Meet Briya

Briya has a dynamic team of committed educators and staff who are passionate about education and social justice.

Each staff member comes to Briya through a different path — full-time volunteers, former students, career educators — but all stay because of their commitment to Briya student families.

Leadership Team

Christie McKay

Executive Director

Joel Goering

Director of Finance and Administration

Elizabeth Bowman

Chief Academic Officer

Berta Cruz Perez

Senior IT Manager

Ivana Valenzuela

Director of Outreach & Registration

Jennifer Dalzell

Director of Adult Education

Jodi Ihaza

Director of Charter Data

Karen Hertzler

Director of Accountability

Lauren Stolzfus

Communications & Executive Manager

Lena Johnson

Director of Early Childhood Education

Lisa Luceno

Senior Director of Early Childhood Strategy

Seghen Abebe

People Operations Generalist

Silvia Arias

Early Childhood Manager

Stephanie Mintz

Director of Student Services

Wendy Guardado

Administrative Manager

Board of Trustees

Briya’s Board of Trustees is made up of community leaders, professionals, and students who work together to support the strategic priorities of the school.

A complete listing of trustees can be found here.

View the Board of Directors Meeting Calendar here.

Team Directory

Name Position Email
Abera, Naomi Finance and Business Administrator nabera@briya.org
Adhikari, Pooja Early Childhood Teacher padhikari@briya.org
Alexander, Patricia PreK Department palexander@briya.org
Alfaro, Jose Administrative & Security Support jalfaro@briya.org
Araujo, Clara Outreach & Registration Specialist caraujo@briya.org
Argueta, Elsa Early Childhood Assistant Teacher eargueta@briya.org
Arias, Silvia Early Childhood Manager sarias@briya.org
Batista, Claudia Patient Care Technician cbatista@briya.org
Beltran, Maria Early Childhood Teacher mbeltran@briya.org
Benitez, Roxana Early Childhood Teacher rbenitez@briya.org
Bergner, Elizabeth Adult Education Lead Instructor ebergner@briya.org
Abebe, Seghen HR Generalist sabebe@briya.org
Bowman, Elizabeth Adult Education Director ebowman@briya.org
Canaviri, Sonia Early Childhood Teacher scanaviri@briya.org
Cardenas, Maria Alejandra PreK Department mcardenas@briya.org
Castro, Mau CDA Coordinator & Instructor mcastro@briya.org
Chavez, Daniel Adult Education Lead Teacher dchavez@briya.org
Chirino, Violeta vchirino@maryscenter.org
Cruz, Berta IT Manager bcruz@briya.org
De Paula, Gracia CDA Instructor gdepaula@briya.org
Diaz, Kenny IT Specialist kdiaz@briya.org
Diaz, Pablo IT Specialist pdiaz@briya.org
Diaz, Percy IT Specialist pjdiaz@briya.org
Dorendorf, Isaiah MA Program Instructor idorendorf@briya.org
Dorendorf, Marlee Adult Education Associate Instructor mdorendorf@briya.org
Escamilla, Shiela PreK Department sescamilla@briya.org
Espinoza, Diana Administrative Assistant despinoza@briya.org
Evarts, Elaine Adult Education Lead Instructor eevarts@briya.org
Faloni, Mark Adult Education Lead Instructor mfaloni@briya.org
Ferdous, Zannatul Early Childhood Teacher zferdous@briya.org
Gaitan, Maria Dolores Early Childhood Teacher mgaitan@briya.org
Gebrekidan, Zaid Administrative Assistant zgebrekidan@briya.org
Gerkin, Thomas Adult Education Workforce and CASAS Administrator tgerkin@briya.org
Gomez, Lorena Early Childhood Coordinator lgomez@briya.org
Gomez, Katia Special Education Director kgomez@briya.org
Granados, Alejandra Early Childhood Teacher agranados@briya.org
Grijalva, Sonia Early Childhood Assistant sgrijalva@briya.org
Guardado, Daysi Early Childhood Teacher dguardado@briya.org
