Community Engagement Advisory Board Members

Community Engagement Ad Hoc Committee for Proposal Prioritization

Purpose of the Ad Hoc Committee: This Ad Hoc Committee shall draft a report with a top three recommended prioritization of the proposal forms submitted by Community Engagement Advisory Board members. This report can then be utilized by Community Engagement Advisory Board members as they individually prioritize the proposals in a pre-meeting survey.

When the Ad Hoc Committee Can Convene: Summer

2024 Ad Hoc Committee Membership:

Lorenzo Gamboa
Parshan Khosravi
Jackie Nevarez
Mike Nguyen
Alexis Takagi

Michelle Cheang, EdD (She/Her/Ella)
Catalyze

Dr. Michelle Cheang is the inaugural Director of Catalyze, a collaborative fund seeking to jumpstart innovations in the field of career-connected learning through grantmaking, learning, and storytelling. Michelle brings over fifteen years of experience in community-based organizations, addressing education and equity, and promoting social justice for K-12, youth and adults. As a nonprofit practitioner, Michelle launched a youth education and workforce department operating three centers for opportunity youth, successfully partnered with K-12 public schools and industry leaders to provide college and career exploration and readiness programs, and strategically engaged with funders to align investments with organizational priorities. During her tenure as a community college dean, Michelle expanded career technical education pathways through K-12 dual enrollment partnerships, academic support services and instruction, and employer engagement. Michelle earned a Doctor of Education and Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge and bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California, San Diego.

Lisa Countryman-Quiroz (she/her)
Jewish Vocational & Career Counseling Service

Lisa Countryman-Quiroz joined JVS in 2013 and became CEO in January 2020. Under Lisa’s leadership, JVS has continued to flourish while evolving JVS programs and services to meet the rapidly changing needs of our current economic environment. Leading with empathy and vision, Lisa has set a 10-year strategic vision for JVS which will drive scaled impact and systems and policy change. Supporting this ambitious vision is a commitment to working in partnership across the social service ecosystem and creating and fostering a culture of learning and inclusivity to support the whole JVS community in achieving their full potential. Lisa currently sits on the Executive Committee and Stakeholder group for the California Worker Equity Initiative, the UCSF Healthforce Pathfinder council, the C2C Community Engagement Advisory Board, and the National Skills Coalition WIOA advisory council. Lisa holds a master’s degree in Comparative Literature from SUNY Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree in German and Classics from Loyola University Chicago.

Lorenzo Gamboa (He/Him)
Santa Clara University

Hola, my name is Lorenzo Gamboa. I am honored to be a first generation college graduate who grew up in rural Colorado to immigrant parents and now works as an admission officer for my alma mater, Santa Clara University. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Economics from Santa Clara, Masters of Science in Immigration and Education from University of Arizona, Masters in Business Administration from Santa Clara and an Educational Doctorate from the same very soon. I have spent much of my time exploring and understanding the opportunities and challenges that exist in higher education because I want to become the bridge of knowledge I and my parent’s once craved to understand. Now with close to two decades of work experience I aspire to make sure all families seeking out the same can become a reality.

Natalia Tonatiuh Gonzalez (she/her/ella)
Riverside County Office of Education

Born and raised in the Eastern Coachella Valley, Natalia Tonatiuh Gonzalez is the Community Engagement and Partnership Representative at the Riverside County Office of Education, where she focuses on building strategic partnerships to enhance educational opportunities across the region. With years of experience in education and public service, Natalia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA and a Master’s degree in Communication from California Baptist University. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California.

Adam Gottlieb (He/Him)
UNITE-LA

Adam Gottlieb serves as the Director of Postsecondary Strategy & Policy at UNITE-LA. In his role, he oversees policy and systems change strategy as they relate to postsecondary access and success at local, state, and federal levels. He also leads the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative, bringing together key leaders of K-12, higher education, workforce, civic offices, and nonprofits to support equitable education and career attainment in the L.A. region. Adam received a B.A. from the University of Redlands in Political Thought and Practice and an M.P.P. from Vanderbilt University in Education Policy. He is the current president of the University of Redlands Alumni Board of Directors and serves as a member of the University Board of Trustees. Adam also serves in advisory capacities for numerous state and education agencies as well as higher education institutions, supporting student success efforts.

Dar’rell Jones (he/him)
BLU Educational Foundation

My name is Dar’rell Jones, and I am a proud 2nd generational native of San Bernardino, California, where all 11 of my aunts and uncles were also born and raised. I graduated from California State University, San Bernardino with a degree in Biology and Business Administration. As a first-generation college graduate, I developed a deep passion for helping other first-generation students navigate their academic and career journeys. This passion has driven me to spend the past 5 years at BLU Educational Foundation, where I currently serve as the Career Program Manager. In this role, I oversee all of the organization’s career programming and collaborate with K-12 school districts, higher education institutions, and companies to create streamlined and purposeful career pathways.

