Avance-Dallas Staff
Over 50 staff members make our Avance-Dallas programs possible. Meet the Avance-Dallas staff:
Anne Thomas, Executive Director
214-887-9907, ext. 100
Anne Thomas returned to Avance-Dallas to serve as Executive
Director on April 16, 2012. She had previously served as our Operations Manager
from 2007–2010, when she oversaw all agency operations and streamlined our
processes to improve efficiency and reward staff achievements. Ms. Thomas comes
well qualified from her extensive experience in several leadership roles to
lead Avance-Dallas. Most recently
she served as Business Operations Director of Big Thought, a nonprofit
organization that provides
creative learning programs to help kids excel in school. Her
leadership experience prior
to her earlier tenure at Avance-Dallas
includes three years as Chief Operating Officer and two
years as Interim CEO experience at the Coalition for the Homeless of
Houston/Harris County, Inc., and two years of experience as Vice President for
Internal Operations at the ChildCareGroup, Inc., a $52-million-budget nonprofit
agency. Ms. Thomas also holds a combined studies BA/MBA in business
administration from Walden University. Her enthusiasm
for the Avance-Dallas mission and
past experience both at Avance-Dallas
and other nonprofit groups makes her a powerful and effective champion for
low-income children in our city.
Daisy Cano, Program Director 214-887-9907, ext. 104
Daisy Cano serves as
our Program Director, managing the day-to-day program by overseeing the Program
Coordinators and eight program teams. She is responsible for ensuring the
program maintains its high quality and makes a lasting impact on children and
parents. Ms. Cano attained a Master of Social Work degree from the University
of Texas at Arlington in 2008 and joined Avance-Dallas
as our HOPE Program Coordinator in January 2009. She was promoted to Operations
Coordinator in August 2010 and has proven herself to be a very capable, talented
organizer and leader. Ms. Cano is experienced as an Early Intervention
Specialist, Case Worker, and Program Coordinator, equipping her well for her
leadership role in overseeing operations at an agency dedicated to advancing
young children and families.
Five Program Coordinators oversee our onsite
program delivery:
Claudia Arango, Southwest
Area Program Coordinator
214-637-5437
Claudia Arango oversees two
teams that deliver our Parent-Child Program in Oak Cliff and West Dallas at ten
sites. She also heads up several additional key initiatives at Avance-Dallas, including our Alumni
Association, Volunteer Impact Project, Parent-Child Book Clubs, and child
evaluation component. Ms. Arango has been at Avance-Dallas since 2005 and started
serving as a Program Coordinator in August 2008. Her strong management
experience and knowledge of the program makes her especially adept in this
leadership position.
Luzma Duque, Southeast Area Program Coordinator
972-414-2689
Luzma Duque serves as our
Southeast Quadrant Program Coordinator, overseeing five sites in Pleasant Grove
and teaching in the classroom as a Parent Educator. Ms. Duque previously
spearheaded our intensive three-year Born Learning Program and is now helping
us implement some aspects of the Born Learning model into our full Parent-Child
Education Program. Prior to coming to Avance-Dallas,
Ms. Duque served as a professor teaching early childhood development in
Colombia, and she has also published books in the field.
Diana Muñiz, Baby University Program Coordinator 214-228-8708
Diana Muñiz is responsible for
the planning and implementation of the Avance-Dallas
Baby University Program at four sites in Bachman Lake. Baby University is an
intensive two-year program which delivers our core early childhood development
and parent education curriculum while incorporating additional initiatives
including our family nights and leadership projects that turn parents into
“Promotoras,” or promoters of our key Avance
educational message. Ms. Muñiz has been with Avance-Dallas
since 2000, has experience managing a federally funded Even Start Program, and
is well equipped to head up our Baby University effort, which launched in
August 2009.
Dorcas
Nuñez, Northeast Area Program Coordinator
214-887-9907, ext. 117
Dorcas Nuñez joined our team
in August 2011 to serve as our Northeast Quadrant Program Coordinator during a
year when we are expanding our services from 25 to 33 sites. She oversees two
teams delivering our Parent-Child Education Program at seven sites in East
Dallas and, for the first time in 2011, the Garland Independent School
District. Ms. Nuñez comes to Avance-Dallas
with a master’s degree in general psychology from New York University, and has
served as a research project study coordinator for the New York University
Medical Center. With training in psychology and background in helping people
find employment, Ms. Nuñez is well-equipped for helping the parents in our
program advance.
Marisol
Paniagua, Northwest Area Program Coordinator
214-887-9907, ext. 101
Marisol Paniagua oversees two
teams delivering our Parent-Child Education Program at seven sites in North
Dallas and, for the first time in 2011, the Irving Independent School District.
Ms. Paniagua has served as a Parent Educator at Avance-Dallas
for six years, and in 2011 she has taken charge as a Program Coordinator, while
still remaining in the classroom to teach parents. She has uniquely served Avance-Dallas by being the primary force
behind developing our leadership component; in fact, she launched our annual
reading campaign in public schools three years ago. Ms. Paniagua has a
bachelor’s in social work, and prior to Avance-Dallas,
she served as a legal advisor for the Honorable State Congress and a case
worker for the State Police Department in Aguascalientes, Mexico, often for
cases dealing with children. She comes to Avance-Dallas
as a strong advocate for children.
Eight teams of program staff members directly
impact the children and parents in our program, including Parent Educators,
Home Visitors/Toy-Making Instructors, Literacy Educators, Lead Early Childhood
Teachers, Early Childhood Development Teachers, and a Case Worker.