Guardado, Mirna Registrar mguardado@briya.org
Guardado, Moris IT Assistant moguardado@briya.org
Guardado, Wendy Administrative Manager wguardado@briya.org
Hapuarachchi, Shanika Development Specialist shapuarachchi@briya.org
Hawkins, Allison PreK Department ahawkins@briya.org
Hertzler, Karen Director of Accountability & Development khertzler@briya.org
Ihaza, Jodi Director of Charter Data & Administrative Manager jihaza@briya.org
Johnson, Lena Director of Early Childhood Education ljohnson@briya.org
Juarez-Escamilla, Maribel Early Childhood Coordinator mescamilla@briya.org
Kebade, Luwam Early Childhood Teacher lkebade@briya.org
Kittleson, Judy Adult Education Lead Instructor and Coordinator jkittleson@briya.org
Kushner, Beth Adult Transitions Coordinator bkushner@briya.org
Sandoval, Daniela Outreach Assistant dsandoval@briya.org
Lorenzana, Melissa Early Childhood Coordinator mlorenzana@briya.org
Luceno, Lisa Senior Director of Early Childhood Strategy lluceno@briya.org
Luque Flores, Alicia Front Desk Receptionist aluque@briya.org
Macheel, Annie Adult Education Lead Instructor amacheel@briya.org
Marin, Sandra CASAS Coordinator smarin@briya.org
McCarey, Eve Adult Education Lead Teacher emccarey@briya.org
McKay, Christie Executive Director cmckay@briya.org
Mejia, Amima Early Childhood Assistant amejia@briya.org
Mendoza, Elvira Early Childhood Assistant emendoza@briya.org
Mendoza, Yolanda Early Childhood Assistant ymendoza@briya.org
Messer, Amy Operations Director amesser@briya.org
Mintz, Stephanie Community Schools Coordinator and Director of Student Services smintz@briya.org
Morales, Alicia Early Childhood Teacher amorales@briya.org
Morillo, Florinda Early Childhood Assistant fmorillo@briya.org
Neira, Liz Twos Teacher lneira@briya.org
Ngako-Wotcho, Mireille Outreach Specialist mngako-wotcho@briya.org
Pease, Alicia Adult Education Lead Instructor apease@briya.org
Perez, Guillermina Early Childhood Teacher gperez@gmail.com
Perez, Eduardo IT Specialist eperez@briya.org
Perez, Octavio Facilities Engineer & External Education Specialist operez@briya.org
Plotnikov, Sasha Adult Education Lead Teacher aplotnikov@briya.org
Prater, Emily Adult Ed Math Master Teacher & Coach eprater@briya.org
Preheim, Lorie Director of Outreach and Adult Education Strategy lpreheim@briya.org
Quintanilla, Carlos PreK Department cquintanilla@briya.org
Quinteros, Wendy Temporary MA Program Coordinator wquinteros@briya.org
Rached, Sawsan Early Childhood Assistant srached@briya.org
Ramirez, Milena PreK Department and Early Childhood Aftercare Assistant mramirez@briya.org
Reuber, Paige Adult Education Lead Instructor and Coordinator preuber@briya.org
Reyes, Johanna Dedicated Aide and Temporary Early Childhood Assistant jreyes@briya.org
Ring, Lyle Adult Education Lead Teacher lring@briya.org
Rivas, Claudia Early Childhood Assistant crivas@briya.org
Rivera-Martinez, Kimberly Administrative Site Coordinator krivera@briya.org
Rivera, Rosa Early Childhood Teacher rrivera@briya.org
Rosenberg, Jessica Adult Education Coordinator jrosenberg@briya.org
Sadownick, Jamey Adult Education Lead Instructor jsadownick@briya.org
Sandoval, Nury PreK Department nsandoval@briya.org
Santizo, Leticia Early Childhood Assistant Teacher lsantizo@briya.org
Schmidt, Kerstin PreK Department kschmidt@briya.org
Schuetz, Erica Adult Education Teacher eschuetz@briya.org
Sevilla Mejia, Rikssi Administrative Assistant rsevilla@briya.org
Simpson Baird, Ashley Research & Policy asimpsonbaird@briya.org
Stoltzfus, Lauren Communications Coordinator lstoltzfus@briya.org
Strattan, Alissa Adult Education Teacher astrattan@briya.org
