The role of Director of Finance and Administration at Tandem combines Deirdre’s passion for early education and literacy to her skills as a non-profit administrator. Deirdre holds a BA from New York University as well as a multiple subject teaching credential from Dominican University. Deirdre was an elementary school teacher for nearly ten years, but left teaching in 2010 to begin a career in the non-profit sector. She has held a variety of finance, operational and administrative roles over the last 10+ years at the Sierra Club, the YWCA, ODC in San Francisco and the David Brower Center in downtown Berkeley. One of Deirdre’s favorite children’s books is Ish by Peter H. Reynolds. Back when she was teaching, she always shared Ish with her students at the start of each new school year to emphasize that nurturing creativity and “out-of-the-box” thinking is often more important than getting things exactly right. In her free time, Deirdre loves to attend live theater and explore the Bay Area’s numerous trails with her dog Parker.

As an Early Learning Specialist at Tandem, Paola supports children, families, and educators by providing read aloud demonstrations, family engagement activities, and professional development workshops. She also holds an AA in Liberal Arts, an AS in Social and Behavioral Sciences, an AS in Early Childhood Development specializing in Infants and Toddlers, and she has completed a couple of years of study at the University of the Philippines, majoring in Visual Communication. Before joining Tandem, Paola was an Infant/Toddler teacher and worked in different ECE facilities (Contra Costa and Alameda counties) since 2008. Her top three favorite picture books are Araw sa Palengke (A Day in the Market), Everyone Poops, and The One with the Scraggly Beard. In her free time, Paola likes doing some paper crafting, spending quality time with family, and learning new things.

Committed to educating and servicing families. Tyrell has devoted more than 8 years to Contra Costa County utilizing his skills, talents and knowledge of Child development and social and behavioral theories, he is continuing his education to receive his Bachelor’s Degree. Tyrell strives for family, community and life’s fulfillment. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson is his favorite children’s book. During his free time, Tyrell enjoys martial arts, hiking, cooking and socializing with peers and family.

As the Operations & Finance Manager at Tandem, Janette loves that she is able to combine her passion for literacy, diversity & inclusion and experience with operational management in a way that is positively impacting her native Bay Area. As a child, she could always be found with at least 3 books in her bag at all times, often choosing reading over sleep. Her favorite children’s book growing up was Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto, and her favorite book to read to her children now is Dear Primo, A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh. During her free time, Janette enjoys cooking, playing games and spending time with her twin daughters and husband.

As an Early Learning Specialist at Tandem for the Contra Costa County team, Lucero is passionate to work with children, support their early learning development, and to be part of their fun early experiences. Lucero has 12 years of experience working with children and families. Lucero holds an AS in Child Development from Los Medanos College and a BA in Psychology from CSU East Bay. Before joining Tandem, she was a Family Support Specialist, supporting children’s development and family’s wellbeing. Lucero loves to paint, enjoys reading, loves music, adores nature, and enjoys almost every sport (specially soccer). Lucero’s favorite hobby is to spend some time painting with her baby. Lucero’s favorite book to read is Pete the Cat: I love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and James Dean.

As an Community Learning Specialist at Tandem, Susan is delighted to work with young children and their families to promote early learning and kindergarten readiness.  She also supports children, families, and educators by providing interactive read aloud demonstrations in English and Chinese, family engagement activities, and professional development workshops. Susan holds a BS in Computer Information Systems and certificates for the following: Early Childhood Education Practitioner, ECE Associate Teacher, Infant Massage, and Positive Parenting Program.  Susan’s favorite books are Goodnight Moon, Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao, I Really Want to See You, Grandma, and When Sadness Comes to Call.  In her spare time, Susan loves to cook, travel, and paint together with her son.

As a Cross-County Program Assistant at Tandem, Jacel supports with ongoing programs tasks, InDesign creation, book organization and selection in Contra Costa County and Alameda County. Before joining Tandem, Jacel was a library assistant at Cal Poly Humboldt where she obtained her BA in Business Administration and Economics. As the daughter of a childcare provider, Jacel has always had a passion for working with children and families to provide high quality early learning experiences. Some of her favorite children’s books include: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Across the Bay and her all time favorite read as a child, Esperanza Rising. Jacel enjoys hiking and finding new swimming spots across the Bay Area with her 3 year old Husky, Kenobi.

