Meet the Pathway to Accreditation Guides
Arizona Quality Standards for Out-of-School Time Programs
Meet the Pathway to Accreditation Guides
Kari is an accreditor and consultant for the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AZCASE). With over 15 years of experience working with youth, she has been instrumental in shaping impactful programs for children and teens across Arizona. During her 6 years at ICAN, positive programs for youth, Kari oversaw the program area, which included 28 staff members and 500 youth in ICAN’s free after-school program. She played a critical role in expanding ICAN’s program model from one site in downtown Chandler to five sites across multiple cities.
Kari holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. She is a graduate of ASU’s American Express Leadership Academy for nonprofit leadership (2022) and was named Outstanding Out of School Time Professional for the state of Arizona by AZCASE in 2021. Kari lives in Ahwatukee with her husband and two young children and remains passionate about youth development, continuing to advocate for high-quality programs that empower Arizona’s youth.
Yvonne has dedicated her career to serving children, teens, and families in the Phoenix community. She has worked in nonprofit and city government for over 25th years, nineteen with the City of Phoenix. She has been responsible for the coordination and delivery of various citywide programs along the cradle to career continuum including early literacy, afterschool/out of school time, grade-level reading, and college access programming. She was part of the development of the Girl Scouts- Arizona Cactus Pine Council’s Social Justice Programs serving girls and women at risk or have been involved with the criminal justice system. She has also served as a Program Advisor with Arizona State University’s Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program. Currently, she is the Chief Service Officer for the City of Phoenix, coordinating and managing citywide volunteer services and national service programs. Yvonne is a native Phoenician and a graduate of the University of Arizona’s College of Education and mother of 2 adult children, Alexis and Francisco, and grandmother to Santiago.
Lisa’s 30+ years of experience in school-age care spans all aspects of afterschool program practice and management. This practical and applied knowledge has led her to a dynamic understanding of the challenges and joys of working with youth during out-of-school time. Lisa has presented workshops for single and multi-site programs, at local, state and national conferences. She enjoys traveling, meeting new people and spending time with family.
My name is Nicholas, and I have worked in after-school programs since 2011. My experience in after-school programming ranges from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Through the years, I have found my passion in working with kids and providing a high-quality program that has a greater impact on the community. I currently work for the Kyrene School District’s Community Education Department.
Rhett is excited to support out-of-school time providers as a Pathway to Accreditation guide. Rhett began his career working in preschools and before and after school programs. After graduating with a degree in multilingual/multicultural elementary education, he taught English Language Learners in grades 3-8. More recently, he supported K-8 schools and out-of-school time providers across Arizona by implementing safe and healthy play programs. When working with partners, Rhett believes that: (1) things going well deserve to be celebrated, (2) partners have everything they need to be successful while I am just a facilitator, and (3) setting realistic and timely goals is the best way to increase program quality. Outside of work, you can find him running trails in the mountains and watching basketball.
Xavier is a first-generation Latino Arizonan, a proud child of immigrant parents from Chihuahua, Mexico. Xavier’s first language was Spanish. He was able to learn English via the essential Out-of-School Time (OST) program in the Murphy school district offered after school and during the summer. Xavier was worked in direct student services since 2014. Currently, he is the Student Support Specialist Lead at Desert Edge High School in the Agua Fria High School District. Prior to this role, Xavier spent 8 years in the nonprofit sector, coordinated the Out-of-School Time program at New Pathways for Youth in the Garfield community, followed by working as a success coach-program specialist for Earn to Learn, and lastly program manager for Boys Hope Girls
Hope Arizona. Working with students ages kindergarten to undergrad has been a privilege for him. Although getting to work with middle school students has been his most rewarding experience. Outside of his work, Xavier is huge on his civic engagement. He serves on the board of directors for Gabriel’s Angels and Treasures 4 Teachers. Xavier is a graduate of the Hispanic Leadership Institute from Valle del Sol and the Adelante Fellowship from Arizona Latino Leaders in Education. Xavier believes in addressing and serving the whole person regarding academics, social-emotional, and life choices. Xavier holds a BSIS in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University. A fun fact about him is he has an identical twin brother and has a dog named Snacks!
