Arizona PBS’ Education Team has shared the resources behind lovable PBS KIDS characters and programs since 1983. We are comprised of Master’s level educators who have taught in Arizona classrooms.
Some members of the team serve as the administrative home for logistics and operations. Others are based regionally throughout the state to share, implement and connect Arizona PBS services with children, families and educators. Our grant-funded activities focus on birth-to-five centers, PreK-12 classrooms, institutes of higher education, non-profit organizations and other community partners. Bilingual English and Spanish resources and outreach are available.
Subscribe to the Arizona PBS Education mailing list!
Connect with us on social media: Facebook
Main contact:
Phone: 855-818-6613
Fax: 602-297-6590
Our team:
Kimberly Flack
Senior Director of Education and Community Impact
[email protected]
Kimberly Flack is Senior Director of Education and Community Impact and leads this team by both example and in practice. She holds a Master of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and History. Kim taught high school journalism for ten years, worked on summer programming for kids of all ages and has taught at the collegiate level as well. Kim has been with Arizona PBS since 2001 and started out as the first remote coordinator in Flagstaff, Arizona. Kim currently serves on the National PBS Station Leadership Committee and serves as a mentor with ASU’s Commission on the Status of Women. Kim is a mom of four and has been married to veteran high school teacher, Dave Flack, for 30 years. Kim’s kids grew up with PBS KIDS and have always been available to help with PBS KIDS events including helping out with costume characters more times than they care to remember!
Lisa Ann Sepulveda
Assistant Director for Education and Community Impact
[email protected]
Lisa Ann Sepulveda, Assistant Director for Education and Community Impact, manages all projects such as Ready to Learn, Super Why, Delta Dental, PNC – Grow up Great, and any other new projects of interest to the Education Team. Community relations is high on her list of priorities as well as efforts with all grant opportunities. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Arizona State University in Spanish and a Master’s in Education Leadership from Northern Arizona University. Lisa Ann has been with Arizona PBS since 2015 and was hired to help implement the new Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry portal system and First Things First Scholarship Program. While she is a native of her beloved Phoenix, some of her loves beyond her husband and children are dogs of all types, music, trees, and the beach.
Amy Pico
Assistant Director
[email protected]
Amy Pico is an Assistant Director on the Education Team who oversees the daily activity of the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry. This includes the administration staff and First Things First Scholarship Program which provides funding for Associate degrees and Bachelor degrees in Early Childhood as well as CDA credentials. Amy serves as the education liaison and works with the Institutes of Higher Education to facilitate quarterly meetings with these teams. Amy has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education where she was a middle school language arts teacher for 10 years, and she is currently working on a Master’s in Early Childhood Education Leadership from Northern Arizona University. Amy keeps the Registry running smoothly and does it with style.
John Cregg
Assistant Director of the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry
[email protected]
John Cregg is the Assistant Director of Education and Community Impact at Arizona PBS overseeing the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry. Prior to joining Arizona PBS, John was the Executive Director of the Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children, an affiliate of NAEYC. During his eight years in Nevada, John oversaw the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Nevada college scholarship program and the Early Childhood Staff Stipend Incentives program. Previously John worked for the Association for Supportive Child Care (today known as Candelen), the Department of Economic Security/ Child Care Administration, Valley of the Sun United Way and Child Care Aware of America. John is the proud poppa of Pringle, a three-year-old chihuahua/ dachshund/ poodle rescue.
Jeremy West
Fiscal Specialist
[email protected]
Jeremy West has joined us from the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has a BBA in Management and an MBA from Texas A&M. He has worked his way up from Administrative Assistant to Office Supervisor. He has extensive experience with supply chain, timekeeping, processing requisitions, invoicing, tracking and reconciling expenses, creating budgets and working with CONCUR and Peoplesoft.
Emalisa Ouano
Program Specialist
[email protected]
Emalisa Ouano is a Program Specialist and a fantastic resource for the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry members. Ema helps to process their credentials, FTF scholarship opportunities and navigate the system. She comes to us with an Early Childhood Director Certificate, a certificate in dressmaking and design and a BAE in Educational Studies. She recently graduated from ASU with a degree in Early Childhood education. Ema flexes her education credentials as a guest speaker for various organizations and professional development programs. She has been a head designer for several theater programs in public school districts and has even helped design a playground. She and her husband, Rusty, were choir directors for 11 years, and even though Ema has retired from singing at weddings, she still brings the music to us at Arizona PBS.
Kiara Conley
Program Specialist
[email protected]
Kiara Conley joined our Education team in 2023 as Program Specialist for the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry. Her role includes processing credentials, assisting with FTF scholarship opportunities as well as navigating the Registry portal system for statewide early childhood educators. She comes to us with five years of experience in higher education assisting college students with admission, advising and financial aid services. Outside of work, Kiara enjoys spending time with her family, playing musical instruments, and reading.
