2016 Guest Speakers

Walt DiMantova
Community College Partnerships/Strategic Advisor
EdgeMakers, Inc
Walter Di Mantova is Strategic Advisor for EdgeMakers, the world’s only organization focused entirely on innovation learning. Based in San Francisco and with operations in Brazil, Columbia and India, EdgeMakers and the associated EdgeMakers Institute provide learning experiences for a wide range of students and help build “innovation eco-systems”. Walt’s role is to develop partnerships with community colleges to make this happen.

Walt’s thirty-year work career has been based on a single mission: to save lives, build jobs and disrupt poverty through learning.

He has been Dean for Workforce Development for the California Community College Chancellor’ Office, the Director of Workforce and Economic Development for the Los Rios Community College District, and the Director of the internationally recognized Centers for Corporate Training at Eastern Michigan University. He’s been fortunate enough to lead teams that have helped train hundreds of thousands of workers around the world and generate over $110 million in funding.

Walt co-founded the Center for Creativity and Innovation in Southeast Michigan and is a Professional Futurist, an applied anthropologist who has developed programs in six different countries and an internationally recognized expert in the intersection of education, innovation and quality.

Kathy Booth
Research Associate
WestEd

Kathy Booth is a senior research associate at WestEd where she focuses on translating research findings so that practitioners can apply them to pressing concerns and facilitating opportunities for community college leaders to develop action plans based on evidence. Her recent projects include developing the LaunchBoard--a data system that links educational, labor market, and employment outcomes data, facilitating the creation of assessment competencies for the California Community College Common Assessment Initiative, and documenting employment outcomes for skills-builders--students who engage in short-term course-taking to advance their careers. Previously, she served as the executive director of the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) where she played a lead role in activities such as developing the Career and Technical Education Outcomes Survey, expanding research on the use of high school data to inform placement into basic skills courses, and documenting effective approaches to student support. Ms. Booth has also worked on a number of national projects including the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the Gates Foundation’s Completion by Design, and developmental education initiatives for Achieving the Dream.

Dr. Jill Stearns
President/Superintendent
Modesto Junior College

Dr. Jill Stearns began her presidency of Modesto Junior College on July 2, 2012. A California native, Jill was raised in the Central Valley and began her community college journey in online education at the West Hills Community College District. During her twelve years at West Hills, she held a number of administrative positions including three years as chief student services officer and five years as the chief instructional officer. Her experience includes accreditation, enrollment management, capital construction projects, and integrated planning. Under Dr. Stearns’ leadership, Modesto Junior College has become and Achieving the Dream institution, been awarded a pilot baccalaureate degree in respiratory care, and was recently selected as eligible for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

Lynell Wiggins
CTE Counselor
Pasadena City College

Lynell grew up in Central Los Angeles with an observant heart and a questioning eye. Upon earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master of education in college student affairs from Azusa Pacific University, Lynell would use the four-year private and public landscape as his training ground for learning to propel students forward. While at Occidental College he participated as a qualitative researcher in the Diversity Scorecard Project through the University of Southern California and forever became committed to the idea of increasing equity and excellence on college campuses. After concluding years of work as a residential and student affairs professional he transitioned to the public two-year setting as an adjunct counselor in 2004. He has used his first-generation/low-income reality as a periscope for helping students locate obstacles and prepare for life’s challenges as a counseling faculty member, by providing oversight to an African American themed transfer learning community, as a TRIO/Student Support Services counselor, by coordinating a student athlete community of over 550 students, and through serving as a CTE Counselor. Over the years he has participated on committees such as the CTE SB70/Tech Prep Directors, the Los Angeles/Orange County Regional Consortia, the Los Angeles County Community College Workforce Collaborative (LACCCWC), the PUSD Linked Learning Leadership Team, the Career Pathways Trust Grant Writing & Implementation Team, the Statewide Pathways Steering Committee, and as a founding member of the Pasadena Academic & Career Trust (PACT). After years of accumulated higher education experience, on July 2013, he was hired as a tenured track Counselor assigned to the Career Technical Education division at Pasadena City College, where he helps to build career pathways and forms vital dual credit links throughout the Pasadena Area Community College District.

Sean Glumace
K-14 Career Pathways - State Technical Assistance Provider (TAP)
Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy, California Community Colleges

Sean has been a education advocate, graphic designer, comic book letterer and digital media instructor for over two decades. He is currently the K-14 Pathways – Statewide Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) under the Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy, California Community Colleges initiative and an Adobe Education Leader.

Angela Allison
K-14 Career Pathways - State Technical Assistance Provider (TAP)
Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy, California Community Colleges

Angela has dedicated over 20 years to serving both K-12 and Community College educational programs. Her visionary leadership and collaborative spirit has championed innovative solutions to better serve students. She has served in both Student Services Division and the role of Administration as the Director of Special Projects/Grants as well as CTE Dean on a college campus. All of her experience has culminated into her current role as Key Talent-- K-14 Pathways – Statewide Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) under the Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy, California Community Colleges initiative.

