We stand up for our community and stand behind our students.

Robert Aguallo holds over 33 years of investment management, benefits administration, and state and local government experience, including leading the investment activities of one of the largest public pension funds in the United States. More recently, he was a de novo founding member of a community bank, Golden Pacific Bancorp, and served as a Board of Director for 12 years. He began his career in the California State Legislature as a Legislative Fellow for the Latino Legislative Caucus. He has been active as a mentor to students at U.C. Davis, a member of the Chicanx/Latinx Alumni Association, and served on the U.C. Davis Alumni Board of Directors. He has served on the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He also served as a Board Member of the Robert Toigo Foundation, which assists minority students with both leadership development and scholarships to attend the leading business schools in the country.

I wear many hats and enjoy being a part of each one. As a licensed therapist with the County of LA, working with adults can be extremely satisfying. I have a great love for animals and look forward to joining the practice of therapy with horses. I also enjoy coaching young adults in a variety of sports.

Experienced social justice advocate in policy and program analysis with a demonstrated history in removing systemic barriers to create access and facilitate success for historically marginalized populations underrepresented in higher education. Skilled in Fundraising, Student Development, Higher Education Administration, Policy Analysis, Data Analysis, and Statistics. Strong education professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in Education Policy Studies from Indiana University Bloomington.

Director of Pre-College TRIO Programs for ETS/Upward Bound at UC Davis’s College Opportunity Programs. With over 32 years in TRIO, he has led Talent Search since 2004 and Upward Bound since 2014, bringing more than 25 years of grant writing and peer review experience to the work. He served as WESTOP President in 2017–18 and COE Chair in 2023–24, and spent four years as a Washington Unified School District Board Trustee (2012–16). A frequent voice at regional and national TRIO conferences for over two decades, Sam has spent his career expanding college access for first-generation and low-income students

Originally from Mexico, Mr. Carbajal-Ramos started his academic career over 17 years ago as an undocumented student, club advisor, outreach coordinator, academic counselor, and program manager. He earned a bachelors from UC Riverside in Psychology, focusing on Education and a Master’s in Education from Point Loma Nazarene University. During his career, Javier worked to develop and implement new recruitment strategies, assisted in redesigning the First Year Experience for students, and as an adjunct counselor worked with undocumented students as a Safe Zone Training Lead. Javier is an advocate for the rights of all students and a strong believer that everyone can accomplish their educational goals. Throughout his career, he has worked hard to create welcoming places and has lead trainings for faculty/ staff on how to best support undocumented students. As the counselor at the DRC, he support student academic, personal and career goals.

Manager with a broad understanding of public health, municipal operations, and community building. Focused on health equity, collective impact, and performance management. Direct experience with financial management, quantitative analysis, budgeting, human resources, civic engagement, and program coordination. Dedicated to ensuring everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthy.

I’m a transformative leader passionate about shaping the future of education through inclusive and equitable practices. With extensive experience across K-12, community colleges, and university settings, I've developed a knack for implementing strategic visions that achieve significant educational goals. My leadership journey has been marked by a deep commitment to inclusion, access, equity, and social justice. Navigating the complex terrains of educational systems, I've effectively managed administrative, academic, and student affairs, ensuring that every initiative aligns with institutional goals and enhances community impact. My approach is hands-on and strategic, adept at steering organizations through transitions such as budget cuts, program restructurings, and personnel shifts. I believe in the power of collaboration and clear communication, fostering an environment where everyone understands their role in achieving collective goals. Renowned for my robust budget management skills, I prioritize and uphold values that reflect our core mission—enhancing student success and ensuring the sustainability of our programs. Let’s connect and explore how we can collaborate to make a lasting impact in the educational sector!

Galvan received a B. A. in Chicano Studies and a Master’s in Education at UC Davis. He boasts a 30-year career at UC Davis, where he retired as a Retention Coordinator at the Student Academic Success Center (now known as Student Life, Campus Community, and Retention Services). He was integral to the UC Davis Special Transitional Enrichment Program (STEP), and he was an early supporter of D-Q University and Chicano Studies. Outside of Davis, he was active in many of the local community organizations and activities.

Known by many as Alek, I'm a proud third-generation Mexican American from the foothills of Los Angeles County and a dual-degree graduate student at UCLA pursuing a Master of Architecture (M.Arch) and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP).My work is rooted in the stories and struggles of the Mexican American community. Having witnessed the erasure of cultural landmarks and the displacement of families across Los Angeles County, experiences that mirror my own grandparents', I view the built environment as a high-stakes intersection of power, policy, and identity. Today, I work across design, planning, and advocacy. As a Student Professional Worker with LA City Planning, I support the Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) program, where preservation policy meets neighborhood identity. With the LEAP Institute, I support "Equity Through Design" initiatives and economic empowerment plans for the City of Huron in the Central Valley. There, I lead my individual client capstone research project through UCLA's Department of Urban Planning. As project manager, I coordinate every component of the final deliverable and collaborate with the architecture department at the University of San Francisco, my alma mater, to establish and analyze Huron's first downtown core, examining its local economy and its role as a catalyst city for sustainability. My mission is to pair architectural aesthetics with social justice. By integrating the technical rigor of architecture with the systemic strategy of urban planning, I aim to create resilient, inclusive spaces that honor cultural heritage and empower the communities they serve.

Since 2020, Dr. Rodriguez has served as the first Chancellor in Residence for Wheelhouse leadership institutes for current and aspiring community college presidents at the UC Davis School of Education. At Wheelhouse, he shares his expertise as a presenter, facilitator and program advisor for the CEO Institute on Leadership and the Advancing Leaders Institute, and helps to shape research projects focused on the community colleges’ real-time policy and practice needs. Dr. Francisco C. Rodriguez’s educational career spans over 39 years within California public higher education. After 10.5 years as Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, Dr. Rodriguez retired in November 2024 as Chancellor Emeritus. Dr. Rodriguez also served as superintendent/president of the MiraCosta Community College District (San Diego County), president at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, and Executive Dean at Woodland Community College. Dr. Rodriguez began his educational career at the University of California, Davis, in student affairs and served as the university’s first Cross-Cultural Center director. Dr. Rodriguez serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Board on Science Education and is a founding member of NASEM’s Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. Dr. Rodriguez also serves on the board of directors for UNITE-LA, the Puente Project, and the California Community College Baccalaureate Association. A first-generation college student and son of immigrant factory workers, Dr. Rodriguez completed his bachelor’s degree in Chicano Studies and a Master of Science degree in community development at UC Davis. Dr. Rodriguez earned a Ph.D. in education from Oregon State University and received an honorary doctoral degree from Loyola Marymount University.