Elva Sandoval

Executive Director

Ms. Sandoval joins Families Forward with a long and successful career in nonprofit management and development. Elva has been a development consultant to non-profit organizations for the past two years. Prior to starting her consulting firm, she was the Vice President of Development for Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and was responsible for overall leadership and management of fundraising, communications, and alumni support efforts. Ms. Sandoval has served as the Executive Director of Kids In Sports Los Angeles where she provided overall leadership for the daily operations of the organization, as Director of Development for Claremont Graduate University and Senior Development Manager for Junior Achievement of Southern California. Ms. Sandoval began her professional career as a third grade teacher in Los Angeles and has been in the development field for twenty-five years. Ms. Sandoval earned her M.A. in Management from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University and earned her B.A. in Sociology and minor in Education from the University of California, Berkeley. elva@FamiliesForwardLC.org 626.792.2687 ext. 124

Andrea Huicochea

Program Director

Andrea Huicochea has worked at Families Forward since 2009, fulfilling a number of different roles and responsibilities. She spent fourteen years as a preschool teacher, four of them at Families Forward in our classroom for four year olds. She then transitioned to administrative operations, assisting with Program management and enrollment. In 2015, she earned a Master’s of Human Development with a specialization in Leadership & Human Services from Pacific Oaks College. In 2020, she became the Program Director, working closely with families to pursue goals, work towards their education, and build relationships. Andrea feels that Families Forwards is an amazing place for families to grow together, develop friendships, receive guidance, and feel valued. andrea@FamiliesForwardLC.org 626.792.2687 ext. 113

Ashley Thompson

ECE Director

Liz Kwong

Development Director

Liz Kwong has decades of private and corporate sector fundraising experience, working with nonprofit brands to maximize their exposure in times when philanthropic fundraising is fierce. Her process bypasses traditional “it’s a good cause,” ‘it’s a just cause,” “it’s an emergency, we need your help” approaches in favor of establishing a clear value proposition that resonates with donors or prospects’ core interests and philanthropic values. In a past life, she was a leading participant of marketing teams that have launched over 150 new companies, products and services. She holds a BS in Marketing and Advertising from Rutgers University. liz@FamiliesForwardLC.org 626.792.2687 ext. 123

Paola Rodriguez

Family Engagement Specialist

Paola joined the Families Forward team in August 2017 with seven years of experience as a mental health worker. She previously worked with Pacific Clinics to provide mental health rehabilitation services and case management to at-risk families. She serves as the Family Engagement Specialist at Families Forward, working individually with each family to help them achieve their goals and access resources. paola@FamiliesForwardLC.org 626.792.2687 ext. 125

Judy Bustamante

Curriculum Development Specialist

With over 20 years of teaching experience and a BA in Early Childhood Education from National University, Judy Bustamante is a skilled educator with diverse experience and a solid commitment to the social-emotional growth and development of every child. In 2014, Judy came to Families Forward Learning Center as a parent and shortly thereafter was hired as a teacher. After seven years of teaching at Families Forward, Judy’s commitment to professional ethics, standards of practice and the care and education of young children led her to transition into a leadership role. For 3 years she served as Assistant Education Director and today serves as the Curriculum Development Specialist. With her knowledge and experience in the Reggio Emilia Approach, Judy guides and oversees the education and learning environment at FFLC. She collaborates with the teaching staff to develop an engaging, child-centered, relationship-driven curriculum that adapts to the different needs of children through a constructivist approach.