Renee Whitlock-Hemsouvanh is a Sonoma County native, born in Santa Rosa and raised in Sebastopol. Renee joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in June 2004 and was elected President of the Board in January 2009. Creating and involvement in community has always been a natural element in her life. Renee is the Director of Hidden Valley Community Preschool. Children are her passion and joy, and can be considered her chosen vocational path. Renee has a degree in Child Development and Early childhood Education and understands the journey parents make to find the right preschool or child care program for their children. She strongly believes in the 4Cs mission and vision to prepare all of our community’s children for the world and life ahead. Along with her volunteer work at 4Cs, she has worked with many community agencies, such as River Child Care Services and the County of Sonoma. Renee is a member of many professional associations, including SCCCA, NAEYC and NAFCC.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Craig was raised in Santa Rosa and graduated from Santa Rosa High School. He attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, earning his Bachelor of Science Degree and a commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy. After leaving the Navy, he became a Police Officer in the City of Santa Rosa. Some of his assignments as an officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department include: Patrol, SWAT, Neighborhood Enforcement Team, and the Career Criminal Apprehension Team. As a Sergeant he also supervised the Department's Gang Crimes Team and served as a member of the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force. During this time he fully recognized the benefit of law enforcement agencies collaborating with community based organizations to find more comprehensive solutions to crime and other community problems. Craig currently serves as a Captain at the Santa Rosa Police Department and leads their Personnel and Training Teams.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

David Wattell grew up in the Santa Rosa (SR) area attending both SR city and high school. David served in the United States Navy during the Viet Nam war. Upon his return, he attended San Jose State University (SJSU) where he received a BS degree in Business Administration. He also holds a MBA from Golden Gate University. David started his banking career while a senior at SJSU. During his 35 years in banking he spent the majority of that time working for several different commercial banks located in the greater Santa Rosa area. During his tenure he held various positions which included chief lending officer responsibilities. In 1989 serving as president, he founded Codding Bank in Rohnert Park. David is married and lives in Santa Rosa with his lovely wife, Susan. Together they have two daughters. David enjoys listening and performing classical music; he is a member of the Sonoma County Bach Choir. His primary hobby is close-up photography.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Wendy was a Kindergarten teacher in the Roseland Elementary School District prior to having her first child and deciding to stay home to raise her daughter in her earliest years. She is currently a board member for the California Kindergarten Association and on the planning committee for the Sonoma County Early Learner's Summit. She joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in March 2010 and believes that early care and education allows our children to live up to their full potential.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Christina joined the 4Cs board in July, 2008. She grew up in Los Gatos, California and moved to the wine country in 2002. Christina earned her BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from San Jose State University. As a working parent of a young child, Christina understands how important it is to have good, quality childcare that you can depend on. In her free time, Christina enjoys spending time with her husband Scott and their son Kai outdoors, reading a great book, gardening and cooking.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

David Garcia, born and raised in Laredo, Texas, obtained a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Texas Tech University in 1983. He began his career working for such companies as Honeywell and ITT in various engineering and quality assurance roles and currently is a Senior Principal Regulatory Affairs Specialist for Medtronic Endovascular Therapies here in Santa Rosa. He and his family moved to Santa Rosa in 2004. David and his wife, Alice, have raised three children: David Noel, a graduate of the US Air Force Academy; Elaine Gabriella, a graduate of UC Davis; and, Amaris Joy, a senior at Maria Carrillo High School and admitted to US San Diego for fall 2012. David has been involved in tutoring programs and volunteer events for local elementary schools and non-profit organizations all his life. He is a member of the Church of Christ and is honored to be part of the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County. He loves working on his yard, his old Ford mustang and reading autobiographies and history.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Armand Gilinsky joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in October 2012. He joined because he believes that life is for service and that he can best serve by acting locally and supporting the mission of 4Cs. Armand is Professor of Business at Sonoma State University. He currently teaches courses in Strategy and Entrepreneurship and has taught at every level, from pre-K to doctoral students. Since joining the SSU faculty in 1994, he has served as Director of SSU’s Entrepreneurship Center, Wine Business Institute, and Small Business Institute. He previously held teaching appointments at the Harvard Business School, CSU East Bay, and Northeastern University. He hails from Scarborough, New York. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford and a Ph.D. in Business from Henley Business School/Brunel University (London). He and his wife Jo, a past 4Cs board member, have lived in Sonoma County for 14 years, where they have raised two boys. He enjoys gardening, baseball, hiking, and the Grateful Dead.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Gioia Hershey joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in February 2013.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Gary served on the 4Cs Board of Directors from 2001-2010, acting as Treasurer, Vice President and President. Principal and co-founder of the HR Matrix of Santa Rosa, his consulting firm specializes in organization development and human resources. Before 2001, Gary was vice-president of HR at OCLI / JDSU and senior organization development consultant at Hewlett Packard. In addition to his commitment to his family and the local non-profit community, Gary served on the faculty of the Organization Department Program at Sonoma State University for six years and University of San Francisco for four years.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Rachel is the school principal at James Monroe Elementary School. She grew up in Santa Rosa and graduated from Montgomery High School. She received a BA degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and worked as a teacher in Los Angeles for several years before earning an MS degree in School Psychology and Counseling from CSU Los Angeles. Rachel is currently working on her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at the University of California, Davis. Prior to becoming a principal, Rachel served as a bilingual school psychologist in Sonoma County and Los Angeles. She is an advocate for high quality education for all children and sees access to early childhood education as vital to the success of our community. Rachel is married and has three sons. As a working parent and educator, Rachel embraces the values and vision of the Community Child Care Council and looks forward to supporting the efforts to maintain developmentally appropriate, accessible, and trustworthy preschool and child care for families in Sonoma County.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

