Insights with a Regional Director – Courtney Nolan

Based out of Irvine, Courtney Nolan is a Regional Director at Catalyst Family that has brought valuable insight to our organization since joining us in early 2022. We had the pleasure of learning more about her current position and previous experience.

How long have you been with Catalyst? Can you tell us about your current role and your previous experience?  

I’ve been a Regional Director with Catalyst since late January of 2022 and during that time, I’ve been able to work with some wonderful teams.  I am a Special Education Teacher and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.  Over the years I have worked with kids with disabilities in clinic-based, home-based, and classroom-based settings. In my previous role, I oversaw Washington, Oregon, and Central Valley, CA for autism services.  I’ve worked in education my whole life. My mom was a Montessori teacher, so I grew up in the Montessori world until I got into Special Education.

Is there a particular Catalyst student or teacher who has inspired you?   

The RD team inspires me in a number of different ways, everyone has such different strengths. It has been great getting to know the team and seeing everything that is put into place. There has been so much change, and the RD team has been phenomenal. Rachel Champagne in Oxnard has been a huge support.

With so many great organizations to support, why should others choose to support Catalyst?  

The reason I came to the organization is because I am inspired by the quality that we provide to the students in our programs. We’re so different than many other programs I have seen over the years, quality and curriculum-wise.

What do you wish people knew about the world of child care)?   

I find out programs to be more than the standard “Care.” As I shared above, the educational components that go into our program are quite different from most other childcare programs. There is so much thought and planning that goes into the curriculum that makes us unique.

Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of?  

During my time at Catalyst, I’ve been so proud of my OC team’s collaboration; they are so positive and caring and have helped me to learn a ton about Catalyst.

Is there a particular experience/memorable moment that stands out to you in your time at Catalyst?  

I have seen so much creativity with our clubs, especially some that have taken place over the summer!

I also see some that focus heavily on social skills, where upon arriving the team will greet the visitor and have the children say in unison “Hello Ms. Courtney” and clap!  I mean, where else in the world can you go and have people clap when you come visit!  It’s amazing and so much fun!