Carolina, a first generation American with deep roots in her Mexican heritage, was born and raised in Santa Ana, California. In high school she started her own business, creating decorations for weddings and quinceneras, for which she was recognized as Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Santa Ana Economic Development Corporation. She also served as student body president.

Later Carolina attended the University of California Santa Cruz where she graduated with a B.A. in Politics. She was a mentor to younger students and a member and founder of several student organizations. She directly supported local political candidates in Santa Cruz and Watsonville and area farm workers by tutoring migrant children. Upon graduation, Carolina returned to Orange County to work for Catholic Charities and, later, the Housing Authority of Anaheim. She worked directly with local low income residents who could not afford housing.

Anne joined the staff in 2005 after serving as Executive Director of the Youth Science Institute for more than a decade. She has former careers as a high school teacher and counselor, and as a restaurant owner and hotel general manager. She is on the board of the Peninsula Endowment.

Veronica came to GFS as the Executive Director in early 2000. She is a leader in the non-profit sector with more than 18 years of experience. Under her leadership GFS has developed expertise in early childhood literacy and in working with Latino families. She has developed curricula in the areas of parenting, diversity, early childhood literacy, and adult education. Some of her curricula is currently being implemented at the local, state and nationwide level.

Veronica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Chile. She is a graduate of the Harvard University Strategic Perspective in Nonprofit Management Program. She counts many accomplishments in her professional career but none is greater than her family. She lives with her husband and two children, Heather, age eighteen, and Jeremy, age six.

Yenda trains and oversees Program Staff in the implementation of GFS’s programs and evaluation efforts. Yenda has over 6 years of experience implementing programs and developing curriculum for adults and children. Prior to GFS, Yenda worked for Project Read, an adult literacy program, and earned her Master of Education in Language and Literacy from Harvard University.