Hi, I’m
Valerie Denero
Consultant
Santa Cruz,CA
Summary
Innovative early childhood education executive specializing in policy translation and community engagement with a strong track record in operational leadership. Expertise in managing statewide initiatives, securing funding, and conducting advocacy efforts that enhance the quality of early care and education services for diverse populations.
Overview
1
Certification
26
years of professional experience
Work History
EVERYCHILD CALIFORNIASacramento, USA
Director of Policy and Education
09.2016 - Current
Job overview
- Provide statewide leadership, policy guidance, educational programming, and technical assistance to early care and education organizations across California.
- Translate complex state laws and regulations into practical resources and professional learning opportunities for leaders serving children birth through school age.
- State Policy Analysis & Advocacy: Dissect and translate complex state laws and regulations affecting early care and education programs; conduct administrative advocacy by meeting with legislators, testifying at hearings, and issuing policy position statements.
- Strategic Agency Collaboration: Manage ongoing relationships with the California Department of Social Services (Community Care Licensing) and the California Department of Education to align state training, support, and mixed-delivery system priorities.
- Ensured financial sustainability and successful event execution: Source and secure $85,000+ in annual sponsorship revenue; cultivate vendor relationships and expand participation in statewide events and conferences.
- Established collaborative relationships with event service providers: Partner with convention centers, major caterers, and advanced A/V providers.
- Coordinated event logistics and resolved real-time challenges: Direct on-site setups, lead event staff, and resolve real-time A/V, crowd flow, or scheduling delays.
- Managed budget tracking and post-event evaluations: Manage event budgets, track expenses, process vendor deposits, reconcile multi-vendor invoices, and direct venue teardown and feedback reports.
- Led analysis of data trends to inform policy decisions: Lead data collection and trend monitoring on birth-to-school-age policy to identify field challenges, establish priority issues, and measure progress against organizational strategic goals.
- Board & Committee Guidance: Prepare and present monthly reporting to the State Board of Directors, support strategic planning initiatives, and lead special task committees.
- Provide guidance, training, technical assistance, and customized support to private center-based programs, family child care providers, subsidized contractors, and federally funded early care and education programs.
- Serve as a primary advocate for health and safety issues and participate in statewide advocacy groups focused on legislation and policies affecting licensed child care and the early childhood workforce.
- Lead in-house support services and customized training designed to address the unique operational and educational needs of licensed child care programs.
- Participate in state-level focus groups that provide recommendations and guidance on state laws and regulations that impact children (birth - school age) and their families.
- Advocate for a mixed-delivery childcare system that provides equitable learning experiences across a variety of settings.
- Manage specialty grants and contribute to funding strategies that support organizational sustainability and expanded services.
- Collaborated with sister organizations and statewide partners to advance workforce development priorities, focusing on recruitment, retention, teacher qualifications, pay parity, and reimbursement issues.
CALIFORNIANS FOR QUALITY EARLY LEARNING (CQEL)State of California, USA
Executive Director
09.2014 - 09.2016
Job overview
- Provided executive leadership and foundational oversight for the administration and growth of a statewide nonprofit membership association serving California's early learning and child care community.
- Executive & Organizational Leadership: Served as the sole executive managing operations, governance, and financial strategy for a statewide nonprofit membership association serving 874 member facilities across 5 regional districts.
- Led organizational strategy, public policy, professional development, member services, advocacy, communications, and statewide engagement.
- Revenue generation & event management: Controlled revenue and expenses; conceptualized and executed statewide conferences and a two-day multi-location Director Institute across 6 locations, partnering with corporate underwriters to enhance event profitability.
- Legislative Representation & Outreach: Directed a 7,200+ subscriber communications channel, authored annual policy white papers, facilitated annual advocacy days, provided public testimony at legislative hearings, and met directly with bill authors to represent private center-based providers.
- Professional development & digital operations: Designed and executed monthly training on health/safety, employment law, emergency disaster preparedness, and business operations; developed and maintained website, marketing materials, and active member networks to improve member engagement.
- Built collaborative partnerships with California legal authorities across health and human services, employment law, business law, emergency disaster services, human resources, licensing, education, and social services.
- Recruited and onboarded new members through engagement activities, outreach strategies, and personalized support on membership benefits to increase overall membership base.
- Partnered with industry business agencies to provide members free services and discounts in legal support, accounting, automated billing, insurance, payroll, HR, and educational supplies.
CREATIVE CHILD CARE INCORPORATED (CCCI)Stockton, USA
Operations Manager
07.2010 - 06.2016
Job overview
- Multi-Site Operational Oversight: Directed policy compliance, facility maintenance, lease negotiations, and operations for 32 state-subsidized programs serving thousands of children.
- Regulatory Compliance: Maintained agency-wide compliance with California Department of Education (EESD) mandates, Head Start Federal Performance Standards, Community Care Licensing, Title 5, and Title 22 regulations.
