“Wherever I’ve worked, my North Star has been to support individuals and create systems that allow people to thrive.”

What really impresses Dana Bleakney-Huebsch is seeing a young child soak up learning, seemingly without effort. “I love those little brains,” she says.

In her work as a program officer for The Ford Family Foundation, Dana focuses on systems that support children between birth and third grade. She engages partners, grantees and state leaders to create early education programs and spaces that are warm, nurturing and support school readiness for the youngest learners.

Originally from Mount Angel, Dana has been a birth-to-three teacher in a child care program, worked on quality recognition and improvement systems, and in the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care. She also has collaborated on a Foundation-supported child care facility improvement project across rural Oregon and Northern California. She holds a master’s degree in child development from California State University, San Bernardino.

Dana joined the Foundation in 2022 to support its heightened investment in early childhood education programs and supporting children as they transition from pre-kindergarten settings to K-12 schools.
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