Sonja Koehler – Initiative Director
Iris Gamez – Operations & Program Manager
(Recruiting) – Initiative Coordinator
The Bright Beginnings Initiative engages with several independent contractors for community organizing, communications, project management, and evaluation services. It receives administrative support through its fiscal sponsor, First 5 Monterey County.
Interested in joining the team? Join as Initiative Coordinator. Learn more and apply here!
What is the Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative Backbone Team?
The Backbone Team ensures forward movement of the countywide framework by convening partners, engaging in policy change, mobilizing resources, conducting research, and building capacity for Collective Impact. The term “backbone” comes from the Collective Impact model for social change.
The team offers various types of practical support for strategy-aligned action teams, such as: process design; meeting facilitation; project management support; community inclusion and engagement; collaborative grant writing, and evaluation and monitoring.
The Bright Beginnings Initiative Is Guided by Our Community
The Bright Beginnings Initiative, launched by the Monterey County Children’s Council, helps to bring together a strong network of support for young children and families. It is part of the cradle-to-career initiative with the Bright Futures Education Partnership.
INITIATIVE CO-CHAIRS
- Edward Moreno, Public Health Officer, County of Monterey
- Francine Rodd, Executive Director, First 5 Monterey County
ADVISORY GROUP
| Angie Ramirez – CAPSLO | Maria Flores – Mamas de Salinas |
| Claudia Gomez – Door to Hope | Maria Ortiz – MAOF Resource & Referral |
| Gabby Silva – Mamas de Salinas | Mayola Rodriguez – Go Kids, Inc. |
| Ginger Pierce – Child Abuse Prevention Council | Niaomi Hrepich – WIC, Health Department |
| Jose Arreola – City of Salinas | Shannan Watkins*– Early Development Services |
| Josh Madfis*– United Way of Monterey County | Tony Amezcua – Bright Futures Education Partnership |
| Laura Dunn – Carmel Unified School District | Wendy Root Askew – County of Monterey Supervisor – District 4 |
| Maria Charvarria – Mamas de Salinas |
* Also Steering Partners for the Bright Futures Educational Partnership
(Last updated December 2025)