Valerie Coffman

Board Member

Valerie was born, raised, and currently lives in Little Village with her family. Before joining Enlace in 2019, Valerie focused her energy in the field of education, with an emphasis on early childhood and special education. She has experience with the Head Start and Universal Pre-k Programs at Chicago Public Schools, the Special Recreation Program at the Chicago Park District, and previously worked at the Helping Hand Center, a school for children with autism. She volunteers with Special Olympics Chicago and, for many years, she has supported the efforts of key Little Village institutions, including Little Village Academy and Piotrowski Park. In her current role, she coordinates the Little Village Education Collaborative’s Early Childhood Education Committee, through which she convenes key stakeholders and supports the development and sustainability of educational equity initiatives focused on Little Village’s youngest learners. Additionally, Valerie works to advocate for systems change, policy and advocacy efforts that truly meet people where they are. She also supervises the Parent Mentor Program, and works alongside the Parent Mentor Organizer to successfully implement program strategies to increase parent engagement, leadership and capacity. Valerie holds a Bachelor’s degree from George Mason University, and is currently enrolled in a dual graduate degree program at Erikson Institute and Loyola University.