Meet the Council Members
Melinda Sokolowski:
Director
of State Child Melinda has worked
for EOC, Child Youth Family Services Sheri Wilson:
EOC Director of Child Care Heather Salyer-Frith:
Recreation Supervisor, Youth Lisa Fraser:
Executive Director SLO County Lisa has been the
Executive Director of the San Shannon Bates:
Recreation Supervisor for the City of SLO Children Services For the past 9 years
Shannon has had the great fortune of working with children and Judy Berk:
Principal, State Preschool Judy has been in
Early Child Development since the early 70's. Over the years she's been
an Jayma Newland:
Program
Director, SLOCOE Educational Jayma is the Director
of Prevention and Community Vicki has worked
for the EOC CCRC Connection since Julia Miller:
SLO County
CSN Coordinator Julia has been the
Coordinator of the San Luis John Barnhart:
Assistant Superintendent, John is acting liaison
between the SLO Sandra Bourbon:
Director of Self-Sufficiency for the Housing
Jan
Campbell: Nurse, SLO County Public Health Dept.
Development Programs
Division since 1995.
Melinda has
a B.S. Degree from Cal Poly in Human
Development and Applied Developmental Psychology,
several years of child care experience, Child Life Therapy
qualifications and is a registered Play Therapy
counselor. In addition to her work with low income families,
Melinda is an active volunteer with Hospice of
SLO county children's programs. Melinda
has been working
with the Child Care Planning Council since 1998 and has
been an official member since 2000. Melinda has served
as Chair on the finance committee and a member of the
public awareness committee. She is dedicated to promoting
quality child care for families in SLO County. She believes
every child has the right to a safe, healthy and nurturing
environment while away from their parents.
Resource Connection
As a graduate from the University of
California, Berkeley, Sheri's career has
spanned 40 years working in the public
and private sector, in major fields of
study, Criminology and Social Services.
She has served on the Local Child Care
Planning Council since its inception as
a member, a chair person and now the
past chair. "It has all been very rewarding to
me professionally and personally."
Elizabeth
'Biz' Steinberg: Executive Director,
EOC and First 5 Commissioner
Services Division, Parks and Recreation, City
of Morro Bay
Because Heather was raised on the Central Coast,
she is deeply attached to the youth and community
in which she works and lives. She not only supervises
staff and programs that relate to school-age children
and teenagers, but also plans and organizes many
city family orientated events such as the Annual Easter
Egg Hunt and Holiday Tree Lighting. Heather greatly
enjoys her job because she gets to work with the
world's most amazing treasures....children and youth.
Paula
Tripp: Head Start/Early Head Start Director
Paula is the E.O.C. Head Start/Early
Head Start Director. She has been a
member of the planning council for 5 years
and is currently the Public Awareness
chair and the Incoming chair for next year.
She has a B.S. degree in Home Economics
from the University of Idaho and previously
was a Junior and Senior High School teacher.
Paula believes that our greatest gift is our
children and we are all responsible to make
sure that every child has a great start in life.
Child Abuse Prevention Council
Luis Obispo County Child Abuse Prevention
Council (SLO-CAP) since January 2001. Before
coming to SLO-CAP she directed school-age
programs and camps for the SLO County YMCA
for 5 years. Lisa has been active on the SLO Child
Care Planning Council since 1998, is a member of the
Children Services Network and continues to provide
leadership for the San Luis Obispo High School
Boosters Club, Grid Iron Club and has been a PTA
leader and supporter since 1990. Lisa graduated
with from Cal Poly in 1977 with a B.S.
in Physical Education and was awarded a
Single-Subject Teaching Credential 1978.
Lisa has lived in SLO since 1975 and is married to
Larry Fraser, a dental laboratory owner. They have two
children, Brooke, age 17 and Dylan age 15.
families in Morro Bay & San Luis Obispo.
Committed to positive youth development,
Shannon has been passionate about
program development for children and
youth. Shannon is also involved in the
Mayor's Youth Task Force and a strong
supporter of the asset development
movement. Along with her professional
career, Shannon is also a mother of a two
year old son, Jordan.
'infant-toddler' and 'young three's' teacher at
Palomar College in Vista, a college instructor at
Palomar, Cuesta and Cal Poly University,
Director of a General Child Care Program in
Fallbrook and most recently, the Director of the
California State Preschool at SLOCOE for the past 16 years. She's been
involved in LCCP since its inception and continues (after all these
years)
to love working with young children and their
families.
Services
Partnerships in the Educational Services Division at the
County Office of Education. She has been involved with
numerous community partnership and grant programs
supporting children over the past several years. Her initial
work in education was at school sites as a teacher,
counselor and administrator and most recently at the
San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. She is a
new member of the planning council. She brings a firm
commitment to the power of collaboration and early prevention strategies.
Vicki
Taylor: Children Services Manager, EOC Child
Care Resource Connection (CCRC)
1999. She is a graduate of Sonoma State University
where she obtained a degree in Human Development
with a minor in Psychology. She has been working
toward a Master's Degree in Psychology and Counseling at
Cal Poly.
Obispo County Children's Services Network for
five years and serves as the County Board of
Supervisors' liaison to the Child Care Planning
Council. She graduated from UCSB and has
worked in a variety of areas in the public and private sector including
social work, events
coordination, publishing, landscaping and wine
brokerage. She made the Central Coast her
home in 1981 and enjoys the beauty of its
landscape as well as the collaborative spirit of
its residents.
Sonya
Lanzen-Castellanos:
Educational Services
San Luis Obispo County Office of Education
County Office of Education and the SLO
County Child Care Planning Council
Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo (HASLO).
Sandra has beenn working for the Housing Authority since early
2000. She currently manages the Family Self-Sufficiency
Program, Children's Work Incentive Program, and Learning
Center of HASLO. She has direct contact with children and families
on a daily basis and understands the need and importance
of quality childcare. Before the Housing Authority, Sandra was
employed with SLO County at the Department of Social Services
and Transitions Mental Health. I have been an Advisory Board
Member to EOC/Child Care Resource Connection since 2000 and
currently serve as Vice-Chair. She is also a member of the School Attendance
Review Board (SARB) for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District.
Sandra has a B.S. Degree from Cal Poly in Social Sciences with a concentration
in Sociology. She is married and
has a 3 year old son, Drake.