- Administered quality improvement and braided/blended funding grants (First 5 San Joaquin 'Child Signature Program' & 'Focus on 5', Early Head Start, Bring Me a Book, Race to the Top), enhancing social and literacy services.
- Quality Assurance & Instructional Support: Led agency-wide professional development on assessment tools (Creative Curriculum, DRDP, ECERS/ITERS/FCCERS, CLASS, California Preschool Learning Foundations/Frameworks, and ASQ).
- Provided operational support to program directors, early learning specialists, teacher support specialists, family child care network coordinators, and site supervisors.
- Oversaw 16 Family Child Care Education Network providers and coordinated efforts with agency Parent Advisory Council.
- Led operational and program oversight for 32 state-subsidized early care and education programs, including California State Preschool Program (CSPP), General Child Care (CCTR), Family Child Care Education Network, and TEAM Charter School Before/After School programming.
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (SJCOE)Stockton, USA
Program Manager
07.2004 - 07.2010
Job overview
- Fiscal & Programmatic Administration: Managed an annual $1.5M budget supporting workforce retention programs (AB 212 Early Childhood Staff Retention Program and First 5 San Joaquin Child Care Professional Growth Project) across 1,500 early childhood educators.
- Managed statewide and regional early childhood workforce development initiatives serving approximately 1,500 early childhood professionals across Head Start, private preschools, family child care, and publicly funded early care and education programs.
- Higher Education & Regional Partnerships: Established academic cohorts, textbook lending libraries, and mentor programs in partnership with higher education institutions and state initiatives (CPIN, ROCP).
- Provided incentive stipends to early childhood professionals to support educational advancement and progression on the California Child Development Permit Matrix.
- Engaged in local and statewide advisory committees, focus groups, and councils to influence early childhood education policy; presented findings and initiatives at local and statewide conferences.
FAMILY RESOURCE AND REFERRAL CENTER OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTYStockton, USA
Community Resource Specialist
01.2004 - 07.2004
Job overview
- Executed Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP), increasing licensed family child care capacity by targeting recruitment, navigating licensing, and providing technical assistance.
- Provided technical assistance to license-exempt providers, guiding them through licensing process and coordinating orientation training with Community Care Licensing to ensure compliance.
- Researched and assessed family child care needs, identifying key focus areas for targeted programmatic support.
KNOWLEDGE LEARNING CORPORATIONNorthern California, USA
Regional Field Trainer & Field Coordinator
06.2000 - 11.2003
Job overview
- Coordinated training, curriculum development, state licensing compliance, and NAEYC accreditation for 33 centers and 8 before/after school programs, ensuring adherence to quality standards across Northern California.
- Trained administrators, program directors, and teachers on policy, curriculum development, and site management, enhancing understanding of California state licensing, NAEYC accreditation, and community relations.
- Recruited, coached, and trained 19 classroom mentor teachers; conducted classroom observations, created performance improvement plans, and ensured accountability.
- Managed payroll, accounts receivable, and general ledger reconciliation, improving financial accuracy while monitoring program quality and implementing systems improvements.
Education
National UniversitySan Diego, CA
Master of Science (M.S.) from Educational Administration
01-2015
National UniversityLa Jolla, CA
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Early Childhood Education
04-2010
Skills
- Event coordination and management
- Educational programming
- Training and facilitation
- Policy analysis and advocacy
- Educational code compliance
- Community care licensing
- Program quality improvement
- Curriculum development and assessment
- Workforce development strategies
- Stakeholder engagement
- Community engagement initiatives
- Strategic planning and collaboration
- Grant writing and administration
- Sponsorship and fundraising efforts
- Visionary leadership skills
- Public speaking expertise
- Content development strategies
- Cross-functional collaboration techniques
- Educational consulting services
Certification
- Train the Trainer - Desired Results for Children and Families (DRDP)
- Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales (ECERS, ITERS, FCCERS, SACERS)
- Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
- Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL)
- Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) 'Challenging Behavior in Young Children'
- Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) / Assessment Screening Questionnaire
- Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS)
Early Career History
- Program & Site Coordinator, Communities and Schools, Sacramento, CA, 1999 - 2000
- Lead Teacher, Child Development Incorporated, Elk Grove, CA, 1998 - 2000
- Early Childhood Educator, Various Centers & Licensed Family Child Care, 1992 - 1998
Timeline
Director of Policy and Education
EVERYCHILD CALIFORNIA
09.2016 - Current
Executive Director
CALIFORNIANS FOR QUALITY EARLY LEARNING (CQEL)
09.2014 - 09.2016
Operations Manager
CREATIVE CHILD CARE INCORPORATED (CCCI)
07.2010 - 06.2016
Program Manager
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (SJCOE)
07.2004 - 07.2010
Community Resource Specialist
FAMILY RESOURCE AND REFERRAL CENTER OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY
01.2004 - 07.2004
Regional Field Trainer & Field Coordinator
KNOWLEDGE LEARNING CORPORATION
06.2000 - 11.2003
National University
Master of Science (M.S.) from Educational Administration
National University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Early Childhood Education