Meet the Team

At arc, every member of our team is passionate about making a difference in the community.

Meet Our Organization's Leaders

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Brad Lupien, M.Ed.

President & CEO

Brad Lupien

Brad Lupien earned his BA in Social Work from the University of Vermont and a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Simmons College. His career began as a teacher and social worker in the juvenile justice system and as a special education teacher in Boston, MA. He taught middle and high school young people identified as having behavioral and emotional disabilities. To address his students’ multiple risks, Brad began an after-school Outdoor Education Club for his gang-involved students. He modeled the method after his experience serving as a summer guide for teens, leading month-long adventures in the Rocky Mountains. Previous board roles include Interfaith Family, Learning in After School & Summer (LIAS) Region 11 Workforce Advisory Group, the youth Take Action Campaign, San Diego Education Synergy Project. Lupien is a team member of the Policy Committee for California Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) of the California Department of Education and a Steering Committee member of the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3). Lupien was recently appointed by California Senator Pro Tem Toni Atkins to the Governor’s California Before- and After-School Advisory Board.

About Brad

Tina Curran

Chief Operating Officer

Tina Curran

Tina Curran has over 30 years of leadership experience supporting some of the best businesses in the U.S. From line-level staff to top executives, from large corporations like The Rand Corporation to small agencies like Constitutional Rights Foundation, her intent and purpose has been to make business thrive through the improvement and support of its people. Before her time as a COO of Arc, she was Arc’s VP of Human Resources. Earlier in her career, she gained experience in early childhood care and education services with Crystal Stairs, Inc., and has a deep understanding of how to meet the needs of underprivileged communities in Los Angeles.

About Tina

Telieka Hechanova

VP of Human Resources

Telieka Hechanova

Human Resources plays a key role in developing, reinforcing and changing the culture of an organization. It is a critical business function that helps companies succeed in hiring employees, keeping them engaged, and supporting their growth and development. Telieka has operated diligently in this line of work for almost thirty years.

Telieka is dedicated to achieving the success of arc's goals with her knowledge and understanding of Human Resources. Her well-rounded expertise provides a number of services to employees. Telieka knows that it is important for an employees’ experience to be positive throughout the workforce to ensure the achievement and strengthening of business operations.

About Telieka

Cyndy Drummey

VP of Communications

Cyndy Drummey

A UCLA grad with a degree in religion, Cyndy has been in media and communications her whole career. She’s been an adult literacy volunteer and loves teaching communication skills. A Navy brat, she’s lived all over the country and now calls Long Beach home, where she lives with her husband Michael and their dog Maus. She has three grown children.

About Cyndy

Diana Carrillo

VP of Programs

Diana Carrillo

Diana Carrillo earned her BS from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and recently completed her MBA at Mount Saint Mary’s University. She has worn many different hats as an employee of Arc, beginning as Program Leader, and growing through the positions of Site Coordinator, Regional Manager, Director of Programs, and now VP of Programs. Her experience in these positions directly in the after-school field gives her a rich perspective of how to design and implement programming in a way that is effective for students, as well as the effective management of staff at all levels.

About Diana

Danny Bejarano

Controller

Danny Bejarano

Arc’s controller since May 2022, Danny likes to say that his daily decisions stem from a belief in always being student-centered where “every staff member is empowered, coachable, and accountable to be a better person than they were yesterday.” A graduate of California State University at Northridge with a bachelor’s in business management, as well as a certificate of accounting from East LA College, Danny comes from a line of civic-minded family. His father works at CalTech, and his mother is a former early education instructor. He was the first in his family to attend college and is deeply proud of his work with at-risk youth. He is now a CPA candidate, but he likes to say that despite failing Algebra II three times, he passed engineering-level math in college and went on to a career in finance, a feat he hopes inspires the students we serve. He is English-Spanish bilingual and is a volunteer operator at a suicide hotline.

About Danny

Alexandra Garcia

Director of Programs, San Diego

Alexandra Garcia

Alexandra Garcia came to arc after graduating from the University of San Francisco and coming back home to San Diego. Alexandra always wanted to work with in the field of education but didn’t know exactly how she could work with first generation students and provide them enriching experiences that they may not have had the opportunity to experience otherwise.

When she first joined arc she came on board as a part-time program leader at an elementary school in Oceanside, CA. Little did Alexandra know that she would grow to love after school programs and be doing exactly what she wanted in the field of education. Since joining arc in 2011, Alexandra has held every after school position at a school site, managed after school programs throughout San Diego County as a Regional Manager, assisted and trained Regional Managers as an Assistant Director of Programs and now oversees all programs in the San Diego area as the Director of Programs. Alexandra continues to encourage programs to provide enriching experiences and opportunities for all students that they may not otherwise experience. Her favorite part of the job is still visiting sites and seeing the amazing opportunities that arc provides its students.

