Board of Directors

The ACC Board of Directors is dedicated to the mission, sustainability and success of the Agency. The Board is comprised of community volunteers with a wide range of skills and talents that reflect the diversity of our community.

Alison Brett – President

Alison Brett is a former staff member (1993-1997) and has previously served on the Board of Directors (1997-2003.) She transitioned from staff to board member after her daughter was born in 1997. She holds a BA in Child Development and has studied studio arts in various settings over the years. Alison has a deep appreciation for the mission at ACC and is happy to be an official part of the organization once again.

Open – Vice President

Matt Lawler – Secretary

Matt joined the board in 2018. He brings with him extensive experience in leadership positions, serving on both corporate and non-profit boards in the past. Matt, a Pasadena native, joined the board in support of ACC’s mission to serve families through quality childcare and development. He has a passion for justice and serving the community, evidenced both through his work to provide LA residents with affordable housing and quality live entertainment. Matt has two children, one of whom is an alum of ACC. Matt holds an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business and a BA in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

George Van Alstine – Treasurer

The Reverend George Van Alstine is a founding board member of ACC and has served on the Board of Directors since the agency’s inception in 1982. He currently serves as the agency’s Treasurer. George has just completed his fiftieth year of ministry at Altadena Baptist Church. During that time, he has been involved in the spiritual journeys of some of the church’s families through three generations. He has also been active in the Pasadena/Altadena community, particularly in the areas of race relations and support of public education. He served eight years on the Pasadena School Board and is the author of The Christian and the Public Schools (Abington, 1982). His own education includes earning a BA degree in Biological Sciences from Rutgers University (1958), as well as two graduate degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity in preparation for Christian ministry (1961) and Master of Theology in New Testament studies (1962).

Kathy Cady

Kathy is a parent of a child, now in high school, who attended ACC and previously served on the Board. Kathy is a retired Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney and currently working as a pro bono victims’ rights attorney. Kathy specialized in prosecuting child abuse crimes and is a founding Board Member of a local Children’s Advocacy Center. Kathy is also on the Deacon Board for Altadena Baptist Church. Kathy is married and has three children and one granddaughter.

Lester Garcia

Molly Geller

Molly Geller joined the Board in 2018. Molly works as an elementary school teacher at The Waverly School. She earned a BA from the University of San Francisco and her MA Ed and multiple subject teaching credential from Antioch University Los Angeles. Molly enjoys working with the Board to continue to make ACC a nurturing and exceptional organization. She has two children; both alumni of ACC. They thrived at ACC and Molly is thrilled to give back to such an important part of her community.

Christine Mayola

Christine joined the ACC Board in 2021. A “double Bruin,” Christine earned her Bachelors in Business Economics (BA) and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) with a specialization in Community Health Sciences, from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has worked in the non-profit sector throughout Los Angeles for almost 10 years, in organizations focused on health care and education, homelessness, and developmental disability support and advocacy. Currently, Christine works in finance for a biotech company. She is eager to serve on the board for an organization dedicated to childhood education and supporting families and their children through their early formative years.

Nathan Okelberry

Nathan is a lifetime Angeleno and Altadena/Pasadena resident since 2009. He is the father of two children, one of whom is an alum of ACC. He joined the Board in 2021 out of a desire to help grow the reach of ACC’s mission to strengthen families and community through quality early childhood development. Nathan is a practicing attorney in the area of labor and employment law, and a Partner at the law firm Fisher Phillips LLP. His educational background includes a Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine School of Law and Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Cruz

Kim Totten

Kim is a former ACC teacher and Administrative Assistant (1991-2003) currently working as volunteer liaison at a local art education non-profit. Her experience at ACC informed not only her parenting style but also her appreciation for community building and the impact those connections have on all levels of society. She lives in Monrovia with her husband, son, daughter, and two silly dogs. She is an avid gardener, photographer, advocate, and nature lover whose maniacal curiosity has served her well in the classroom and beyond. Kim gratefully joined the board in 2021.