Tammy was born in Wisconsin but has lived most of her life in Arizona. She has been successful both academically and athletically in her college years at Arizona State University where she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work. In the past 25 years Tammy has worked with youth in a variety of settings; group homes, treatment centers, and non-profit organizations, and eventually operated her own private practice. Recently she has made a career pivot to work in the school setting with the main goal of making a positive impact on the mental crisis in schools today. Tammy currently works full-time at a Montessori school as a school counselor. She has enjoyed the role of working with youth and staff from a growth and strengths model vs the disease model in the medical/insurance model settings. Empowering youth and staff comes naturally to Tammy and she enjoys the opportunity to do so. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two adult daughters in a variety of activities, such as: enjoying the outdoors, taking trips to Flagstaff, going out on the Arizona lakes, working out together as a family, or a simple movie night together.
Pam has worked in afterschool care for 37 years, 34 of those years were in administration. She has been training for 34 years, also. Her degree is in Education and Science with a Master’s Degree in Afterschool programming. She has collaborated with a variety of institutions to help improve the out-of-school time programs including, University of California, Irvine, California Department of Education, American Institutes of Research, and the California School-Age Consortium.
Her love of science prompted her to begin providing workshops to afterschool providers in STEM before it was popular. She provides training in many other areas including management, team building, SEL, Summer Programming, etc. One of her primary strengths is as a Developer as defined in the Strengths Finder survey. She enjoys and is energized by helping others learn to provide quality care to the children and youth in a variety of afterschool programs.
Teresa has dedicated her career to providing quality child care to infants through school-age children. Her love for children has given her the opportunity to pursue many different positions and roles. She has served families by providing care in home-based family day care, respite and habilitation, children in crisis, infants, preschool, and school-age before and after care programming. She is currently working as a Program Coordinator III for the Kyrene School District. She earned her B.A. in Child Development and received the Out-of-School Time Large Program Award of Excellence in 2018. She is happy to share her knowledge with childcare providers so they can learn and implement quality after-school programs while reminding them how important they are to our families and communities.
Rachel is an educational leadership consultant and coach supporting nonprofits, school districts, schools, educational leaders, and teachers across the nation. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Denver and an MBA from Regis University. Rachel has previously served as Director of Multilingual Education, a High School Principal, an Instructional Coach, a Teacher Leader, and a Bilingual Classroom Teacher.
Drawing upon a passion for learning, Gabriella earned a Master’s in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, a Master’s in Healthcare Administration & Education, and a Bachelor’s in Clinical Psychology.
Throughout her career as an educator and healthcare provider, Gabriella has worked in a variety of settings, including academic institutions, hospitals, and community mental health centers, both in the US and abroad.
Ever the advocate for leading a life dedicated to meaningful societal change through research, innovation, and education, she has collaborated with several of her colleagues to develop programs centered around a positive and inclusive learning environment; bridging the gaps across diverse populations, enhancing student engagement and academic performance.
CaLara has been working in the education field since 2017. She currently supervises the Education Department at a children’s shelter, ensuring curriculum, lesson plans, and instruction are carried out efficiently and effectively. She often completes classroom observations, providing teachers with constructive feedback and support when challenges arise. She has worked in both Title I public and private school settings, teaching students between the ages of 3 – 17 years old. CaLara has spent the last 10 years studying Spanish to be able to support her students who are English Language Learners and to be able to communicate with their families regarding student progress. As her career transitions toward a leadership role, she has found great pride in assisting others while they embark on their journey within the field of education.
Kathleen, a dedicated childcare professional with over 27 years of experience and retired in January 2025. Throughout her career, she demonstrated a strong commitment to community engagement and leadership. Kathleen began her journey with the City of Peoria Youth Services as a Coordinator, where she advanced to Supervisor and later served as an interim Superintendent. She also worked for Paradise Valley as a Site Supervisor for over three years.
In addition to her professional career, Kathleen has a passion for coaching and mentoring. She currently serves as an assistant coach for the Atomic 16 Fusion Volleyball Club, where she enjoys helping young athletes develop their skills. Outside of her professional endeavors, Kathleen enjoys spending time with her family, including her two children—a senior and a sophomore—and her rescue dog. When her kids’ or teams volleyball allows, she enjoys playing golf on weekends.
