CATHI GRAMS, COMMISSIONER - CHAIR
Director, Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services, Public Guardian/Public Administrator
202 Mira Loma Dr., Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 538-7891, Fax (530) 534-5745, email cgrams@buttecounty.net

I have spent the past 27 years of my career in the field of social services serving the children and families of Butte County. I have worked extensively with public and private agencies and community partners to develop programs and enhance service delivery and access for citizens. I have been a member of the Children’s Services Coordinating Council since 1998, serving as Chair from 2000 to 2003.

I am committed to furthering the goals of strengthening families, child safety and well being through establishing relationships and building partnerships. I believe that collaboration provides the best opportunity for making lasting differences in the lives and futures of our children and families.

I earned a Bachelors Degree from Chico State University in Social Welfare in 1979, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration in 1999.  

MARK A. LUNDBERG M.D., COMMISSIONER
Health Officer, Butte County Department of Public Health
202 Mira Loma Drive, Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 538-2163, Fax (530) 538-2165,
email mlundberg@buttecounty.net

A native of Butte County, I am a board-certified physician (American Board of Family Practice). I practiced medicine at Oroville Family Health Center for six years before being appointed to the position of Health Officer for the County of Butte six years ago.

Currently, I serve on the Board of Directors for the Butte/Glenn Medical Society and Chair the Public Health Committee. I also serve on the Butte County Disaster Committee and am responsible for keeping the county prepared for any health disaster that should occur.

Serving as Health Officer, I already work with numerous programs which aid children, such as CHDP (Child Heath and Disability Prevention Program), WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), MCAH (Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health), and others, which add a unique perspective to the Butte County Children & Families Commission.

Being the father of three children, I have a personal interest in furthering the well being of all children.

SANDRA MACHIDA Ph.D., COMMISSIONER
Professor of Psychology, CSU, Chico
CSUC Chico, CA 95929, (530) 898-4912, Fax (530) 898-4740, Email smachida@csuchico.edu

As a constituent of Butte Creek Canyon for the past twenty years, I continually volunteer in many child-related organizations. I am a Professor of Psychology and was the Program Coordinator for the Child Development Program (6 years) with a total history of 24 years working at the University.

Some relevant highlights of my career include working with Head Start for almost 30 years in some capacity, and serving as a board member for Parent Education Network and Children’s World (state-funded preschool). I also conducted projects with Butte County Office of Education and Chico Unified School District, and provided strategic planning for state-level projects.

Professionally, I am a member of four national organizations where I held national offices for the Early Education/Child Development Special Interest Group (a division of the American Educational Research Association) and the Families as Educators Special Interest Group (another division of the American ducational Research Association). I have maintained professional currency by presenting at national conferences throughout my 24 years. I’m on the Editorial Board for Early Childhood Research Quarterly, a national publication for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (estimated national membership of over 110,000 individuals). My primary focus is on the efficacy of early education and intervention, risk and resilience in early childhood, and impact of family processes on school achievement. I would like to lend my expertise in the applied, research, and policy areas of early childhood development and intervention.

KAREN MARLATT, COMMISSIONER
Executive Director, Valley Oak Children's Services
287 Rio Lindo Ave, Chico, CA 95926, (530) 895-3572, Fax (530) 892-0388, Email kmarlatt@valleyoakchildren.org

I am a life-long North Valley resident. I grew up in Corning and have lived in Chico for over 20 years. I earned a Bachelors Degree at CSU-Chico in Social Work in 1983 and a Masters in Education/Counseling from the University of San Francisco in 1987. I have strong family and social ties to this community and with my husband Dave, am raising three children ages 9 to 21 in Butte County. My adult life has been committed to improving the lives of children and families through a wide variety of professional and volunteer experiences.

A community can have the greatest positive impact with children and families in the first 5 years of a child's life. I have found the greatest satisfaction in working for programs who provided prevention and intervention services in these early times in a child's life. It has been my privilege to work with programs like Head Start, PEN , Del Norte Clinic, Far Northern Regional Center and Valley Oak Children's Services in providing direct services to children and families. I have served as a Board Member to the Rowell Family Empowerment Center, Masonic Youth Organizations, and work as a mentor for Chico High's Academy of Communication and Technology. My personal and professional experiences ensure that I continue to be a lifelong learner. My experiences have given me a vested interest in advocacy issues, strengthening local collaborative efforts to improve services to families and working with policy makers to ensure systems support families.

It is my honor to serve on the Butte First 5 Commission. It is a wonderful opportunity to work with a group of motivated individuals to improve the lives of children and families in our community.
 
