Our Leadership
Jennifer began working at His Growing Grove in December of 2019 as the Assistant/ Enrollment Director. She is now the Executive Director. Jennifer received her BA in Child Development from Mills College. She’s spent several decades at another Childcare Center in Oakland before joining His Growing Grove. Her previous experience has been able to help navigate both keeping a childcare open and children safe during Covid-19. She is passionate about children and caring for her staff, constantly checking in to make sure everything is running efficiently.
Na’Shayla became part of the His Growing Grove family in 2020, right in the middle of COVID. She graduated from CSU East Bay with a BS in Kinesiology. Although her degree is not in Child Development, she has previous experience working at preschools in the Bay Area with children as a Recreational Instructor for more than 5 years. In her original role as an Office Aide, she helped revamp the office system to create more organization. Now in her role of Business/ Office Manager & Enrollment Specialist, she continues to strive to make sure HGG is a great place for children, families, and staff.
Darlene became apart of the His Growing Grove family in May of 2023. In her role as Office Assistant, she strives to help keep the office organized and paperwork up to date. She has previous experience working at preschools in an office setting. From in person to on the phone, parents and children may be greeted by Darlene. She helps make sure HGG runs smoothly.
Rev. Hallie Hottle joined us in July of 2023. She is the Pastor at First Pres. Prior to serving First Pres, Hallie served as Pastor at Village Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, and Miami Shores Presbyterian Church in Miami, FL. She graduated from Princeton Theology Seminary in 2011, and is currently working on her Doctorate through San Francisco Theological Seminary. She believes deeply that the Church is called to preach and practice the expansive love of God, which First Pres is doing every day, in a multitude of ways.
Lauren has been the Director of Children Ministries since 2019. She is crafty, witty, and is always considering others wherever she goes. Lauren has 4 children of her own, the youngest one being a student at HGG. She holds a Masters Degree. Lauren works closely with HGG and plans Community Activities such as Date Night and Play Dates, which allows our families to grow as a community.