Marilyn Ashlin
Capital Region Pathway Senior Specialist
Education Partnerships
Foundation for California Community Colleges

Marilyn Ashlin is a Senior Specialist in Workforce Development with the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC). In this role she is responsible for college engagement in the Foundation’s career pathway and work-based learning workforce development initiatives. Prior to joining FCCC, Marilyn served as business services representative for the workforce development boards of Solano and Contra Costa counties and was on the work experience faculties of Santa Rosa Junior College, College of Alameda, and Diablo Valley College. At Diablo Valley College Marilyn participated in a number of workforce development projects and served as interim coordinator of Cooperative Work Experience Education. Before entering the higher education and workforce development fields, Marilyn was a senior manager, trainer, and career development consultant in private industry. Marilyn received a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from Purdue University.

Peter Davis
Director/Sector Navigator
Advanced Transportation and Renewable Energy (ATRE)
Doing What MATTERS, Economic and Workforce Development
California Community Colleges
Peter Davis is a native of California. He attended California Community Colleges receiving degrees in Music, Drama and a FAA Airframe and Powerplant Certificate. At San Diego State University he completed degrees in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education, a Ryan K-12 Music Credential and he aslo completed a Master's Degree in Organizational Management.

Mr. Davis, ATRE Director/Sector Navigator, uses his 22 years of experience with public, private, industry, and agency stakeholders to align resources needed by the Workforce to keep California competitive in the ATRE global marketplace.

Peter currently directs the efforts of 4 California Community College ATRE Deputy Sector Navigators, strategically located throughout the state, which provide training in the areas of alternative fuels, alternative fueled vehicles (AFV), intelligent transportation systems, Renewable Energy such as Biomass, Geothermal, Wind, Solar PV, Concentrated Solar and newly emerging technologies. Through his leadership, guidance and coordination of the ATRE employers needs are assessed and meaningful AFV and Renewable Energy training programs are developed and delivered. The results are consistent, replicable curriculum, services and programs tailored to the needs of each region and employer in California.

John Merris-Coots
CalCRN
California Department of Education

John is the coordinator of the California Career Resource Network (CalCRN) program at the California Department of Education (CDE). He has been an Education Programs Consultant at the CDE and supported the development of CalCRN’s career development resources since 1998. These resources include the California CareerZone, the California Career Center, and the Career Surfer mobile application.

Jim Anderson
Dean of Instruction
Merced College

Jim Andersen obtained his BS and MS in Agriculture Education from Cal Poly SLO and is in his 35 year as a CTE educator. He served 13 years as an Agriculture Teacher at Merced High School, 13 years as an instructor of Mechanized Agriculture and Diesel Equipment technology at Merced Community College, and currently serves as the Dean of Career Technical Education at Merced Community College.

David Clark
Dean of Career Technical Education
Reedley College

David was born and raised in San Diego, California attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and graduated with a Bachelors and Masters of Science Degree in Agriculture. He has taught Agriculture for 23 years before taking a position as the CTE Dean of Instruction at Reedley College. David served as the CTE Dean for 8 years and supervise programs in 3 departments; agriculture and natural resources, industrial technology and business. He also has been involved in many projects, one of which is working closely with our local feeder schools that have CTE programs (Valley ROP) and help create many dual enrollment pathways that lead to Reedley College.

Fabrizio Lofaro
Director of Instructional Services
Valley ROP

Fabrizio was born and raised in Rome Italy where he attended the Italian Institute of Cinematography and Arts. After graduating with a degree in Film and Broadcasting and working in the industry for four years, he decided to continue his studies in the USA. He enrolled at Fresno City College and then transferred to California State University Fresno and graduated with a Bachelor in Science in Business Administration.

After college he taught broadcasting, business and photography courses for 12 years for Valley ROP and Clovis Unified, before taking a position as the Director of Instructional Services with Valley ROP.

He has been in charge of many project, one of which is coordinating "Dual Enrollment" process and courses between Valley ROP, our partnering districts and State Center Community College District (SCCCD).

Shannon Wells
Foundation for California Community Colleges

The Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy framework invests funding and resources in industry sectors that are key to California’s economic growth. Its industryspecific workforce services are coordinated through a system of sector specialists that align community college and other workforce development resources with the needs of industry sectors and occupational clusters through a regional focus. The goal is to invest in the skills of California’s workforce – now and in the future – through partnerships with business and industry that result in highly specialized industry training, technical consulting and business development. The end result is to meet industry’s need for skilled workers.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation. It is composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills courses in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.