Leadership Team

Youth Development Director, Santa Maria Valley YMCA

Born in Santa Barbara and raised in Santa Maria, California, Richard has dedicated his career to youth empowerment and community development. As the Youth Development Director at the Santa Maria Valley YMCA, Richard oversees a wide-reaching network of programs that serve over 2,000 students across the Santa Maria Bonita School District. His leadership spans 21 afterschool sites, student internships, and the RiseUp program for at-risk youth—initiatives that collectively promote academic achievement, healthy living, and character growth.

Executive Director, EDMO (Edventure More)

Eduardo A. Caballero is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of EDMO® (Edventure More), a California-based nonprofit engaging approximately 10,000 TK-8th grade students annually through award-winning STEAM & SEL after-school and summer camp programs. 

Eduardo is a lifelong professional in out-of-school time programs, having worked in day camps since the age of 12. After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Psychology, he directed after-school tutoring centers for four years before co-founding EDMO in 2004.

Director of Expanded Learning, Calexico Unified School District

Esmeralda Garcia joined Calexico Unified (CUSD) initially in 2014 as a school counselor. Shortly after joining CUSD, she began working in the after school program at her school site as a Site Coordinator. During her tenure with CUSD and working after school, she began working on her administrator credential. Upon completing her administrative service credential, she became a vice principal with a neighboring district, where she also served as the district coordinator for five after school programs.

Coordinator of Expanded Learning Opportunity Programs, Lynwood Unified School District​

Thelma Gonzalez, currently serving as the Coordinator of Expanded Learning Opportunities at Lynwood Unified School District, is a dedicated education leader passionate about advancing equity, inclusion, and student success through high-quality, outcome-driven programs. A first-generation Mexican-American, Thelma’s journey has fueled her lifelong commitment to dismantling systemic barriers and creating meaningful opportunities for all students, particularly those from historically underserved communities.

Director of Prevention and Mental Health Student Services, San Joaquin County Office of Education​

Nora Hana has been working in the field of education for 25 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology and a master’s degree in Elementary Education, along with multiple subject credentials, a pupil personnel services credential in school counseling, and an administrative credential. She is also a certified Youth Mental Health Specialist. 

Senior Director, Student Support Services, Modesto City Schools

Tony worked in the field of education for the past 20 years. He began serving as an afterschool coordinator supporting students in Fresno. Since then he has served in both teacher and coordinator roles in both Patterson and Modesto serving students in both comprehensive and alternative school Settings. His management professional experience consisted of roles as a school vice principal and principal at both elementary, secondary, and alternative school settings. For the past three years, he served as the Director III, Student Support Services and oversaw the changes to Expanded Learning Department in Modesto which grew from serving 2,000 students to over 8,000 students in the past three years.

Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, Positive Coaching Alliance

Robert Marcus serves as the Chief Strategy and Community Impact Officer at Positive Coaching Alliance. In this role, Robert works to ensure that all PCA organizational strategies, programs, and initiatives are embedded with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles to drive meaningful and systemic change in alignment with PCA’s mission and local community needs. This includes PCA’s impact measurement, advocacy, and decision-making frameworks.

Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Manager, San Leandro Unified School District

Emily D. Nathan, MPA, is a mission-driven education leader with over 25 years of experience designing, managing, and scaling high-impact programs across the Bay Area. With deep expertise in after-school and expanded learning, Emily has overseen district wide initiatives serving thousands of K–12 students, developed sustainable systems for program execution, and built cross-sector partnerships to ensure equitable student outcomes. 

Program Quality Monitor, arc

Enrique currently serves as a Program Quality Monitor for arc’s Training Department in San Diego, CA, where he plays a key role in the training and development of employees across San Diego, Imperial Valley, and Los Angeles. He leads onboarding initiatives and facilitates ongoing staff development through regular training sessions and site reviews.