George Philipp
DIRECTOR
George C. Philipp is the Director of the WestEd E3 Institute. He leads all aspects of
E3’s initiatives, including advocacy, strategic planning, program administration,
contract development, staff supervision, and technology development.
One of the institute’s major initiatives, Santa Clara County’s Quality Rating and
Improvement System (QRIS), has supported over 200 early education programs to
improve the quality and impact of their work. E3’s other major initiative, the Quality
Matters Stipend Program (QMSP), supports over 500 early educators annually to
engage in professional development activities and improve their teaching practice.
Philipp’s leadership in California’s early education system has included contributing
to the development of the state’s Early Care and Education Workforce Registry and
Career Lattice, which help shape California’s professional development system for
early educators. He serves on California’s Transforming the Workforce Birth to Age
8 Core Team and the Workforce Registry Advisory Board. Other leadership roles
have included Commissioner of FIRST 5 Santa Clara County (2012–2017) and board
member of Children’s Collabrium and of Action Alliance for Children.
A longtime advocate for the child development field, Philipp has worked in early
education policy development for more than 20 years. Before joining WestEd, Philipp
was a Program Services Administrator for First 5 Alameda County. He has also
consulted for the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at University of
California, Berkeley, and co-authored multiple reports on the challenges early
educators face in their workplaces. Philipp received a BA in Psychology from Roanoke College.
Esperanza Cadena
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
Esperanza Cadena is a Professional Development Specialist for the WestEd E3 Institute. Her primary responsibility is to provide coordination for the Quality Matters stipend program and other professional development components of the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) program in Santa Clara County. She also provides support and technical assistance to QRIS participants around the ECE Workforce Registry requirements and coordinates efforts with Registry staff. Esperanza also provides Spanish translation and interpretation support as needed. In addition, Esperanza assists the WestEd E3 Institute Director with all aspects of program operations. Cadena received a BS in business administration from San Jose State University.
Regina Garcia-Lemye
PROGRAM AND DATA SPECIALIST
Regina Garcia-Lemye primarily manages the early learning data system for Santa Clara County’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) initiative, QUALITY MATTERS. She is responsible for the data management, collection, and reporting of programs.
Rick Leon
FINANCIAL ANALYST
Rick Leon is a Financial Analyst for the WestEd E3 Institute. His primary responsibilities include preparing budgets, setting up & monitoring contracts and subcontracts, approving invoices, forecasting monthly revenue, and preparing financial reports.
Prior to joining WestEd in 2004, Leon was a Financial Compliance Analyst and a Fixed Asset Accountant at Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space. He also audited internal accounting controls and supported the implementation of a single company financial system.
Leon received a BS in business administration, with a finance concentration, and a minor in mathematics from San Jose State University.
Kimmy Nguyen
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Kimmy Nguyen is a coordinator for the WestEd E3 Institute. She coordinates professional development initiatives related to the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) program in Santa Clara County. Activities include project management of the incentive program for early educators, providing professional development advising individually and in group settings, conducting analysis of trainings and higher education options for the early childhood workforce, and is a consumer representative of the Santa Clara County Local Early Childhood Planning Council (LPC).
Her career in early childhood education began as a research assistant, primarily conducting classroom and individual assessments using multiple preschool assessment tools. She was also a data anchor to maintain high inter-rater reliability with the assessors.
Nguyen received a BA in sociology from the University of California, Irvine, and an MA in education from San Francisco State University.
Sapna Shah
QRIS COORDINATOR
Sapna Shah is a QRIS Coordinator for the WestEd E3 Institute. Her primary responsibility is the coordination and implementation of the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) in Santa Clara County.
Sapna also provides technical assistance resources to childcare providers, participates in local coalitions and committees, and serves on the Santa Clara County Local Early Education Planning Council.
Prior to joining WestEd, Sapna has served as an Early Childhood Educator in the Bay Area since 2006. She received a BS degree in Biology from India and her ECE certification from De Anza College.
Rebecca Toscano
QUALITY MATTERS COORDINATOR
Rebecca Toscano is a QRIS Coordinator for the WestEd E3 Institute. Her primary responsibility is the coordination and implementation of the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) in Santa Clara County.
Prior to joining WestEd she worked for First 5 Santa Clara County as the lead assessor in the Environmental Rating Scales and CLASS assessment tools and has been working in the early education field since 1998.
Toscano received a BA in child and adolescent development and an MA in education, both from San Francisco State University.