LINDA MOORE, COMMISSIONER - VICE CHAIR
Director, Calvary Lutheran Children’s Center
# 10 Concordia Lane, Oroville, CA 95966, (530) 534-7082, Fax (530) 533-5203, Email clcc1@sbcglobal.net

I have lived in Butte County since 1980. I am married, with two grown sons. Children have been a very important part of my life. I started working with children as a teenager and since then I have worked in various churches with every age group, preschoolers to teens. As my children were growing I worked as an aide at the school they attended and continued my education, obtaining a B.A. in Child Development at Chico State University. I have started two family day cares, substituted in Centers and worked at the Associated Student’s Children’s Center at Chico State. I have been the director at Calvary Lutheran Children’s Center for seven years. I belong to the Golden Rivers Association for the Education of Young Children and am a member of Palermo Baptist Church. I keep current in the child development field by attending conferences and reading journals.

The one area of the child development field that vitally concerns me is parent education. I offer parent education on a continuing basis at Calvary Children’s Center through newsletters, parent conferencing, and parent meetings. I feel serving on the Butte County Children & Families Commission gives me another leadership opportunity in the area of parent education.

PHYLLIS L. MURDOCK, COMMISSIONER
Director, Butte County Public Health Department
202 Mira Loma Drive, Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 538-7750, Fax (530) 538-2164, Email pmurdock@buttecounty.net

I have been a manager in the field of Health and Human Services for more than twenty years. I am a Chico State graduate and was a founding member of the Children and Families First Commission in Nevada County prior to coming to Butte County in July of 2003. I am dedicated to improving health and opportunities for young children and families in Butte County.

I am an experienced public health professional and am dedicated to the mission of disease prevention and to the mission of improving health outcomes and developing healthy communities. I am a strong believer in collaborative relationships among government and the community. I am also active at the state level in the County Medical Services Program (CMSP) and the County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC).

I welcome the opportunity to be a part of such a dynamic group of fellow commissioners and look forward to doing this rewarding work.

YVONNE NENADAL, ALTERNATE COMMISSIONER
Administrator of Community Programs, Youth for Change
PO Box 1476, Paradise, CA 95967, (530) 872-3896, Fax (530) 877-1978
E-mail ynenadal@youth4change.org

It is a delight and an honor to serve on the Commission as an Alternate Commissioner. My current position is Administrator of Community Programs with Youth for Change, a non-profit agency that provides multiple youth and family services throughout Butte County. As such, I have responsibility for the oversight of the Paradise Ridge Family Resource Center (PRFRC), a multi-agency collaborative of public agencies, private organizations, community programs, and volunteer services available to all Paradise Ridge residents. My other responsibilities include administration of a home visitation and case management program, elementary school-based counseling services, an outpatient counseling center, child abuse treatment services, Targeted Case Management (a MediCal billing stream for case management services), and proposal writing. In addition, I am a project specialist for Strategies (funded through the Office of Child Abuse Prevention), a training and technical assistance program that works with family resource centers throughout the state of California to strengthen and enhance their programs and ongoing sustainability.

I have a BA in Recreation Therapy from CSU, Long Beach and an MA in Public Administration from CSU, Chico. I am currently involved in a one-year fellowship through the Women’s Foundation, where 24 women throughout the state of California are being trained to become effective policy makers and political advocates for women’s and children’s issues.

Most important, however, is my role as “mom” to Brooke, Lindsey, and Caitlin, my three delightful and gorgeous daughters! As a single parent for over 18 years, I understand the struggle first-hand for quality, affordable infant and childcare, decent living wages, and adequate health insurance. My work on the Commission is one more way I am actively working to ensure every family has access to these basic rights.

DAVE SCOTT, COMMISSIONER
Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Chico Unified School District
1163 East 7th Street, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 891-3000, ext. 138, Fax (530) 891-3220,
email dscott@chicousd.org

My wife, Sally, and I moved to Chico in 1980 from San Diego where I completed a Bachelor’s degree (1977) and a Master’s degree (1978) at San Diego State University. Butte County, and Chico in particular, has been a wonderful place in which to raise our three children (currently age 17, 21 and 25). Additionally, I have had the privilege of working at public schools in Glenn and Butte Counties for 26 years as a school psychologist, coordinator of health education programs, principal of an alternative high school, principal of a school for children with disabilities and as a district-level administrator of student support services.

I believe that my experiences as a parent as well as my experiences as a professional educator provide me with a knowledgeable and practical perspective with respect to the needs of young children and their families in our county. I hope that my service on the Commission will help to improve quality of services to preschool-age children and parents residing in Butte County. Currently, I work as the Director of Pupil Personnel Services for the Chico Unified School District, serve as a member of School Psychology Advisory Committee, CSU, Chico, Special Education Advisory Committee, CSU, Chico and have previously served as a member of the Butte County Chapter of the American Cancer Society, and as President and Treasurer of District XII, California Continuation Education Association.

I welcome your ideas, feedback and input regarding the programs, activities and policies of the Commission at dscott@chicousd.org.

