Our Board of Trustees

As the governing board of the Child Educational Center, each member of the Board of Trustees is committed to the CEC's mission and values. The CEC is fortunate to have an active Board of Trustees that is composed of a diverse group of individuals, all of whom are passionate about our school. The Board consists of current families (both Infant, Toddler, Preschool, and School-Age groups), alumni, alumni parents, community members, and content experts.

This diverse population allows for a wide range of perspectives and areas of expertise to provide strong leadership and vision for our community.

Sowmya Chandrasekar

President

"The CEC is our community and our village, and we cherish the wonderful friendships formed with families and teachers over the past nine years."

  • Sowmya spent her childhood and formative years in India and the Middle East before moving to the United States to pursue her Master’s degree in Biochemistry at Miami University, Ohio. After that, she found herself at California Institute of Technology, where she has been a researcher and lab manager at a Biochemistry lab for almost 18 years. She likes to volunteer and give back to her community when she is not in her lab.

    She and her husband, Vijay, are proud parents of Avantika and Siddarth, both alums of the Infant, Toddler, and Preschool program. During her time at the CEC, Sowmya volunteered as a room parent for several years.

Laura Stetson

Vice President, Governance

“What's not to love? Smiling, laughing, muddy children. Teachers and administrators who genuinely care and nurture. Tremendous outdoor environments. My son, now approaching 30, notes that two of his best friends today are his former CEC buddies. I cherish the lasting relationships my family has made with CEC families. This is a magical place, offering opportunities for children to experience the importance of sharing, inclusion, and acceptance of difference.”

  • Laura has worked for more than 30 years as an urban planning consultant, helping cities and towns reimagine and reshape their futures. When not at work, she enjoys hiking and taking long city walks with her husband and friends with dogs. Her son, Scott, started at CEC as an infant and stayed on through the end of the LCUSD school-age program. Laura graduated (many years ago) from Stanford University with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Earth Science.

Rachel Estrada-Wolstan

Vice President, Advancement

“The CEC sets the gold standard for early childhood education! From the outdoor classrooms to the research-based philosophy rooted in PLAY, the CEC truly centers the needs of the child with respect, joy, and curiosity. It's an honor to help advance the Center's mission, vision, and values through board service.”

  • Rachel Estrada-Wolstan is a communications and public affairs expert with over 20 years experience serving elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and corporate executives. She’s led the development and execution of both media and stakeholder engagement campaigns at the state, local, and national levels - specializing in crisis communications. Rachel holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a BA in Political Science from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is the proud mom of a Flying Squirrel Alumn who is currently in the School-Age program.

Brad Phillipi

Treasurer

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  • Brad Phillipi is a finance executive and entrepreneur based in Pasadena. He has more than thirteen years of CFO experience across multiple companies — including a large-revenue business where he led a significant finance team — and today runs a fractional CFO practice serving founder-led companies. He is the founder of Handld Home, a Pasadena-based home services company employing local technicians.

    Brad holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and a B.S. in Finance from USC. He currently serves as CFO on the board of the Linda Vista-Annandale Association. He lives in Pasadena with his wife Claire and their children, Alia & Sebastian.

Jaanvi Parkhani

Secretary

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  • Jaanvi is the Vice President of Internal Audit at Wescom Credit Union headquartered in Pasadena, CA. She has more than 15 years of experience in audit, risk management, and governance. Aside from her 9-5 she was involved with Junior League and looks forward to traveling adventures. Her son is currently enrolled in the ITPS program.

Melissa Treasure

DEIB Committee Chair

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  • I am a current CEC parent and practicing attorney who has a strong commitment to ensuring children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds have access to quality programs like the CEC’s. I have volunteered for diversity-focused programs aimed at high school, college, and law school students.

Robert Barry

Audit Committee Chair

“I love interacting with the inquisitive children in the CEC’s Outdoor Classroom.”

  • Bob is a retired Aerospace Systems Engineer who supported NASA’s human spaceflight and robotic exploration projects for more than 45 years. His work included simulation, flight & ground software, spacecraft design, autonomy, and mission operations. He became a CEC Trustee as a parent of two CEC children (James and Katie) in the mid-1980’s and has served continuously for more than 35 years. His special interests have included CEC Outreach and the Outdoor Classroom Project, and ensuring the CEC’s financial stability as it has expanded in size and scope. His current focus is on the CEC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals.  He recently returned to school for a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education - and concluded that the CEC is truly a great model for High Quality Childcare.

Laura Boyd

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  • After growing up in La Crescenta and attending the CEC, Laura now lives and works in Marin County, CA as an occupational therapist in the schools. Outside of work, Laura enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking and baking, and spending time with family and friends.

