April 2010
Tracey Black, City of Oakland Program Planner
"It is my pleasure to write this recommendation on behalf of Kerry Forbord. Kerry’s expertise in the area of child development and child centered programs for ages 0-5 is exceptional. Her ability to recognize and respect different skills, knowledge and personal attributes in building a culturally competent team create an environment where more ideas can be generated. By recognizing and tapping into a huge range of skills available she is able to utilize & deliver extraordinary programs and results."
April 2010
Martha Martinez, MPA, former Executive Director Intertribal Friendship House
"Kerry Forbord brings integrity, tenacity and creativity to every project and program. Her collaborative nature is rare and makes partnering a snap. I have worked with her on numerous projects over the past decade in the Fruitvale and San Antonio neighborhoods (inner city Oakland) and have found the kind of success that comes when families' learning experiences are the top priority. Most recently, she and her staff facilitated a visioning process where families determined what they wanted our school-based child care center to look like and feel like. Taking that vision, she created a space that is developmentally stimulating, culturally celebratory and, just plain old fun! From huge Cinco de Mayo celebrations to providing professional development for our early child care workers, Kerry is a partner worth knowing!"
April 2010
Jamie Lopez, East Bay Asian Youth Center, Managing Director/ EBAYC at Garfield
"This letter is written on behalf of Kerry Forbord, Community Partner with the City of Oakland's Early Head Start and Head Start Program. Ms. Forbord has expertise in many areas of Early Childhood Education. She understands Head Start and Head Start regulations and how to help programs prepare for Federal Reviews, especially in the area of special needs. Miss Forbord has worked with our Head Start program for many years, and her work resulted in high praise from the Federal Review team. As a Community Partner with Head Start, Ms. Forbord also brings to our program her expertise in parent education and early literacy. She has established a great rapport with many community based organizations and her enthusiasm is exemplified in all her work through Early Care and Education."
April 2010
Usana Hopkins, Director, Oakland Head Start
"Kerry Forbord has vast and rich experience in the realm of early childhood education, family support services, and community partnerships and organizing. I have had the pleasure of working with Kerry in both the non-profit realm, and in the Head Start /Early Head Start arena. Kerry brings with her a wealth of experience which includes but is not limited to:
- Multi-Cultural program planning and implementation
- Development and implementation of developmental play groups/socializations experiences for infants, toddlers, pre-school age children and their families
- Literacy based activities that are multi-cultural to the specific needs of the communities with whom she is working with
- Consultation to ECE providers and family support specialists
- Strong understanding of Head Start and Early Head Start Performance Standards and Federal Regulations
- Consultation skills to Head Start/Early Head Start Services preparing for federal reviews
- Grant writing and reporting experience
- Strong knowledge of culturally relevant early childhood education and development, program development, implementation, and monitoring to ensure ongoing best practices and quality of care."
Rebecca Hawley-Cooper, Director Early Head Start City of Oakland
“Kerry brings passion and ingenuity to her work with young children and managing an organization. She is a creative thinker, always wondering how to improve on the ways things are done. She manages programs with integrity and is a strong advocate for young people. Kerry's face lights up with joy when she sees on the faces of children that her efforts have succeeded.”
March 8, 2009
Jennie Mollica , Senior Project Manager , Annie E. Casey Foundation - Making Connections Oakland Initiative was with another company when working with Kerry at Oakland Ready to Learn
“Kerry's passion for what she does infuses into my interactions with her. I love working with Kerry and learning from her at the same time. The experience and background knowledge she has for education and the needs of Oakland is astounding. Her passion and spirit for collaboration creates a nurturing and supportive atmosphere around her. I'm so happy to be working with Kerry!”
July 2, 2008
Isa S Chu , Children and Youth Program Analyst , City of Oakland was with another company when working with Kerry at Oakland Ready to Learn
"She brings an energy, dedication and enthusiasm to the table that are infectious. Wherever she lands, Ms. Forbord will hit the ground running. If you can get her to run for you, do so. You won't be disappointed. ”
July 7, 2008
Ronn Kilby , Owner , The Studio at Kilby Pond worked directly with Kerry at Oakland Ready to Learn
“It is a great privilege for Bring Me A Book to be a children’s literacy partner and program collaborator with Oakland Ready To Learn. We have worked together the past two years as partners in successfully completing an Oakland early childhood literacy project funded by a $300,000 grant from the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth."
November 2009, Donovan Cook