Ethel Espinoza is a UC Berkeley sociology graduate and Early Learning Specialist dedicated to trauma-informed care and student empowerment. With prior experience as an educator in Spain and a Registered Behavioral Technician, she specializes in creating individualized support plans and inclusive classroom environments. Fluent in Spanish and English, Ethel integrates her passion for literature and the arts into her practice to foster emotional regulation, early development, and relationship skills in early education settings. Ethel’s favorite children’s books are The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and Corduroy by Don Freeman.

As the Curriculum Supervisor, Brenda supports children, families, and educators by designing bilingual curriculum, play group development and facilitation, workshop development and delivery, instructional manual writing, partnership development, and interactive book sharing. She really enjoys creating curriculum that is inclusive, equitable, and meets families and educators where they are, as they are. Brenda holds a BA in Sociology from Colorado State University, a Family Development Credential from University of Connecticut, and a certificate of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Brenda has over 12 years of experience working with children and families and has been a classroom educator herself. Brenda’s favorite books change depending on what time of day you ask her, but as of the writing of this bio her top four are They All Saw a Cat, Egg, Sirenas, and Bodies are Cool. In her free time, Brenda enjoys cooking large meals for friends, photography, and taking walks in Golden Gate Park while listening to an audiobook.

As a Community Learning Specialist, Berenice takes joy in being able to serve the Bay Area community through read alouds and program facilitation. Berenice holds a Bachelors of Science from California State University, East Bay and has experience working with younger youth and parents for over 2 years. Berenice favorite books are If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff and Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. She enjoys doing puzzles, playing arcade games, watching her favorite series: FRIENDS, and spending time with her husband.

Margarita Gomez works at Tandem as an Early Learning Specialist. For the past eight years, she has been dedicated to empowering Latino parents and caregivers in the Mission District in San Francisco through programs like Literacy Champions and Abriendo Puertas. Through these initiatives, she provides tools and strategies to support early learning for children 0-5. Her favorite books are Dreamers by Yuyi Morales and A Movie In My Pillow by Jorge Argueta and Elizabeth Gomez. In her spare time she enjoys going to community events with her kids and is passionate about Zumba.

As a Cross-County Program Assistant, Libni manages book distributions, coordinating book deliveries to preschool sites providing high quality books to children, families and educators. In addition, Libni supports children and families by providing interactive read-alouds and has contributed to the FCC Read and Play Club program by helping provide children backpacks with books, interactive activities and materials. Outside of Tandem, Libni also works as a Family Specialist and a Peer Mentor at LEGACY, an agency part of the Department of Public Health of San Francisco, supporting families and transitional age youth by providing informal counseling and mentorship as she finishes school to receive her Bachelors in Sociology. One of Libni’s favorite children’s books as a child was A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon. In her free time Libni enjoys cruising on her bike through the city and discovering new restaurants in San Francisco.

With a passion for supporting social justice work in early childhood environments, Maya manages Tandem’s four program supervisors and coordinates program goals, directs program strategy and curriculum development, and conducts ongoing program evaluation. Maya has worked in the Early Childhood and Family Support fields for over 15 years and is experienced in focus group facilitation and providing anti-bias education trainging for educators and family support professionals. Maya previously served as director for Contra Costa Early Childhood Programs, managing the Welcome Home Baby home visiting program and African American Fatherhood program. She holds a Masters in Human Development from Columbia University and is fluent in English and Spanish. She is also a mom to two daughters, ages 5 and 2, and a 7-year-old pup. Currently, Maya’s favorite children’s books are, Your Name is a Song, and One. One of Maya’s passions is admiring nature, so she tries to get outside as much as she can!

As a Community Learning Specialist at Tandem for the Contra Costa County team. Mariana has worked with the community for more than 10 years now with all ages and ethnicities. Mariana has an AS in early childhood education and studied at CSU East Bay towards recreational management. My favorite children’s book is Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, by Dr. Seuss. Mariana loves art, drawing using different mediums and going to museums. Along with hiking and being inspired by nature.

Jade He is an Early Learning Specialist at Tandem, fueled by a passion for supporting the development of young minds. She recently completed an AA degree in Psychology. She applies her academic background and prior experience volunteering at a family daycare to create engaging and supportive learning environments for children. Moreover, she believes children’s books play a crucial role in their cognitive development by fostering exploration and enriching their curiosity and creativity. In her free time, she stays active by indulging in hikes and workouts.