Nadine Ciolli

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  • Nadine currently leads the West Supply Chain organization at Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling covering California and Las Vegas. Prior to joining Reyes in 2019, she developed her supply chain expertise at Johnson and Johnson and 3M, and began her professional journey as a Chemist. Originally from Illinois, Nadine earned her Chemistry degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is married with one son, who is currently a Bunny at the CEC. Outside of work, Nadine likes to run and cross-stitching stockings for her family.

Marissa Felten

“I knew the first time I visited CEC that it was special. The vibrant, nurturing energy was palpable. CEC’s magic manifested in each child’s face as they played - freedom, wonder, self-trust. The school’s deeply intentional core values are present in every decision made and thoughtfully executed by every member of staff. I feel lucky to share space with the lovely families I’ve met during this incredibly human experience of supporting our kids through life’s milestones.”

  • Marissa has enjoyed 16 years in the fashion and design industries, as an illustrator and art director. Her multifaceted experience includes creating award winning designs, fabricating a children’s boutique store in Downtown LA, and pushing for innovation and beauty within kid’s and women’s apparel spaces. She was born and raised in California and her passions are entrepreneurial endeavors, exploring nature, spending quality time with family and friends, and perfecting the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Aidan Flaherty

“For the past five years, my family has had the privilege to be a part of the CEC community. We are all the better for it. The CEC experience has made us better parents—intentional and committed to raising a kind, generous and curious individual. The school has helped support our son Finnegan develop as a confident, empathetic, inquisitive individual full of questions about and enthusiasm for his community and the world around him. I want to help ensure that the CEC can continue to serve families for generations to come.”

  • Aidan is a strategy and marketing leader passionate about connecting communities through impactful storytelling and guides clients to develop their messaging, communications, and marketing to support and drive larger, socially minded, strategic initiatives. Aidan earned a B.A. in Architecture and Philosophy and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University. Aidan was born and raised in Maine and currently lives in New York City with her husband Alfred, son Finnegan (a CEC alumni) and their dog Maggie.

Francisco M. Gaviña, Jr. (“Frank”)

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  • Frank is the managing director of operations for F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc. He joined the company in September 2011 as an intern. After completing his internship cycle, he was assigned to the Green Coffee Purchasing Department as an Associate Buyer. In 2018, he was promoted to head the department and became responsible for the company’s coffee purchasing and hedging operations, including inventory management. His team collaborates with other company departments, including marketing, sales, finance, and production to assure adequate supplies of green coffee. He also oversees the warehousing of green coffee, externally and internally. His team also manages the logistics as it relates to green coffee.

    Frank attended USC as a recipient of the University’s second-highest academic scholarship and earned his BS in Policy, Management, and Planning from the School of Policy, Planning, and Development in 2007. He was inducted into the honor society for public affairs, Pi Alpha Alpha, before graduation. He went on to attend Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), also on academic scholarship, earning his JD in 2011. In 2016, he was admitted to bar in California.

    Frank has volunteered time and served on boards, most notably as the President of the Pacific Coast Coffee Association, the Chairman of the Green Coffee Association, and Chairman for the City of Vernon’s Housing Commision. He enjoys reading cleverly written children’s books to his children, Trojan football, and a good cup of coffee.

Doris Lee

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  • I am mother to three CEC alumni, all now in high school or college. My experience in real estate, marketing, and sales, plus local La Cañada connections from long-time volunteer work, will allow me to contribute to the Board and CEC in fundraising, brand awareness, and commitment to fulfilling its mission.

David Love

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  • My children both attended the CEC and loved it. I have a deep interest in expanding the reach of the CEC’s impact. As a finance industry professional, I will bring experience and a skill set important to the Board.

Kelly McCrary

“As an alumna, I fondly look back on time I spent playing in the yard, eating Os, getting dirty, and making lasting friendships—many that have continued into my adulthood. Now in my professional life as a teacher, I better understand the intentionality, care, and respect poured into providing the very best early childhood programming. As a child, it felt like magic, but as an adult, I recognize and appreciate the incredible team of teachers and staff who endeavor to create the unique and special community that is the CEC. I feel so privileged to be back to serve as a board member.”

  • Kelly McCrary is an alumna of the CEC and an educator. She grew up in the Pasadena area, traveling to Bucknell University on the east coast for her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education before returning home to Los Angeles for her master’s in Education at Claremont Graduate University and the start of her career. She has taught in charter and public schools within LAUSD and now teaches kindergarten at a private school in Santa Monica. Her experience and the friendships made at the CEC continue to inspire and inform the way she approaches community building and instruction in her classroom.

Ray Morris

“As someone who is still a kid at heart, I want to help children have a safe place to be kids. I have always resonated with the CEC philosophy ‘Fulfilling the promise of childhood’.”

