Our Team

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Araceli Simeón, Executive Director

Araceli is a passionate family and community engagement advocate, an expert in Developing Parents as Advocates. Araceli helped establish the Parent Organization Network since its inception in 2005 and has provided her leadership to the organization since 2013. A strong proponent of sound policymaking, she co-leads the California Family Engagement Network (CA-FEN) to promote family engagement as an essential pillar to improved student outcomes. Prior to PON, Araceli worked for a decade at MALDEF directing its National Parent School Partnership (PSP) program. For five years she consulted for the Center for the Study of Social Policy, a contractor of First 5 LA to support its Best Start Program. This placed-based initiative in Los Angeles County builds supportive communities where children and families can thrive. Araceli graduated from the California State Polytechnic University, at Pomona, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and received her master’s degree in public policy from the University of Southern California. She is a mother of two multilingual children, one in a public high school and the other starting college at Cal Poly Pomona.

Skilled bridge builder & network weaver

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Daisy J. Amezcua, Director of Community Organizing

Daisy leads PON’s outreach, parent capacity building, and organizing for the EL Campaign. She is the second oldest of four children and the first in her family to graduate from college. Raised by two immigrant parents who migrated from Mexico, Daisy went through Lynwood’s public educational system as an English learner. This experience fuels her passion today for social justice and the human right to quality education. In 2009, she received a bachelor’s degree in history and Chicano studies and a minor in sociology at California State University, Long Beach. Daisy has devoted the past 20 years working with families in communities of color developing and supporting programs that focus on leadership development and self-sustainability to transform their communities to what they envision them to be.

SPECIALIZES IN DEVELOPING PARENTS AS ADVOCATES

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María E. Rosales, Program Director

Ms. Rosales skillfully leads the facilitation and implementation of PON’s new capacity building program for parents of English learners. Prior to PON she founded the PROedu team, which is focused on strengthening parenting abilities, leadership capacity and advocacy skills of parents to participate intentionally in their children’s development and education. She has more than two decades of experience as a parent trainer and has earned a reputation as an expert facilitator in the fields of curriculum development, family engagement, creating welcoming learning environments and meaningful partnerships with a wide range of families to improve children’s academics, and social and emotional progress. Ms. Rosales received her degree in Educational Psychology from the Universidad Rafael Landivar in Guatemala.

EARNED REPUTATION AS EXPERT FACILITATOR

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Bryan C. Becker, Policy Director

Bryan directs the PON public policy and advocacy efforts and co-leads the California Family Engagement Network (CA-FEN), driving the statewide coalition’s policy initiatives to benefit parents and families. Before joining PON, Bryan specialized in local government relations and legislative tracking for non-profits, advocacy groups, and trade associations. As a Teen Court mentor, youth baseball coach, and father of three teenage boys, Bryan understands the vital role parental engagement and agency must play in the success of the students, schools, and community. Bryan graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with a B.A. in Political Science and received his J.D. from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.

POLICY EXPERT & EDUCATION EQUITY ADVOCATE

(626) 991-1610
1000 North Alameda Street, Suite 240
Los Angeles, CA 90012
PON is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Partners