Lucia Garay
San Diego Office Of Education
Executive Director, Early Education
San Diego, California, USA
Lucia Garay is the executive director, early education programs and services at the San Diego County Office of Education where she integrates her nearly 30 years of experience in the early education and care and the early childhood Special Education fields into all of her work. Her collective experiences as an aide, teacher, site administrator and district administrator have provided a strong base for her work in support of all 0-5 program types in the county. She has been a strong leader in the county’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, engaging in numerous community and statewide collaborations. Ms. Garay’s work focuses on quality improvement in early education and care settings; increased inclusive opportunities through facilitation of interagency agreements and their implementation; and collaboratively maximizing resources to support the work force serving 0-5-year-olds. She also provides assistance with alignment and transition to K-12; and supports local program administrators in maximizing program funding, and understanding required accountability requirements, and aligning policies to facilitate child-focused program implementation through California’s very complex diverse early education and care system. She is a firm believer in collaboration and continuous improvement.