  • Ray has worked at JPL for over 40 years. He spent the first 30 years working in mission operations on several planetary exploration projects and more recently is part of an office providing infrastructure support to all JPL space projects. Ray’s mother was an early childhood educator and instilled in him an interest in the field, so he started his first ten-year stint on the Board 16 months before the birth of his first child. His two children went through the Preschool program and School-Age program through 6th grade. When his younger child went off to college he came back on the Board.

Kelly Reynolds

"With a professional background in early care and education policy, I know how lucky my son is to attend the CEC. The CEC's play-based, loving, supportive, and engaging environment helps ensure children receive a strong foundation that will set them up for life. I'm so thankful to the staff and teachers at CEC for their guidance and support of not only our kids, but us parents too. A personal and professional dream of mine is to be able to ensure that all children and families can access the level of quality programming that the CEC provides."

  • Kelly Reynolds serves as a Policy and Strategy Advisor for UNITE-LA and Early Edge California. She has more than a decade of experience in education policy, and is passionate about building systems that prioritize equity to work best for children and families. Previously, Kelly was a Senior Policy Analyst for Early Edge California, where she worked to advance policies and programs that support equitable access to high-quality early care and education. She also has experience working in the California Legislature, where she worked for the former Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee and advanced legislation that supported workforce pathways and increased access to financial aid to help make college more affordable.

    Kelly holds a Master of Public Affairs from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of California, San Diego. In her free time, she enjoys attending Dodger games and spending time with her husband, toddler, and two dogs. Her son and daughter are both currently enrolled in the CEC’s Infant, Toddler, and Preschool program.

Amal Sardesai

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  • Amal Sardesai is the Associate Director of the Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution at LMU Loyola Law School, where she works in program management, community partnerships, and conflict resolution. Her professional background spans law, business, international relations, and project management, with experience working across legal, academic, nonprofit, and international settings. 

    Amal earned her J.D. from LMU Loyola Law School, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and an M.Sc. in Comparative Politics- Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics. She is also a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a certified mediator under the California Dispute Resolution Programs Act. 

    She is passionate about building meaningful partnerships, strengthening communities, and supporting initiatives that create positive and lasting impact. 

    Amal is a current CEC parent.

Melanie Sauer

“I have been a member of the board for many years and a part of the CEC community since 2001. My children went through the entire program from Unicorn (Infants) to the after-school program.”

  • Melanie is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena. Prior to this, she was the Managing Director for Finance & Accounting (CFO) at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Previously, Ms. Sauer served as the Chief Operating Officer for Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School who has been educating bachelors and masters-level students for more than 70 years with a strong committed to social justice and change. In her role as COO, Melanie led multiple departments including enrollment management, marketing, student services, finance, facilities and the overall operation of the Children’s School. For many years, Ms. Sauer was a dedicated professional in higher education administration at such prestigious institutions as Claremont Graduate University, Scripps College, University of Southern California, and San Diego State University. Her accomplishments also include serving as Finance and Accounting Instructor in the MBA program at St. Georges University in Grenada.

Markus Scheucher

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  • Markus is an Instrument Team Lead (scientist and engineer) and Lifting Program Manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As a proud member of the CEC community and parent of two alumni, he and his wife have served as room parents and organized tours of JPL for CEC classrooms.

    Markus brings strategic planning and fiscal stewardship experience from JPL and is committed to strengthening teacher support, expanding access, deepening ties with local communities, and collaborating with like-minded schools and programs.

Emily Wernberg

“Observing the wonder and innocence of children playing always reminds me of the vast beauty in this world.”

  • Emily brings a rich and varied professional background, beginning with assisting in the launch of a digital media startup. Following its successful acquisition, she transitioned to a broader role at a multinational media company. Later, she shifted her focus to healthcare, joining a Medicare Quality Improvement Organization where she worked to enhance health outcomes for the Medicare population through the strategic use of Health Information Technology.

    With experience in Human Resources and Project Management, Emily is driven by a passion for strengthening organizations from within—building strong relationships and promoting quality through data-driven best practices.

    In her free time, she enjoys exploring local trails and sharing outdoor adventures with her family.

Jennifer Zayas

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  • Jennifer is a lawyer and business affairs executive with The Walt Disney Company. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Film Studies from UC Berkeley and her Juris Doctorate from USC. She has practiced law at both large law firms and at independent production companies. Jennifer’s work is focused on the development and production of television for broadcast and streaming distribution. Jennifer is also a Los Angeles native who attended the CEC from the Unicorns through the school age program. She lives with her husband Daniel and their two children Madeleine and Jackson (both currently attending the CEC) in Altadena, CA.