President, Chief Executive, Child Development Institute
A licensed marriage and family therapist with board certification in behavior analysis, Tessa Graham has spent more than 25 years shaping early-childhood outcomes in the San Fernando Valley. As president and chief executive of the Reseda-based nonprofit Child Development Institute, Graham oversees services reaching approximately 25,000 families annually across Los Angeles County—serving children of all abilities and income levels. She has held the top role at CDI since 1999 and simultaneously serves as adjunct faculty at California State University, Northridge. A 2025 op-ed Graham authored in the Los Angeles Business Journal spotlighted a post-COVID-19 developmental-delay crisis, warning that only 17% of children who need early intervention receive it.