Staff
F5VC Staff Directory
To contact staff members, please send them an email. If you need to meet in person, you may schedule an office visit by emailing assistant@first5ventura.org.
Call 805-648-9990 to leave a message in the general mailbox.
Petra Puls, MPA
Executive Director
If you have questions about the strategic direction of First 5 Ventura, please email Petra Puls.
My favorite childhood lullaby is “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”!
Program, Evaluation, and Community Initiatives
Tyla Adams, MPH, CHES
Program Manager
If you have questions about First 5’s Communications, Outreach, or Advocacy Efforts, please email Tyla Adams.
My favorite childhood song is “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder!
Janet Fleming, MA
Program Manager
If you have any questions about local Early Childhood Education Initiatives, Shared Services or QRIS, please email Janet Fleming.
My favorite childhood book is Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina!
Jimena Hernandez
Quality & Technical Assistance Coordinator
If you have questions about Parent Engagement or Storytime, please email Jimena Hernandez.
My favorite childhood lullaby is “Duermete Mi Niño”!
Joanna Mackie, Ph.D., MPP
Program Manager
If you have questions about Cross-Systems Collaboration, Infant Mental Health, Research & Evaluation involving Early Childhood Systems, please email Joanna Mackie.
My favorite childhood book is Lion by William Pène du Bois!
Sam McCoy
Director of Program and Evaluation
If you have questions about First 5 Placed-Based Initiatives, Evaluation and Data Systems, please email Sam McCoy.
My favorite childhood book is Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry!
Grace Montejano
Care Coordinator
If you have questions about the Help Me Grow Ventura County Telephone Help Line or Parent Navigation Services, please email Grace Montejano.
My favorite childhood book is The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister!
Mario Rodriguez
Program Manager
If you have questions about Neighborhoods for Learning, Welcome Every Baby, or Parent and Child Together classes, please email Mario Rodriguez.
My favorite childhood book is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuess!
Administration, Finance, and Operations
John Anderson
Operations Manager
If you have questions about Contracts, Amendments, or Apricot 360 Reporting, please email John Anderson.
My favorite childhood book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak!
Lauren Arzu, MPA
Director of Human Resources and Operations
If you have questions about Human Resources, Policy and Advocacy, or Communications, please email Lauren Arzu.
My favorite childhood book is Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk!
Teresa Gutierrez
Fiscal Administrator
fiscaladministrator@
first5ventura.org
If you have questions about Funded Partners or Vendor payments, please email Teresa Gutierrez.
My favorite childhood lullaby is “When You Say Nothing at All” by Allison Krause!
Jennifer Johnson
Director of Finance and Administration
If you have questions about Finance or Administration, please email Jennifer Johnson.
My favorite childhood book is Elmer by David McKee!
Office Coordinator
Main Office
If you have general questions such as accessing Neighborhoods for Learning services, Requesting Community Outreach Materials, or would like to Schedule an In-Person Appointment, please email the Office Coordinator.
Christina Saenz
Fiscal Administrator
fiscaladministrator2@
first5ventura.org
If you have questions about Employee-related payments, please email Christina Saenz.
My favorite childhood book is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff!
Neighborhoods for Learning
If you have questions about the strategic direction of the Neighborhoods for Learning program or general questions about the Parent and Child Together classes, please email NfL@first5ventura.org.
We are currently offering in-person PACT classes. Our next cohort will begin in March 2023, to enroll please complete our online interest form by clicking here. If you have specific questions about our PACT classes, please send our NfL specialists an email. If you need to meet in person, you may schedule an office visit by emailing NfL@first5ventura.org.
Call 805-869-1317 to leave a message in the general mailbox.
Jhoelle Aspuria-Arca
NfL Administrator
Fillmore, Santa Paula, Saticoy, Ojai, & Ventura
My favorite childhood book is King Midas and the Golden Touch retold by Freya Littledale!
Shelby Ferns, M.A.
NfL Administrator
Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, & Camarillo
My favorite childhood activities are sensory games including water play!
Lilia Gurrola
NfL Administrator
Oxnard & Port Hueneme
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is La Cama de Mama/Mommy’s Bed by Joi Freed-Garrod and Joi Carlin!
Sandra Diaz
Senior Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin!
Juana Chaparro
Senior Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood activity is playing with edible applesauce playdough!
Megan Switzler, M.A.
Senior Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
My favorite childhood book is Corduroy by Don Freeman!
Desiree Campos
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
My favorite childhood activity is going on nature walks!
Elizabeth Cervantes
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood song is “5 Little Speckled Frogs/Las Cinco Ranitas” by HooplaKidz!
Tiffany Charaabi
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
My favorite childhood book is Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren!
Joselyn Corado Cornejos, M.A.
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood game is freeze tag!
Hope DeMoss
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
My favorite childhood book is The Kindness Book by Todd Parr!
Maria Olivia Espinola
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood song is “Naranja Dulce”!
Christina Espinoza
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist, Home Visitor
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle!
Daisy Gomez
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon!
Elisheva Hollis, M.A.
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
My favorite childhood book is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson!
Pamela Ibarra Diaz
Sabrina Nuno
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
My favorite childhood book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Veronica Reynoso
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood lullaby is “Los Pollitos Dicen Pio Pio” by Musica ifantil!
Marilyn Rincon
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is La Oruga Muy Hambrienta/The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle!
Charlotte Testorff
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual (Swedish)
My favorite childhood book is Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren!
Margarita Valadez
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual (Spanish)
My favorite childhood book is Snuggle Puppy, A Little Love Song by Sandra Boynton!
Chelsea Ventura
Early Childhood Family Support Specialist
Bilingual (Tagalog)
My favorite childhood book is The Monkey and the Turtle by Jose P. Rizal!
Blanca Morales
Administrative Assistant
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is The Little Red Hen by Lucinda McQueen!
Nancy Uribe
Administrative Assistant
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is Junie B. Jones Cheater Pants by Barbara Park!
Maria Negrete
NfL Aide
Bilingual
My favorite childhood book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle!
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