Dear Tandem Community,
Education is deeply personal for me. I’m a Mexican immigrant and the granddaughter of rural educators. Caregiving and teaching have been in my family for generations; my little sister is a nanny in Oakland, my husband Sam is a public school educator, and I am the proud mom of Toño and Citlali. Books, stories, and learning show up in my life in every direction. I never get tired of watching a child light up when they connect with a story, and I love what’s possible when families have books, tools, and support that feel welcoming and culturally affirming.
Coming back to Tandem as Executive Director is especially meaningful. Years ago, when I arrived in the Bay Area, Tandem became my home base. It’s where I fell in love with early learning, where I learned what it looks like to build trust with families and educators, and where I gained the foundation that shaped my career. To be entrusted with this role now is an immense honor.
As I’ve spent these first few weeks assessing our work, I am genuinely excited about where we are going. I’ve heard repeatedly that Tandem’s superpower is our relationships – how we make people feel seen, supported, and connected. As we navigate this leadership transition, my focus is on creating steady momentum. We are prioritizing clear communication and making small, meaningful improvements to ensure our teams have the resources they need to keep our mission at the center.
I want to take a moment to celebrate the heart of what we do: Tandem’s impact touches so many lives, and our reach is growing. Every time a family leaves a Read & Play Club with new ideas for learning at home, or a child hears their story reflected in a book, we are building something bigger than a single moment. We are building belonging, readiness, and opportunity.
I am so proud to lead this organization, and I’m grateful to be in community with you. I hope you’ll join us for our Building on Books Celebration—our biggest fundraiser of the year. I would love to meet you in person, thank you for your support, and share more about what we’re building together.
Con cariño,
Dulce Torres-Petty
Executive Director
Dulce Torres-Petty
Executive Director
Dulce Torres-Petty is honored to return to Tandem as Executive Director. A proud Mexican immigrant, Dulce has built her career strengthening early learning and family well-being, especially in communities facing systemic inequities. Dulce holds a B.A. in Education from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and is bilingual and bicultural in Spanish and English. Over the past two decades, she has held roles in the Bay Area with Tandem, Oakland Promise, and Kidango, and earlier in New York with Mixteca and the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park. Her favorite children’s books include One by Kathryn Otoshi and Dreamers by Yuyi Morales. Dulce is also the joyful mom of Toño and Citlali, and outside of work you can usually find her dancing, or watching fútbol, especially when Pumas are playing.
