Jennifer Clevidence, Board President
Jennifer Clevidence is the current Board President for Mission Kids. She leads an Executive Coaching and Leadership Development firm, Clevidence Co., and previously held roles in Talent Management, Training & Development, and Organizational Development. Educationally, Jenny’s background is in Human Resource Management (BA) and Organizational Development (MOD). She lives in San Francisco with her partner David, a Berkeley Fire Fighter, and her two kids, Ayla (Mission Kids Alum) and Emory (current Gatito).
Lisa Ricardo, Vice President
Lisa was born and raised in the Bay Area and attended UC Davis where she studied Economics. She is the Managing Director of CBIZ ARC Consulting, where she does technical accounting and helps clients implement accounting systems. A long time resident of Visitacion Valley, she and her family recently moved to the peninsula where they enjoy spending time outdoors, riding bikes and playing softball. She joined the Mission Kids Board in 2022. She is the parent of two Mission Kids alums and one current Mission Kid.
Susie Orozco Franco, Secretary
Susie is currently the Legal Operations Analyst for the Legal Department at Gap Inc, where she helps the department meet monthly financial deliverables, ensures their billing guidelines and policies are being followed by outside counsel, and collaborates with business partners to resolve billing issues. In addition, she was a committee member of Gap Inc’s business resource group for the Latinx Group, HOLA, for 10 years where they coordinated events that elevated the Latino employee experience to foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity, provided networking opportunities, and organized community volunteer events with Latino based non-profit organizations in San Francisco. She joined the Mission Kids Board in July of 2022, serving as Secretary. She is the proud parent of one Mission Kids alumna and one current Mission Kid.
Rishita Patel – Treasurer
Rishita Patel is the current Treasurer at Mission Kids. She leads Product and Strategic Partnerships at Twitch, a live video streaming service, and previously held similar roles at Google and Deloitte Consulting. Rishita is originally from Texas and holds undergraduate degrees in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas. She moved to San Francisco from New York, where she and her husband, Nick, met at Columbia Business School. Rishita and Nick have two children, one current Mission Kid and one future Mission Kid.
Monique Colon, Admissions Chair
Monique joined the Mission Kids board in August 2023, after serving on the Admissions team for 2 years. Professionally, Monique is the Contracts Manager for the City and County of San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing where she oversees a contracts portfolio with over 60 different non-profit organizations and an annual budget totaling over $500 million. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of California Santa Cruz and a Master in Public Administration from Golden Gate University. Monique and her husband are the proud parents of two children, one current Mission Kid and one alumna.
Bianca Hernandez, Family Engagement Chair
Bio coming soon!
Licinia Iberri, Alumni Relations Chair
Bio coming soon!
Laura Lara-Brady Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair
Laura joined the Mission Kids Board in 2020, focusing on infusing equity practices throughout classrooms and MK processes. Part of this work involves engaging with parents and school administrators to explore different ways in which we can build a more inclusive MK community. For the last 15 years, her work outside of MK focuses on building equitable practices in higher education systems, most recently serving as a lead across postsecondary projects at WestEd, and previously as a Dean at CCSF. Laura got her B.A. from SFSU and her Ph.D. from the University of Northern Colorado. She was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and enjoys being near the ocean. She and her husband are super proud of their MK alumna and current student.
Heather Lubeck, Director
Heather Lubeck (she/her) has worked at Mission Kids as a founding Co-
Director/Teacher since the school was licensed in 2009. She has over 25 years of teaching, research, and administrative experience in a variety of educational settings and with students from a wide diversity of backgrounds.
Before working at Mission Kids, she worked for 4 years as an elementary reading specialist with the Georgia State University Department of Psychology and taught elementary special education in a public school district in the Atlanta area. In 2001, she received the Atlanta Journal & Constitution’s annual award for teaching excellence in the state of Georgia. She holds a Masters in Special Education from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia. Heather holds a Child Development Program Director Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She is the proud mom of three Mission Kids alumni.
Christina Maluenda, Director
Christina Maluenda (she/her) is one of the founding Co-Director/Teachers of Mission Kids and has been working in early childhood education for over 25 years. She was the Founder and Director of Imagine Preschool, which merged with Mission Kids to become a licensed child care facility in 2009.
Prior to her time at Imagine, Christina served as the Director of Partners in Autism Treatment, a non-profit agency serving young children on the autism spectrum. As Director, she focused on integrating children with autism into preschool settings. Christina has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University and a Master of Science in Child Development from University of California Davis. Christina is a Spanish bilingual educator, a certified CLASS observer and a trained member of San Francisco’s NERT program. Christina also holds a Child Development Program Director Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She has served on the Mission Kids board since 2011 and is the mother of two Mission Kids alumni.
Alicia Nevarez, Fundraising Chair
Alicia is a 3rd generation San Francisca, born and raised in the Glen Park and Mission District with ties all around the City. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing. Since then she has worked in Marketing, Customer Service and the retail field at Nordstrom. She is an active volunteer in her community devoting most of her time to Saints Peter and Paul Salesian School, where she works numerous events, serves as room parent and assists with launching their fundraiser. Most recently, she has taken on the role of stay at home mom while pursuing a new degree in teaching at CCSF. Alicia and her partner (Joey) have three children, including 1 Mission Kid alumnus and 1 current Mission Kid.
Ruth Reynaga – Sengo, Buildings and Grounds Chair
Ruth has a BA in fashion design from the Academy of Art University, and 12 years of experience in the restaurant industry here in San Francisco. Since 2020, she has shifted to being a full time mom. In addition, she helps with her husband’s solar energy consulting and urban garden planning business, S&S Renewable Energy. Ruth joined the Mission Kids Board in 2022, and is the proud parent of one current Mission Kid and one future Mission Kid!