Tim Cohen and Jabari Smith Fraser have joined the Carpinteria Children’s Project (CCP) Board of Directors.
The additions bring the perspectives of a longtime Carpinteria community leader and current CCP parent as the organization continues its work supporting young children and families throughout the community, CCP officials said.
“We’re grateful and excited to welcome Tim and Jabari to the board,” said Teresa Alvarez, executive director of Carpinteria Children’s Project. “Together, they bring a parent voice, decades of management and project leadership experience, and a strong commitment to this community.
“Their perspectives will be incredibly valuable as CCP continues to grow and respond to the needs of local families.”
For Smith Fraser, joining the board grew directly from his family’s experience with CCP. When his family moved to Carpinteria, dual-language education for his daughters was a priority, he said.
But what ultimately drew the family to CCP was the organization’s work beyond the preschool classroom, Smith Fraser said.
As newcomers to Carpinteria, Smith Fraser said he and his family also wanted to find a way to contribute to the community they were going to call home. He joined CCP’s program and evaluation committee in spring 2026 before stepping into his new role on the board.
“When we moved to Carpinteria, we were looking for more than a preschool,” Smith Fraser said. “Finding a dual-language program was important, but what really stood out about CCP was how much happens beyond the classroom through the Family Resource Center.
“As people new to the community, we wanted to find a way to invest in it rather than just benefit from it, and joining the board was a way to do that.”
Smith Fraser directs analytics and SEO at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Previously, he worked in digital strategy and research with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, No Kid Hungry, and Safe Kids Worldwide.
As a parent and board member, he said he hopes to contribute his experience in research, evaluation and communications while bringing a family perspective to board discussions.
Cohen, a longtime CCP supporter, has lived in Carpinteria with his wife Janey for more than 40 years and brings three decades of management experience in the engineering design and environmental services industry.
Most recently, he has been involved with CCP’s capital campaign to create a new outdoor classroom. His community leadership includes board service with Girls Inc. of Carpinteria and the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center.
Cohen said CCP’s focus on both young children and the families around them is what makes the organization’s work especially meaningful to him.
“The opportunity to influence and help direct the caliber and character of tomorrow’s leaders is incredibly meaningful,” Cohen said. “Focusing on our community’s youngest children is a concrete step in accomplishing that.”
Cohen and Smith Fraser join Board Chair Peggy Dodds, Vice Chair Julie LeVay, Terri Allison, Lynda Fairly, Lori Pearce, Matthew Quirk, Diana Rigby, and Janis Salin.
Carpinteria Children’s Project works to help Carpinteria children and families thrive by providing quality early childhood education and connecting families with resources, services and support through its Family Resource Center.