Dr. Clifford Daugherty, Founder and President of Agape Schools

 

Dr. Clifford Daugherty is the President of Valley Christian Schools (VCS), the Quest Institute for Quality Education and Neighborhood Christian Schools. He served as Founding Principal at Los Altos Christian School in Los Altos, California and founded the Santa Clara County Christian School Association (CSA) in Silicon Valley.

Dr. Daugherty is the author of Quest for Excellence and Fly with Your Dreams. He and his wife Kris have two children and five grandchildren.

Julie Kennedy, NCS Executive Director

 

Julie Kennedy joined Neighborhood Christian Schools as the Executive Director of the San Jose campus (NCP) in August of 2014. Born and raised in Washington State, Ms. Kennedy began her early childhood ministry in 1991 serving in 1 of only 2 Intergenerational programs in the United States. After completing her undergraduate work she moved to the Bay area to finish college and began serving in ministry as both a teacher and director. Ms. Kennedy currently also serves as an associate professor for San Jose City College, Foothill, and DeAnza, Partnership projects include her work on the NAEYC accreditation team for SJCC, the CAP program with the State of California, coaching and mentoring teachers through the CA permit process, and speaking at Early Education conferences.

  • A. Concordia University – Curriculum and Development – Specialization in Leadership

  • A. Saint Mary’s College - Early Education - Specialization is Supervision and Leadership

  • A. Saint Mary’s University – Business Management

  • California Child Development Permit – Program Director

  • Certification – PITC/Environmental Rating Scales/California State Permit Process

Monique Ruiz, Campus Director

Ms. Monique joined Neighborhood Christian Preschool as Campus Director, bringing with her over 15 years of experience working with children and families. Before joining NCP, she spent 10 years with San Jose Unified School District as a site coordinator for a nonprofit after-school program, partnering closely with both school and district leadership. She then spent 7 years with KinderCare, serving as a Pre-K teacher at the Cisco campus before stepping into a Director role with their sister company.

Ms. Monique is passionate about the everyday moments — watching a young child discover something new, master a skill, or grow in confidence. She looks forward to collaborating with the NCP community and is committed to making this program a positive and enriching experience for every family she serves.

Kathy Harmon, Family Engagement Coordinator

Kathy Harmon has worked with infant and preschool-age students for thirty-five years at a local private Christian school in the Santa Clara Valley. For nineteen of those, she had the privilege of being the director and mentoring new teachers. She loves working with young children and helping them develop socially, emotionally, and physically.

Creating a partnership between families and schools for the betterment of the children is one of the core principles she believes in. She also values allowing children the opportunity to be creative, collaborate, and enhance their cognitive abilities while utilizing a play-based framework. Working with infants and preschool children is truly a calling and a blessing from God.  

During her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandson (who will be attending preschool here), going to Disneyland, and taking her dog for walks. She and her husband have two daughters, one grandson, and four “grandpets”. She looks forward to utilizing her prior experience and coming alongside you all for children and families at NCC and NCP. 

Dayna Pawlowski, NCS Marketing Director, NCP & HNA Subsidy Specialist

Dayna Pawlowski serves as Marketing Director and Subsidy Account Manager for Neighborhood Christian Schools, bringing a rare combination of creativity, operational expertise, and deep-rooted passion for early childhood education to everything she does.

Dayna began her ECE career in 2000 as a Preschool teacher, later teaching Kindergarten after studying Child Development and Business at West Valley College. Since joining the NCS family in 2014, she has contributed in nearly every capacity — classroom teacher, substitute, administrator, payroll, accounting, and program coordination — giving her an unparalleled understanding of what it takes to run a thriving early childhood program from the ground up.

In addition to her leadership role at NCS, Dayna is a culinary educator with nearly 20 years of experience teaching cooking classes for all ages. She owns and operates her own catering business and channels that expertise into NCS as the instructor of our enrichment cooking program — a hands-on culinary experience available to enrolled families throughout the year.

Amber Skenduli, NCS Business Operations Manager

Amber Skenduli is a Certified Public Accountant bringing nearly two decades of experience in accounting, finance, and organizational operations to her role at Neighborhood Christian Schools.

Before joining NCS, Amber served for over 13 years as Business Office Director at a local Christian school, where she oversaw accounting, payroll, human resources, and financial reporting. Earlier in her career, she served as an Audit Manager at KPMG LLP in Dallas, leading domestic and international audit teams across multiple industries. Amber holds a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Abilene Christian University.

Beyond her professional work, Amber serves as Treasurer and board member for Daybreak Camp, Inc., a Christian nonprofit she has been involved with for over 30 years. Outside of the office, she enjoys crocheting, cheering on her children at their events, and spending time with family and friends.