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Veronica Goei, Executive Director
408-347-7892 ext. 303 vgoei@gfsfamilyservices.org 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 serves on the New Market Tax Credit advisory board of Opportunity Fund and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Children's Musical Theater of San Jose. 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—her husband and two children, Heather and Jeremy. |
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Savita Bhatia, Finance Manager
408-347-7892 Savita manages all the accounting and finance functions at GFS in addition to cash management and audit support. She has an MBA from San Jose State University and enjoys travelling and spending time with her children and grandchildren who also live in the bay area. |
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Sonia Avitia, Office Manager
408-347-7892 ext. 302 Sonia Avitia is a long-time resident of East San Jose. She is currently the Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. She has worked with several non-profit organizations in the past and has an extensive career working with elected officials. She served as Senator John Vasconcellos's Executive Assistant and worked for Supervisor Blanca Alvarado and Mayor Ron Gonzalez. She is very passionate about supporting the community and strongly believes in the importance of promoting early literacy. |
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Nereyda M. Hurtado, Director of Programs
408-347-7892 ext. 301 nhurtado@gfsfamilyservices.org Nereyda is a child development specialist, who spent over a decade as a researcher at Stanford University, where she conducted studies on language development and parenting practices with monolingual and bilingual families living in the Bay Area. Nereyda is responsible for the implementation of the Building Blocks of Parenting Family Engagement Professional Development Program which seeks to support schools in transforming their interactions with families into meaningful collaborations between parents, teachers and other school staff. Nereyda graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a doctorate in educational psychology. |
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Simin Nikfar, Site Supervisor
408-347-7892 ext. 316 snikfar@gfsfamilyservices.org Simin is the Grail Family Services' State preschool Site Supervisor. Simin has been working with the families and children of Santa Clara County since 1994. She has a passion for educating families and children of underserved areas in San Jose. She comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of Child Development and the administration of subsidy programs. Simin holds a Master Degree in teaching English as a second language from San Jose State University and a Child Development Program Director Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. |
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Carolina Trenado, Family Engagement Manager
408-347-7892 ext. 315 ctrenado@gfsfamilyservices.org Carolina is responsible for the coordination, implementation, evaluation and effective management of GFS’S family engagement programs. Before joining GFS, she worked for LifeSTEPS, a non-profit in San Jose where she was involved in designing and implementing effective programs for affordable housing complexes. She previously worked for Sacred Heart Community Service coordinating the JobLink employment services program and coordinating the agency’s volunteers. Carolina has a passion for education, alleviating poverty, creating social change and helping the Latino Community prosper. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Chico and is currently pursuing her Masters of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. |
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Keishla Echevarría, Family Resource Center and Professional Development Manager
408-347-7892 ext. 305 kechevarria@gfsfamilyservices.org Keishla oversees all of the Family Resource Center activities serving families with children 0-5 years old focusing on school readiness, physical health, behavioral and social and emotional health, and early literacy. She also leads the implementation of the SEEDS Family Child Care Provider (FCCP) Program funded by FIRST 5 Santa Clara County’s Family Resource Center Initiative. Prior to joining Grail Family Services, Keishla worked for Reading Partners in Oakland as a Senior Site Coordinator and as a Family Engagement Coordinator for City Year in Sacramento, where she established the first Family Resource Center at Fern Bacon Middle School. Keishla graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature. |
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Gabriela Alvarado, Parent Services Coordinator
408-347-7892 ext. 306 galvarado@gfsfamilyservices.org Gabriela coordinates the Birth and Beyond Family Empowerment Program. She also works with our ESL class on Fridays, scheduling informational presentations and workshops, and activities to practice speaking in English. Prior to GFS, Gabriela volunteered with the Silicon Valley Hispanic Youth Institute, a Hispanic Scholarship Fund program to motivate and guide East San Jose, Latino at-risk high school youth towards higher education. Gabriela is a Santa Clara University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Ethnic Studies, with a Spanish Studies minor. |
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Jorge Garcia, Family Services Lead
