Be a champion of a family’s future
Leaders with Distinguished and Broad Experience
AVANCE's leadership team is distinguished by its broad and deep experience and its unsurpassed focus on AVANCE’s mission of helping families scale new heights and achieve future success.
Susan Steves Thompson
Susan Steves Thompson, Executive Director of AVANCE – San Antonio, brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit business, social services and healthcare sectors. She not only believes in the power of systems change and community partnerships, but also has faith in the power of individuals to create loving, nurturing and stimulating family environments - when given the education and resources to do so.
To accomplish AVANCE’s goal of developing strong families and ending generational poverty, Susan is focused on building strong internal teams, collaborating with like-minded organizations, and implementing a strategic vision that will allow AVANCE to transform the lives of the 5,000+ children and parents we serve each year.
Susan earned her BA from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Rice University. She is a native San Antonian, is happily married to John - her high school sweetheart, has three grown boys and one grandson of whom she is very proud, and actively serves her church and diocese.
Yesenia Gonzalez
Yesenia Alvarez-Gonzalez is the Chief Program Officer at AVANCE – San Antonio. Having been with AVANCE for 20 years, her experience includes teaching parenting classes, training on program leadership, supervision and management, referral and resource advocacy, and conflict resolution. She began her career as a Parent Educator in AVANCE’s Parent-Child Education Program. Through the years at AVANCE, she has administered and implemented alongside a dynamic team of educators and directors AVANCE’s Parent/Child center- and school-based, Services to Fathers, and Early Head Start and Head Start programs, to include family engagement services.
Yesenia strongly believes in the importance of AVANCE engaging low income families with young children, and that parents are their child’s first and most important teachers. Yesenia’s passion is to serve the community where she was raised - by a single parent on government subsidies, facing hunger and homelessness.
The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Yesenia attended SAISD inner-city schools and was her family’s first high school and college graduate. After studying at San Antonio College, she earned her Masters in Nonprofit Management & Leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University.
Yesenia enjoys spending time with her husband, three children and many friends; taking bicycle rides along the mission trails, zumba workouts, gardening and caring for their family’s pet rabbit.
Julia Moss
Julia Moss is the Chief Operating Officer of AVANCE – San Antonio. She believes strongly in AVANCE’s mission, vision, and theory of change.
Most recently Julia served as Chief Operating Officer of Si Se Puede Schools (formerly Relay Lab Schools), a partner of SAISD. Prior to that, Julia worked for KIPP San Antonio for several years, where her last position was Director of Regional Operations. Her operations experience includes managing facilities and real estate, maintenance, school operations, new school launches, transportation, technology, child nutrition, and health and safety across multiple locations.
Julia earned her undergraduate degree from Tufts University, with a major in Spanish. She also earned her Master’s in Business Administration from UTSA and is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She and her husband, Philip, have one daughter, Alison.
Albert Cardenas
Director of Analytics
Albert Cardenas is AVANCE - San Antonio's Director of Analytics and brings a diverse background of extensive military service and financial proficiency. He ensures that data is precisely and effectively used across various programs including the Early/Head Start, Parent-Child Education, and Caminos al Futuro initiatives.
As an active participant in both the Senior and Program Leadership Teams, his duties transcend the standard expectations. He ensures that data is both accurate and promptly applied, while their collaboration with the Executive Director, the Chief Program Officer, and the ERSEA Manager. He aids in driving compliance, improving quality, and steering the management team in their strategic planning with data.
Moreover, he is charged with the oversight of the management and implementation of AVANCE’s information databases. This encompasses the tracking, reporting, and analytical study of data of families and programs. His expertise also extends to the Early/Head Start database and the Signify database, tools widely utilized by United Way and the City of San Antonio.
Armed with a Master's degree in Organizational Development & Leadership and Department of Defense Level 2, Level 3 FM certifications his responsibilities include training staff on data usage, providing technical support to data system users, ensuring data accuracy, and reporting and analyzing information for board and leadership utilization.
His career spans from consulting roles at firms like KPMG and Booz Allen Hamilton, as well as Senior leadership roles within the U.S. Air Force/ Texas Air National Guard. When not delving into data and reports or his professional commitments, he enjoys family time with his wife & kids, wood working, and caring for the family pets.
Pricilla Henderson
Pricilla Ponce Henderson has proudly been with AVANCE for over 19 years. Her journey began as a Child Development Teacher and then progressed to Center Director, Manager of Center-Based Services, and Assistant EHS Director. Currently, she serves as the Early Head Start Director. Pricilla feels blessed to have the opportunity to give back to the community by educating and empowering the families AVANCE serves each day. Through leadership and role modeling, Pricilla strives to incorporate the AVANCE core values and AVANCE mission statement.
