EEC Board of Directors
The EEC Board provides governance of the organization, independent oversight, long term strategy, and support of the directors to ensure the stability and financial health of the organization. Board members serve as advocates for the school with an eye to the future.
Current Members
Mac McGinnis - President
As recent transplants to Arizona, our family has found a home and community at EECP and I am pleased I get to deepen that relationship as a Board Member. My son Nico started in the 2s class in 2022 and adores this community. I have spent time working with kids in a variety of spaces including children's museums, outdoor preschools, youth sports programs, coaching, as a parent, and now as a cooper. With a passion for children and the environment, I decided to get a Masters in Environmental Education to deepen that knowledge. Finding a play-based cooperative school in Arizona that shares our family values truly has been a dream come true.
Before Arizona, we lived in Portland, Oregon where I was involved in non-profits focused on providing energy assistance and helping individuals have safe, healthy and efficient homes. Now I get to be a ‘House-Spouse’ and care for our family. As a transgender parent, I bring a unique perspective to the EECP community. Our family is fortunate to be part of such an inclusive and welcoming space and I am honored I get to use my knowledge, skill sets and experience as a Board Member.
Jim Manley - Vice President
I practice public interest law, mainly in the areas of free speech, property rights, and economic freedom. I have been a Co-Op parent since 2017, and a board member since April 2021. Our son started at the Co-Op in pre-K, and we liked it so much that we had another kid so we could start in the 2s class. In all seriousness, the Co-Op has been wonderful for our children and for us as parents. We have met our closest Phoenix friends here, found a supportive environment to grow as parents, and love the evidence-based efficacy of the play-based, co-op model of learning. It is a privilege to serve on the Co-Op board.
Stephanie Kethcart - Treasurer
I am pleased to be a part of the EECP Board. As an Alumni Member of the Board, I bring 12 years of experience owning and running two dental practices and as an EECP alumni mom whom chaired Spring Auctions.
When my daughter, Charlotte, had an opportunity to shadow the 3’s class, it was an experience that my daughter and I both immediately knew was the right fit for us. While at the EECP, I learned so much about child development at different ages. I learned how to work empathetically through different scenarios with the children and my own children at home because of the parent education and the co-op experience. Being at the EECP for the 3’s and the Pre K classes was where we needed to be. The preschool was a great play based and socially emotional driven experience for our daughter. I am glad to help continue the great traditions and culture of the EEC preschool.
Evelyn Araneda
I am a geologist working in the mining industry and I have been a member of the board since 2021. Originally from Chile, I left my country 20 years ago and lived is a few places until my family and I finally settled down in Phoenix in 2014. We joined EEC when our son Santiago started the 2's class. Our daughter Sofia followed 2 years later. Joining the preschool turned out to be a transformative milestone for our family. Parents and kids alike made deep connections with members of the community that last until this day. But of course, it is not just the families that make the Preschool special. It is also the teachers. All and every one of the teachers we met were remarkable at instructing our kids. Both my kids started as shy and quiet children. My son did not speak at school until the end of the 3's class. However, by the time they graduated from pre-K they had become confident and happy kids. Now they both thrive in elementary school. I am very grateful to have found EEC and I’m happy to have been given the opportunity to give back to the EEC community by serving on the board.
Bobbi Morgan - Secretary
My family feels so fortunate to have found EEC during our preschool search for our daughter, Felicity. My heart is in Montessori education, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to co-op and be a part of Felicity’s formative years in the classroom- and I love the Reggio Emilia emphasis on the village raising the child. Plus, I was so happy to find the community and friendships that I, as a parent, was searching for here, too! I’m grateful for the play-based approach that allows the kids to follow their instincts and to learn organically with and from their peers. Felicity began at EEC last fall in the 3s class, and we are looking forward to a great year in Pre-K with Teachers Katherine and Mary.
I’ve worked in fundraising and event planning at Xavier College Prep for the past nine years, and before that I was an elementary school teacher in the Madison School District, teaching 2nd grade and then 1st/2nd grade in the REACH Highly Gifted Program.
Maggie Freeman
My family found the EEC eight years ago when we moved to Phoenix, and I’m so grateful to continue to be a part of the community as a board member. My background is education and I transitioned from classroom teaching to private tutoring when I had children. Currently, I’m the managing director of a family foundation and co-founder of a non-profit, Dyslexia Road, which supports families navigating a dyslexia diagnosis. While finding the EEC was an accident, it became apparent that it was the right space for my family. As a classroom volunteer, I loved watching my kids grow in a classroom setting and connect with other parents. The teachers and community helped guide my parenting and made me think more critically about how I wanted to raise my children. I still have a parenting meeting agenda from 2015 posted in my laundry room which I look at regularly to ensure my actions align with the parenting style I’m aiming for. All this to say, the EEC was a formative experience for my family, and I look forward to helping the EEC continue that legacy for others.
Interested in joining the EEC Board of Director? Please apply through the link below
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBxNCpHZ45eCl2PpB5eCtq2eTp0j_JUuyfvOOhsNj6J8DlBg/viewform?usp=sf_link
You can also email us at eecbod@cooppreschool.org
Greta Taylor
I have a background of working in museums like The Children's Museum of Manhattan and The Farmers' Museum. When our family moved back to Phoenix, I was so pleased to find the co-op. We joined the co-op when our first daughter was 2 years old and we had a newborn. Through co-opping, parent meetings, work days and social gatherings we created important friendships that we still hold dear. During our five years at the co-op, I had the opportunity to wear many hats. I have served as parent co-chair, founding board member of the EEC, and assistant teacher. My girls are now 10 and 12, and the EEC holds a special place in our hearts. I am so excited to be back involved and serving on the board.
