Board of Directors

 

Yvette Katsenes, President 
    Community Leader

Tracy Decker, Vice President 

     BDO Seidman, LLP

Wimberly Doran, 2nd Vice President

     State of Arizona Land Development
Stephanie Handley, Secretary

     Champion - Commercial Real Estate 
Rocchina Oesterling-Post, Treasurer
     Deloitte Tax, LLP

Pamela Georgelos, Past President

      Attorney

Peter Candelaria

    Arizona Public Service

Emily Durette

      Avnet
Jesse L. Hall
     Bank of America Investment Services, Inc.
Tiffani E. Lucero Pastor

     Sacks Tierney

Amber J. Shoenberger

     Community Leader 
Daniel Zivan 
     Arizona Public Service
Julie D. Tomich

      American Express

Davy Yee

     The williams Real Estate Company

Danielle Swiatek

      Homeowners Financial Group

 

 

Executive Team

Karyn Parker, Executive Director

Karyn was Phoenix Day's fourth Executive Director from 1996 through 2001 and returns having worked as the Director of Desert/Mission/Marley House and Director of Success by Six with Valley of the Sun United Way. She has prior experince in working as an Executive Director in three local non-profit agencies including Sojourner Center (1986-1994), the Make-A-Wish Foundation (1994-1996) and Phoenix Day. In each of those agencies, Karyn was responsible for developing and implementing "blueprint" programs for our community's most vulnerable children and families including establishing the state's first licensed and accredited childcare center on a domestic violence shelter campus; Phoenix Day's HealthLinks a preventive health program for children and families residing in the neighborhood surounding Phoenix Day; developing new program products such as VSUW's School Readiness Kit which facilitates the establishment of regional school readiness partnerships in Maricopa County and established a targeted approach to school readiness at VSUW focusing on building collaboration and community capacity in the areas of domestic violence and early childhood development. Karyn is a mother and grandmother of two beautiful grandaughters and previously served on the North Phoenix First Things First Council.    

 

 

Ana Pabon, Business & Finance Director

Ana joined Phoenix Day in March of 2007. Ana is responsible for all accounting functions, human resources, facilities, kitchen and general business activities of the center. Prior to joining Phoenix Day, Ana had been employed for six years as a Firm Administrator at Calvesbert Law Offices PSC, a law firm in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is a graduate from Kansas State University where she obtained a BS in Agriculture in 1989 and a MS in Finance in 2004. Professionally, her career has developed throughout the years in the areas of business administration, finance, accounting and human resources within the transportation, legal and currently the non-profit industries.  She is fluent in English and Spanish and from time to time translates educational curriculums into Spanish for the Department of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University. In 2005 she published an article in the Journal of Personal Finance regarding leading edge research on the topic of financial planning for special needs children. 
 

Sonya Jones, Center Director

Sonya Jones joined Phoenix Day in September of 2008. Before transitioning to Phoenix Day Sonya was an early childhood educator in Michigan. Until August of 2008, she served as Education Early Childhood Manager at Wayne Metro Head Start in Highland Park, Michigan.  As manager Sonya was responsible for the three components within the program that served 481 children and families throughout Wayne County. As a result of her education and years of experience she received promotion as Education Early Childhood (EECD) Specialist at Wayne Metro Head Start at the same time. After receiving her degree from Schoolcraft College Child Development Program, she immediately entered University of Michigan earning a Bachelors Degree in Children and Family Services in December of 2005. Currently, Sonya is now pursuing a Master Degree in Early Childhood at Arizona State University.

Bernice Medina, HealthLinks Director/Outreach & Case Manager

Bernice Medina has been at Phoenix Day since 2005. She provides basic case management and social services for our parents, families, and community as well as maintaining and monitoring the enrollment process and management of enrollment data for children and families. Just recently Bernice was promoted to the HealthLinks Director position, where she oversees the community outreach program that brings awareness on health insurance and health related issues as well as the food basket program with our partnering agency St. Mary’s Food Bank. Bernice obtained her BA degree in Family Studies and Child Development with a minor in Psychology from Arizona State University in 1998. Bernice also holds a certification in Translation from the Arizona State University since 2007. Before coming to Phoenix Day Bernice worked at Chicanos Por La Causa - Early Childhood Development Program as the Family Services Coordinator for 6 years. Bernice is also certified in the New York State Family Development Training and Credentialing Program (FDC), an initiative that provides frontline workers with the skills and competencies needed to empower families.

Ann Polunsky, Development Director

Ann joined Phoenix Day in August of 2008.  Ann has worked in the non-profit arena in Phoenix as both a professional and volunteer for the past 40 years.  Her most recent positions have been as grant writer for Florence Crittenton and as Executive Director of Deer Valley Education Foundation.  She has extensive experience in writing grants, planning events and public relations. Ann has a B.A. in Education from State University of New York (SUNY) in Albany and an M.A. from the same university in Social Studies.  She taught high school for several years, taking time out to raise her four daughters.