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, Naomie was a Program Officer at The Pershing Square Foundation where she managed the Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance, a $25 million program funding research in New York City. The Alliance is dedicated to pursuing breakthroughs in curing cancer by advancing the most innovative cancer research and by facilitating collaborations between the science and business communities. Naomie received her BS in Criminal Justice and MA in Sociology from St. John’s University in Queens, New York and her master’s in Social Work from Andrews University in Michigan. Close.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Nelson was the Director of Finance at The International Charter School of New York (ICSNY) where he oversaw Finance and Human Resources. ICSNY is a charter school whose mission is to guide students from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds in preparation for a lifetime of active, engaged citizenship. Before working at ICSNY, Nelson served as the Business Manager for Boys Town in their New York office. In this role, he managed finance, IT, maintenance, and payroll duties helping the organization further its mission of caring for children, families, and communities. He has also worked in several other Nonprofit organizations with services including early childhood education, advocacy for LGBTQ youth, and after-school services for under-served communities. Nelson received his BS in Organizational Management and his Executive MBA from Saint Joseph’s College in Brooklyn. Close.

In this position, she is responsible for organizing and coordinating office operations and procedures and managing the grants administration system and processes. 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 BA in Art History from the University of Colorado. Close.

Prior to this position, 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.