Dr. Clifford Daugherty, Founder and President of Agape Schools
Dr. Clifford Daugherty is the President of Valley Christian Schools (VCS), the Quest Institute for Quality Education and Neighborhood Christian Schools. He served as Founding Principal at Los Altos Christian School in Los Altos, California and founded the Santa Clara County Christian School Association (CSA) in Silicon Valley.
Dr. Daugherty is the author of Quest for Excellence and Fly with Your Dreams. He and his wife Kris have two children and five grandchildren.
Julie Kennedy, NCS Executive Director
Julie Kennedy joined Neighborhood Christian Schools as the Executive Director of the San Jose campus (NCP) in August of 2014. Born and raised in Washington State, Ms. Kennedy began her early childhood ministry in 1991 serving in 1 of only 2 Intergenerational programs in the United States. After completing her undergraduate work she moved to the Bay area to finish college and began serving in ministry as both a teacher and director. Ms. Kennedy currently also serves as an associate professor for San Jose City College, Foothill, and DeAnza, Partnership projects include her work on the NAEYC accreditation team for SJCC, the CAP program with the State of California, coaching and mentoring teachers through the CA permit process, and speaking at Early Education conferences.
A. Concordia University – Curriculum and Development – Specialization in Leadership
A. Saint Mary’s College - Early Education - Specialization is Supervision and Leadership
A. Saint Mary’s University – Business Management
California Child Development Permit – Program Director
Certification – PITC/Environmental Rating Scales/California State Permit Process
Megan Cerrato, Campus Director & Lead Teacher
Megan Cerrato's journey at Hillside Neighborhood Academy is a story of growth, dedication, and genuine love for the children she serves. Since joining the HNA family in 2019, Megan has worn many hats — starting as a Teacher's Aide, growing into a Co-Teacher, and then taking the helm as Lead Teacher of the beloved Leaping Lizards class. Today, she proudly serves as Campus Director.
Megan has a deep passion for early childhood education and is a champion of play-based learning — believing wholeheartedly that curiosity, creativity, and joy are the foundations of a child's success. Watching her students stretch their minds, develop new skills, and grow into confident learners has been, in her own words, an amazing journey.
Outside of HNA, Megan and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters. As a family, they love to travel and are always up for a new adventure. When she's not with her family, you'll most likely find her out on a run or curled up with a good book and a giant iced coffee — three of her very favorite things.
Kathy Harmon, NCS Family Engagement Coordinator
Kathy Harmon has worked with infant and preschool-age students for thirty-five years at a local private Christian school in the Santa Clara Valley. For nineteen of those, she had the privilege of being the director and mentoring new teachers. She loves working with young children and helping them develop socially, emotionally, and physically.
Creating a partnership between families and schools for the betterment of the children is one of the core principles she believes in. She also values allowing children the opportunity to be creative, collaborate, and enhance their cognitive abilities while utilizing a play-based framework. Working with infants and preschool children is truly a calling and a blessing from God.
During her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandson (who will be attending preschool here), going to Disneyland, and taking her dog for walks. She and her husband have two daughters, one grandson, and four “grandpets”. She looks forward to utilizing her prior experience and coming alongside you all for children and families at NSC.
Dayna Pawlowski, NCS Marketing Director and NCP Subsidy Specialist
Dayna Pawlowski serves as Marketing Director and Subsidy Account Manager for Neighborhood Christian Schools, bringing a rare combination of creativity, operational expertise, and deep-rooted passion for early childhood education to everything she does.
Dayna began her ECE career in 2000 as a Preschool teacher, later teaching Kindergarten after studying Child Development and Business at West Valley College. Since joining the NCS family in 2014, she has contributed in nearly every capacity — substitute teacher, administrator, payroll, accounting, and more — giving her an unparalleled understanding of what it takes to run a thriving early childhood program from the ground up.
In addition to her leadership role at NCS, Dayna is a culinary educator with nearly 20 years of experience teaching cooking classes for all ages. She owns and operates her own catering business and channels that expertise into NCS as the instructor of our enrichment cooking program — a hands-on culinary experience available to enrolled families throughout the year.
Shelly Frost, NCS School Support Director
Shelly Frost has worked in Early Childhood Education for over 25 years and is passionate about supporting children, families, and Christian preschool programs. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Bethany University and has served in a variety of leadership and educational roles throughout her career.
Her experience includes working as an Elementary Extended Care Director, Preschool Teacher, Assistant Preschool Director, Preschool Director, and currently as the School Support Director for Agape School Inc.’s Neighborhood Christian Schools. In her current role, Shelly supports multiple preschool campuses by helping strengthen school operations, staff support, licensing coordination, and program development.
Shelly values creating warm, organized, and supportive environments where children and staff can thrive. She enjoys encouraging others, building strong relationships with families and educators, and serving the preschool community with care and dedication.
Outside of work, Shelly enjoys hiking, exercising, reading mystery novels, spending time with family and friends, attending church, and helping others whenever opportunities arise. She is also a lifelong animal lover, especially when it comes to dogs.
Amber Skenduli, NCS Business Operations Manager
Amber Skenduli is a Certified Public Accountant bringing nearly two decades of experience in accounting, finance, and organizational operations to her role at Neighborhood Christian Schools.
Before joining NCS, Amber served for over 13 years as Business Office Director at a local Christian school, where she oversaw accounting, payroll, human resources, and financial reporting. Earlier in her career, she served as an Audit Manager at KPMG LLP in Dallas, leading domestic and international audit teams across multiple industries. Amber holds a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Abilene Christian University.
Beyond her professional work, Amber serves as Treasurer and board member for Daybreak Camp, Inc., a Christian nonprofit she has been involved with for over 30 years. Outside of the office, she enjoys crocheting, cheering on her children at their events, and spending time with family and friends.