Leadership
Cathleen Mathes
Cathleen Mathes, M.Ed., LSLS Cert. AVT
Cathleen Mathes works in partnership with the Board of Directors and the staff to provide leadership, vision, and direction to John Tracy Center. She implements policies approved by the board, manages the organization's programs and operations, and represents JTC in the community. Additionally, she oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs and services that support the mission of JTC. Cathleen represents JTC and works closely with the California Coalition Option Schools (CCOS) and Center for Early Intervention on Deafness (CEID) in helping to advance excellence in listening and spoken language education by both individually and collectively, educating the public, professionals and policy makers as to what is possible for children who are deaf and hard of hearing in the 21st century. Cathleen is recognized for her expertise in early childhood listening and spoken language and has participated as a speaker at local, national and international conferences. Cathleen completed her bachelor's degree in Sociology at Boston College and then received a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Southern California/John Tracy Center. Cathleen has over 18 years of experience working in Listening and Spoken Language Deaf Education, holds a California Credential as an Education Specialist: Deaf and Hard of Hearing and is a Listening Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS AVT).
M. Cecilia Vanin
M. Cecilia Vanin
M. Cecilia Vanin manages all internal business operations, oversees the daily operational functions of John Tracy Center, including commercial and financial operations and systems, information technology, and educational contracts and facilities. Ms. Vanin also works closely with our external accountant, benefits company and with all business related to the Board of Directors. She has been working at the Center since 1993 in various capacities. She was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2019. In addition, she worked as Technology Director and as Network Administrator. She holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in Teaching English as a Second Language from the Catholic University of Argentina in Buenos Aires and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Kevin Matthews
Kevin Matthews, FFCA, CFE
Kevin Matthews serves as the Chief Financial Officer of John Tracy Center. He fulfills that role in a consulting capacity through Noble Accounting, LLC, a firm that he founded to provide accounting and CFO services to non-profit organizations. Kevin has over 20 years of experience as an auditor, cost accountant, Controller, Vice President of Finance & Administration, and Chief Financial Officer. In England Kevin worked for 6 years in the accounting department of a $120m regional hospital. After moving to the US in 1999 and a brief time in the transportation and high-tech industries, he returned to the non-profit sector in 2001. He worked as the Chief Financial Officer of two large non-profit organizations until 2011 when he began providing CFO services in a consultant capacity. Kevin graduated from the University of Westminster in London, England and qualified as a Certified Accounting Technician, before going on to become a Fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants, a worldwide accounting qualification that is the equivalent of the US CPA. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner
Bridgette Klaus
Bridgette Klaus, M.S.Ed., LSLS Cert AVT
Bridgette is JTC's Senior Director of Educational Services which includes supervising professionals in their coaching and implementation of individualized therapy, itinerant services, group classes, and preschool program. Bridgette has experience teaching in the preschool classroom, working with students in the mainstream as an itinerant teacher, and providing private therapy as a Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. She has also taught graduate level classes, both onsite and online for our distance students. Bridgette completed her bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Special Education at Loyola Marymount University and then received a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Southern California/John Tracy Center. Bridgette has over 20 years of experience working in Listening and Spoken Language Deaf Education, holds a California Credential as an Education Specialist: Deaf and Hard of Hearing and is a Listening Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert AVT).
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Renee Lucero
Renee Lucero
Renee was diagnosed with hearing loss at John Tracy Center when she was a toddler. She completed her undergraduate degree at Columbia University and her Master’s degree and DHH credential program at USC/John Tracy Center. She is a LSLS Certified Auditory Verbal Educator and earned her PhD in Special Education from CSULA/UCLA. Her career in Deaf Education includes early intervention, classroom and itinerant teaching, in both public and private settings, and served as Assistant Professor at Utah State University”s listening and spoken language DHH teacher training program. Her most recent role was Director of Echo Center, a full inclusion program that supports DHH students at Echo Horizon School. She has presented locally and nationally, and has served on numerous committees dedicated to furthering best practices in Deaf Education. Renee’s personal journey with hearing loss, along with her professional experiences, has inspired her commitment to Deaf Education and training the next generation of professionals who serve children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.
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Stacey Ochoa-Armas
Stacey Ochoa-Armas, Au.D.
Stacey Ochoa-Armas is a licensed pediatric audiologist with deep expertise in auditory diagnostics, hearing technology, and family-centered care. She earned her Doctorate of Audiology from the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program and holds a Clinical/Rehabilitative Services Credential in Audiology. Prior to joining John Tracy Center, Dr. Ochoa-Armas served children and families across medical, educational, nonprofit, and humanitarian settings—including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Little Listeners Publishing, where she authored books for children with hearing loss. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Dr. Ochoa-Armas brings a compassionate, inclusive approach to her work. She is passionate about empowering children with hearing loss and supporting families on their journey to listening and spoken language.
Angie Stokes
Angie Stokes, MEd, LSLS Cert AVEd
Angie Stokes is in charge of Graduate Instruction and Teacher Development at John Tracy Center. She previously worked as Director of Education Services providing the vision and supervision in John Tracy Center listening and spoken language programs, including early intervention, preschool, and itinerant services. Angie created John Tracy Center Bilingual Program in 2007 to serve the growing numbers of Spanish-speaking families. Her own bilingual skills are in demand as a speaker at local, national, and international conferences, as well as in the JTC Talks tele practice program that reaches families around the world. Angie graduated from Loma Linda University with a bachelor's degree in child development and family sciences and worked as a general education teacher for a year before completing the master's program at the University of Southern California in education/deaf education. Angie completed a second master's degree in special education at the University of San Diego, where she conducted research on parents' satisfaction with tele practice. She also has a clear DHH credential with authorizations in autism spectrum disorders and English learners.
Carolina Guajardo
Carolina Guajardo, Director, Speech & Language Services
She oversees therapist caseloads and collaborates with organizations that require speech-language pathology support. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Carolina holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist.She brings extensive experience working with children and families across early intervention, school, and clinical settings, and has taught graduate-level courses at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. Carolina specializes in supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing, auditory-verbal therapy, and language development in both monolingual and bilingual populations. Carolina is passionate about equity, access, neurodiversity-affirming care, and fostering community for all populations—especially for children who are deaf or hard hof hearing.
Claire Sanchez
Claire Sanchez, Parent Education & Engagement Manager
Dr. Claribelle Sanchez is JTC’s Parent Education & Engagement Manager, dedicated to supporting families as they navigate their child’s hearing journey. With a background in audiology and a passion for empowering parents, Dr. Sanchez creates accessible educational materials that help families better understand hearing loss, communication options, and early learning strategies. She also leads JTC’s parent communication efforts across communication and social media platforms to make sure that parents stay informed and feel supported in every step of the way. As a bilingual Spanish speaker, she values the opportunity to connect with families from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Sanchez earned her Doctor of Audiology degree from Northwestern University and began her career as an extern at the John Tracy Center (JTC) in 2009.