A resident of Sonoma County for most of her adult life, before retiring in 2009 she worked at Sonoma State University for more than 20 years as Director of the Academic Foundation, Director of Sponsored Programs, and as Associate Vice President for Academic Resources. She has B.A. degrees in English and Business Administration and an employment background in accounting. Having served on several community boards, she both admires and respects the tremendous contributions non-profit organizations make to our community. She says, "I was proud to join the 4Cs Board in 2005 and support the agency's worthy mission."

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Bob is a retired organizational psychologist, management consultant and educator. From 1985-2003 Bob consulted internally for OCLI/JDS Uniphase, CA State Auto Assoc. & PG&E. Prior to this he spent six years as a consultant, fundraiser and projects administrator for public agencies. During this time he also produced two national conferences on fathering and wrote and published the book, Fathering: It's Not the Same (1983). From 1973-1981 Bob founded and directed private children’s centers, The Nurtury Family School, which received national recognition for innovation in promoting men in early childhood education and parenting. Bob received his Masters degree and was advanced to candidacy for a Doctorate in Psychology from University of California at Berkeley. He also served for three years in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Tom joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in 2007. He has lived in this community for over 25 years. Since 1983, Tom has worked for the Santa Rosa Police Department. He has worked a variety of assignments during that time, including Field Training Officer, Special Weapons and Tactics team officer and supervisor, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Team Supervisor and Violent Crimes Investigator. He is currently the Chief of Police. Tom and his wife Jackie have been married for twenty years and have two children. He has a Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College in Business Management and a Master’s degree from Sonoma State University in Psychology – Organizational Development.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Urmila is a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa. When she was working to improve preschool access and enrollment for patients in her care, she remembered 4Cs and when she used the Resource and Referral services to help her locate potential child care providers for her own children. This was the begining of a lasting relationship and she joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in April 2010. Urmila has been a physician in Santa Rosa since 1998 and loves taking care of children and teenagers. She enjoys helping families navigate through the challenges of childhood and parenthood and to support them in laying a healthy and confident framework for their future. She lives in Santa Rosa with her husband and two boys and enjoys playing soccer, hiking, camping or just being in nature.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Vanesa Valencia grew up in Santa Rosa and graduated from Santa Rosa High School. She attended Sonoma State University and graduated in 2008 with an BS degree in Business Administration Accounting and a Minor in Economics. Vanesa obtained her Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Sonoma State University in 2011. Vanesa strongly believes that early childhood education is the basis of an individual’s educational career. She strongly advocates for the ability to provide every child, regardless of the family’s socioeconomic status, with quality child care and education. She understands this to be the foundation for a full and accomplished adult life. Working at Summit State Bank helps her achieve this through the support they provide the 4Cs. Staying involved and connected in her community is important to Vanesa as she says, “I have reaped from many community based programs. Being the first to graduate college in my family, it is very important to me to aid others in obtaining higher education.” Vanesa lives with her husband and Yellow Labrador, Zoe. She enjoys remaining connected with her extended family and spending time with them on the weekends. Some of her hobbies are photography and scrapbooking and of course, volunteering!

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org

Sarah Wilmarth joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in June 2012. She was born and raised in San Diego, then went to UC Berkeley for an Art HIstory Bachelor's. After college she volunteered at the San Diego Museum of Art taking school groups around on a tour and fell back in love with working with children. Sarah moved up to the North Bay to follow her sweetheart, now her husband, and got a teaching credential from Dominican University, after which she taught middle school for three years before having a child of her own. Sarah has mostly been at home with her child and after using the 4Cs Resource Library as well as the Child Care Referral list, she decided to give back in service by volunteering at the office, which led to the Board appointment. Sarah is dedicated to helping all children and families have equal access to child care and early childhood education, which she believes to be the foundation for a peaceful society. Sarah also likes to go camping with her family, cultivate her vegetable garden, and knit sweaters that her daughter refuses to wear.

Contact Info:

Email: board@sonoma4cs.org