A new leader has started at the Early Childhood Education Center at Salt River Schools. 

Dr. Heaven Sepulveda was recently announced as ECEC’s new leader. To help ensure that parents, guardians and families could have the opportunity to meet her, ECEC held two welcome gatherings on Feb. 23 and 24 inside the ECEC Gathering Place in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. 

Across both days, Dr. Sepulveda, a Community member, was congratulated on her new position. Former students with siblings attending ECEC, like Rihanna Tate, attended the event to extend their congratulations. 

Previously, Dr. Sepulveda worked in the SRPMIC Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. She completed her dissertation in May 2025 and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Arizona State University.

Additionally, she served on the Salt River Schools Education Board for eight years. She recently completed a three-year term as vice-chair, which concluded in November of last year. Dr. Sepulveda remained on the board for additional time until her replacement was selected. 

“I’m still learning a lot,” said Dr. Sepulveda said with a smile in between shaking hands and chatting with Community members during her meet-and-greet on Feb. 24. 

Now in her new ECEC position, which began on Lunar New Year in February, she is committed to ensuring that children’s academic success remains a priority because she knows the positive impacts that the ECEC has had on its students and the Community. 

She said, “My two children went here [to ECEC].” 

Dr. Sepulveda also taught at ECEC when she was completing her master’s degree program. 

She will now oversee ECEC’s upcoming campus developments, which include ongoing maintenance for playgrounds, classroom improvements and more. 

She will also ensure that the ECEC faculty and staff are supported with the resources and tools they need. More scheduled ECEC events featuring Dr. Sepulveda will be announced in the coming months. 

Following her meet-and-greet on Feb. 24, Dr. Sepulveda spent the morning visiting each classroom and officially introducing herself to current ECEC students.

“I want ECEC to be a place where future generations can succeed,” she added before embarking on her classroom visits.