Kim Brame

As the parent of a young man with autism, and an early childhood special educator since 1986, Kim Brame's experiences encompass a variety of topics and issues related to assisting young children with and without disabilities, their families, and the practitioners who work on their behalf.

Brame has worked as a core consultant, national technical assistance coordinator, and family service provider-collaboration specialist. She has worked with individuals at the community, state, and national levels in providing training and technical assistance to numerous educational, health and human service programs.

Kim Brame holds an MA in special education from California State University, Los Angeles and a BA in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Liz Flores

Lizbeth Flores has worked in both private and public education systems for over 18 years, including Children's Hospital and Health Center in San Diego, Sonoma State University, private preschools and the San Diego County Office of Education. She brings a varied set of knowledge and experiences with her to the trainer consultant position. She continually uses her bilingual/bicultural assets to serve children and families of diverse cultures and languages. Lizbeth is an active member of various organizations that promote family-focused, child driven, and developmentally appropriate services for families and children, such as the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE), California Association for the Education of Young Children, etc. Her passion is advocating for families who are usually under-represented and under-served with the goal of providing inclusive services for all children. In recent years her passion has been working via direct service and as a consultant with children and their families from Spanish-speaking communities in the areas of Early Literacy. Additionally, Lizbeth has specialized in trainings supporting dual language learners in multiple settings.

Lizbeth is originally from Venezuela and lives in San Diego because it is the warmest and sunniest weather her family could find when establishing a home. She is the mother of two young men and the wife of an avid surfer and artist. Together they enjoy traveling both stateside and worldwide. Her other loves are reading, gardening and wine tasting whenever time permits.

Lizbeth has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Latin American Studies from the San Marcos State University.

Stephanie Hopkinson

Stephanie Hopkinson has extensive experience in child development, including working with children, youth and their families as a Child Life Specialist, trainer, and lecturer. As an accomplished Child Life Specialist, Hopkinson has provided leadership to professionals serving children, adolescents and their families with a wide range of diagnoses including cancer, cystic fibrosis, HIV/AIDS, and sickle cell disease.

In addition, Hopkinson is senior adjunct faculty member at Pacific Oaks College and teaches specialized courses on bicultural identity development as well as communication and the life cycle. Hopkinson has delivered numerous presentations on leadership development and reflective supervision, including a keynote address for the Department of Child and Adolescent Development at California State University, Northridge.
Hopkinson holds a BA in child development with a minor in psychology and a Masters in human development with a bicultural specialization.

Lisa Raffel

Lisa Raffel has worked in education for over 20 years. She is founder and co-director of Early Childhood Job Training Project, a collaborative effort that provides support to English Learners entering and advancing in the early childhood field.

Raffel has taught at every level, from preschool through college, in many locations including in West and East Africa. At the college level Raffel taught Psychology and Peace Studies. She has also worked as a researcher, trainer and program developer, with a focus on issues of diversity and equity. Raffel has also co-authored books on public schooling and teacher research.

Raffel holds an MA in education and a teaching credential from the University of California, Berkeley.