Dr. Roopa Iyer is the Chief Program and Data Officer for First Things First, where she provides strategic leadership for programs, research, and evaluation. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she partners with the CEO, Board, Regional Councils, and Chief Early Childhood Systems Officer to guide data-driven decisions and strengthen Arizona’s early childhood system. She combines deep expertise, proven skill, and genuine passion to advance the well-being of young children, their families, and the early childhood workforce across the state.
She leads First Thing First’s statewide and regional program strategies, directing initiatives in early learning, children’s health, family support, literacy, and Arizona’s Quality First program, the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. She oversees FTF research and evaluation work to ensure all efforts are rigorous, relevant, transparent, and ethical, with measurable outcomes that inform decisions. Partnering closely with Tribal Nations, she ensures programs and data practices honor tribal sovereignty and align with Tribal Data Policies. She supports systems-level work, including measurement, across communities.
As a collaborative and strategic leader, Dr. Iyer works with state agencies, community organizations, tribal nations, and local, state, and federal partners to strengthen programs, policies, and data alignment. She advises internal teams on evidence-based practices, research, and data to support policy, communications, and strategic initiatives.
Since joining First Things First in 2008, she has brought deep expertise in program leadership, child development research, data analytics, evaluation, and early childhood systems change. She earned her doctorate and completed postdoctoral studies at Arizona State University and the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on child development, educational psychology, and advanced research methods. Dr. Iyer continues to expand her leadership through programs such as the Women’s Leadership Development Forum and Adaptive Change Leadership. She and her husband live in Chandler with their two children.