Pleasanton-based child and family support organization Hively has announced that Mary Hekl will be the organization’s permanent CEO after serving as an interim for the past five months.
Hekl served on the Hively board of directors for four years until he retired to take on the interim role after parting ways with non-profit organization and former CEO Kelly O’Lague in February for unknown reasons.
“Mary brings a unique set of skills as an expert in HR from her days at Google and familiarity with the organization of her previous term as board chairman,” current Hively board chairman Ryan Duncan Anderson said in the news release.
“As interim CEO in recent months, she has shown creativity and a strategic orientation that we believe will help us expand Hively’s mission to the future,” Anderson added. “We look forward to her leadership and determination as we continue to provide resources and support to ensure that everyone in the community can thrive.”
Hively, headquartered in Pleasanton, focuses on supporting local families through childcare grants and referrals, parenting classes and family classes in the East Bay. The non-profit organization provides clinical mental health services and daily necessities such as food, diapers and clothing to those in need.
The organization has served more than 2,000 local families and children seeking child care referrals in the past year, serving 975 childminders, according to the news release.
Hekl, a resident of Pleasanton, said some of her goals as an incoming CEO will be focused on expanding core services within the organization and increasing access, availability and affordability of mental health services.
“First – significantly increase the number of families and providers we help with with services such as childcare subsidies, educational programs and referrals to essential services that enable families to thrive,” Hekl said of the goals she hopes to achieve.
“Second – continue to support Tri-Valley residents with food, clothing, household items and other items through our Hively Family Resource Center in Dublin,” she said. “Third, become a leading provider of mental health services outside of our current San Leandro location by adding Tri-Valley and Oakland, as well as creative ways to improve mental health.”
Hekl comes from a 20-year background working in the leadership of human resource teams for companies including Marriott, Google, Ellie Mae and Zymergen. According to her biography on the Hively website, Hekl’s “professional passion is to create great jobs for employees and help companies thrive.”
She recently began pursuing a master’s degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University with a focus on mental health and she holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.
Another addition to the Hively leadership team will be Candida Duperroir, who will join as the new director of community services and education.
Duperroir, who took up her new position on July 1, will bring her experience in child care services after 23 years of working with CocoKids, which provides child care resource and referral services in Contra Costa County.
She also worked as the provincial organizer for the national grassroots organization, Parent Voices, and became a leading advocate for access to child care, housing, and employment services.
“She is an active parent advocate and an educator for childminders and the early learning education system,” Hekl said of Duperroir. “As one of our government partners recently exclaimed, ‘What a huge win for our country and for Hively!’ “Candy’s impact will be felt immediately by parents and providers from Alameda County.”
Duperroir said in the release that Hively is unique in that it combines child care and mental health services to serve the community effectively. She also outlined several ideas on how she would like to approach the post.
“First, I want to build trusting relationships with the Hively team and board to promote quality, affordable and accessible child care for all families and child care providers,” she said. “Secondly, I would like to promote the My Child Care Plan database to expand online services for families and providers.
She added: “Thirdly, I want to raise the voices of families, providers, childcare resource and referral agencies and alternative payment program providers so that they can be the change agents, the ones who not only implement the policies and regulations, but also influence. families with fair access to childcare and education. “
Hively currently has locations in Oakland, Fremont and San Leandro to serve its family clients and recently opened a new Hively Family Resource Center in Dublin in January under O’Lague’s leadership.
English
French
Spanish