Hilmar Unified School District, Hilmar
Mele Anderson is a teacher, farmer, and volleyball coach. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Hilmar, California where she currently lives. She is the fourth generation of a farming family that grows organic almonds. Mele graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Anthropology. After graduating, she worked in the Bay Area, New York, and New Jersey for the Stanford Alumni Association, Digital Impact, and Sony Electronics. Mele is a member of the East Merced Resource Conservation District board and the Heartland Festival planning committee and enjoys traveling, backpacking, cooking, and gardening in her free time.

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Westside Tule Enterprise Community, Fresno
Becky Barabe was raised in Fresno and has a B.A. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Administrative Leadership from Fresno Pacific University. She has and has worked for West Hills Community College, the Caruthers, Golden Plains, and Kerman Unified School Districts, the Fresno County Office of Education with 21st Century After School Programs, CalSERVE Technical Assistance and Training, and is currently working on economic development and community improvement in Coalinga, Five Points, Huron, and Tule. In addition, Becky is an adjunct faculty member for West Hills Community College in the area of job readiness and retention, workplace communication skills, and customer service, an Eagle Institute facilitator, and a trainer for AVID tutorial and academic organizational skills; and a grant writer, specializing in educational programs.

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Jefferson Elementary School, Reedley
Anita Betancourt was born and raised in Dinuba, California. She has lived in Reedley for the last 30 years, where she helped raise 6 children. Anita was a Religious Education Coordinator and Master Catechist for three different parishes for almost 25 years. During these years, she became a foster parent and adopted three of their six children. After 22 years of volunteer work at Jefferson School she was hired to implement a California Based Educational Training Program where she helps Spanish speaking parents learn English, enabling the parents to help their children with their homework. Anita was recently elected to the Reedley City Council in the first-ever at large district election, of which she successfully helped to spearhead.

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California Indian Manpower Consortium, Inc., Sacramento
Richard Cruz is of Pomo descent on his mother's side and Paiute/Pit River tribes on his biological father's side. He was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley. After graduating from San Joaquin Delta College, he transferred to California State University, Sacramento where he majored in Government. Currently Richard resides in Elk Grove, California and works for California Indian Manpower Consortium, Inc. (CIMC) as the Youth Development Specialist Supervisor for the Youth Opportunity Grant Central California Region. Richard also volunteers for various other community activities and recently assisted with the Native Vote Project and the Sons and Daughters of Tradition program for urban Indian youth.

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Manteca
Gabriela Dela Mora was born and raised in Manteca, California. She is currently working on her B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Social Inequality at California State University, Stanislaus. At CSU Stanislaus, Gabriela is in the University Honors Program and a 2004-05 Rogers Scholar. Gabriela will continue with her Master's in Public Administration. In the community, Gabriela is on the planning committee for the annual Civic Education Collaborative that empowers youth to be active in their communities. Also, she is on the planning committee for the Empire Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. In addition, Gabriela works for the Stanislaus County Office of Education, Child and Family Services as an ESL Childcare Teacher.

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First 5 Kern, Bakersfield
Alexis is the second most senior member of the First 5 Kern staff. Her education includes a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder as well as an M.A. in Social Service Administration with a Certificate in Health Administration from the University of Chicago. She has a diverse employment background with experience in academic research and running a community center. Her primary responsibilities include overseeing the Program division, including the supervision of three Program Officers and overseeing the program evaluation and general oversight of all Proposition 10 funded programs in Kern County. Alexis sees her role at First 5 Kern as one of helping to create an environment that fosters collaboration and the sharing of ideas—the foundation upon which significant partnerships can be formed.

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Stockton
Javier Gardea was born and raised in Stockton. He earned his B.A. in Native American Studies from UC Davis. While in school, Javier worked with several organizations such as Clinica Tepati, a student run free-clinic, and La Palabra, a bilingual student publication. Currently, Javier is a first year Xicana/o Studies graduate student at San José State University. Javier is also a Substitute Teacher, Aztec Dancer, and enjoys screen printing, photography and guitar playing.

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Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Bakersfield
Lou Gomez was born and raised in Bakersfield but has lived in Shafter, California since 1982. He took an early retirement from Pacific Bell after 26 years in various management, marketing, and sales positions. Since retiring in 1991 he has enjoyed many different employment opportunities, mostly connected to helping entrepreneurs start a business or helping business owners grow and prosper. He is currently the Executive Director of the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a business organization with over 400 members throughout Kern County. He enjoys community involvement and serves on the Boards of several nonprofit agencies and for-profit companies. He has served on the City of Shafter Planning Commission since 1992, and was recently elected to the Minter Field Airport District Board of Trustees in Shafter.

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Starbucks Coffee Company, Turlock
As a teenager, Fabian Mills spent most of his time envisioning ways to leave the place he was born and raised: Merced, California. Attending UC Santa Cruz and Universität Göttingen allowed him the opportunity to experience life outside of Merced and California. It was during this time that he began to appreciate life in Central California and discovered a way to return home. Fabian is currently a Store Manager for Starbucks Coffee Company in Turlock, California where he leads a group of energetic young employees that are willing to volunteer time and donate coffee to local charities and events. Outside of work, Fabian loves to travel, drink coffee, and discuss the future of Merced and the Central Valley.