MARLENA SPARKS, COMMISSIONER
Council Member, Gridley City Council
685 Kentucky Street, Gridley, CA 95948, (530) 846-5695,Fax (530) 846-3229, Email msparks@gridley.ca.us

Butte County has been my home for six years. I was born in central Iowa where I grew to maturity and met my husband John Sparks. During the years in Iowa I was surrounded by a large extended family which impressed me with how critical the years from birth to Kindergarten are for a child. Interest in small children’s education and ethical training captured my focus for some years. Examples of my employment during that period of time: Miami Dade Christian School, Miami, Florida- Kindergarten Teacher; Augusta Christian Day School, Augusta, Georgia- Kindergarten Teacher; and South Bay Baptist School, Gardena, California- Reading Program Director.

I have also had the privilege of working for Pacific Telephone, Royal McBee Corporation, the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Texas and Jenny Craig Weight Management, Inc. in Southern California and Virginia.

After arrival in Butte County, a Planning Commission vacancy was reported in the Gridley Herald. I applied to fill that position, was interviewed and appointed. The following year I was again appointed to fill a City Council vacancy.

My husband and I have two children and a grandson. Rachelle is employed by California State Parks and is based at Perris Lake, Riverside County, California. John attends U.C. Davis and majors in electronic music and composition. Sean, our grandson, lives in Eugene, Oregon and will begin flying lessons this spring with a goal to become a corporate pilot.

I look forward to serving on the First 5 Butte County Children and Families Commission. I am enthusiastic about improving a small child’s resources for health, safety and education which will enhance every year that follows during that child’s lifetime.

JILL BLAKE, Director
Butte County Children and Families Commission
82 Table Mountain Blvd, Suite 40, Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 538-6464, Fax (530) 538-5279
Email: jblake@buttecounty.net

ANNA DOVE, STAFF - Administrative Analyst
Butte County Children and Families Commission
82 Table Mountain Blvd, Suite 40, Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 538-5281, Fax (530) 538-5279,
email adove@buttecounty.net

Berkeley, California is my hometown. I am grateful to have grown up in a community so rich in diversity. The experience made a life long impression on how I view the world – from a variety of perspectives.

In 1978, I moved to Butte County to attend Chico State. I supported myself working in residential homes for children with developmental disabilities and at summer camps for inner city youth. I returned to Berkeley for my internship where I worked on the psychiatric unit of an acute care general hospital.

After graduation, I was employed by Chico Unified School District in an elementary classroom for children with learning disabilities. At a fork in the road, I choose what proved to be a most difficult, yet rewarding, position. Work Training Center (a rehabilitation program for adults with developmental disabilities) hired me as the first instructor of a pilot program. I worked with clients whose severe behavior management issues prevented attendance in a day program. My job was to assist clients in modifying those behaviors, making integration into the Creative Learning Center a possibility. Our successes were life changing and instrumental in my promotion to coordinator for the center. When I was hired, we served 40 clients. When I left, we served 70 clients.

As a volunteer, I have worn the hat of Big Sister to Little Sisters, served on the Board of Directors for Far Northern Regional Center and most fun of all, was a puppeteer for Kids on the Block (a disability awareness program for elementary children).

I come to the Commission from Public Health where I supervised the Tobacco Education Program. This program receives an annual allocation of Prop 99 (tobacco tax) funds and has a Master Settlement Agreement Code Enforcement (tobacco laws) grant. It was my responsibility to oversee a Prop 10 Mini-Grant (providing tobacco education and cessation referrals at the WIC sites in Chico and Oroville). I was accountable for the contracts; insuring objectives/activities were successfully completed, writing progress reports and working closely with the state approved evaluator. The Butte County Tobacco Coalition serves as an Advisory Board to the program and I was the Public Health liaison. To accomplish my work, I collaborated with people and agencies throughout the State. I found the work to be exceptionally rewarding.

Thank you for the exciting opportunity to utilize my background and skills working for the Butte County Children and Families Commission! I will give my utmost to this important work.

EVA PUCIATA, STAFF – Administrative Analyst
Butte County Children & Families Commission
82 Table Mountain Blvd., Suite 40, Oroville, CA 95965, (530) 538-5280, Fax (530) 538-5279,
email epuciata@buttecounty.net

I am so happy to serve with the Children & Families Commission. To me the slogan "It's All About the Kids" correlates to the Native American Seventh Generation philosophy: The Council's and Chief's every decision is made considering its impact on seven generations from now.

In my view, all of us are Chief in our own life. Every thought, word, and action has far-reaching effects; and as a wise person said: "The good of one, is the good of all." On the surface these statements do not appear to be true, but on close examination and in the long run they are accurate. For example, if I leave my car at home and walk to work, I do my body good, and do others good by polluting less and by being a motivating example. When I chose to buy from companies that produce with sustainable methods, and chose items with little and recyclable packaging, I promote morality in myself and a healthy future for our children.

One of the oldest of 11 children of emigrant parents from Yugoslavia, I had to mother early, and saw firsthand the need for population control, and the dire importance of good childcare. I began working to support myself at age 14, and have been doing administrative work ever since. I strive to be a lifelong learner and to constantly increase my understanding.

Updated 02/20/08

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