Taft Hicks, Camilla Strategy Coordinator ctafthicks@briya.org
Toure, Barbara Adult Education Instructional Coach btoure@briya.org
Ulseth, Johanna Family Engagement & Wellness Manager julseth@briya.org
Vaccalluzzo, Marisa Speech & Language Pathologist mvaccalluzzo@briya.org
Valenzuela, Ivana Director of Outreach & Registration ivalenzuela@briya.org
Velazquez Rangel, Martha PreK Department mvelazquezrangel@briya.org
Carlisle, Sam Outreach Assistant scarlisle@briya.org
Wittkowski, Kirsten Adult Education Lead Instructor & Coordinator kwittkowski@briya.org
Cardenas, Yanelly Registration Assistant ycardenas@briya.org
Castillo, Tamara Pre-K Department tcastillo@briya.org
Oakland, Silvia Communications Associate soakland@briya.org
Aguilar, Rosa Facilities Specialist raguilar@briya.org
Alvarez, Elizabeth Early Childhood Substitute Instructor
Atnafu, Meseret Dedicated Aide and Classroom Assistant meatnafu@briya.org
Ayele, Tsedey Early Childhood Dedicated Aide tayele@briya.org
Barthel, Bailey Adult Education Lead Teacher bbarthel@briya.org
Calderon, Monserrat Education Referrals Coordinator mcalderon@briya.org
Canizalez, Gladis Interpretation Coordinator gcanizales@briya.org
Castro, Dina Facilities Specialist dcastro@briya.org
Chan, Michelle Adult Education Lead Teacher mchan@briya.org
Chicas, Rosa Outreach Assistant rchicas@briya.org
Clay, Darryl Entrepreneurship dclay@briya.org
Dalzell, Jennifer Director of Adult Education jdalzell@briya.org
De Moler, Maribi Adult Education Lead Teacher marias@briya.org
Diaz, Brandon IT Support bdiaz@briya.org
Flores De Montero, Lucia Early Childhood Teacher lflores@briya.org
Flores Prudencio, Paulina Facilities Specialist pflores@briya.org
Funes, Johanna Dedicated Aide and Early Childhood Classroom Assistant
Glavez, Telma Dedicated Aide and Classroom Assistant tgalvez@briya.org
Garcia, Michelle Student Services Coordinator mgarcia@briya.org
Gillon, Kathryn Pre-K Department kgillon@briya.org
Goering, Joel Finance Director jgoering@briya.org
Guerra, Maria Early Childhood Assistant mguerra@briya.org
Heil, Mary Adult Education Virtual Assistant mheil@briya.org
Henriquez, Miladis Adult Education Virtual Assistant mhenriquez@briya.org
Kyle, Kaitlyn Hybrid Learning Associate kkyle@briya.org
Lainez Rodriguez, Dolores Adult Education Virtual Assistant dlainez@briya.org
Lopez, Natalia Communications Specialist nlopez@briya.org
Martinez de Rivera, Rosa Early Childhood Teacher rosamartinez@briya.org
Meinel, Elizabeth Virtual Lead Teacher and CASAS/ Adult Education Administrative Support emeinel@briya.org
Mendoza, Yanci Front Desk and Administrative Assistant yamendoza@briya.org
Mendoza, Abigail Substitute Teacher acanales@briya.org
Perez, Francisco Facilities Engineer and External Education Specialist fperez@briya.org
Nunez, Milagro Student Recruitment mnunez@briya.org
Perez Ceto De Matom, Juana Adult Education Virtual Assistant jperez@briya.org
Quinteros, Wendy Medical Assistant Program Coordinator wquinteros@briya.org
Ramer, Lea Administrative Coordinator lramer@briya.org
Reyes, Migdalia Early Childhood Dedicated Aide mreyes@briya.org
Robinson, Susana Early Childhood Resource Specialist and Coach srobinson@briya.org
Rugama, Meylin Early Childhood Substitute Instructor mrugama@briya.org
Salado, Alma (Gabi) Student Services and Leadership Coordinator asalado@briya.org
Salas Quispe, Lucia Student Services Coordinator lsalas@briya.org
Salmeron, Martin IT Help Desk Technician msalmeron@briya.org
Sanchez, Silvia Dedicated Aide and Classroom Assistant ssanchez@briya.org
Cuesta, Sandra Student Services Assistant scuesta@briya.org