Meet our Team
Maria Vasquez
Maria Vasquez is a highly respected leader in early childhood and family services with decades of experience advancing equity-driven initiatives across Washington State. She has successfully managed multi-million-dollar public and private sector projects, led high-performing teams, and co-led community partnerships that bridge strategy, systems, and community needs.
As a founding board member of Pathwaves WA, Maria has helped shape the organization’s vision and strategy to promote racial equity and strengthen community-led early learning systems. She is the co-creator and designer of the Early Connections Play & Learn (ECPL) model, a widely recognized approach that connects families to resources while building school readiness and community support. In addition, Maria is the co-founder of Growth by Design, a consulting firm dedicated to advancing equitable early learning systems through innovation, professional development, and community-centered solutions.
Her leadership has influenced major local, regional, and statewide efforts including Preschool Development Grants (PDG), Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), FIND, Project LAUNCH with SAMHSA, and Infant and Toddler initiatives. She also served for 10 years on Washington’s Developmental Screening Task Force, advancing statewide approaches to early identification and support for children.
Maria’s past work includes directing cornerstone programs such as Parents as Teachers Home Visiting, Family, Friend and Neighbor programs, and the Birth to Three Quality Initiatives (B3QI). She has designed, implemented, and presented on innovative workforce development strategies, led cross-sector partnerships, and championed culturally responsive approaches to strengthen early learning systems.
With a steadfast commitment to equity and access, Maria is a trusted advocate for delivering high-quality, inclusive services that uplift children, families, and the professionals who serve them.
Victor M. Cardenas
Victor brings over fifteen years of frontline and systems-level experience supporting at-risk children and families across central Washington. His career reflects a deep commitment to advancing equitable, human-centered service delivery in behavioral health, early learning, and social services. As co-founder of Growth by Design, Victor integrates a practitioner’s lens with strong systems-implementation expertise to help organizations design sustainable structures and strengthen outcomes for children, families, and early learning professionals.
Victor has served in roles spanning child and family therapy, early learning systems development, family engagement leadership, and multisite project management. His work includes co-creating and implementing early childhood mental health consultation models, leading Universal Developmental Screening initiatives, and supporting childcare systems through data-driven quality improvement.
Victor’s leadership extends beyond direct service and systems design. He previously served on the Board of the Washington Association for Infant Mental Health (WA-AIMH) and represented early learning partners on the Executive Committee for the Investing in Children Early Learning Coalition. Across these roles, he has been an active advocate for strengthening early learning infrastructure, advancing mental health supports, and elevating community voice at regional, state, and national levels.
As a state-approved Trainer, he also brings extensive expertise in areas including early childhood mental health, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT+) for behavior, anxiety, depression and trauma, autism supports, infant and early childhood assessment tools, and the Pyramid Model. He has previous experience in the FIND model, DECA and CLASS assessments, and ASQ Train-the-Trainer.
Guided by a belief that relationships, equity, and community voice must anchor every system, he works to ensure early learning professionals and families have the tools and support needed to help children thrive.
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