It is with great joy that we announce that Tashon McKeithan, Ed.D., has been selected to serve as the Lead Director of Early Care and Education, effective December 12, 2022. Tashon will take the place of Devin Dillon (now Devin Serrano), who has served as Interim Executive Director for the last two years, in addition to her role as Superintendent of PreK–12 Operations. Devin will continue to serve as Superintendent and will support Tashon with her transition to ECE.
Tashon comes to UCLA from the Child Education Center, where she has served as Executive Director since 2020. During her tenure, she has shown herself to be a strong leader, especially in a time of crisis. She moved quickly and decisively to address the organization’s financial losses due to the public health crisis; as a result, she will leave the organization in its strongest financial position to date. Tashon has great acumen regarding fundraising and advancement. In her time at the Child Education Center, she has secured some of the largest single gifts in the organization’s history, and she was recently awarded a large grant to support renovations for the campus. She led the organization in developing a five-year strategic plan, which included goals of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as well as increasing investment in the organization’s people so they can continue to provide the highest level of programming for students. As importantly, her sense of humor and optimism for the future are contagious, and she always seems to have a smile on her face.
Tashon has served in many roles during her more than two decades in education, including elementary lead teacher, Head Start director, assistant principal and principal, primary school director, director of early childhood programs, and director of a private preschool. She holds a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology from Williams College.
Tashon was selected for the role of Lead Director for her experience, her passion for early care and education, and her desire to take the UCLA programs to the next level of excellence. She is a strong advocate for children, families, and teachers. We are confident that she will make a wonderful addition to the ECE team!
