Debra Colman

Debra Colman is the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education (OAECE) at the LA County Department of Public Health.  In her current role, Debra leads practice, policy, and systems improvement efforts to build a high-quality, affordable early care and education system for all of LA County’s children.  With over 2 decades of experience leading innovative initiatives for children and families, Debra has specialized in building the capacity of early education providers, school districts,  and community organizations to deliver quality early care and education services.  Also, Debra has taught graduate students in partnership with the UCLA School of Education and is a Field Instructor with the UCLA and USC Schools of Social Work. For several years, Debra served as a Senior Program Officer with First 5 LA and spearheaded early care and education legislative policy and system change strategies.  Debra’s most recent accolades include the 2021 Collaboration Award from the LA County Department of Public Health, as well as the 2022 Innovative Practice Award for the Los Angeles County Early Childhood Education COVID-19 Response Team from the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO).  Also, Debra is a Senior Fellow with the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a member of the Partnership for Early Childhood Investment’s Executive Committee.  Born and raised in Los Angeles, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from Cal State L.A. and a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UCLA.