Our Leadership Team

Arnel serves on the Board of Catalyst Family Inc.  and volunteers with the Tracy Unified School District as a Science Olympiad coach and a reading program tutor. With over 30 years of financial services operations management experience, Arnel brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Board of Directors. Arnel has lived in Tracy since 1999 and has served on the Board of ARC San Joaquin, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities, since 1954.

Georgina moved to California in 2015 and has a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics as well as a master's degree in public administration. She has worked in higher education for over 10 years and is currently in educational administration, focusing on government grants and finances. She utilizes her expertise in education to facilitate the Promise Program, which provides first-time college students free tuition and wrap-around services.

Michelle’s son attended Catalyst Kids, from kindergarten through 6th grade. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Sacramento State and works as a Health Physicist for the Department of Public Health. In this role, Michelle represents her branch at the annual State Scientist Day, showcasing the critical work performed by state scientists to protect public health and the environment. Additionally, Michelle is a freelance photographer, a dedicated volunteer and foster for local animal shelters, and serves as the Booster President for the Pleasant Grove High School music program.

Cherise lives in Riverside and has worked as an Executive Assistant at Loma Linda University Medical Center for 10 years. She came to Catalyst Family Inc. after seeking care for her son who had special needs and refers to the support she received as the “best-kept secret.”

LaTisha attended Virginia State University and resides in Sunnyvale, CA. Belonging to the American Payroll Association, she has an extensive background in Payroll, and currently works as a Payroll Manager and Stock Administrator at XenoPort,

Ana has previous experience as a parent in our program and has been on the board since 2010. She has a degree in Administrative Computing from the University of Guadalajara and currently resides in the Bay Area, working in the Healthcare field.

Jeff Cherniss has served as a CEO, COO and CFO for significant profit, nonprofit and ministry organizations in the Bay Area for 30+ years. He appreciates the opportunity to help great organizations on board, including Catalyst Family Inc. Jeff and Jean have 3 married children and 3 grandkids who have benefited from learning opportunities similar to those offered by Catalyst Family Inc. He received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Tom holds degrees in Communicative Disorders and Child Development and a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education. With over 40 years of experience in child development, he has served as a special education teacher, preschool educator, and program coordinator. As the faculty lab school director at Fullerton College, Tom founded the Center for Early Childhood Collaboration and has provided consultation services internationally. A published researcher, Tom remains active in several early childhood organizations. Tom resides in Orange, CA, and is the father of two.

Curtis is a finance executive with a unique combination of public and private SaaS/AI company CFO and investment banking strategic advisory experience. He has a proven track record for driving revenue growth, profitability expansion, operational efficiencies and building high performing teams. And he advised leading technology companies in multiple financing and M&A transactions. Curtis received a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

Susan serves as the President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Catalyst Family Inc. Susan provides executive leadership for the organization, which serves children and families throughout California.

At an early age Susan knew she wanted a profession that centered around early childhood education and advocacy for the most vulnerable in California. Susan’s volunteerism and advocacy are both values that have been present throughout her personal and professional life. Susan served as a Board member at the state and local level and served for nine years as an Accreditation Commissioner of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Susan embraces her role as a lifelong learner, taking numerous Enneagram courses and recently completing an Enneagram & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion course. One of her many passions is to advocate for the equitable rights of all children and families, with special focus on foster youth. Susan’s other passions are the outdoors, traveling, and as an avid sports fan, she is a regular at San Francisco Giants and 49er games.

One of Susan’s mottos is “change is good it’s the transition that is hard”. Her commitment to achieve and maintain quality programs, while being responsive to the changing needs of families, is well established in her current role as President of Catalyst Family Inc.

Eva is an accomplished executive with a deep commitment to enhancing the lives of others, she has spent her career as a successful revenue generator of new and sustainable business development, partnerships, and fundraising initiatives for multi-million-dollar nonprofit associations and national education organizations.

Ehab has held several executive positions in non-profit organizations, overseeing annual budgets exceeding $100 million. He currently serves as Vice President of Accounting and Finance at Catalyst Family Inc. and is an adjunct professor of Accounting at the University of California, Berkeley.
His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting. He holds the professional designations of Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Financial Manager (CFM). Ehab is an active member of several prestigious professional bodies, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

Ehab has contributed to the academic field with two international publications in top-tier journals:
1. “Assessing Probabilities of Financial Distress of Banks in UAE,” published in the International Journal of Managerial Finance, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2011.
2. “Analysis of Financial Crisis in UAE Financial Markets,” published in the International Research Journal of Finance & Economics (IRJFE), Issue 83, 2012.

Kristina (Kris) Gomez brings over 15 years of senior leadership experience in the non-profit sector. She currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources at Catalyst Family Inc., where she leads key HR functions including Employee Relations, Compliance, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, and HRIS. Kris is deeply committed to leadership development, people operations, and building a strong, inclusive workplace culture. She is especially passionate about supporting Catalyst’s mission to provide high-quality, accessible child and youth development programs—believing that empowered staff are key to making a lasting impact in the communities Catalyst serves. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Jose State University and maintains two professional certifications: Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP).

Alison Michel-Hall has been working in the early childhood education field for over 35 years with 26 of those years being at Catalyst. She demonstrates a strong commitment to developmentally appropriate practices and has worked in multiple positions over the years. She has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Child Development and a Master’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Studies. She currently holds a Life Children’s Center Supervisory Permit and is a graduate of Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC).

Alissa Olivieri is the Deputy Director of Center Operations at Catalyst Family Inc., where she leads statewide operational strategy and support for center-based programs. Her work spans staffing, compliance, leadership development, and quality programming—ensuring that systems are aligned, teams are supported, and programs meet the highest standards.

With over 18 years of leadership experience across nonprofit, education, and private-sector organizations, Alissa brings a grounded, systems-focused approach to her work. She believes that people want to do good things, and she leads with trust, clarity, and high expectations to help teams deliver meaningful, lasting impact.

Alissa holds a BA in Sociology with a legal focus and minors in Spanish and Writing. Outside of work, she’s passionate about sports and animals, and finds joy in both the competitive and the compassionate.