Team

Ms. Jenel,
Executive Director
"I have been working in the Early Childhood Education field for over 15 years. What started out as 'babysitting' quickly became a passion - I began student teaching inside of a 1st grade classroom for 2 consecutive school years; following with working for the YMCA of the East Bay in their Child Care & Summer Camp programs. While working for the YMCA, as the Senior Site Supervisor I overlooked the operations of 5 ECE Centers including a Preschool,  (3) Before & After School Programs and a Middle School Program.  After 7 years of working with the YMCA, I made the transition into outreach, working with Alameda County's Resource & Referral Agency, Hively (formerly known as Child Care Links) as the Training and Outreach Coordinator. While working at Hively, I coordinated and facilitated Professional Development Workshops and Trainings for Early Childhood Educators,  along with providing workshops for Parents and Family Members throughout the community. Additionally, I was a Regional Recruiter for a staffing agency in the ECE field, as well.

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy my time with my husband and daughter, Rylan; along with our two dogs and cats. We enjoy getting outside (the mountains are our favorite!), bike rides, reading and mostly spending time with each other.

The energy of being inside of an Early Childhood Education Center, building relationships with families is exactly where I thrive; so I am so happy to be working at Bright Future and building relationships with our students and families. If you are not apart of our community yet, I am excited to welcome you soon!"

More Teacher Bios Coming Soon!

"Hi. My name is Vanessa. I was born and raised in Greensboro, NC. I have been a resident of Oakland since 1986. My husband Richard and I have been married since 1988 and we are the proud parents of 3 beautiful young adults.

I've been a member of the Bright Future family since March 2017 as a Teacher in the Infants and Toddlers room.

I love to read and sing with the children. My favorite book to read to them is "A Piece is Missing," which was written and published by yours truly in 2013. And my favorite song to sing is "If You're Happy and You Know It," which gives them the opportunity to learn about and express their feelings.

I am honored to be a part of this great team of early childhood educators."