Oakland Starting Smart and Strong
  • About
    • Our Purpose
    • Our Team >
      • Staff & Consultants
      • Supporters
      • Lead Planning Team
      • Committees and Task Force
      • Featured Leaders
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Racial Justice >
      • Promising Practices
      • ROCK >
        • ROCK TOOLKIT
    • Community Leadership >
      • Early Learning Symposium
      • Family Child Care Policy Program
    • Systems Change >
      • Developmental Screening
      • Strategic Plan
    • Data, Policy & Advocacy >
      • Policy & Advocacy
      • ECEcosystem Data Portal
      • Early Development Instrument
    • Collective Impact >
      • Year in Review
      • Results & Impact
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    • Tools
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    • Public Meetings
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Lead Planning Team

Oakland Starting Smart and Strong is made up of community groups, early childhood educators, school district, city and county leaders, all connected by a shared commitment to create a strong foundation for Oakland’s youngest children. The Lead Planning Team (LPT) represents the wide range of organizations and community leaders working to create high-quality health and early learning opportunities for every Oakland child. They set the direction for our work and facilitate strategic connections and partnerships.
LPT members gathered together in Oakland
LPT Meeting, December 2024
Members of the Lead Planning Team during a Zoom meeting in January 2022
LPT Meeting (via Zoom), January 2022
Members of the Lead Planning Team gather in front of a presentation screen in a meeting room in December 2019
LPT Gift Exchange, December 2019

LPT Members (as of March 2025)
​Aleja Rambonga
Early Childhood Department, Oakland Unified School District

Alicia Osborne
EDvance College

Alisa Burton
Human Services Department, City of Oakland


Angela Louie Howard
Lotus Bloom Family Resource Center

Anitra Smith
Oakland Thrives

Anna Gruver

Alameda County Public Health Department

Anna Luna

Third Plateau

Anna Yohannes
EDvance College

Ayano Ogawa
First 5 Alameda County


Bernadette Sangalang
Children, Families, and Communities Program, David and Lucille Packard Foundation


Caroline Jones 
Early Childhood Department, Oakland Unified School District


Clarissa Doutherd
Parent Voices Oakland

Dana Cilono
The Kenneth Rainin Foundation


Diveena Cooppan
City of Oakland, Head Start


Isobel White
Lightbox Collaborative


Jackie Jimenez-Subrata
Oakland Starting Smart & Strong

Jamaica Sowell
Roots Community Health Center

Jennifer Bloom
Oakland Literacy Coalition


Jennifer Cabán
City of Oakland

Jessica Cannon
Early Childhood Department, Oakland Unified School District

Joci Kelleher
Brilliant Baby


Julie Hadnot
ALL IN Alameda County

Katie Harkin
David and Lucille Packard Foundation


Kristin Spanos
First 5 Alameda County

Kym Johnson
BANANAS

Lawrence Gotanco
Early Childhood Department, Oakland Unified School District

Lisa Erickson
Center for Healthy Schools & Communities, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency

Lucero Irizarry
Alameda County Office of Education 


Maria Sujo
Alameda County Office of Education

Meghan Hunt
Engage R+D

Melanie Moore
Oakland Thrives

Nicole Kendrick
Kenneth Rainin Foundation

Ofelia Asencios Mendoza
Early Education Department, Oakland Unified School District


Page Tomblin
Oakland Starting Smart & Strong


Priya Jagannathan
Oakland Starting Smart & Strong

Robin Love
Oakland Fund for Children and Youth


Robyn Levinson
Oakland Fund for Children and Youth


Sanam Jorjani
Oakland Literacy Coalition

Sandra Ernest
Oakland Promise


Savitha Moorthy
Tandem, Partners in Early Learning

Vanessa Cedeno
First 5 Alameda County


Veronica Anderson
PenUltimate Group
Many of the photos on this site appear courtesy of Hasain Rasheed Photography
  • About
    • Our Purpose
    • Our Team >
      • Staff & Consultants
      • Supporters
      • Lead Planning Team
      • Committees and Task Force
      • Featured Leaders
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Racial Justice >
      • Promising Practices
      • ROCK >
        • ROCK TOOLKIT
    • Community Leadership >
      • Early Learning Symposium
      • Family Child Care Policy Program
    • Systems Change >
      • Developmental Screening
      • Strategic Plan
    • Data, Policy & Advocacy >
      • Policy & Advocacy
      • ECEcosystem Data Portal
      • Early Development Instrument
    • Collective Impact >
      • Year in Review
      • Results & Impact
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports
    • Tools
    • Presentations
    • Public Meetings
  • EVENTS
  • NEWS
    • Blog
    • Newsletter
    • Announcements
  • GET INVOLVED