Heather DiFede is the Executive Director for East County SELPA. She is currently serving on the IEP Expert Panel for California. Under her leadership, East County SELPA has recently administered the IEP Technical Support and Assistance (ITSA) Grant awarded by CDE and is currently serving as an Exemplar for Interagency Collaboration for the California Early Childhood Special Education Network. As a SELPA Administrator, Ms. DiFede has served as the Chair of the SELPA Administrators’ Association, and additionally is serving or has served as co-chair for the following Association Committees: Forms, CALPADS & Compliance, Local Plan, and Interagency Collaboration. She has also served on numerous statewide committees including the Dashboard Alternate School Status, College and Career Indicator for Alternate Schools, AB 2657 Restraint & Seclusion Workgroup, and the Students with Disabilities Collective. Ms. DiFede was also awarded the 2016 Special Education Administrator of the Year for California by the Association of California School Administrators.

Leo Mapagu is the Executive Director for Santa Clara County SELPAs I, II, III, IV and VII. Mr. Mapagu started his career in the Ravenswood City School District (RCSD), which placed heavy emphasis on IEP compliance and improved outcomes for underserved students with disabilities. During his tenure in RCSD, he participated in various activities to assist district administration in meeting corrective action plan and self-improvement plan requirements. Mr. Mapagu is a collaborator, as is evident by the various partnerships he has developed. He has worked with San Jose State University and Santa Clara County Office of Education’s (SCCOE) Educator Preparation Program to train teachers in a variety of special education topics. He has also partnered with Parents Helping Parents to serve as a panelist and present on special education and IEP-related topics. As a SELPA Administrator, Mr. Mapagu is serving or has served as co-chair of the following SELPA Administrators’ Association Committees: Forms, CALPADS & Compliance, Parent Engagement, Local Plan, and Related Services.

Jennifer Yales, Ed.D firmly believes that all students can learn–her passion for this belief, and a strong sense of responsibility, drive Dr. Yales in her advocacy for the development and implementation of structures and systems that facilitate learning for all students. She is a lifelong learner with over twenty years of experience as a Special Education professional. For sixteen years she worked in a large, urban school district in California, growing from a school psychologist before being promoted into an administrative leadership role within the district, ultimately advancing to the position of SELPA Director. Prior to going the HQIEP grant, Dr. Yales served as the Senior Director for the System Improvement Leads (SIL) project for five years.

Dr. Yales is certified as a Master Practitioner in Compassionate Systems and her doctoral work focused on parent perceptions of collaboration during the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. As a parent of a son with autism, Dr. Yales is committed both professionally and personally to providing equitable education for all students.

Noreen has been in the field of education for over 20 years. She has worked in the group home setting, taught in both general education and special education settings in various grade levels, and has been a Program Specialist and Special Education Program Administrator. Noreen has supported Early Childhood through Secondary programs. She also served as an Improvement Facilitator working with the System Improvement Leads (SIL) Project, focused on improving outcomes for students with disabilities. Throughout her career, she has continued to seek every opportunity to share her core beliefs of equity and access for all, with a foundation in Universal Design for Learning and Growth Mindset. Noreen believes that ALL children can learn, ALL children can contribute, and ALL children deserve a champion.

Dr. Nadif is a distinguished educator with over 22 years of experience. Holding two master's degrees in Special Education and Administrative Leadership, as well as a doctoral degree in Transformational and Organizational Leadership, Dr. Nadif has cultivated a comprehensive career.
Beginning as a general education teacher in the Netherlands, Dr. Nadif quickly found a calling in special education. This passion led to roles as a Special Education Teacher, Assistive Technology Specialist, School Administrator, and District Administrator. Currently, Dr. Nadif contributes expertise to the East County SELPA, championing the needs of students with special needs.
Dr. Nadif's educational background, spanning North Africa and the Netherlands, along with the experience of being a child of immigrant parents, provides a unique perspective that informs a dedicated advocacy for accessible special education for diverse families. Committed to promoting inclusion, Dr. Nadif tirelessly works to ensure that students with special needs have ample opportunities to thrive.