Each staff member brings unique experience, knowledge, and perspective to our work. We believe the future of our community is in our collective hands, and we take that responsibility seriously.
© 2024 First 5 San Mateo County
Mey Winata, Fiscal Office Specialist, was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. She graduated from Atma Jaya Catholic University, Jakarta and came to the United States in 1987. Mey has two children, one of whom was born in Jakarta and the other one in Daly City. She joined F5SMC as a Fiscal Office Specialist since 2008 and her duties are in fiscal, payroll/HR coordinator, administrative assistant and KNP distribution. She loves her job because she has a passion for numbers and admires the vision and purpose of F5SMC – the welfare of children 0-5 in San Mateo County. She only wishes that more organizations were devoted to the same purpose.
Mai Le is a Community Health Planner with First 5 San Mateo County, leading a new Baby Bonus guaranteed income pilot. Prior to joining First 5, Mai worked for San Mateo County Health to advance the Community Collaboration for Children’s Success, a place-based, cross-sector initiative to align resources for youth and family health and well-being. Mai has been an outspoken champion for community-responsive health through the San Mateo County Health Office of Diversity and Equity, and various Asian American health advocacy organizations. She has provided mental health education workshops, and training on culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services to over a thousand youth, community providers, and organizations in the Bay Area.
Mai earned her MPH (Master of Public Health) from San Francisco State University, and BS in Planning, Public Policy and Management from University of Oregon. Mai is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and mother of two children. She believes that social change starts at the local level and is a dedicated Little Free Library steward and Buy Nothing group leader in her neighborhood.
Emily Roberts has worked in various capacities serving children, youth, and families in San Mateo County for over 20 years. Her additional previous work experience includes serving as a pediatric critical care social worker at Children’s Hospital Oakland, researching healthcare access in Bangladesh and Venezuela, and serving as a co-developer and trainer on a national anti-bullying curriculum.
Emily received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College and completed her graduate work at UC Berkeley in both Social Welfare and Public Health. She loves spending time on the beach or in the woods with her family, growing things to eat in her garden, and being a conscious and positive contributor in her various communities.
Emily is passionate about health equity, civic engagement, and the ROI of investing in young children.
Jenifer Clark has been the Research & Evaluation Specialist at First 5 San Mateo County since 2008. She holds a Masters’ degree in Developmental Psychology. During her graduate program, her research focused on the influence of parenting and various socioeconomic factors on social-emotional and social-cognitive development in infants and young children. Part of her training focused on research methods and data analysis, skills which she is pleased to be able to use in her work. She is passionately committed to the following three principles: 1) The first five years of life are critically important to setting children up to thrive; 2) All children deserve to live in families and communities that provide what they need to maximize their potential; and 3) All of us, collectively, are responsible for ensuring that this happens for all children.
Elmira “Myra” Cruz has served First 5 San Mateo County since September 2017. Prior to joining the team, she worked with San Mateo County Health Foundation (SMCHF) for 16 years where she helped raise funds for San Mateo Medical Center so that they can provide access to quality healthcare for the underserved and uninsured population in San Mateo County. She managed the SMCHF’s, “Bundle of Joy Program” which provided educational materials and welcoming baby bag containing baby essentials for new mothers. She is exhilarated to join First 5 San Mateo County because its mission aligns with her passion and values on serving the youngest population including children with special needs.
Myra received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration emphasis in Computer Information Systems at San Francisco State University, and her Master of Business Administration at University of Phoenix in 2021. She loves to spend quality time with her husband and two kids.
Khanh Chau has MBA background and CPA credentials paired with 10+ years’ combined professional experiences in local government, non-profit, public, and private accounting. Khanh Chau has served as Financial Management Analyst at First 5 San Mateo County for 7+ years, overseeing and leading all financial management and accounting aspects of the organization, including financial management and analysis, budgeting, strategic and long-term financial planning, administration, procurement, accounting, and auditing. Khanh’s passion is to help organizations and communities sustain viable sustainability and make differences to children 0 to 5.
Michelle Blakely, Deputy Director provides executive leadership in all aspects of F5SMC’s work, including strategy, program development, evaluation design, budget planning, advocacy, and Commission/Board engagement. She works closely with the Executive Director, to implement the vision and mission, and serves on various steering committees and advisory groups. Prior to joining First 5, Michelle worked as an early education consultant and board member for a variety of projects and agencies in the SF Bay Area and in Texas. She has extensive experience in direct service, child & family supports, facilitation and collective impact having worked in Early Head Start, Early Intervention, and private philanthropy for over 30 plus years
Michelle received her undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas Texas and her graduate degree from San Francisco State University in Early Childhood Special Education Administration. In her off time, Michelle enjoys hiking, reading, yoga, and metaphysical practices.
Kitty Lopez has served as the Executive Director of First 5 San Mateo County since 2013, focusing on strategic investing, community leadership, policy and advocacy development for young children, 0-5, and their families.
Kitty has served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Build Up for San Mateo County Children’s Initiative, with Board of Supervisor, Dave Pine, since 2018. Congressman Kevin Mullin is Honorary Co-Chair. This initiative was established to preserve, grow, and increase the number of early care sites in San Mateo County.
Kitty previously served as the Executive Director of Samaritan House, one of San Mateo County’s leading Core Service Agencies and safety-net nonprofits serving low-income families and individuals with food, shelter, clothing, health care, counseling, education classes, and holiday assistance from 2002 to 2013.
Kitty taught kindergarten, second grade, and high school in southern California and San Francisco and was a consultant in schools with children who have autism and special needs. Additionally, Kitty worked in a residential substance abuse treatment center in San Francisco and psychiatric hospital for children and youth in San Diego. Kitty’s roots in supporting children began as a 16-year-old volunteer at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles where she taught swimming to children and adults with visual impairments.
She attended University of California Santa Barbara earning a California Teaching Credential and B.A in Psychology. Kitty is active in her community serving as Vice Chair of the San Mateo County Event Center, and Past President and Current Member of the San Mateo Rotary Club. She is currently serving as Past President of the First 5 Association of California. On March 2022, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin selected Kitty Lopez as the 2022 Assembly District 22 Woman of the Year.
