingual program in Spanish to Infants and Toddlers. She started her Family Child Care business while watching her own two boys grow. She was inspired to return to school in Early Childhood Education. She has obtained a teacher credential, participated in PITC courses and has gotten her program to be a part of Quality Start OC. In 2015, she formed a networking group of Family Child Care Educators in South Orange County, where she constantly shares information to improve business, professional development and empower Latino Women in their own language.
Anabell has helped several providers to start their Home Child Care business with the Peer Guide Program at OCAEYC. Most of the providers from her group that she has supported are enrolled in Quality Start OC. Anabell understands first hand what it feels like to operate a Family Child Care Business. She expresses how it can be overwhelming and sometimes a feeling of isolation which is why she is always willing to offer a helping hand to her fellow educators. Her professional mission is to offer the best quality and care for her program with infants and toddlers and to help her colleagues do the same.
Keisa Jones
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Chair
A transformative leader in early childhood education, Keisa Jones's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is evident in her extensive work within early childhood education. Throughout her two decades of service, from her beginnings as a preschool teacher to her current role as Education Manager with Orange County Head Start, she has consistently focused on creating inclusive learning environments.
Her Bachelor's Degree in Child Development and Administration from CSU Los Angeles has provided a strong foundation for her efforts in supporting intentional teacher training and professional development, specifically designed to help educators celebrate diversity and foster holistic growth in their classrooms.
Keisa's leadership is defined by her collaborative approach and her unwavering belief in the potential of every child, driving her dedication to ensuring equitable access to high-quality early learning experiences for all children and families.
Wilhelmina (Willie) Burghard
Advocacy & Public Policy Chair
Wilhelmina “Miss Willie” Burghard has been in the field of Early
Childhood Education since 1980 in various capacities and is
NAEYC member ID#2. She currently holds a Master's in Education
with a specialization in Early Childhood Leadership from California
State University, Long Beach and has California Director’s Permit.
Since 2004 Willie has been a Professional Growth Advisor for
Orange County stipend programs and is currently working with the
OCDE Workforce Stipend Program mentoring current and future
educators. Willie has been heavily involved in the National
Education Association as a state delegate for California Teachers
Association at the NEA’s Representative Assembly. She has been a
Communications Chair and the Rules and Elections Chair for her
local Garden Grove Education Association as well as a Site Rep for
State Preschool Teachers in her district. Due to her advocacy for
State Preschool teachers she helped make financial gains, contract
enhancements and promoted the status of an often overlooked group
of teachers. Prior to GGUSD Willie has worked in ECE for the
Department of the Navy, Head Start, private for profit centers and
owned a Family Child Care Center in her home. She has been a
State Preschool for Garden Grove Unified for the last 24 years and
has earned awards by OCAEYC as an Outstanding Professional and
Outstanding Professional Growth Advisor. She looks forward to working with OCAEYC as the Advocacy and Public Policy Chair
and keeping its members informed!
Vanessa (Nessie) Sener, B.A.
Social Media Chair
Vanessa, an Orange County native, attributes her enduring love for the natural world to the formative years she spent exploring the beauty of her hometown, San Clemente.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Pacific Oaks College, Vanessa brings over two decades of expertise as an inclusive Early Years Educator to OCAEYC.
Throughout her career, Vanessa has cultivated lasting connections with children, fostering a strong sense of self through play-based, child-led philosophies. Her approach encompasses providing unconditional acceptance, creating inspirational learning experiences, promoting independence, and encouraging reflective engagement.
Vanessa has established a strong foundation for collaboration and leadership, demonstrating her dedication as a mentor in early years education. She is a member of NAEYC and serves on the board of the Orange County Association for the Education of Young Children (OCAEYC), an NAEYC affiliate.
OCAEYC Staff
Dr. Kristina H. Atler PhD
Director
Dr. Kristina H. Atler PhD holds her doctoral degree in Leadership and Advocacy in Nature Based Education. She is the proud director of OCAEYC and prioritizes the mission and vision in all of her initiatives. She has been in Early Childhood Education for 25 years and values the meaningful learning experiences available in Early Childhood Education. She earned both her administrative and multiple subjects teaching credentials. Over the past two years, she served on the board as the OCAEYC professional development committee chair before moving on to the director role.
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