Francine Rodd, Commissioner

Francine Rodd has over 35 years of experience working in the public agency and nonprofit sectors in California, nationally, and internationally. Her career has been dedicated to raising the voices of those most impacted by system inequities with particular emphasis on children under the age of 5 and women.

As a strong believer in the Haitian Kreyol proverb “Yon sel dwèt pa manje kalalou” – “you can’t eat okra with just one finger” – she recognizes that none of her accomplishments were achieved alone, and gives honor to the ancestors past, present, and future for any achievements. The daughter of a social worker and a career military serviceman, she grew up on the Monterey Peninsula (Marina), attended college in Los Angeles at USC (Double majoring in Broadcast Journalism/Political Science) and received her Master’s Degree in Washington, D.C. at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (with a focus on Latin American Studies and International Economics). At the Federal level, she has worked as a congressional staffer to the House Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, served in the Clinton Administration at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and was the Peace Corps Country Director in Haiti. She has also had the opportunity to live and work in Uganda supporting girl’s education and Nigeria promoting parent voices. Through those experiences she gained a deeper understanding of racial, social, and structural inequities and the need for social justice, shared humanity and collective healing across cultures.

As the Executive Director of First 5 Monterey County she has championed an emphasis on community voice, community power, and relationship-based approaches to program implementation, capacity building, and systems change. She has helped to create and grow several collective impact initiatives focused on addressing the root causes of disparities and promoting child well-being, including the Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Development Initiative and the Bright Futures Education Partnership. Seeking to build bridges across the political, racial, and socio-economic structures within Monterey county, she is actively involved in the county’s immigration coalitions, the Black Caucus, the Children’s Council, the Child Care Planning Council and the Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative (SIEDI).

Now an empty nester with two grown children, she lives with her husband in her home town of Marina, California.