About Alexandra

Diana Rubio

Director of Professional Development

Diana Rubio

Diana is our Director of Professional Development, overseeing training across all levels of the organization. She started with Arc as a Traveling Facilitator, then worked her way up the company as a Site Coordinator, Senior Site Coordinator, Regional Manager, and Assistant Director of Programs. Born and raised in Inglewood, she has an AA in Child Development, a BA in Liberal Studies, and has been working in education for thirteen years. She is bilingual in English/Spanish and was a Leadership Development Institute fellow with CalSAC. She has always approached her work with this quote from Marian Wright Edelman in mind: “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” She loves spending time with family and friends, has an amazing 10-year-old son and the most adorable teacup yorkie named Buddy.

About Diana

Bob Lund

Director of Outdoor Ed Operations

Bob Lund

Growing up in Long Beach, Bob was fortunate to have had many opportunities to appreciate the outdoors from an early age. Because of his family’s frequent camping and off-roading trips as a child, he was well suited for taking on a variety of staff roles at summer camp including high adventure, aquatics, and in camp administration. His natural leadership abilities and affinity for outdoor adventures drew him to join the Boy Scouts at a young age and he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2001. Bob spent his career working with high schoolers with special needs and delivering exceptional enrichment programs to students of all abilities throughout the Pacific Southwest. Together with his family, Bob is eager to continue their adventures by exploring and appreciating the beauty of our country’s wonderful state and national parks up close.

About Bob

Marlyn Alas

Director of Programs, ES/MS

Marlyn Alas

Marlyn has been working at arc since 2014. She is the Regional Manager overseeing the Accelerated Schools and ICEF Public Schools. Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is wings, and she likes anything cat related.

About Marlyn

Monica Garcia-De Los Santos

Director of Programs, HS

Monica Garcia-De Los Santos

A California native, Monica has worked in education her entire working career. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Liberal Studies and a minor in Chicano/a Studies from California State University, Northridge, she started as a school site volunteer for elementary school students. She is currently the Director of Programs, overseeing all of Arc’s high school sites, from LAUSD to SDUSD to Imperial County schools. She is a regular attendee and presenter at the BOOST Conference and is a member of their leadership team. She says one of her main strengths is empathy: “In our line of work, you have to be a ‘people person’ and understand what your staff and students might be dealing with. When I hire, I look for someone who has energy and passion to work with students.

Monica has honed her enrichment skills as an Aztec dancer, which she has been practicing for 20 years, including performing internationally. Fluent in Spanish, and she conducts “train the trainer” events for Arc covering budgeting to FPM compliance.

About Monica

MANAGEMENT TEAM

Carlota Merino

Asst. Director of Programs

Carlota Merino

Carlota Merino was born and raised in San Jose, California and navigated through the public school system, attended community college, and graduated from California State University, Northridge. She was the first woman in her family to graduate from high school and college. When Carlota began her college career, she insisted on becoming a medical professional. However, through her journey, she found her true passion in education. She learned from supporting students in after school programs how to be patient, how to care, and how to support. Carlota faced many challenges growing up in a low-income community and attended schools that had limited educational programs/opportunities for students. That is what motivated her to be part of the change and vowed to help close the educational gap for all students.

When Carlota joined the arc family, she found herself more empowered to continue her professional development through the leadership opportunities given by her supervisor and arc leaders. Carlota believes in the statement that the students are our future. We play a significant role in developing the future leaders and it is our support that can motivate the students to reach their goals. Carlota is a believer in staff development- she believes in providing equal leadership opportunities for staff professional growth. As a Regional Manager, Carlota focuses on program compliance, staff development, and empowering youth voice while provided a meaningful program at every site.

About Carlota

Stephanie Sajor

Communication Design Manager

Stephanie Sajor

Stephanie Sajor (she/they) joined arc in 2012. She started as a Web Design Intern and worked her way up to a manager role as the organization's Communication Design Manager. Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, she graduated from UC Irvine with two BA degrees in Film & Media Studies and Political Science and obtained a professional Certificate in Design Communication Art from UCLA Extension. Outside of arc, she is a spoken word poet, community organizer, and cultural worker. Across these many hats, she runs a monthly open mic, performs for schools and venues across the nation, facilitates ethnic studies and activism workshops, and gives tours of LA's Historic Filipinotown. She and her partner Eddy are also proud dog parents to their adopted terrier-poodle, Lychee.

About Steph

Richard Sajor, M.A.

