Our staff
Nubia López (she/her/hers)
Co-Executive Director
Nubia López
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
I love being able to imagine a world with this community. We are building something new and the energy every person brings to this community (board, staff, Fellows) genuinely fuels me.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
My journey starts from with my lived experience from a low-income, immigrant family who came to the US for better opportunities. My lived experience, seeing how inequitable opportunities lead to inequitable outcomes has led me to want to support equitable early childhood policies because I believe all children and families can thrive.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
1. I love to craft – sewing, crocheting, paper crafts, etc.
2. I love disco music.
Lish Olson (she/they/her/their)
Manager of People & Culture
Lish Olson
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
It feels so good to be a part of a community of BIPOC leaders committed to centering justice and JOY in everything that we do.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
Though I spent the majority of my career working with youth and families, it was the mission and values of this organization that brought me to Pathwaves and early childhood policy. I’m thrilled to be a part of a community that is committed to building the collective power of BIPOC leaders in this space.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
1. I have a massive sweet tooth and love to bake.
2. I love chickens. As creatures, not food.
Our board
Dr. Kelly Niccolls (she/her/hers)
Director of School Leadership & Outcomes, Cheney School District
Dr. Kelly Niccolls
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
I’m excited to be on the Pathwaves Board in support of intentional learning experiences for our young children in their most formative years. I’m honored to support an organization informing policy and presenting possibility by centering BIPOC wisdom and context to improve our early learning communities in WA state.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
My journey began when I as a working mother living away from family, and the lack of options and opportunities I had to find Beloved community to support the care and learning I needed for my children’s formative years.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
I am addicted to all HGTV shows and I love to garden.
Maggie Mendoza (she/her/hers)
Early Education P-3 Coordinator at Educational Service District 105
Maggie Mendoza
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
I am excited to be a part of advancing BIPOC leadership and advocacy in the early learning field.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
When I noticed the inequities BIPOC children and families experience when it comes to high quality early learning opportunities.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
I enjoy traveling, camping, and UTV riding.
Maria Vasquez (she/her/hers)
Executive Director of Growth X Design LLC
Maria Vasquez
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
I am excited to join forces with a team who has the heart and passion to advance changes for racial equity. I am equally excited to learn and grow in areas I am not strong in and this platform give me hope.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
As a child of poverty and strife I gained a desire to work hard for better roads for myself and my family. I chose education in nutrition, and childrens studies and jobs in service to others that would give me avenues in health and wellness for children and pregnant women with a focus on brain development and social services to those most in need.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
1. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
2. I have always wanted to be a therapist of some kind.
Nawiishtunmi Nightgun (she/her/hers)
Chief Traditional Officer for Chief Seattle Club
Nawiishtunmi Nightgun
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
Elevating the voices of the global majority in an attentional and authentic way.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
Being a mother made me interested in early childhood policy because they were the first children I started advocating for in a system that was not representative of them.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
I love music and being out in nature.
Sabrina Miller (she/her/hers)
Yakama Nation Child Care Development Fund Program Manager
Sabrina Miller
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Pathwaves board and looking forward to working with like minded professionals who share common goals.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
My early childhood journey started in a Head Start classroom and that is when I found my passion for working with children. Later in my ECE career I moved into a management position and realized that I can make a difference by advocating for children, families and employees.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
1. Was royalty for the first annual Cultural Heritage Center pow wow
2. Enjoy hiking.
Samantha Grono (she/her/hers)
Washington State Women’s Commision Public Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager
Samantha Grono
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
I joined Pathwaves first as a Fellow, and I’m excited to continue this journey on the board. Being in community with passionate people is where ideas can flourish.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
My journey started by working in early learning classrooms, with a group of majority women who were extremely dedicated to the children & families they served, and extremely undervalued. While it’s a privilege to work with policymakers now, it should be normalized that people shaping systems changes are those that have lived through them.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
I’m mildly obsessed with Beyoncé and I like to make cheesecake.
Tanya Hutton (she/her/hers)
Independent Consultant with Support for Early Learning & Families (SELF)
Tanya Hutton
What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?
I’m thrilled to be part of Pathwaves, where the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families in Washington is paramount. The organization’s commitment to equitable policy and systems change is crucial.
Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.
Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to serving urban Native American communities, with a significant focus on early childhood. This experience has revealed the ways in which current policies and agendas often disadvantage BIPOC communities.
What are two things that most people don’t know about you?
I am a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
I am passionate about including my culture in every aspect of my life that I can.
Acknowledgments
Pathwaves WA is built on the work and wisdom of our mentors, partners, and teachers. We wish to especially acknowledge Leslie Dozono (she/her) as a co-founding consultant and Interim Executive Director and Makeba Greene (she/her) as co-founding consultant, as well as Meg Gomez (they/them) and Arianna McLaren-Simpson (they/them), who have provided consultant support.
