"As a collaborator of this great CDI Team, failure can only be achieved if we do not give the opportunity to the rest of our team members to assist us."
— Aniceto Colunga
Meet the Principals
CDI’s leadership is experienced in working with large and small public and private organizations. All principal staff are certified in Appreciative Inquiry – a leading, strengths-based, development training model.
Carolyn
Miller is CDI’s Executive Director. As one of CDI’s
three founders, she has designed and led all of CDI’s corporate
activities for 30 years.
Her background includes extensive organizational development work with government departments and private corporations. With an M.A. in Organization Development Carolyn is a national leader in the fields of redesigning organizations and building and sustaining high-performance teams. An associate with the Corporation for Positive Change, Carolyn has successfully led Appreciative Inquiry based change efforts in many educational settings including the New Mexico State Office of Education, The University of Nebraska statewide Adult Education Division, the Office of Head Start in the federal Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., and numerous “turn around” initiatives with Head Start programs around the country, including Los Angeles County Office of Education city-wide Head Start program.
Patricia
(Tish) Wilson is the senior lead site manager for CDI’s
National Interim Management Contract (NIC). Tish provides training
and coaching for the project’s lead site managers, site managers
and other NIC staff. Tish began her Head Start experience in 1970
as a teacher aide. She has an M.S. in Family and Human Development
with an Early Childhood Education emphasis. In addition to her Appreciative
Inquiry certification, she is also an associate with the Corporation
for Positive Change in Taos, NM.
Deborah
Hinrichs has over 30 years of Head Start experience beginning
as a teacher in 1972. She served as CDI’s Region VIII Head Start
training and technical assistance manager for 14 years. Deb has extensive
experience in Head Start project management, including fiscal oversight,
and has successfully supervised, coached and mentored diverse staff and
multiple projects. She has an M.A. in Early Childhood Education.
Nila
Rinehart is a nationally recognized leader in the field
of early care and education and particularly in serving children
from diverse backgrounds. She is project director for CDI’s
National Interim Management Contract.
Accompanying her experience is her outstanding education and training. Nila has an Ed.M. from Harvard University, Graduate School of Education with specialties in early childhood education and prevention. In addition to her Appreciative Inquiry certification, she is also an associate with the Corporation for Positive Change in Taos, NM.
Grace
Hardy has 40 years experience in early care and education with
23 in local Head Start management and state, regional and national Head
Start training and technical assistance. She served as CDI’s project
director of the national QUILT initiative and continues to supervise CDI’s
implementation of the Head Start English Language Learners Project —
Head Start Improvement and Innovation grant. She has a B.A. in English
and Elementary Education.
