Board of Directors

Managing Director, Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research and Senior Fellow, Stuart Foundation. Formerly senior education policy advisor to Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg.  Previously a visiting journalism fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California and writer, editor and editorial board member at the Sacramento Bee.

Media consultant and former vice president and general manager, KQED Public Radio. Former director of administration and planning in the NPR news division. Former program manager of WGBH-FM in Boston, general manager of KPFA-FM in Berkeley, and station manager of WYSO-FM in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Served as a member of the NPR Board of Directors from 1998 to 2004, and its vice chair in 2002. Currently on the board of directors of NP Station Resource Group focusing on station-based strategic issues.

Superintendent, Compton Unified School District.  Earned a Ph.D in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California, and an MA in Educational Leadership from California State University, San Bernardino, and a BA degree from the University of Redlands. Has also served as a principal of middle school and elementary school and as a high school teacher. Currently in his fifth year as Compton Unified superintendent

Executive Director and CEO, Institute for Nonprofit News. Formerly senior vice president for The Associated Press for business development and partnerships; vice president of The Associated Press for the Western U.S. and Los Angeles bureau chief, where she established one of AP’s first multimedia desks. Served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa and The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships at the University of Southern California.

President, School Services of California, Sacramento. Former director of fiscal services for the Fresno Unified School District, Audit Supervisor for the Ticor Title Insurance Company and Auditing Officer for Union Bank in Los Angeles. Also former consultant for the Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). Member of the California Association of School Business Officials, and the Institute of Internal Auditors.

President of the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.  She has been the Government Director and then as the Second Vice President for Advocacy and Program in 2008. While serving the state League, she has been active in strategic planning, initiative and referendum reform, human resources, training, legislation, ballot measures, and redistricting.  She has been a member of the League of Women Voters since 1969.

Member, CTA Board of Directors, and sixth-grade history and math teacher at Stewart Elementary School in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Active member of United Teachers of Richmond, where she has served as faculty representative, elementary director, vice president and president. As a CTA State Council representative, Jackson served on the Political Involvement Committee as a member and later, vice chair. She was also chair of CTA’s Educational Change Workgroup. Like some of her colleagues, Jackson was inspired to become a teacher after having “very strong high school teachers” as a student in Great Britain. Jackson is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, and Pepperdine University.

President-elect, California State PTA.  Jaffe has been a PTA leader for 20 years, most recently as statewide vice president for education. She is a past president of Fourth District PTA, which serves the PTAs in Orange County. Celia has served on the Legislation Action Committee, the Resolutions Committee and many others. As a trustee of the Huntington Beach City School District 2004-2014, Celia served on the Delegate Assembly of the California School Boards Association. She holds a master’s degree in education and taught high school English for five years.

Founding Dean, School of Education, UC Davis (retired). Formerly Department Chair, Department of Education, UCLA, and Associate Provost of Education Initiatives, University of California Office of the President.

CEO & executive director for the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO). She oversees all of CASBO’s leadership, membership, advocacy, professional development and business efforts. Prior to her appointment as executive director, she served as CASBO’s assistant executive director for professional development. Molly has a B.S. in Organizational Development from Charter Oak State College and an M.S. in School Business Leadership from Wilkes University. In 2018, she will receive her Ph.D. from University of Pretoria. She earned her professional designation of Certified Association Executive from the American Society of Association Executives.

Orange County Superintendent of Schools since 2012. Prior to that served for six years as the Vice President of the College Board where he worked to expand the high school-to-university pipeline. While working in the San Francisco Bay Area as a project specialist for physically handicapped children in public schools, Mijares earned his master’s in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. He holds several school credentials, including school psychology and school administration.

Former Chief Executive Officer, Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team. With 38 years of service in public sector institutions in a variety of roles, Montero’s experience includes being superintendent of a medium-sized unified school district; assistant superintendencies in curriculum and instruction, business, and personnel; school principal, assistant principal, and classroom teacher.

Superintendent/CEO, Gateway Community Charters. Has worked in charter schools in a variety of roles, including teacher, principal and program director.  Past-president Region 3, and State Board Director, Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

Vice President, Jobs for the Future. Dr. Vargas leads the work of JFF’s High School Through College team. He also researches and advises on state policies to promote improved high school and postsecondary success for underserved students. Since joining JFF in 2002, Dr. Vargas has designed and implemented a research and state policy agenda for implementing Early College Designs; created policy frameworks, tools, and model legislation; written and edited white papers, research, and national publications; provided technical assistance to state task forces and policy working groups and served on a number of national advisory groups.