California Department of Education

Allison Frenzel is an education programs specialist with the California Department of Education’s Academy, Apprenticeship, and Internship Office. She supports all Arts, Media and Entertainment (AME) Career Technical Education (CTE) programs in the state of California. Allison's work is centered around increasing access to industry-connected opportunities for AME CTE including the AME Workforce Development and California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) Grant and the California Film Commission Career Readiness program.

Anne Stanton, President, Linked Learning Alliance

Anne Stanton, president of the Linked Learning Alliance, has over 20 years of experience developing and implementing groundbreaking programs and initiatives that promote equitable outcomes for systemically underserved youth and communities. With a unique capacity to turn vision into impact, Anne has demonstrated success as a strategic philanthropist, policy influencer, and nationally recognized non-profit leader. Prior to joining the Alliance, and for over a decade, Anne was The James Irvine Foundation’s Program Director for Youth, where she was the principal architect behind the Linked Learning movement, a coordinated effort at the intersection of education, industry, and community to connect all young people to college, career, and purpose.

Sacramento County Board of Education

Bina founded and co directs the Youth Development Network, a non profit that trains adults on how to engage young people, from 2000-2010, impacted her approach and thinking about young people and the systems that support them. This combined with a decade of work in the public sector convinced her that engaging youth in public sector careers and as active citizens who vote, volunteer, lead and advocate, formed the foundation of her careers work in youth workforce development and civic education. She is proud to have helped start Summer At City Hall that exposes students to city government careers and teaches advocacy skills. This program has been replicated in several cities around the state through Accelerator grants from the California Workforce Board. She helped launch Innovative Pathways to Public Service collaborative that links government entities to our K12 Districts in our County, including a series of successful Youth In Government Day events. Working with their local Workforce Board and Los Rios Community College we received an Accelerator Grant to create a Grow Our Own Mental Health pathway collaborative that led to creation of a mental health apprenticeship program, paid stipends to fund students along the pathway to enter the mental health field, and a policy brief about high school age peer programs to support mental health of students in schools.

Climate Action Pathways for Schools

Bill Kelly is a professional engineer with 30 years of experience working in energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy management. Bill is passionate about protecting the environment and has dedicated his career towards ensuring that environmental protection goes hand in glove with growing our economy and creating great jobs. Bill started his path towards his mechanical engineering degree working as a high school student during summers for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) contracting company. Bill carried this experience into his mechanical engineering studies at Stanford, where he focused on designing energy efficient buildings. Bill’s first jobs after graduating from college were at a global HVAC manufacturer, York International. Bill also worked for, and held executive positions at SunPower, a leading U.S. solar manufacturer. Through his work at SunPower, he helped design a solar program focused on public schools. The program resulted in over a thousand solar installations at schools throughout the U.S. This work was impactful, rewarding and the inspiration of his founding of Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS). CAPS is a non-profit organization whose efforts include providing internships to high school students to help them prepare for highly skilled college and career pathways, and support them in the development of projects at their schools to reduce GHG emissions.

CA Workforce Association

Bob Lanter is currently the Executive Director of the California Workforce Association leading the way in workforce strategy and the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for the state of California. Bob has worked almost two decades in the public sector and non-profit industry, with experience in the field of workforce development and job training. He has held various positions in local workforce investment systems from case manager to the Executive Director of the Contra Costa County Workforce Board. He gained national/federal experience working for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration as a Federal Project Officer. Before taking over as Executive Director at CWA, Bob owned and managed a national consulting practice where he and his team facilitated organizational retreats, team building meetings, strategic planning and assessment projects for local, state, and national workforce development, government and non-profit organizations. He also has developed and delivered training curriculum and keynote addresses in multiple topics of workforce development that have helped inspire thousands of professionals in the industry. He graduated from California State University, East Bay with a Bachelors Degree in Personnel Administration and Industrial Relations; additionally he is a Certified Master Facilitator from the Institute of Cultural Affairs.

South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB)

Chris Cagle manages SBWIB apprenticeship programs and oversees new apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship development. Additionally, he coordinates the SBWIB’s intermediary/HUB activities, which includes financial and technical assistance to other sponsors, training providers, businesses and apprentices throughout California.

SEIU-United Healthcare Workers (UHW)

Denise covers issues related to workforce, licensing, regulations, workplace safety, and equity. She previously served in several roles in the California State Assembly, most recently as Legislative Director for Assemblymember Christy Smith (D-Santa Clarita). Denise’s prior professional experience has been at the intersections of public health, technology, and service delivery.

LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network

Elisa R. Nieblas began her career in the private sector, as an insurance specialist with State Farm Insurance Company before finding her passion in public service. In her current role as an Apprenticeship System Navigator, she’s able to apply valuable skills as a WIOA Case Manager and her personal experiences as a first-generation indigenous female, who’s done the work of shedding the intergenerational traumas, and thrived professionally and personally with drive, passion and empathy.

Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC)

Eric Morrison-Smith, Policy Director, manages California State policy for the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC), a national network of community and advocacy organizations coming together to advance race and gender justice by transforming policies that are failing boys and men of color and their families. Before joining ABMoC, Eric focused on strategy and communications while leading a regional initiative to lower youth disconnection rates in San Diego County. Eric was also the Program Manager at RISE San Diego, an organization working to elevate and advance urban leadership through dialogue-based civic engagement and organizing support to increase the capacity of urban residents to effect meaningful community change. He currently sits on the board of Mid-City CAN and the Tariq Khamisa Foundation. Eric is an avid reader of history, race, and political economy books in his free time and organizes a community learning space - Borrowed Knowledge.