Pricilla is from San Antonio, married to her best friend – Lawrence, and has a very supportive family and extended family, which has prepared her to support all AVANCE families and staff. Pricilla has a passion for rescuing and fostering animals until they find loving, permanent homes. Additionally, through her strong faith, she firmly believes that all things in life are possible.
Jose Salinas
Jose Salinas is the Assistant Head Start/Early Head Start Director for the AVANCE Wintergarden Program. Jose has been working with Head Start for 28 years in the areas of Family Engagement, Fatherhood, as a National Reviewer for Head Start Programs, and currently as the Assistant Director. Jose is a strong supporter of the Head Start program and the lasting impact it has on families. Jose’s most heart-felt moments are when families attribute their successes to the experiences they had participating in the Head Start activities and goal-setting process.
Jose is married and he and his wife, Lisa, have four adult children in their blended family, along with four grandchildren. Jose, when away from work, enjoys spending time at home with his wife and grandchildren to keep him quite busy.
Debra Randolph
Debra Randolph, a graduate of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas is a seasoned professional with a passion for business and human resource management. With over 15 years of dedicated experience in the field, Debra has established herself as a trusted human resource professional. Her journey in the realm of HR began in 2002, where she quickly excelled in crafting policies and refining HR practices within government contracting and for-profit sectors.
Debra's expertise spans a wide spectrum of HR affairs, including talent acquisition, staff development, conflict resolution, benefits administration, and legal compliance. She is adept at navigating HRIS systems and ensuring efficient HR records management. Throughout her career, Debra has been instrumental in fostering team cohesion and driving organizational growth through strategic HR planning and program implementation.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Debra is deeply rooted in the vibrant community of youth sports in San Antonio. She actively engages in initiatives aimed at supporting young athletes through the Columbia Track Club, a summer track and field program for kids ages 5 - 18. She is known for her unwavering dedication and passion for the sport of track and field. In 2023 she was inducted into the South Texas AAU Hall of Fame for her years of dedication to the sport of track and field and the youth of San Antonio.
Alicia Sebastian
With over a decade of experience in nonprofit development and program management Alicia has spearheaded numerous community initiatives aimed at supporting youth development, mentorship, and life/career readiness. Throughout her career, she has led and served in various capacities, working tirelessly to create pathways to success for our future leaders. Alicia was elected to the San Antonio Independent School Board in 2019 District 2, and has proudly served as Vice President since 2022, advocating for quality education and equitable opportunities for all students. In her most recent role, she served as the Director of Marketing and Communications and founding staff member at Essence Prep Public School.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Alicia is passionate about nurturing the next generation of leaders and creating a brighter future for our community. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality moments with my family including her four children and granddaughter. She also enjoys exploring the vibrant culture and rich history of San Antonio, walking, yoga and supporting local initiatives that promote education and youth empowerment. After studying at St. Philip’s College earning an associate degree in Sociology, she is working on her bachelor’s degree in general studies with a concentration in, Sociology, Finance and Education. She is set to graduate in the fall of 2024.
Alicia firmly believes that education is the cornerstone of progress and that every child deserves access to high-quality learning opportunities. Through collaboration, innovation, and a relentless dedication to equity, she is committed to driving positive change and ensuring that all students and families have the tools they need to succeed.
Erika M. Crespo
Erika M. Crespo, Director of Adult Education at AVANCE San Antonio, has been working with AVANCE since 2006 in the Parent-Child Education Program. She has held several different positions in the organization, including child development teacher, home educator, parent educator, and center director.
Erika was born in Austin, Texas, and grew up in Venezuela. After high school, she attended the Universidad Bicentenaria de Aragua and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Arts of Law. In 2005, she graduated from the Universidad Católica Andres Bello located in Caracas, Venezuela, with a Master's in Criminal Law and Criminology. Due to the political and economic problems that Venezuela has faced, in 2005, she decided to return to the United States and start a new chapter in her life with the goal of continuing her education and professional development. In 2006, she graduated with her son, Matthew, from the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program, and in 2013, she graduated from San Antonio College with an Associates' degree in Psychology.
Her goal has been to help parents increase their knowledge and parenting skills through effective parenting education and support services to help develop strong and stable families, healthy children, and promote economic self-sufficiency in families participating in AVANCE San Antonio.
Sylvia De La Pena
Sylvia De La Pena is the Director of Head Start for AVANCE-San Antonio, in partnership with Harlandale Independent School District. Sylvia has been with AVANCE for 18 years, holding various administrative positions. She whole-heartily believes in the mission and power of AVANCE to make positive changes in the lives of the families and children that participate in AVANCE’s programs.
Sylvia feels fortunate to be a member of the AVANCE team and looks forward to every day that she is blessed to be a part of this organization. Sylvia’s commitment to AVANCE is the same commitment she has for her own loving family - to always be there for them. Born and raised in San Antonio, her family now consists of one sister, a brother, and many nieces and nephews she supports by embracing them with love and guidance.