Leadership Team

Director of Student, Family, and Community Engagement​, 
Lassen County Office of Education

James Hall serves as Program Manager of Prevention and Expanded Learning for the Lassen County Office of Education.  In his role at the Lassen County Office of Education, he serves as an ASES Program Director; plans and implements expanded learning opportunities for students in TK to 12^th grade; and serves as the county lead for Visual and Performing Arts, Tobacco Use Prevention Education, and Federal Program Monitoring.  James is passionate about out-of-school time because he was involved in after school activities as a student and saw the benefits and the awesome opportunities that were available to help expand his horizons.  He loves to see the same happen for students and adults today.  James was motivated to join the CAN Leadership Team because he desires to help address the need for high-quality programs, share knowledge, and lend support to make this a reality, no matter the size or location of the program. 

Youth Development Director,  YMCA of San Joaquin County

John Acosta is the Youth Development Director for the YMCA of San Joaquin County. At the Y, he manages, directs and coordinates the after school program and day camps, assuring high-quality programs. He has been working in the after-school setting for over ten years and is very passionate about the significant impact it makes in a student’s life. Joining the CAN Leadership Team gives John the opportunity to share his knowledge and experiences to other afterschool leaders

 Community Services Supervisor, City of Fontana

Sergio Barragán is the Community Services Supervisor for the City of Fontana, overseeing 35 Fontana Expanded Learning Program sites in partnership with the Fontana Unified School District, Etiwanda School District, and the Colton Joint Unified District. His role in the city is to lead and support staff in the delivery of high-quality programming to the children and youth of the community. Sergio has been in the field for over 15 years working from frontline staff to program leadership. Sergio’s dedication to the expanded learning field comes from understanding the benefits he received as a youth participant in after school activities and knowing the impact that can be provided to youth as a professional in the field. Sergio joined the California Afterschool Network to continue his commitment to making positive contributions in the field that serves youth.

Co-Regional Lead,  Ventura County Office of Education

Chief Program Officer, Los Angeles Conservation Corps​

Pablo Garcia-Hernandez is the Chief Program Officer for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. Pablo has worked in the youth development field for 25 years. His first experience was as an arts educator for Los Angeles Conservation Corp’s Clean and Green Program at Carver Middle School in South Los Angeles. He has worked in a wide variety of capacities and job titles in the field since then. He is currently responsible for overseeing grant operations for over 600 ASES, ASSETs, and 21CCLC-funded schools within LAUSD. He is also currently on the Founding Advisory Board for a new Los Angeles-Based organization, Rainbow Labs, that will pair Queer and Gender Non-Conforming Youth with mentors and leadership programming. His strong commitments to authentic youth-led programming and empowering young people to shape their own communities have made True North throughout his career, and in his choices for groups that he works and volunteers for.

Program Director Marin – Bay Area Community Resources

Mariana Lopez Quintanilla is a native of Venezuela who started her journey in the educational field in 1998 working in early childhood education and academic support for students with ADHD. In 2007, she worked with refugee youth in Miami Dade County to ensure that families understood the educational system and that students received services that supported their academic and social development.

In 2009, Mariana joined Bay Area Community Resources, where she has worked in the afterschool field in different capacities serving thousands of students every year, and supporting a team of 60 afterschool and family services professionals. A few years later, continuing her efforts to support marginalized communities, Mariana started training volunteers in Cultural Sensitivity to equip them with tools before they started helping students in Title I schools. For the last seven years, she has been an active board member of San Rafael City Schools Foundation, HeadsUp, where she continues to be an advocate for immigrant children and families in Marin County.

In 2014, Mariana received the BACR Best Practices Award for After School Programs and a Golden Bell Award from the Marin County Office of Education. She completed a fellowship program in 2016 with the National Equity Project and a fellowship with the National After School Matters Initiative in 2020. She is passionate about equity in education, implementing strategies to develop quality after school programs, and finding resources that inspire students to learn.

Executive Director, California School-Age Consortium

Lupine is a Central Valley native who has been working in the out-of-school time (OST) field for nearly twenty years. She started as a summer camp counselor and later served in various roles at a range of youth development organizations, including LA’s BEST after-school program and the American Camp Association. Most recently, Lupine was Vice President of Client Services for Arrowhead Management Company, a fundraising consulting firm responsible for raising millions of dollars for non-profit organizations each year. She currently is the Executive Director at the California School-Age Consortium (CalSAC), for which she has served as a staff member for 6 years, and as a volunteer since 2009. Lupine has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Music from UCLA and a Master of Public Administration from USC. In her free time, you’ll find her outdoors – running, hiking, camping, and kayaking or indoors – swing dancing.

 Program Specialist, Elk Grove Unified School District

Erin Sipes currently serves as a district administrator and grant manager in Elk Grove Unified School District’s Office of Expanded Learning, overseeing district summer learning programs and ASES, 21st CCLC, and ASSETs programs that serve over 4,200 youth daily. During her 20+ years as an educator, she has worked as a site administrator, a curriculum specialist, a classroom teacher, and an inclusive education specialist and first became involved with after school programs in 2006. Ms. Sipes wholeheartedly believes that it is our responsibility to enable all students to realize their greatest potential by building capacity within and empowering those who directly serve them to provide every student with purposeful opportunities to learn and grow. In addition to her work with EGUSD, her passion for leadership development has led her to work with the Sacramento County Office of Education as a facilitator of professional learning and coach for new administrators. Erin currently serves as a member of the California Department of Education Expanded Learning Division’s Sustainability Committee and as a member of the California Afterschool Network’s Whole Child Health and Wellness Collaborative.