Data Analysis Manager

Richard Sajor

Richard Sajor (he/him) has been part of the arc team since 2013, starting as Data Entry Intern and wearing multiple hats until he became the Data Analysis Manager. He is an alum of Stanford University (BA, 2011) and Johns Hopkins University (MA, 2021), and his studies have informed his approach, combining rigorous methodology with community-driven goals. Richard sees data science as a tool for holding the organization accountable to high-quality standards, uplifting stakeholders’ voices that may not otherwise be heard, and bringing all community members to the decision-making table.

About Richard

Mario Lopez

Operations Manager

Mario Lopez

Coming Soon

About Mario

Nicole Cruz

Regional Manager

Nicole Cruz

Nicole's experiences have taken her around the US and even across the ocean. Spending much of her life between San Diego and Guam, Nicole's passion for aiding families of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds continues to grow. She has attended before and after school programs since she was a preschooler on Guam and throughout her public school years in San Diego. She received her education at San Diego State University and University of Phoenix in Child and Family Services. Whether at a school or in an office, Nicole finds great joy in providing a safe, enriching environment for students and peers alike. Outside of arc, she is a devoted wife, loving mother, and hard-core sushi enthusiast. No matter where Nicole may be, she'll forever be at home near the shore - as her husband will tell you: "you can take the girl out the island but can never take the island out the girl."

About Nicole

Victor Curiel

Regional Manager

Victor Alvarado Curiel

Coming Soon

About Victor

Jenny Chow

Regional Manager

Jenny Chow

With Arc for four years, Jenny has worked her way to a leadership role after being a site coordinator in our San Diego PrimeTime group. She graduated from the University of California, Davis in Community and Regional Development and has been working in youth development for over 15 years.

Jenny has experience coaching sports, worked with students who are neuro-divergent and with running and managing after school programs in a nonprofit and community-based sectors. She says her life’s mission is to influence, inspire, and educate staff to work positively with students. In her own words, "I would like to provide a safe space for staff and students to be forward thinkers, positive community members and go beyond their own limitations."

She played college-level rugby at UC Davis and played for the San Diego Surfers Women’s Rugby Team for almost 10 years after college and won a National Championship during that time. She speaks Cantonese and loves finding new places to eat, dogs, and playing sports.

About Jenny

Jamelia Silver

Regional Manager

Jamelia Silver

Coming Soon

About Jamelia

Jour'Dan Peters

Regional Manager

Jour'Dan Peters

Jour'Dan Peters graduated from Marymount California University with an AA in Communications and BA in Liberal Arts focusing on American Studies and Global Studies. She has been working in the afterschool setting for about 10 years in various positions. The philosophy she uses to approach work is to be your authentic self and as transparent as possible. Your team will appreciate you and understand the why of any situation. She loves animals and has 1 dog, 2 cats, and 2 reptiles. She loves to travel and learn about new and different cultures and people.

About Jour'Dan

Beatriz Carter

Regional Manager

Beatriz "Betty" Carter

A relative newcomer to Arc, Betty has been with the company over a year, in which time she has already been promoted through the ranks. Located in the Central Valley, Betty’s background in education dates to when she served in the U.S. Navy as a Child Youth Program leader. She has also worked as a teen coordinator, preschool lead, and teen counselor, all in her 12 years in after-school programs for 12 years. She is part of the National Society of Leadership and Success, is a speaker for Latin culture and leadership opportunities for Mexican Americans in the US.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and is currently attending Capella University for her master’s in Marriage Life and Family Therapy.

Her personal philosophy? “You are here to make good things happen. Everywhere there are good people, and I value connection and community. One person can make a difference with one action at a time. If you believe in making a positive impact failure will only be a bump but not a definition in your life.”

She is fluent in Spanish and English and has experience with American Sign Language (and currently learning Portuguese!).

About Betty

Alicia Zepeda

Regional Manager

Alicia Zepeda

Coming Soon

About Alicia

Roger Rascon

Regional Manager

Roger Rascon

Coming Soon

About Roger

Elizabeth Yani

Enrichment Manager

Elizabeth Yani

Coming Soon

About Elizabeth

Alma Garibay

HR Manager

Alma Garibay

Coming Soon

About Alma

Carol Argel

Sr Accounting Manager

Carol Argel

Carol is the Senior Accounting Manager for arc. She was born and raised in the Philippines where she received her Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Colegio dela Purisima Concepcion before she moved to the United States in 2003. For 15 years, she supported nonprofits that provided housing and support for those less fortunate. She joined arc in 2017 as an Accountant and gradually moved up to a manager position. As Senior Accounting Manager, Carol manages and oversees the company's daily finance operations and implements accounting methods, policies, and procedures. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband and her wonderful four grown boys.

About Carol

Anna Zhao

Finance & Contracts Manager

Anna Zhao

Coming Soon

About Anna

Jacky Sandoval

Adventure Operations Manager

Jacky Sandoval

Coming Soon

About Jacky

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