Our Staff
We depend on caregivers and community partners to accomplish our goals. But behind the scenes, you’ll find this dedicated team of professionals hard at work for Lane County families.
A note about the United Way connection: Our team is tucked into United Way of Lane County. That helps us coordinate with other family and social services agencies, and it also helps us share resources, like email systems!
Dulce Cano (she/her)
Preschool Promise Coordinated Enrollment Specialist
United Way of Lane County
Dulce was born in Los Angeles but moved to Eugene at the age of two. She is passionate about working with families and children, specifically mental health counseling and early education. Dulce graduated from the University of Oregon in 2022 with a background in Family & Human Services and Spanish. She plans to use her knowledge and experience to advocate for more equitable community social services and empower early learning. She also enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking and exploring waterfall viewpoints in Oregon!
Hablo Español!
Kris Coomes (she/her)
Co-Director, Early Childhood Hub of Lane County
United Way of Lane County
Kris is very excited to be working with the Early Childhood Hub. She comes from a long background of progressive early childhood and anti-bias education. Kris moved to Eugene in 2020 after working as the director for a preschool and childcare center in Washington state. She wants for every child to feel seen and heard. When she is not working, she enjoys making stuff out of clay and playing in the garden.
Jessie Daher (she/her/they/them)
Preschool Promise Coordinated Enrollment Manager
United Way of Lane County
Bio coming soon!
Adriana Medina (ella/she/her)
Bilingual Outreach and Engagement Manager
United Way of Lane County
Adriana has a background in mental health and education that she uses to help underserved families. Her hope is that the work she does will make Lane County a more welcoming and inclusive place to live.
Hablo Español!
Lisa Milton (she/her)
Education Data Coordinator
United Way of Lane County
Lisa grew up in the PNW and moved to Eugene in 2010. Her background is rooted in serving her community: working in schools, health & wellness non-profit work, and cancer survivorship research & programming. She is excited to join the Early Childhood Hub because she is passionate about making Lane County a more equitable and joyful place to raise a family. In her free time, she loves to read and dance, spend time with her family, and take her unruly dogs on long walks.
Ayanna Moriguchi (she/her)
Early Learning Program Coordinator
African American/Black Student Success
United Way of Lane County
Ayanna was born and raised in Eugene and is raising her five children here as well. She attended Pacific University and graduated with a Master’s in Education and Learning. Ayanna has been involved in work for bettering the lives of children of color for as long as she can remember and is happy to be in a job where she can continue helping African American/Black children thrive.
Chelsea Prine (she/her/they)
Preschool Promise Coordinated Enrollment Coordinator
United Way of Lane County
Chelsea received her environmental studies degree with an emphasis on environmental education and has spent the past ten years working at social service organizations and schools implementing trauma informed case management and community health work. She is very excited to work at an agency that combines the foundation of education along with community building advocacy and resource implementation. Chelsea loves taking various dance classes, creating recipes and conducting science experiments at her kitchen table with her 13-year-old son.
Michelle Sheng-Palmisano (she/her)
Co-Director, Early Childhood Hub of Lane County
United Way of Lane County
Michelle loves children and deeply values the role families, childcare providers and the community play in supporting the development of each unique child. She is energized by working collaboratively with local partners and families to improve our early learning system.