Dina Cutler

Experience

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  Thomas J Pappas School

  Aug 1999 - Jun 2008

  • Principal

    Jul 2002 - Jun 2008

  • Teacher

    Aug 1999 - Jun 2002
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  Children First Academy

  Jul 2008 - Sept 2012

  Founding Principal/Community Development Director

  Children First Academy is an open enrollment public charter school under the direction of Sequoia Charter School . 325children are currently enrolled in Kindergarten through Eighth grade. 100% of our students receive a free breakfast and lunch. Our children routinely go without life's basic necessities. Food, clothing, water and a stable home are foreign to many of them. CFA offers students a specialized education while providing the individual care and attention that many are lacking. With all our combined efforts, homelessness around the world is growing. There are 29,611 homeless children in Arizona, 3,811 homeless children living in Maricopa County. And its not their choice. Homelessness is a devastating experience for families. It disrupts virtually every aspect of family life, damaging physical and emotional health and interfering with a child's education and development. We serve the whole child. In so doing, we facilitate stability where there is confusion, we give hope where there is doubt and we focus on self-determination where there was once a sense of entitlement. Show less

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  Sojourner Center

  Sept 2012 - Jul 2016

  Sojourner Center was founded in 1977 as an emergency program for women who had recently been released from prison. A passionate group of 12 visionaries recognized that women who were leaving the criminal justice system rarely had the skills or support to be successful in the outside world. Sojourner Center provided a temporary home as well as programs that taught self-sufficiency, empowerment, and family skills, which helped the women rebuild their lives and re-enter society.During the first four years, the staff and Board of Directors found that the dominant issue affecting the women at Sojourner Center was domestic violence. In an effort to better meet the needs of the women staying at the shelter, the Board changed the mission to focus exclusively on serving victims of domestic violence.Since then, the facility has grown from a house with only 28 emergency beds to three campuses with the capacity of 280 beds and 32 transitional apartments. Twenty- nine of the apartments are located at Sojourner Center's Transitional Family Living Campus. This facility also has a community clubhouse, as well as an education center, and a donation and resource facility which are currently under construction.Sojourner Center is one of the largest domestic violence shelters the United States. As a direct result of its capacity, Sojourner Center is able to serve over 2,900 women and children annually.I am responsible for the organization of monthly tours to the center, the organization of our yearly fundraising lunch that has 600 to 800 in attendence, our ambassador program, speaking engagements and third-party events. I would encourage you to come take a tour of Sojourner Center and see how we are helping to overcome the imapcts of domestic violence one life at a time. Show less

  • Children and Youth Services Manager

    Mar 2015 - Jul 2016

  • Major Gifts Officer/Interim Director of Development

    Dec 2013 - Jul 2016

  • Community Engagement Manager

    Jul 2013 - Jul 2016

  • Development Coordinator

    Sept 2012 - Jul 2016
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  PAPPAS KIDS SCHOOLHOUSE FOUNDATION

  Jul 2015 - now

  Board Member
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  Chandler Christian Community Center

  Jul 2016 - Apr 2017

  Family Resource Manager

  My duties include program implementation and grant compliance; promotes the program in the community and recruits participants; maintains partnerships and develops linkages for participants; works with volunteers and subcontractors in the delivery of services to the public; represents the agency at community meetings; schedules activities and ensures adequate supplies are on hand; prepares activity reports; and monitors and measures customer satisfaction.

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  Maricopa County Regional School District 509

  Apr 2017 - Dec 2023

  Esperanza Prep is a new K-8 school opening on July 31,2017. The school is part of Maricopa County Regional School District with schools that include Southwest Keys Transitional Learning Centers, Mesa and Durango Detention Centers, A New Leaf Transitional Center, Continued Hope High School and Hope College Career and Readiness Academy. Esperanza Prep will be a small school with 180 students. Class sizes will be no more than 20 in each class to ensure that every student receives individual attention from their teachers. Our school will be built on the framework that All Children Are Capable of Success, No Exceptions. Using the Kids at Hope Framework, our school is built on three universal truths:1. Belief- Children succeed when they are surrounded by adults who believe they can succeed, no exceptions.2. Connect- Children succeed when they have meaningful and sustainable relationships with caring adults.3. Time travel- Children succeed when they can articulate their future in four domains rather than one (which is usually Education and Career): Home and Family, Education and Career, Community and Service and Hobbies and Recreation.In addition to a quality, student centered education, we plan on providing our students with on-going medical care through an onsite medical clinic. Along with these services we will provide our students with clothes, shoes and hygiene items. This circle of care model will help to equip our students with future filled with hope and success. Show less

  • Director of District Projects and Resource Develoment

    Jul 2021 - Dec 2023

  • Director of Community Engagement and Outreach

    Jul 2020 - Jul 2021

  • Founding Principal

    Apr 2017 - Jul 2021
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  Salvation Army Metro Phoenix Advisory Board

  Feb 2022 - Jan 2023

  Board Member
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  Wilson School District No 7

  Dec 2023 - now

  Director of Community Engagement