As an Early Learning Specialist at Tandem, Cecilia supports children, families, and educators by providing read aloud demonstrations, family engagement activities, and professional development workshops. Cecilia holds a BS in Child & Adolescent Development with an emphasis on early childhood. Prior to joining Tandem she has been a teacher in the ECE field primarily working with infant and toddler children. Her current favorite children’s books are, The Color Monster, Belly Button Book, and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. In her free time she loves to read and to go on long walks with her daughter and dog. 

As the Development and Communications Manager, Emily supports Tandem to meet fundraising goals and manages Tandem’s communications strategy. Emily has a BA in English from Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia. Prior to joining Tandem, Emily worked as a freelance writer and editor for online publications. As a child, Emily’s favorite books were Imogene’s Antlers and Animalia. As a live music super-fan, Emily spends most of her weekends and vacation hours supporting her favorite jam bands in venues across the country.

As the San Francisco Program Supervisor, Carola is dedicated to fostering an early learning environment where children thrive. Originally from Barcelona, Spain, Carola moved to San Francisco more than a decade ago, where she is now raising her family. Carola holds a BS in History of Art from Universitat of Barcelona, and has over ten years of experience working with diverse communities in San Francisco. She has provided support and mentorship to families individually and in group settings and has experience strategizing and designing resources with a multicultural approach.

Carola’s favorite books are ¿Eres mi mamá? and The Bad Seed. Outside of work she likes to do long walks with her dog along Crissy Fields, bake bread, and spend time with her family and friends.

Monica Nuñez leads development and external relations for Tandem, Partners in Learning Learning. Before joining Tandem, Monica led development efforts at New Door Ventures, supporting youth development programs that create pathways to economic mobility. Her background also includes key leadership roles at California Clubhouse, where she served as Interim Executive Director and previously as Associate Director, helping strengthen organizational operations and community impact. Monica earned her B.A. in Communications from San Francisco State University and brings a values-driven, relationship-centered approach to her work. Her favorite children’s books are If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff and The Napping House by Audrey Wood but her true love for books started when she was introduced to the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park. 

As an Early Specialist at Tandem, Emely is looking forward to supporting educators and parents in building stronger connections with their children. Emely is excited to partner with parents by giving them tools that will help them set their families up for success. Emely is an East Bay Native and has worked with different nonprofits to serve the people in the Bay Area. Her past experience with community based rehabilitation for the unhoused population and child development has enabled her to have a unique perspective in how to serve our communities. Emely‘s top book to read to her baby at the moment is Paletero Man, Que Paletero Tan Cool! Outside of work, Emely can be found with her drooling baby at her hip buying plants (that she really doesn’t have space for) or having a cozy night in with her family.

​Tania supports the Alameda County Team as Program Supervisor where she has the opportunity to develop and maintain strong relationships with partner schools and organizations in order to bring early learning resources to the community and extend Tandem’s programming reach. Tania holds a BA in Biology and Spanish Literary Studies from Occidental College. She has many favorite children’s books but her top three are: Ruby Finds A Worry, Alma and How She Got Her Name, and Where Are You From? When she’s not at work, she’s probably at a food and wine festival or relaxing on the couch discovering the next best series to watch.

As a Development and Community Engagement Associate, Kiana supports Tandem’s fundraising efforts through corporate relations and media content creation. Kiana holds Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Data Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Before working at Tandem, Kiana was involved in programs to advocate for and support the Asian American community in the greater Bay Area. Kiana’s love of books first started with Harold and the Purple Crayon and The Cat in the Hat. In her free time, you can find Kiana exploring new food places, going to live music events, or hiking around the Bay.

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.

As a Community Learning Specialist at Tandem, Cecilia is thrilled to work in her native Bay Area supporting children, families, educators and the community to promote early learning and literacy.  She holds a MS in Early Childhood Education from CSU East Bay and brings over 15 years of experience in the ECE field as a Teacher and Administrator.  Cecilia has many favorite children’s books but her current top 3 are Alma y como obtuvo su nombre, Milo Imagines the World, and My Papi Has a Motorcycle.  In her free time, Cecilia enjoys traveling, reading, and trying out new recipes.

Nain is committed to building strong communities by working in early childhood education for over 10 years.  Nain graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Universidad Vasco de Quiroga in Mexico in 2000 and migrated to the USA in 2003, Since then she has worked with diverse communities with children 0-18 years old in different capacities, in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Nain is also an accredited Triple P ( Positive Parenting Program) Group facilitator and coach from The University of Queensland. Nain’s favorite books are Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper and Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. When she is not at work you can find her on the phone talking with her Mom, siblings and/or cousins, cooking, hiking, trying a new ice cream place or just watching a new movie with her family.