Parshan Khosravi (He/Him)
uAspire

Parshan Khosravi is a community organizer, policy advocate, and business owner with a passion for education equity. He serves as the CA Policy Director for uAspire as well as the managing partner at KHK Solutions LLC. In addition, Parshan serves on the Board of Directors at the California Zoroastrian Center, Orange County. A first-generation immigrant and a former ESL student, Parshan brings with him over 10 years of experience advocating for education access and equity. Prior to joining uAspire’s team, Parshan served as the Government Relations Director for the UC Student Association, where he represented over 285,000 students of the University of California system at the state and national level, fighting for a more accessible and affordable education. A double alum of the University of California, Parshan received his Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Education Sciences from UC Irvine and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Orquidea Largo, EdD (She/Her)
University of California, Merced Center for Educational Partnerships

Dr. Orquídea Largo serves as Associate Vice Chancellor of Educational Partnerships responsible for the Center for Educational Partnerships (CEP) within the Student Affairs unit at UC Merced, which houses multiple state, federal, and privately funded academic preparation programs and serves as UC Merced’s Chief Outreach officer. She also serves as UC Merced’s chief outreach officer. During her 20+ year career at UC Merced, she has helped secure over $42 million in federal, state, and private grants to provide student, parent, and school- centered services aimed “to provide student,school, and parent-centered services that ultimately result in students having the greatest number of postsecondary choices from the widest array of options upon graduation.”

Karina Lopez (She/Her/Ella)
Compton College EOPS/CARE/ Next Up Program

My name is Karina Lopez; I am a Tenured Counselor for the EOPS/CARE/Next Up Program at Compton College. In my role I have the blessing to work with first-generation, low-income students, student-parents, and/or current and former foster youth. I guide them and mentor them to ensure they can successfully attend and complete college so they can make their academic, professional and personal goals come true. I have worked in higher education for 10 years and I previously worked at Pasadena City College and Mt. San Antonio College as an EOPS/CARE/Next Up Counselor. I am a first-generation college student and was the first to graduate high school and attend/graduate from college. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and my Masters in Educational Counseling from University of Southern California (USC).

Carla Lopez-Valdes, PhD (She/Her)
Para Los Niños

Dr. Carla Lopez-Valdes has been a social justice advocate in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years. Through this work, she has advocated for domestic workers’ rights, health access, civic engagement, and education equity for underserved communities across Los Angeles County. It is her personal mission to advocate for policies and programs that play a critical role in ensuring communities in need can fully thrive. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Government and Community Relations at Para Los Niños (For The Kids), an organization that works through a holistic lens to ensure children and families can succeed.

Jackie Nevarez (She/Her)
Sacramento City Unified School District

Introducing Jackie Nevarez, a trailblazing advocate for educational change in California. Jackie has journeyed through some of California’s largest school districts, connecting “boots on the ground” experiences with statewide organizations. She is currently the Coordinator for College and Career for Sacramento City Unified School District, in “The Heart of the State.” Armed with a Master’s in School Counseling and another in Marriage and Family Therapy, packaged with over two decades of experience, she serves on multiple boards, including the CSAC Financial Aid Advisory Board, The Timothy Tuition Program for Foster Youth, and the Nor Cal Army Community Relations Board. As a first-generation student, Jackie Nevarez lacked the cultural capital to understand the educational system; therefore, in all capacities, she now works to support efforts to capture the passion of California’s youth and provide them with a future worthy of their generation and beyond.

Mike Nguyen (He/Him)
University of California, Berkeley Student

Mr. Nguyen is from the San Francisco Bay Area and proudly represents all students across the State of California in overseeing the development of the Cradle-to-Career Data System. Currently, he is a first-generation undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Nguyen served in local office as Commissioner, representing nearly half a million youth in the County of Santa Clara. His work has centered around improving public welfare through educational advocacy, civic engagement, and hunger awareness. Mr. Nguyen is a national scholar and advocate recognized by numerous media outlets, the United Nations Association of the United States of America, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House.

Lisa Rodriquez (She/Her)
Kings County Office of Education

Lisa Rodriguez is the Director of Student Services for the Kings County Office of Education. Preceding this position, Rodriguez served as a Curriculum Consultant and Education Learning Coordinator and spent 12 years as a high school Agriculture teacher at Orosi High School in Tulare County. Lisa has a passion to ensure that All students have equitable access to become College and Career Ready. Lisa attended College of the Sequoias and then transferred to Fresno State where she earned a BA and her Single Subject credential in Agriculture Education and an Agriculture Specialist Credential. Rodriguez earned her Administrative Services credential and MA in Education Administration and Supervision from California State University, Fresno.

Alexis Takagi (She/Her)
Santa Clara University Doctorate of Education Student

Alexis Takagi is a doctoral student at Santa Clara University’s (SCU) School of Education and Counseling Psychology, studying Social Justice Leadership in Higher Education. Concurrently, she is the Basic Needs Coordinator in the Office of Student Life at Santa Clara University. Alexis earned her AA in Social Sciences from Foothill Community College in 2020 and her BA in Communications with high honors from Santa Clara University in 2022. She was subsequently appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as a commission member for the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), which oversees $3.2 billion in financial aid, serving as the student representative for the independent non-profit sector. Alexis is a proud first-generation California community college transfer student and student advocate.

Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton (She/Her/Ella)
Public Advocates

Sbeydeh is the founding Director of Higher Education at Public Advocates, a civil rights legal and advocacy organization. She also serves as Council Member in the City of San Leandro, representing District 1. Sbeydeh has over 17 years of executive leadership experience in the public and non-profit sectors focusing on equity centered policy and programs. Originally from Baja California, Mexico, Sbeydeh is a proud community college transfer student -making her a graduate of all three public higher education institutions in California. She also volunteers as Co-Chair of KQED’s Community Advisory Board and mentors underrepresented students transitioning from high school into college and community college transfer students.