MOSAIC CHILDREN'S MUSEUM - Key Persons
Bio
Brenda Liz Di Gregorio was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and moved to Woodland when she was about 10 months old. Growing up in Woodland when it was still a small town, Brenda learned the importance of being a good friend and neighbor with everyone in her community. As Woodland has grown over the years, the importance of being a part of the community and helping neighbors and friends has been a big part of the values she has gained from growing up in such a small close-knit town. Brenda attended Woodland schools and went on to receive her Associates Degree at Woodland Community College and graduated from California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelors in Child Development: Early Development, Care and Education and a Minor in Fine Arts. Over the past 30+ years, she has worked in Special Education with infants through preschool, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infant through Elementary age, Director in Parent Education for the local Woodland Parent Nursery School and is currently one of Help Me Grow Yolo's Community Outreach Specialists, a program of Northern California Children's Therapy Center and First 5 Yolo. She serves as a board member for MOSAIC Children's Museum, as well as on their Exhibits Committee, and also serves on the board for the Yolo County Childcare Planning Council. Brenda is very passionate about helping children and their families in the community in getting the support they need and helping in creating opportunities for them to grow together, like with MOSAIC Children's Museum. Brenda currently lives in Woodland with her husband Jason, their daughter Emma, and son Oliver, and her step daughter lives in Southern California.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the Board
Bio
Jennifer grew up in neighboring Colusa County where her family has farmed since the 1850's. She married Bill Cruickshank and moved to Yolo County 20 years ago where she and her husband built their home on land that her husband's family has farmed for 4 generations as well. Having spent over 20 years working as a human resource professional, she is currently Human Resource Manager at a manufacturing company in Woodland. She has a long and active history of community involvement; having served on the Workforce Innovation Board, Community Services Action Board, Economic Development Board (Colusa County), Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Yolo County) among others and has volunteered on projects that support foster youth who are aging out of the foster care system. Currently she is a board member of Mary's Cemetery and Chapel Support Group.
Always interested in supporting efforts that endeavor to nurture and cultivate youth, she also currently serves as board president of a non-profit which provides resources, training, and technology on ACA communication devices and software for nonverbal youth. She hopes to bring some of those tools and knowledge to the Mosaic museum experience that further ensures inclusion to all children regardless of ability.
A mother of 4, Jennifer prioritizes any free time she has by joyfully spending it with her 7 grandchildren.
Julie Lawley Mata grew up in rural Woodland. She attended UC Davis and received her B.S. in Landscape Architecture. Julie is the business manager at Mata Realty, She enjoys gardening, travel and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Marianne "Mair" Winger was born in Harbor City, California, but her family moved to Woodland when she was two and, with the exception of a year in Greece and Turkey, she has lived in Woodland and continues to live here with her wife, Jei. Mair raised her five children in this community and four of them, along with seven of her ten grandchildren, continue to live in Yolo County.
Learning about different cultures and traditions is her favorite pastime, leading Mair to begin college with the intent of becoming a cultural anthropologist but she switched majors and graduated as a speech and language pathologist. For 31 years, Mair has worked as a speech therapist and special education teacher for Yolo County Office of Education and Woodland Joint Unified School District, working with preschoolers from Woodland, Davis, Esparto, Madison, Guinda and West Sacramento. She has years of experience with children who have all types of special needs and has had an intense focus on autism.
Providing fun educational activities for children has been a lifelong endeavor for Mair and she is thrilled to be the chairperson of the Exhibits Committee and to serve on the board of MOSAIC!
Bio
As a child Sarah wanted to be a teacher, she can remember being 5 years old and telling anyone who would listen that she would become a teacher. Growing up in San Jose, she had the opportunity to be in a program in high school that would allow her to teach during a class period. Freshman and sophomore year was spent in elementary schools, however junior and senior year were spent teaching in special education classrooms. This is where she found her niche and passion. Going on to San Jose State University, she graduated with her bachelor's in child development, then she moved to Oakland to pursue her master's degree also in child development along with her special education teaching credential. Alex, her then boyfriend, made the move to Oakland as well and they were married following her graduation. The couple moved to Marysville for a few years, but after Sarah was commuting to Woodland to teach for Woodland Joint Unified, they decided to move again right in town. This year, they welcomed their first child, Ezekiel who has rocked their world in the best way. Sarah is excited for the opportunity to create a space for all children and she eagerly anticipates Ezekiel crawling around the tot space.
Bio
Scott was born in Paradise, California, and spent his early childhood in Redding, moving to Woodland at the age of 12. He attended local schools and graduated from Woodland High School in 1966. He went on to attend Sacramento City College and then Fresno City College until he was drafted in 1968. He is a Vietnam era vet having served 2 years in the army Military Police Corp. He returned to Woodland after being honorably discharged and returned to college. He married his high school sweetheart in 1971.
Scott went to work for Yolo Ice & Creamery and continued there until 1982. At this time, he became a teacher and coach at Liberty Christian Academy and the music director for New Testament Church in Woodland. Scott continued his education and received a P.H.D. in Clinical Psychology and was a licensed counselor. In 1999, he went through the Police Chaplain Academy and became a Law Enforcement Chaplain with the Woodland Police Department where he served for many years as Senior Chaplain. Upon retirement from his church he continued as a WPD Chaplain where he continues to serve today.
Scott has worked with children and young adults for over 30 years and has a heart for the youth of our communities in Yolo County.