408-347-7892 ext. 307 jgarcia@gfsfamilyservices.org Jorge works closely with another service provider to deliver the Prevention Early Intervention (PEI) Services Program at local schools in the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District. He provides case management services to at-risk families, helping them access community resources and achieve self-sufficiency. Jorge graduated from San José State University with a B.A. in Psychology and Behavioral Science. He has been a volunteer counselor at the YWCA’s Rape Crisis Center, a tutor and mentor at Tutor Outreach Uniting Communities for Change, and a peer-mentor at the Educational Opportunity Program at SJSU. He grew up in the Napa Valley and enjoys going on long hikes, exercising, running, reading, dancing, and visiting his family in Napa. |
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Amira Uribe, Family Services Specialist
408-347-7892 ext. 313 auribe@gfsfamilyservices.org Amira works with the Family Services Lead to deliver the Prevention Early Intervention (PEI) Services Program at local schools in the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District. She provides case management services to at-risk families, helping them access community resources and achieve self-sufficiency. Before joining Grail Family Services, Amira was a Program Leader for AmeriCorps ThinkTogether, working with underserved youth on academic enrichment in a classroom setting, and facilitating information-sharing between parents, students, teachers, volunteers, and the community. As a Program Manager for TutorWorks, she helped children develop their basic reading, writing, and math skills. Amira has extensive volunteer experience, most recently providing crisis intervention assistance on a 24-hour hotline for Catalyst Domestic Violence Services. Amira Uribe graduated from the California State University, Chico in 2015. She has a BA in Psychology and a minor in Child Development. |
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Leslie Flowers, Development and Communications Coordinator
408-347-7892 ext. 304 lflowers@gfsfamilyservices.org Leslie is responsible for Grail Family Services’ fund development and communications activities, including grant proposals, newsletters, social media content and fundraising events. Her background includes a career that that spans journalism, human resources and corporate training, as well as 10+ years consulting in the areas of instructional design and content development. As an avid reader and lifelong learner, Leslie is thrilled to be working with an organization that focuses on children’s literacy and academic success. A native Californian, Leslie has a BA in journalism from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. She enjoys travel, hiking, volunteering, theater, and reading with her two young grandsons. |
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Brenda Arenas, Child Enrichment Coordinator and Preschool Teacher
408-347-7892 ext. 308 childcare@gfsfamilyservices.org Brenda comes from Chihuahua, Mexico, and has been with GFS for twelve years. She is part of the Preschool team in the afternoon and coordinates the Child Enrichment program in the morning. She has implemented several family literacy programs and is strongly involved in her community. She has studied child development at De Anza College, and has a passion for working with families and children. |
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Martha Frias, Child Enrichment Staff
408-347-7892 Martha comes from Zacatecas, Mexico, and has been with GFS for ten years, focusing on the enrichment of 1 to 2 year olds. She has studied child development at De Anza College. Martha is very creative and loves working with children. She herself is the proud mother of two children. |
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Maria Serna, Child Enrichment Staff
408-347-7892 Maria comes from Aguascalientes, Mexico, and has been with GFS for thirteen years, working with children ages 0 to 5. Before GFS, she worked at San Antonio Elementary School, first as a volunteer at the preschool level, then at the Kindergarten level, and finally at the first grade level. In 2004, Maria obtained a family child care degree. She studied early childhood development at De Anza College, and is currently continuing her studies at Mission College. |
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Maria Ornelas, Preschool Teacher
408-347-7892 Mari was born and raised in San Jose, California. She is an Assistant Teacher in the GFS Preschool, and has a personal mission to inspire and encourage students to strive for greatness, and teach them through experience to realize their full potential and become the best they can be. She is currently attending San Jose City College to acquire her Associate of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education. Outside of her academic training, Mari attends early childhood education workshops. |
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Bianca Chavez, Preschool Teacher
408-347-7892 Bianca was born and raised in East San Jose. She has worked with children between the ages of 4 months to 5 years for the past few years. As an Assistant Teacher in the GFS Preschool she strives every day to provide a lasting education in each child both academically and emotionally. Bianca is a first-generation college student who pursued a BA in Child and Adolescent Development with a focus on Early Childhood. She graduated from San Jose State University in the Fall of 2016. When not working, Bianca enjoys going on adventures with her nephew and nieces. |
