Staff

Prior to her tenure at the Foundation for Child Development, Dr. Jones served as a Senior Advisor on Early Learning to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and as the country’s first Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning in the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to her position in the Obama Administration, Dr. Jones served as the Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Early Childhood Education in the New Jersey State Department of Education and as a Senior Research Scientist at the Educational Testing Service in Princeton for over 15 years. Dr. Jones has been a visiting faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a full-time faculty member at the City University of New York. She received both her master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University. Close.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Sherice oversaw digital strategy and press relations; she introduced e-marketing and social media campaigns to elevate visibility and communications at FPWA, an anti-poverty and advocacy non-profit focused on economic and social justice. Sherice has over 10 years of experience in journalism, social media, public relations, digital marketing, and non-profits. She is passionate about the Foundation’s mission, collaborative and strategic in her thinking, and delighted to be a member of our team. Sherice holds a B.A. in Journalism from Temple University. Close.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Ryan served as the Finance Manager at Future Leaders Institute Charter School and as a Director at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the Bureau of Budget and Revenue in the Division of Finance and Planning. Ryan holds a B.A. and M.A. in Economics from Hunter College of the City University of New York where he completed his master’s thesis on reducing new teacher turnover rates. Close.

Prior to this position, Andrea was working at the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) as a Research Project Coordinator. During her time at NIEER, Andrea oversaw various state-wide research studies. Her responsibilities included hiring and training a team of data collectors, coordinating day-to-day data collection efforts, and working with the data to put together as well as disseminate reports. Andrea also spent some time working on different policy efforts collecting qualitative data. Before working at NIEER, Andrea taught preschool at a private child care center on Rutgers Campus. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education (with a specialization in Preschool-3^rd grade) from Rutgers University, as well as a New Jersey Preschool-5^th grade teaching certification. Andrea is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Close.

Previously, Dorothy was the Executive Assistant at the F.B. Heron Foundation, a private foundation based in New York City that focuses on wealth creation strategies for low-income communities and social investing. Dorothy directly supported Heron’s executive team and served as the primary contact to the Board of Directors. She has also served as the Executive Assistant to the President of the Museum of Art & Design. Dorothy holds a B.A. in Art History from the University of Colorado. Close.

Previously, Dr. Vecchiotti served as the Chief Operating Officer for Lutheran Social Services of New York, overseeing all social service programs including, early care and education, special education, immigration services, homeless housing among other issues. Dr. Vecchiotti has also held several leadership positions at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services within the Division of Early Care and Education. Dr. Vecchiotti has completed the Society for Research in Child Development Congressional Fellowship in the Office of Senator Jeff Bingaman working on early care and education policy and the Executive Branch Fellowship in the Office of Child Care at the United States Department of Health and Human Services in the Administration for Children and Families. She has also held fellowships at the Foundation for Child Development, Yale Child Study Center, Columbia University, Teachers College and the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. Dr. Vecchiotti holds a doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology from Fordham University and law degree from New York Law School. Close.