Gordon Freeman Brown
Senior Regional Coordinator
[email protected]
Gordon Freeman Brown is a Senior Regional Coordinator who travels throughout Maricopa and Pinal Counties to spread the word about the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry. He provides support, materials and resources to the many partner organizations and schools. He also keeps up on any and all information regarding early care, education, neurodevelopmental trauma, toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences. Gordon first began his education journey when he became a single parent of two little girls. This challenge inspired him to become an early childhood educator. He has a Bachelor of Science in Family Resources and Human Development and has since been a college lab instructor, parent educator and professional development trainer. Gordon is proficient in Spanish and is also a musician, songwriter and children’s music performer. He also had the opportunity to throw the first pitch at a spring training game between the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners.
Misty Standeford
Program Manager
[email protected]
Misty Standeford is the Program Manager who serves La Paz, Mohave, Southwest Maricopa, Yuma Counties and Colorado River Indian Tribes. Misty provides technical assistance to Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry members, promotes FTF scholarship opportunities and professional development. Misty also facilitates Arizona PBS’ early literacy workshop series and parent support groups with Love and Logic and Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) curriculum. She is also trained in LETRS and LECTIO and manages our Bright By Text service for families with children from birth to age 8. Whenever Misty is in the downtown office, her laugh is contagious.
Mike Gaffney
Regional Coordinator
[email protected]
Mike Gaffney is Arizona PBS’ Regional Coordinator for Navajo Nation, White Mountain Apache Tribe and Navajo and Apache counties. He is a graduate of Connecticut College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland with a concentration in public policy, program management and community organizing/development. Mike began his professional career as a crew supervisor/youth mentor and coordinator for various youth, conservation and AmeriCorps programs in California, Arizona and New Mexico. He also served in the Peace Corps in Panama from 2002 to 2005 as a health educator in a rural Ngobe community. Before returning to the Southwest in 2009, Mike worked as a program officer for the Chesapeake Bay Trust, managing several grant programs and heading the organization’s diversity initiatives. He has served on First Things First’s White Mountain Apache Regional Partnership Council and is active in his local community. Mike enjoys biking, hiking, skiing and camping in the White Mountains.
Yanira Martinez
Program Manager
[email protected]
Yanira Martinez is our Program Manager serving Yuma and focusing on community impact. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Education, Elementary Education and a Masters of Early Childhood Education. Yanira has plenty of classroom experience from The Boys and Girls Club to teaching third grade. Yanira spent time at Quality First coaching home care providers and childhood care centers, which brought her closer to the Yuma community. Now she serves Yuma and Cocopah counties by providing resources, programs and professional development for educators. Yanira had the opportunity to live in Naples, Italy, for two years while her husband was serving in the U.S. Marines. No matter where she is, Yanira brings her expertise and her smile.
Rhonda Etsitty
Regional Coordinator
[email protected]
Rhonda Etsitty, Regional Coordinator, brings over 10 years of invaluable experience working with young children in various roles, including as a Preschool Teacher and Quality First Coach. Her dedication and expertise in early childhood education are further reinforced by her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood. Her deep understanding of early childhood development and her commitment to supporting educators and caregivers will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts in the regions she supports. Rhonda is a lifetime resident of Arizona and currently resides in Flagstaff, Arizona. She will serve Coconino, Hualapai Tribe, Northwest Maricopa and Yavapai counties. She is Dine’ and is a member of the Navajo Nation Tribe. When she is not working, she can be found at home enjoying time with family watching movies or spending time outdoors fishing or camping.
Nydia Briones
Outreach Coordinator
[email protected]
Nydia Briones, Outreach Coordinator, currently resides in Tucson, Arizona, and provides outreach to Cochise, Graham/ Greenlee, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Pima North, Pima South, San Carlos Apache, Santa Cruz and Tohono O’odham Nation. She has spent the past seven years dedicated to early childhood education and social work, initially as a Social Worker Manager Assistant at Casa de los Niños, and later as a preschool teacher. Her background in managing and supporting programs aimed at child welfare and development underscores her commitment to making a positive impact in our community. Nydia holds a degree in Human Services from the University of Arizona, where she cultivated a deep understanding of the human aspects of our work and a strong foundation in service-oriented leadership. She enjoys outdoor activities and is an animal lover.
Dawn Craft
Educational Consultant
Dawn Craft, Education Consultant, has a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education, kindergarten through third grade. She also holds an Infant and Family Studies graduate certificate, a Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy certificate and is a member of many educational committees and organizations. When we are developing data tools for our programs, figuring out new program implementations or if we need the latest education policy scoop, Dawn is who we call. She has experience as a classroom early childhood educator, adult educator, a data collector, a grant coordinator and as an executive director for the Arizona Episcopal Schools Foundation. Dawn always has new research to share, and we look forward to her expanding our horizons.
SPOTLIGHT
STAY in touch
with azpbs.org!
Subscribe to Arizona PBS Newsletters:
Gifts presented by Arizona PBS