Samina is a Principal Product Manager at Nutanix, formerly a Senior Program Manager at DoorDash (pre-post IPO) in the Operational Excellence area, before which she worked at a variety of software consulting firms. Samina became involved with Tandem through a volunteer project for Tandem through partnership with Full Circle Fund and their Education Circle efforts. She is passionate about being involved with philanthropic efforts that help in providing experiences that assist in building a strong foundation for children in their early years of critical development.

Angela Dalton is a professional storyteller with more than twenty years of experience turning fundamental concepts into engaging narratives. Her expertise in crafting stories and leading digital teams has allowed her to cultivate children-focused marketing initiatives for companies such as Target, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and General Mills. She lives in Oakland with her husband and son and is an award-winning author of children’s books. Both traditionally and independently published, her titles include If You Look Up to the Sky (Self-published, 2018), Ruby’s Reunion Day Dinner (HarperCollins 2021), Show the World! (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2023), and the forthcoming To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped to Advance Civil Rights (HarperCollins, 2023). When she is not reading or writing, Angela enjoys spending her time working on other types of engaging content for kids. She is currently co-creating an online puppet video series and developing a story-time video program for UCSF Children’s Hospital.

Shereda currently serves as the Managing Partner for the Oakland / Easy Bay region for Lighthouse Public Affairs where she partners with and represents industry leaders on government relations; media and crisis communications; issue management; housing, office, and retail entitlements; corporate and social responsibility; information dissemination; and strategic communication initiatives.

Previously Shereda Nosakhare worked as the Chief of Staff for the Oakland Mayor’s Office where she stood as a key contributor to advancing the mayor’s vision and priorities for the City of Oakland. She acted as a trusted senior advisor on all strategic initiatives and facilitated communications and relations between the mayor, the city administration, and City Council. Additionally, Shereda is an experienced Policy Analyst and Community Liaison. She earned her master’s in public policy from the University of Michigan, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Portland.

Nalini Natarajan is a seasoned product and technology executive with a passion for building platforms that drive meaningful impact. She currently serves as Senior Director of Product Management at Adobe, where she combines her deep technical expertise with proven go-to-market leadership and growth strategy. Over her career, Nalini has helped scale businesses and products that led to two successful company acquisitions. Her experience spans enterprise, education, and government markets, serving organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to schools, small businesses, and government agencies. Beyond her professional work, Nalini is committed to applying her skills to strengthen communities and expand access to opportunity. She holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Florida State University.

Sabina Ahmed is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in finance, strategy, and operations across corporate, nonprofit, and impact sectors. Her leadership roles at Fortune Global 500 companies such as Wells Fargo, Google, and Vodafone have grounded her in strategic financial planning, treasury management, and operational excellence. In the impact space, Sabina has worked with Tides and Opportunity Capital Partners, where she focused on investment strategies supporting women and minority entrepreneurs — a reflection of her deep commitment to equity and inclusive economic development.

Her extensive nonprofit board service includes President and Treasurer of Upwardly Global and Treasurer of READGlobal, where she helped strengthen govrenance, financial health, and mission delivery. With degrees in Economics and Management from MIT, Sabina brings a globally informed, data-driven lens to financial stewardship in mission-driven organizations. She is honored to join Tandem, Partners in Early Learning, and looks forward to supporting its critical mission to ensure that all children have access to the early learning experiences they need to thrive.

Josephine Alonzo is a dedicated nonprofit professional and community organizer with experience in fundraising, stewardship, and grassroots advocacy. She currently serves as the Stewardship Manager at De Marillac Academy in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. In this capacity, she supports donor engagement, database management, and long–termadvancement strategy for an all–scholarship school committed to equity and educational access.

Before transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Josephine built a successful career in finance and fraud investigation, holding analytical roles at Fremont Bank, First Republic Bank, LendingClub, and Bank of the West. Her experience in compliance, fraud prevention, and financial operations continues to inform her detail–oriented and data–driven approach to development work.

Beyond her professional roles, Josephine is a passionate advocate for literacy and community empowerment. She is the Founder of Stories Beyond Limits, a volunteer–run initiative that curates Little Free Libraries in East Oakland and San Francisco, focused on amplifying BIPOC voices in neighborhoods identified as book deserts. She also serves as a Program Director for CALMA (Collective Action for Laborers, Migrants, and Asylum Seekers), a mutual aid network supporting undocumented and immigrant communities through culturally responsive, volunteer–led programming.

