• About us
    • Staff + board
    • Careers
  • Mission + values
  • Our Fellowship
    • About our Fellowship
    • Meet our Fellows
    • Placement sites
    • Fellowship FAQs
  • News + updates
  • Contact us
  • Donate

Pathwaves WA

Pathwaves WA
  • About us
    • Staff + board
    • Careers
  • Mission + values
  • Our Fellowship
    • About our Fellowship
    • Meet our Fellows
    • Placement sites
    • Fellowship FAQs
  • News + updates
  • Contact us
  • Donate

Staff + board

Our staff

Nubia López (she/her/hers)

Co-Executive Director

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.

Read More

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.

LaToya Holmes-Ware (she/her/hers)

Co-Executive Director

What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?

I have an amazing opportunity to work in an organization of BIPOC staff, board and fellows who are intentional in leading with racial equity and love. We get to share our “why” and build relationships with community and partners who have been yearning for this work.

Read More

Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.

My journey began in the most poverty-stricken state in our country, Mississippi, watching people who looked like me be oppressed, harmed and traumatized just because of the color of their skin. I’ve learned over the last several years, that we have to start early on with our children and BIPOC kids must see and have those fighting for them that look like them.

What are two things that most people don’t know about you?

1. I write poetry.

2. I can’t dance.

Lish Olson (she/they/her/their)

Program Coordinator

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.

Read More

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

Angela Griffin (she/her/hers)

Launch CEO

What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?

Pathwaves is building the human capital to advocate for much needed policy change in our state and creating pathways for those people to be reflective of the communities that will be most impacted by positive change. New change agents are being developed and positioned to explicitly reveal and resolve systemic inequities at all policy levels.

Read More

Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.

I have been devoted to early childhood education for over 30 years, with much of my work focused on aligning early learning programs with state and national quality measures to support better developmental outcomes for young children. In order to meet expected quality measures, policy work has been necessary to remove the barriers that keep early learning programs for providing their best service to community.

What are two things that most people don’t know about you?

My first post-secondary degree is in child development from a community college and my first career role was helping parents advocate for equitable services through a state-funded preschool program, both in southern California.

Haydeé Lavariega (they/them/theirs)

Associate Director of Education Strategies at United Way of King County

What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?

I feel honored to be part of an organization that centers BIPOC leaders, children and communities and that is making waves to transform the early learning policy landscape by building power with leaders of color.

Read More

Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.

In Oaxaca my mother comes from a lineage of Indigenous people that deeply values connection to land, education and community which led me into a career and life journey of higher education, early learning, community organizing and popular education where I have witnessed people-power transform the realities of Black and Indigenous and other communities of color. Through this journey, I have learned how much community organizers mean to our futures and the need for policy makers of color that represent us and hold lived-experiences and a deep understanding of the intersections where we exist.

What are two things that most people don’t know about you?

1. I spent my elementary, middle and high school after-school years working hard for our family business making tin art in Oaxaca.

2. I like writing poetry.

Maggie Mendoza (she/her/hers)

Early Education P-3 Coordinator at Educational Service District 105

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.

Read More

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)

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

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.

Read More

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.

Dr. Soleil Boyd (she/her/hers)

Senior Program Officer for Washington STEM

What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?

I’m excited about Pathwaves because it’s going to make policy making tables more diverse and representative of our beautiful state!

Read More

Share the journey that led you into early childhood policy work.

I was a preschool teacher who always thought there must be more to the picture than I am seeing. Part of that is policy, and I work to advance policies that support young children and their educators to do and be their best.

What are two things that most people don’t know about you?

1. Some people don’t know that I was a winner on the Price is Right (although I casually slip it into conversation whenever I can).
2. I’ve done three running events this year with my two sons!

Nawiishtunmi Nightgun (she/her/hers)

What excites you about being part of Pathwaves?

Elevating the voices of the global majority in an attentional and authentic way.

Read More

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.

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.

Learn more about Pathwaves WA

Our Mission
Our Fellowship
News + Updates

Donate

Help us forge new pathways for leaders of color in early childhood policy-making!

Give Today

Stay connected

Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date on the latest at Pathwaves!

    • About us
      • Staff + board
      • Careers
    • Mission + values
    • Our Fellowship
      • About our Fellowship
      • Meet our Fellows
      • Placement sites
      • Fellowship FAQs
    • News + updates
    • Contact us
    • Donate
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn

    Copyright © 2023 · Pathwaves WA. Website by Stacy Nguyen Creative.