ECS Senior Management

Executive Director

Lesslie Keller

Lesslie Keller joined ECS as Executive Director on March 1, 2007. She came to San Diego after serving for over fourteen years as the Director of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and six affiliated corporations. Prior to that she served as Assistant Controller for the national financial office of the United Methodist Church. Ms. Keller has been a CPA for over twenty years with experience in the corporate and public accounting areas. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina.

Vice President of Operations Harry Heyligers brings more than 20 years of senior management experience to his position overseeing all ECS programs including homeless and housing programs, clinical programs, employment programs, food services, and Head Start. He established and developed ECS Food Service Programs, including the agency’s innovative food service training program for formerly homeless adults. Devoted to the mission of ECS, this is Harry’s second stint with the organization. Harry is a graduate of San Diego State University.

Gene Merlino is the Assistant Vice President of ECS Child and Family Services. She is responsible for managing and administering ECS Head Start and Early Head Star programs. She has a baccalaureate degree in Child and Family Studies from Washington State University. She has been with ECS since 1987. Prior to joining ECS she worked for a variety of child development programs both privately and publicly funded. Gene became the director of ECS Head Start in 1990. Under her leadership the program has grown from serving 249 children in four part-day centers to serving 1,639 children in a variety of program options.

Holly Younghans has over 20 years in human and social services and holds a Masters in Social Work from San Diego State University. She started as a front line social worker for Child Welfare Services. Since then, her career experience includes public relations, management analyst, program management, program design and grant writing, strategic planning, business re-engineering, policy research and analysis, events coordination, and volunteer management.