Deeply rooted in the Bay Area, Josephine brings a lived understanding of the communities she serves, a commitment to social justice, and a collaborative leadership style to her board service. As a former recipient of Tandem programs, Josephine is eager to support the organization inexpanding its reach and impact for families across the Bay Area

Suzan Bateson is now enjoying a full time career in art after many years as a nonprofit professional, and an administrator for retail businesses. Her favorite job was (is?) motherhood, and grandmotherhood (don’t call her grandmother, though, she’s Gigi to five brilliant littles). Suzan was recently nominated to Tandem’s Board of Directors, and also serves on the board of the Crescent Porter Hale Family Foundation. She also mentors nonprofit executives; she is in awe of the strength, courage, and creativity of leaders serving their communities.

Weston is a strategic HR and belonging leader with more than a decade leading large scale inclusion, employee engagement, and HR transformation projects within technology companies in the Bay Area including Juniper Networks, Zendesk, Google, and Facebook. He began his career working as an early childhood educator in Baltimore City Public Schools and on the staff of Teach for America as a Corps Member and Recruitment Manager. Weston is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College (F&M), where he majored in Government and History, has an EdM in Higher Education from Harvard University, and an MSEd from Johns Hopkins University in Early Childhood Education. Weston serves as the Chair of F&M’s San Francisco Alumni Council and previously served on the Tandem Board from 2017-2023. He is passionate about the intersection of education, access, equity and inclusion. You can find Weston skiing in Lake Tahoe in the winter and exploring San Francisco, often with his trusty companion, his Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound), Stevie Licks.

Diana is a public health advocate committed to justice and equity through systemic social change in service of children, families and communities. She started her career as a Head Start and Pre-K teacher in New York City. More recently, Diana has worked on strategy development, research and evaluation, and public policy. She currently works with First 5 Alameda County supporting local, state and federal policy advocacy efforts. Diana is a graduate of UC Berkeley, holds a master degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Hunter College, and a Master of Public Health from Emory University.

Deepak Pai is a technologist, inventor, and innovator with more than two decades of experience building technology products. He specializes in taking ideas from 0–1 and has led multiple breakthrough initiatives from concept to launch. Deepak is currently a Principal Scientist at Adobe’s Incubator (internal startup accelerator), where he focuses on next-generation AI technologies. Previously, he led the 0–1 creation of Adobe GenStudio, the company’s generative-AI platform for marketing teams. He is a Distinguished Innovator at Adobe with more than a dozen patents spanning AI, Machine Learning, and workflow automation.

Deepak became involved with Tandem through the annual StoryBlocks volunteer event, which he has organized for the past three years at Adobe. He is deeply passionate about supporting the community, particularly in expanding access to education and early learning for children. He also leads the Community Impact Team at Adobe San Jose, a volunteer-led organization that connects employees with local nonprofits and strengthens community engagement.

Jackie Schmidt-Posner is an educator with more than 40 years of experience supporting college students to get involved in social justice issues through experiences in the community. After having worked on the staff of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford for 20 years she is now a Professor of Practice in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University where she directs the LSB Community Fellows Program. She is passionate about helping undergraduate students to learn from their on-the-ground work in local communities and to integrate that experience into their academic studies. Jackie holds a Bachelors degree from UCSB and a PhD in Educational Policy from Stanford. She has served on the school boards of the Los Gatos-Saratoga High School district, and Mid-Peninsula High School (Menlo Park).

What drew her to Tandem was becoming a grandmother to Rosie and Julian, and revisiting the joys of sharing books with kids. Understanding that not all families have access to quality early learning experiences is what fuels her commitment to Tandem. She served on the board from 2015-2023 (three years as Chair), and is delighted to return in 2024 for another term.

Regi is the Executive Director of the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and has been in food banking for over a decade. Regi began his career as a community organizer working to bring technology and economic resources to neighborhoods in Houston, TX. Prior to joining the AFCCB, Regi was the Chief Strategy Officer at the Houston Food Bank, where he previously served in multiple capacities. Regi has a BA in Political Science from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS and an MA in Cross-Cultural Studies from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He is interested in the impact design can have in addressing social problems and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Nothereastern University. Regi Lives in Oakland and enjoys exploring the East Bay food scene with family and friends.