Our Leadership Team
Welcome to
Growing Place
At Growing Place, we believe that the most profound learning happens when children, families, and educators come together as partners in discovery. Our approach honors each child's innate wisdom while creating rich opportunities for growth, connection, and joy. Join us in nurturing the next generation of thoughtful, creative, and confident leaders.
Dr. Cris Lozon, Executive Director
Cris Lozon, Ed.D., became the third Executive Director of Growing Place in July 2025.
With over three decades of experience in early childhood education, Cris brings a rich and diverse background to her role as Executive Director of Growing Place. Before joining our community, she served for nine years as the Early School Director at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California. Her career has also included roles as a kindergarten teacher at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, summer preschool director at Chadwick International School in South Korea, and has served as faculty at international independent schools overseas. In addition to her classroom and leadership experience, Cris has taught early childhood education as an adjunct professor at Pacific Oaks College and California State Dominguez Hills. She is a published writer on the topic of play, and presents nationally and internationally on the essential role of play in children's learning and development. Cris's global perspective, academic grounding, and lifelong commitment to honoring the voices and capabilities of young children reflect the heart of Growing Place's mission.
Cris holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a minor in Early Childhood Education from Nova Southeastern University in Florida, an MA in Early Childhood from Northern Arizona University, and a BA in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Her international teaching experience spans four countries—the Philippines, Japan, Italy, and South Korea—and reflects her adventurous spirit that has led her to travel the world for over 22 years. From climbing the breathtaking rice terraces of Banaue to experiencing a moment of claustrophobia in the ancient pyramids of Egypt, parachuting out of a helicopter for pure joy in the Japanese countryside, to marveling at the architectural beauty of Italy's magnificent duomos, Cris brings the same sense of wonder and exploration to her work with young children that has enriched her personal journey around the globe.
Lynette Bravo, Campus Director, Lab school
Lynette Bravo began her journey in the field of Early Childhood Education in 2003 after earning her A.A. in Early Childhood Education from Santa Monica College, with a specialization in working with children with special needs. She began her teaching career at The Growing Place, where she spent almost ten years immersed in a collaborative, relationship based teaching environment. In 2014, she joined Cassidy Preschool as the Lead Teacher in the youngest classroom, a role she held until welcoming her daughter, Olivia, in 2018. During this time, she also completed her B.A. in Human Development with an emphasis in Child Development from Pacific Oaks College.
In 2020, Lynette joined the founding team at The Toddler Garden, where she served as Director for five years. There, she helped open, shape and lead a program grounded in connection, emotional development, and responsive care for two-year-olds and their families
Lynette is passionate about creating meaningful, relationship based experiences for children, families, and educators. She believes deeply in the power of connection and reflective teaching practices and is thrilled to return to The Growing Place in a new role grounded in shared values and mutual respect. Lynette looks forward to bringing her experience and commitment to early childhood education to the Lab School Community.
Cecilia Carrillo, campus Director, Marine Park
Cecilia Carrillo began teaching in Early Care and Education while attending undergraduate school at UCLA. During this time, she became the co-director of The Mentor Program at UCLA, a program dedicated to advocating for children's academic opportunities in low-income areas, while teaching at the Krieger Center at UCLA. In 2011 she joined the infant classroom at Growing Place Marine Park as the lead teacher, increasing her understanding of bridging the RIE and Reggio Emilia approach theories into our context and practice. She continued to hone her mentoring skills by becoming a mentor teacher in 2012 for the California Early Childhood Mentor Program, guiding early childhood education practicum students and novice teachers in the field, specializing in infants and toddlers.
Cecilia is dedicated to advocating for quality practices with young children, which ultimately benefit the experience for young children, parents, and teachers.
B.A. Sociology from University of California, Los Angeles
Losmeiya Huang, Campus Director, Ocean Park
Losmeiya Huang began her teaching career as an AmeriCorp member where she worked with middle and high schoolers in the Bay Area. Her experiences there convinced her that education was her calling and she began her journey as a classroom teacher for the next eight years, successfully leading teaching teams in private and public school systems to create thriving environments for children ages 3 months through 8 years old. Losmeiya has a passion for early intervention, special education, research-based practices, and language immersion. She was a part of an inclusive classroom at Bank Street College's Family Center and the Stanford Bing Nursery. Losmeiya was a founding faculty member at Avenues: The World School in NYC and Westside Neighborhood School's Reggio Inspired Preschool Program in Playa Vista. Losmeiya has served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leader in the many school settings she's worked at and applies her skill sets and principles in her leadership at Growing Place since 2019.
B.A. Human Biology from Stanford University
M.S. Early Childhood and Special Education from Bank Street College
Lissette Rodriguez, Program Coordinator
Lissette Rodriguez brings a passion for empowering children and families that runs as deep as her proven track record of driving meaningful change. As a bilingual strategic leader with over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, she has dedicated her career to advancing equity and social justice in early childhood education, utilizing systems thinking approaches to create meaningful systemic change. At her core, Lissette believes that every child deserves access to high-quality early childhood experiences, regardless of their background or circumstances. This commitment to equity isn’t just professional, it’s personal. She approaches every project, every partnership, and every challenge through the lens of creating more inclusive, accessible opportunities for the families and communities she supports..
When she is not working to improve early childhood systems for the educators, children, and families they support, she spends her time behind the lens of a camera doing portrait photography. This is how Lissette discovered the magic of storytelling, learning to capture the essence of each person and moment in ways that reveal deeper truths. She brings to every role a unique blend of strategic vision, cultural competency, and the kind of warmth that makes the people she serves feel truly seen and valued.
Join Our Community
Whether you're ready to enroll your child, interested in joining our team of passionate educators, or looking to support our mission, there's a place for you at Growing Place. Together, we're building something beautiful—a community where children flourish, families connect, and learning never stops.