Angela Griffin (she/her/hers)

Launch CEO

Angela Griffin is a visionary and inspirational leader as the CEO for Launch with over 27 years of experience, primarily focused on the development and implementation of early learning, child care and youth development programs. Angela has a reputation for building strong relationships and partnerships, inspiring teams to action, and crafting effective strategies to ensure children, youth, and communities equitably access all the available opportunities leading to successful life outcomes.

Haydeé Lavariega (they/them/theirs)

Associate Director of Education Strategies at United Way of King County

Haydeé (pronounced “Eye-They”) Lavariega is a Bene Xhon (Zapotec) Indigenous nonbinary organizer and educator from Oaxaca, Mexico. Haydeé grounds their practice in Indigenous values of collectivity, acknowledgement, and relationships. Honoring the knowledges and narratives of their community is at the forefront of their work. Haydeé is working to will an environment that allows transformative justice and a liberated reality-future to be cultivated and sustained.

Maggie Mendoza (she/her/hers)

Early Education P-3 Coordinator at Educational Service District 105

Maggie Mendoza has been in the early learning field for over 18 years and brings a wealth of experience in Head Start, ECEAP, Migrant Head Start, Licensed Childcare, K-12, and higher education.

At Educational Service District 105, Maggie provides professional development opportunities for PreK-3 educators that focus on supporting the unique needs of migrant and bilingual students and families, such as developing curriculum, materials, and instruction for English language learners to promote inclusive high-quality early learning environments. She is also an Early Childhood Education Adjunct faculty member at Yakima Valley College.

Maria Vasquez (she/her/hers)

Associate Director of Early Learning Special Services & Family Engagement at Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington

Maria Vasquez (she/her) has spent the last 25 years working in various leadership capacities with underserved families and children throughout Central Washington, including 11 years as a Bilingual Maternity Support Services and Infant Case Manager. She was a Child Passenger Safety Technician and Child Birth and Breastfeeding educator for Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, specializing in training families of diverse and mono-lingual Spanish populations.

Soleil Boyd (she/her/hers)

Senior Program Officer for Washington STEM

At Washington STEM, Soleil Boyd supports the organization’s Early Learning and King County strategies. She partners with key early education, industry, and policy partners to support programming and policy intent on dismantling institutional and systemic inequities that disproportionately impact families and children of color, those from low-income and rural backgrounds, and women.