The THINK Together Executive Team 

THINK Together is building a unique team of business and education professionals to tackle the challenges outlined above. The team includes the following leaders:

Executive Team

Randy Barth is Chief Executive Officer of THINK Together. Since founding THINK Together in 1997, Barth has become one of the nation’s leading social entrepreneurs. A native of Southern California, Barth went to UCLA where he graduated in 1981 with a B.A. in Economics. Barth later did mid-career graduate work at Claremont Graduate University where he studied under Peter Drucker, whom he considers his mentor. He was a successful Investment Advisor for more than 15 years with EF Hutton, Drexel Burnham and Smith Barney. In 1998, Barth became CEO of National Management, a $40 million regional transportation company. In 2003, Barth transitioned from volunteer Board Chair to full-time CEO. Since, then THINK Together has become one of the fastest growing and highest performing non-profits in the U.S. Barth has served on numerous non-profit Boards. A Santa Ana resident, Barth currently serves as Board Chair for the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, a local powerhouse organization that is influential in civic affairs and education reform in addition to business advocacy.

Dr. CynDee Zandes serves as Chief Program Officer. She oversees the development of the program and curriculum in the Early Childhood Education (0-5 years old) and all K-12 Extended Learning Programs. In addition, she is responsible for training and staff development of more than 1200 program staff. CynDee worked for 39 years in the Greenfield School District in Bakersfield where she served as a teacher, principal and district administrator. As an administrator, CynDee led the efforts to build after-school programs in Greenfield that became a model for the state. Upon retirement from Greenfield, CynDee provided consulting to the Los Angeles Region of the California Department of Education during the implementation of the After-School Education & Safety Programs (ASES) mandated by California’s Proposition 49 and has consulted with programs throughout California. CynDee holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education and a Doctorate Degree in Organizational Leadership all from the University of LaVerne.

Dr. Sue Cornell serves as Chief Operations Officer. She oversees all day-to-day operations at all of THINK Together’s sites. Previously, Sue was General Manager of THINK Together’s Foothill Region. She began her work in the education arena in 1987 and her experiences have ranged from classroom teacher to district office administration. Sue worked in the Ontario-Montclair School District for 20 years, most recently serving in the role of Director of Curriculum and Extended Learning. In this capacity, Sue was responsible for all after school programs, community collaborations, categorical programs and curriculum alignment. At the site level, she served as Reading Specialist, Administrative Assistant and Assistant Principal. Sue is a graduate of the National Staff Development Council Academy, and served the district as the Coordinator and later Director of Staff Development. Sue earned her Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Long Beach, a Master’s in Educational Administration from Chapman University and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne.

Beccie Dawson serves as Chief People Officer. She oversees recruitment/staffing, human resources and volunteers. Beccie has more than 19 years as a Human Resources Executive. Most recently she was the Executive Vice President of human resources for an 1800 person division of Sage Software in Irvine. Prior to that, she spent nearly 10 years with Wonderware where she joined originally as the Manager of Finance and Administration and served the last five years as Human Resources Director. She was part of the team that lead Wonderware through a successful public offering. Beccie has been an active member in the community. She is a member of the Irvine Valley College Foundation Board; a past Chair and board member for the Irvine Chamber of Commerce and has been an active member for two charitable organizations; Working Wardrobes and the Orange County United Way. Beccie earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Redlands and a Master’s Degree in Human Resources & Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco.

Mike Frobenius serves as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he oversees the finance and accounting functions of the organization, information technology, and is responsible for reporting to our school district partners, the California Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. In his fifteen-plus year career Mike has held a variety of positions in both the public and private sectors of accounting. For ten years he served as Director of Finance for LA Chemical, a $175 million leading regional distribution company. Mike has served as a board member for a local credit union and is an active volunteer for a number of local community youth sports programs. Mike holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from California State University, Fullerton. He is a California Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Larry Tenney has served as a Chief Brand Communications & Public Affairs Counsel since 2008. In this role, Larry supports and oversees internal and external communications including corporate brand management and marketing, traditional and social media channels and strategic initiatives. Larry formed TenneyHarrisonPR in 2000 after he and his partners sold their regional PR/public affairs firm, Nelson Communications, to the global PR firm Porter Novelli. Throughout his career, Larry as provided communications counsel to clients including: Anhueser-Busch, Angels (MLB), Disney, The Irvine Company, Rancho Mission Viejo, Sea World and Unocal 76; plus various regional and national nonprofits; and the California Teachers Association, Chapman University and the University of California. Larry has taken assignments in Sacramento and on Capitol Hill where he was an aide to several Members of Congress and was executive director and national spokesperson for a large consumer advocacy organization. As volunteer community leader, Larry has served on the boards of organizations including United Way of Orange County, the UC Irvine Foundation, Orange County Forum (Town Hall), and the Volunteer Center of Greater Orange County. He is the recipient of a ”Silver Anvil,” the Public Relations Society of America’s top honor. Larry holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine, and is a recipient of that school’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

