CAROLE ROBERTSON CENTER FOR LEARNING - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Family Engagement & Support
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Program Scaling & Dissemination
- Vice President of Scaling & Dissemination
Ashley is the Vice President of Program Scaling and Dissemination. In her role Ashley is primarily responsible for leading, supporting, and implementing assessment, evaluation, and professional learning across all Carole Robertson Center for Learning program models to achieve internally driven and sustained Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)-based professional development. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in Child Development from the University of Kansas, School of Applied Behavioral Sciences and a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration.
Prior to joining Carole Robertson Center, Ashley was the Vice President of Learning and Evaluation for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago where she was responsible for cultivating high quality, evidence-based programming through program assessment, staff development and professional learning, and curriculum design and implementation. Ashley has held various roles in early childhood classrooms, afterschool programs and social service programs. In the last decade, her work has focused on designing and implementing systems that drive quality programming and continuous improvement practices.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Community Based Programs
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
- Member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children
- President & CEO, Ex - Officio
Bela Moté, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, is an experienced nonprofit executive and early childhood professional who has spent her career supporting early childhood and youth development at the local, national, and international levels through programs, partnerships, and policy development. She is committed to providing high-quality, deeply impactful programs for children, youth, and families whose communities have seen systemic divestment and historic inequities. Before joining the Carole Robertson Center for Learning in 2018, Bela held leadership positions at the YMCA of the USA, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, the Ounce of Prevention Fund (now Start Early), Teaching Strategies Gold, and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Bela holds a Master of Education from Erikson Institute. She began her career in early childhood education as a Montessori preschool teacher and considers that experience to be her North Star.
Bela is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She was appointed in 2021 to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's commission on the opportunity gap for young children, co-authoring a groundbreaking 2023 report outlining recommendations for education policy, practice, and research to address inequities affecting children from birth to eight. Bela serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Illinois Early Learning Council and in 2023 she was appointed by the governor to chair the transition advisory committee for a new unified state agency dedicated to early childhood programs. Bela serves on many other councils and committees across Chicago and Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Program Marketing & Communications
Job Titles:
- Chairman / Exelon Corporation
Job Titles:
- Vice President of People and Culture
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Development
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Mental Health
Job Titles:
- Honarary Robertson Family Representative
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Development
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to President & CEO
- in 2018 As the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO
Juleigh joined the Carole Robertson Center for Learning in 2018 as the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO. She has worked in the not-for-profit world as an Executive Assistant for 18 years, most recently at YMCA of the USA and before that at Rainbow Hospice in Mount Prospect, IL.
Originally from Minneapolis, Juleigh holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre and Humanities from the University of Minnesota. Juleigh is currently pursuing PACE certification with the American Society of Administrative Professionals.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Community - Based Advocacy
Job Titles:
- Director of Out - of - School Time ( OST ) Programs
- Director, Out - of - School Time Programs
- Senior Director of Out - of - School - Time ( OST ) Programs
Kenny Riley is the Director of Out-of-School Time (OST) Programs. His areas of focus include coaching OST staff and developing programmatic and evaluation strategies that ensure Carole Robertson Center for Learning's school age programs are aligned with best practices in the field. With 15 years of experience in youth development and program management in non-profits, Kenny brings a unique perspective about the importance of research, data, youth engagement, and staff training.
Kenny previously worked as the Program Manager for MAPSCorps and as a Restorative Justice Specialist at the Umoja Student Development Corporation. Kenny holds a bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Grand Valley State University as well as a master's in Community Development from North Park University.
Job Titles:
- Kurt Mamon Insurance Co, State Farm
Job Titles:
- Director
- Site Director, North Lawndale
Job Titles:
- Alumni Parent Representative
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Monitoring & Support
Job Titles:
- Director, People & Culture
Job Titles:
- Fiscal Services Compliance Officer
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Operations and Physical Assets
Job Titles:
- Chief Programs & Impact Officer
- Impact Officer
As Chief Programs and Impact Officer, Sonja leads the programs team in developing systems and processes to elevate quality and deepen the impact of early childhood and out-of-school-time programming, community partnerships, family engagement, and mental health. Sonja believes that ensuring equitable early learning for our nation's most vulnerable children is a matter of social justice.
With nearly 16 years of service in early childhood education, Sonja has held a variety of roles working both with and for children and their families. Most recently, Sonja was the Executive Director, Early Learning and Child Development at One Hope United.
Sonja is a graduate of Capella University where she earned a PhD in Education. Sonja also holds a master's degree in early childhood administration from National Louis University and postgraduate certification in online instruction from Roosevelt University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman / Parent Policy Council
Job Titles:
- Director
- Site Director, Albany Park
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Programs & Impact Operations