Celia C. Ayala, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer

Celia C. Ayala, Ph.D., oversees the organization's long-term strategy and day-to-day operations, with the goal of increasing access to quality and affordable preschool for children across Los Angeles County. With more than 35 years of experience in the Education field, Dr. Ayala brings a vast and impressive background in child development, proven executive leadership and a passion for quality early education that is critical to LAUP's overall mission and success. Under Dr. Ayala's leadership, LAUP is successfully funding the enrollment of more than 10,000 children into high-quality preschool each year. Many of these children previously had no access to a preschool education, which studies show is so critical to a child's success in school and life. Throughout her career, Dr. Ayala has worked tirelessly as a teacher, administrator and advocate for the children of Southern California. Prior to joining LAUP as Chief Operating Officer in 2007, she served as the Assistant Superintendent, Division of Children & Family Services, at the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE). In that role, she managed all early childhood education programs and activities within the division, including the county's Head Start program. Dr. Ayala received her Ph.D. in education from the University of Southern California; her Master of Arts degree in education administration from California State University, Los Angeles; and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Sociology from the University of Southern California.

Clare Shephard has broad financial management experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors. Before joining LAUP, Ms. Shephard co-founded C.Y.G., a financial advisory firm, and managed a department focused on worldwide operations and financial controls at Paramount Pictures. A certified public accountant, she served on the Board of Directors and as CFO for a non-profit organization that provides educational and housing assistance to foster youth in Los Angeles County. Ms. Shephard was also a tax professional with E&W (now Ernst & Young LLP), analyzed and reported on federal tax legislation for Coopers & Lybrand LLP (now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP), and was a visiting lecturer at The University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Shephard holds an Accounting degree from the University of Florida and a Masters in Professional Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of Business.

Dawn A. Kurtz, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President of Programs

Dawn A. Kurtz, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President of Programs at LAUP. In that capacity, she oversees all aspects of LAUP's operational activities.

Dr. Kurtz, who is well respected across the state, oversees Business Development and Research and Evaluation. She also supervises the development and evaluation of the organizational structure required to support and monitor provider quality and compliance.

Dr. Kurtz is very committed to the preschool cause. As part of her responsibilities at First 5 LA where she worked prior to joining LAUP, she supervised and supported multi-year research projects including universal preschool, family literacy and school readiness.

She also played an integral role in the conceptualization, planning, development and oversight of various phases of funding initiatives designed to improve the well-being of children and their families in Los Angeles County. From 2008 - 2010, she oversaw First 5 LA's Early Childhood Education portfolio, which included the LAUP performance based contract.

Prior to joining First 5 LA, Dr. Kurtz was a Project Director for a study on the impact of neglect on adolescent development in the School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. She has presented and published work on the developmental consequences of child abuse and neglect.

Dr. Kurtz has also worked as adjunct faculty at California State University, Los Angeles, and Whittier College, where she taught courses in Psychology and Child Development.

Bill Sperling
General Counsel

As General Counsel of LAUP, Bill Sperling's responsibilities include providing legal counsel to the CEO and senior management, as well as the LAUP Board of Directors.

He also manages outside counsel and all litigation, drafts contracts and participates in negotiations and manages the organization's contract review and compliance processes.

He also oversees network compliance for LAUP preschool providers, manages the process of setting quality levels for all preschools in the LAUP network and manages the Human Resources Department.

Furthermore, Sperling oversees the staff that determines providers' compliance with the LAUP Operating Guidelines before authorization is given to the Finance Department to issue payment.

Prior to arriving at LAUP in 2006, Sperling worked as a business litigator for several different Los Angeles law firms. His practice experience includes corporate litigation as well as environmental regulation. Early in his career, Sperling worked for the Maryland State Attorney's Office as a prosecuting attorney.

Sperling earned his law degree from American University in Washington, D.C., and moved to Los Angeles in 1998. He's married and lives in Westchester with his wife Elizabeth.

Maria Luisa Veloz

Senior Vice President of External Affairs

Maria Luisa Veloz oversees the organization's external relations. With more than 25 years of experience with local, state and federal public agencies, as well as non-profit organizations, she is charged with leadership and oversight of government affairs, community outreach, fundraising and communications activities at LAUP.

Prior to working at LAUP, Veloz served as a presidential appointee to former President Bill Clinton in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs for the U.S. Department of State. As Legislative Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, she advised the Secretary of State and Assistant Secretaries on legislative strategy for her portfolio.  She was also responsible for facilitating communications between State Department officials and Members of Congress, and advised the Department on legislative and outreach strategies. During her years in Washington, D.C., Veloz was tapped to work in the Clinton White House in the Office of Presidential Personnel, where she made recommendations on prospective Schedule C appointments and assisted in the vetting and screening of others.

Veloz also worked for Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard as her Legislative Director during her first years in Congress, and as her Chief of Staff during Roybal-Allard's tenure in the California State Assembly. Veloz also served as Legislative Assistant to L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, during her tenure in the California State Assembly.

After returning to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C., Veloz applied her expertise in political affairs, public policy and fundraising to assist non-profit organizations and political campaigns. She founded the Veloz Consulting Group and as the President and CEO of this business venture, she served as a consultant to many organizations whose missions paralleled her interests in children, family and community. Veloz provided professional services in the areas of event planning, government relations and project management.

Veloz has served on numerous Boards and Commissions, including the First 5 LA Commission, Los Angeles County Childcare Policy Roundtable and the Board of Trustees for Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She currently serves on the Boards of the South Pasadena Community Fund, an affiliate of the Pasadena Community Foundation; the Board of Directors of the Child Development Policy Institute, and most recently was appointed to serve on the National Board of Directors for AVANCE. Veloz received her Masters Degree in Administration from the University of California, Riverside, and two Bachelor of Arts Degrees from the University of California, Irvine, one in Art History and another in Spanish.