Named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People, Jeffery Wallace is a social impact entrepreneur engineering solutions to the social, economic, and racial disparities impacting America’s most vulnerable workers - young adults of color. As President and CEO of LeadersUp, Jeffery leads a movement to evolve Corporate America’s approach to at-risk talent and create an inclusive economic recovery post-COVID-19. Under his leadership, LeadersUp has impacted over 60,000 young adults for an estimated total economic impact of $956M.

A native of Richmond, California, Jeffery proudly attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education before earning a master’s in organizational development from the University of California, Berkeley. Jeffery serves on the board of the Los Angeles Urban League, the Nate Parker Foundation, and California Forward. He recently was appointed as a commissioner to the Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board where he will provide an urgent voice that will ensure Los Angeles County has an equitable economic recovery from COVID 19.

Alphaworks

Jonathon went through the Bitwise pre-apprenticeship program and is currently an IT Specialist Apprentice with Alphaworks. He is very passionate about advocating for and supporting youth and hopes to be what he wishes he had when he was a youth.

Rialto Unifed School District

Joseph R. Williams an elected member of the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees Crafton Hills College, San Bernardino Valley College, and Empire KVCR – the PBS and NPR affiliate station for Inland Southern California on TV channel 24 and 91.9 FM. Williams has served on the board since 2013 representing Area 2 which includes the communities of Muscoy, Rialto, and San Bernardino.Williams is Community Agent of Strategic Partnerships at the Rialto Unified School District and is a governor’s appointee to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and California Workforce Development Board. Additionally, he is the founder of Youth Action Project (YAP), a non-profit organization dedicated to preparing Inland Empire students for college and workplace success. Prior to founding YAP, Williams served the County of San Bernardino for nine years, working in behavioral health, workforce development, and sheriff’s departments. Williams is an alumnus of Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Redlands, and a master’s degree in social impact from Claremont Lincoln University.

California Department of Social Services (CDSS)

Korena has worked in the social services field for over 20 years beginning as a child welfare worker, an independent living coordinator, and more recently worked on improving outcomes for foster youth. Korena is the chair of the CA Interagency Advisory Committee’s (IACA) Homeless and Foster Youth Committee. She is honored to continue working on behalf of homeless and foster youth and advancing the apprenticeship success of youth.

In her role as an advocate for California cannabis workers, Kristin helps create and build UFCW’s Cannabis Workforce Development program, and bring the voices of UFCW’s workers to the California capitol. Born and raised in the San Joaquín Valley, Kristin has spent over 20 years in the labor movement, has a degree in Social Work from California State University Sacramento and resides in Sacramento.

Through collaborative efforts, Pam is helping to coordinate and lead the first-in-the-state “High School Apprenticeship Program” called ARCH – Apprenticeship Reaching Career Horizons –for high school students to become registered apprentices. These efforts are part of a CAI grant she co-wrote and received through the Community College Chancellor’s Office. Pam has over 35 years in education, working at Linden High School for 20 years as the College/Career Readiness Counselor and CTE Director. Prior she worked at Delta College as the interim CalWORKs Director, and at Humphreys College as an Admissions and Career Placement Director. She earned her Master of Arts degree at University of the Pacific in Educational Counseling and Psychology in 1996.

Moreno Valley College

Rosalinda is a dynamic Workforce Development Coordinator with a result-driven history of working with companies, counties, higher education, K12, County Office of Education, and politicians. She has diverse effective communication skills to build and foster relationships and collaborations, apprenticeship, internships, work-based learning, on-the-job training, contract negotiations, management, quantitative research, organizational development, and recruiting. She is savvy with innovative technical and social media skills. Professional Master Trainer for NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research). She has over 20 years experience with workforce development, business solution consultant, workforce talent pipeline builder, career coaching/counseling, case management, curriculum development, project management, and event planning.

CA Community College Chancellor’s Office

Sandra Sanchez brings more than 28 years of experience in leadership, staff development, collaborative governance and project management both in the public and private sector. As interim vice chancellor, she is responsible for a portfolio of more than $1.2 billion serving 116 California community colleges. She administers the Strong Workforce Program (SWP), Strong Workforce K-12 program, California Apprenticeship Initiative, California Adult Education program, Nursing/ Allied Health, Federal Perkins V and Workforce and Economic development.

Prior to the Chancellor’s Office, Interim Vice Chancellor Sanchez served as a dean of academic affairs and dean of Workforce and Economic development at Los Angeles Harbor College. Over the past two decades, Sandra has held management positions at three of California’s largest community college districts: Los Angeles Community, Santa Monica and Long Beach City. She is most proud of her efforts to assist underserved populations, first generation college students and other diverse populations needing support and college transition, retention and workplace opportunities. Interim Vice Chancellor Sanchez is a native of Southern California. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Long Beach and an MBA from the University of Redlands.

San Joaquin County Office of Education-COSP

Stephen graduated from high school at Venture Academy in 2022. He is intrigued by anything with technology which is why the apprenticeship with ARCH has been such a great opportunity for him. He works every other day with a great team that helps him learn and prepare for his future.