General Managers

Tia Dwyer serves as General Manager of THINK Together’s Orange County Region. Dwyer joined THINK Together in January 2009 as Director of Learning Programs. In that role, she was responsible for the development and implementation of THINK Together’s first-ever Summer Learning program which, by all accounts, successfully served more than 11,000 Santa Ana students and their families each week day for six weeks during Summer 2009. Prior to joining THINK Together, Dwyer served as Director of Program Development and then Executive Director of Lawndale Elementary School District’s Realizing Amazing Potential (RAP) program. Under her leadership, the RAP program grew to include both before and after-school programs at all elementary and middle schools in the Lawndale District as well as Kindergarten Academies at all elementary sites. Dwyer has also worked as an elementary classroom teacher. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from University of California, Irvine.

Adolfo Herrera serves as General Manager of THINK Together’s Los Angeles Region serving students and partners predominately in eastern Los Angeles County (I-605 and I-710 corridors). Adolfo began his career in 1990 as an instructional assistant in Long Beach Unified where he would later teach. He taught in a diversity of language settings for nine years before moving on to serve as a reading specialist and intervention teacher and most recently as a district office administrator. Adolfo’s experience in the after-school space began in 2005 as coordinator for Montebello Unified School District’s Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) program, facilitating its growth from 12 to 27 sites including managing Elementary and Middle School After School Education and Safety (ASES) and 21st Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs as well as High School ASSETS. In 2007, Adolfo began providing technical assistance to other after-school programs in Los Angeles County. Adolfo received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California in Political Science and Ethnic Studies and obtained his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Los Angeles.

Adriana Garcia Kingston serves as General Manager of THINK Together’s Inland Empire Region serving students and partners across Riverside and San Diego Counties. Adriana joined THINK Together during the enterprise’s 2006-07 wide scale expansion and previously served as Assistant General Manager in the Inland Empire Region. Among other responsibilities, Adriana has overseen the rollout of THINK Together’s Middle School programs in the San Bernardino City School District. Adriana has experience as a bilingual class-room teacher in the Corona-Norco Unified School District and Val Verde Unified School District; and managed the Family Literacy training program while at the Val Verde District. She was one of Sylvan Learning Center’s 1999 Kid’s Choice Teachers of the Year. Adriana graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Relations and received her Teaching Credential from Chapman University.

Fernando Reyes serves as General Manager of THINK Together’s Foothill Region (I-210 & I-10 Corridors, straddling Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties). Fernando has worked in the education arena since 1974. He worked originally at El Rancho Unified School District (Pico Rivera, CA) as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and then principal; and from 1990-2010 he was with the Lake Elsinore Unified School District (LEUSD) where he served as district Coordinator of Categorical Programs as well as Principal at the elementary and high school levels. During his tenure at LEUSD, Fernando provided leadership that helped graduate the district out of Program Improvement (PI) status. Specifically, Fernando moved scores at one struggling PI elementary school +100 API points and at second elementary school moved scores +120 API points and attaining the "800" API state recognition. Fernando holds a Bachelor's Degree from California State University, Fullerton and a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from California Lutheran College.

Evaluation

Dr. Jenel Prenovost serves as Director of Evaluation. She is responsible for developing and implementing an organization-wide evaluation strategy for the organizations extended learning programs touching all sites and using multiple data collection systems to provide both formative and summative feedback to all THINK Together staff, school district partners and private funders. She came to THINK Together after serving five years as the Program Specialist in the Santa Ana Unified School District where she led the grant-writing, program implementation and on-going development of 39 elementary and middle school after school programs. Prior to her service in Santa Ana Unified, Jenel was a mentor and master teacher at both the middle school and high school levels where she taught history for 7 years. Jenel graduated with honors in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, earned her teaching credential and M.Ed. from UCLA in 1993 and earned her Ed.D. from the University of California, Irvine in 2001. Her doctoral dissertation contributed to the first statewide formal evaluation of the then-newly funded afterschool programs in California.