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Southern California Gas Company, Fresno
Colby has worked in the air pollution field for 20 years and moved to Fresno in 1997 from Ventura County where she was raised. She is the Air Quality Manager in the Regional Public Affairs Department of Southern California Gas Company. Her education includes the study of earth sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz and air pollution management at the University of California at Santa Barbara Extension program. Colby's community activities are related to her commitment to air quality. She is very active as a director for Operation Clean Air, a grassroots, San Joaquin Valley organization made up of a diverse coalition of business, agriculture, labor, and community-based organizations. She is also on the Board of the American Lung Association of Central California, and the Golden Empire Section of the Air and Waste Management Association.

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CA Department of Transportation, Fresno
Henry Oputa is the founder and volunteer director of The Way Ministries...John 14:6 – a prayer, evangelism, and community service ministry founded in 1989. Henry is also an Associate Transportation Planner with Caltrans and an Associate Minister at Family Community Church. Henry is from Aboh, Nigeria and has lived in Fresno for twenty-five years. He is active in the Jefferson Neighborhood, the Downtown Pastors' Cluster, the Igbo Association of Central California and the California Chapter of the Ndokwa Association of America. Henry completed his undergraduate work in Business Administration at California State University, Stanislaus and his graduate work in Urban and Regional Planning at California State University, Fresno. He received his doctoral degree from California State University, Fresno/University of California, Davis Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.

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Ryan & Murphy Group, Inc., Redding
Jason Richart was born and raised in Redding, California where he currently resides with is wife, Erin. He attended the University of Arizona in Tucson where he received a bachelor's degree in Communication. While attending Arizona, he was an intern for United States Senator Jon Kyl in the Senator's Tucson office. After graduating he returned to California and started working for a member of the California State Legislature. Following his work for the legislature, an opportunity arose to work for Turtle Bay Exploration Park's development and marketing departments. After a very rewarding experience and a greater knowledge of nonprofit organizations, he began a new endeavor in the private sector as a commercial real estate appraiser. He currently works for a small firm in Redding and is actively pursuing his general commercial certification.

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United Public Employees of California, Redding
Dave Ritchie grew up in the Ottawa Valley, the National Capital Region of Canada. After four years in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, he graduated with distinction from Bishop's University with a degree in Geography, Sociology and Anthropology and then, in 1997, completed a Law Degree at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB. Dave began a career as a consultant, creating the contract documents for a National Heritage project to restore Confederation Boulevard in Ottawa, and then transitioned into Business Technologies Consulting. After five years providing service to small and mid-sized businesses in Ontario, British Columbia, Oregon and California; Dave joined the United Public Employees of California as a Labor Representative and IT Director - permanently relocating to Redding, California in 2001.

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Great Valley Center, Modesto
Dan Roix was born and raised in rural Massachusetts. After receiving a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Columbia University and working in Manhattan for a year he moved to Hilmar, California to work on an organic almond farm. Following six months of work on the farm, Dan returned to the East Coast to hike the Appalachian Trail. Having completed his hike he returned to California to work another harvest season on the farm and was hired by the Great Valley Center in the fall of 2002. Dan works for New Valley Connexions, a program of GVC focused on diversifying the economy of the Valley by providing information on new technology, clusters and communications infrastructure.

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Great Valley Center, Modesto
Born in San Francisco, Jessie Ryan began community organizing and canvassing for elections alongside her mother as a small child. Jessie recently completed a year of national service as an AmeriCorps* VISTA in the rural community of Lodi, California, where she coordinated a computer learning center, facilitated multi-lingual computer training, assistive technology, digital storytelling, and a grass-roots technology literacy campaign. Prior to joining the domestic Peace Corps, she hosted a televised community affairs program, wrote political commentaries for her college paper, and served as a campaign and press aide in Sacramento. She has also interned for several political reporters and holds her B.A. in Broadcast Electronic Communications from San Francisco State University. In May, Jessie joined the Great Valley Center as a Circuit Rider for Community Based Assistance Programs working as a community liaison. She hopes to pursue a career in public service.

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Boys & Girls Club of Tulare County, Visalia
Debbee Williams was born in Quantico, VA. She grew up in Arlington, TX and moved to the California Bay Area in 1995. She piloted a teen program with the City of Emeryville Recreation Department, initiated a countywide youth coalition through Alameda County's Friday Night Live Partnership, and later joined the California Friday Night Live Partnership office to lead their state programs. Currently she is serving a one-year term as a full time volunteer through the AmeriCorps*VISTA program at the Boys & Girls Club of Tulare County. Her focus has been to increase the capacity to provide technology programs through strategic planning, grant-writing, and staff development. Debbee received her B.A. in Youth Development from Concordia University, St. Paul. She looks to complete her M.B.A. with a focus in health care management in the spring of 2006.

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Community Services & Employment Training, Visalia
Jennifer Wood was born and raised in Bakersfield. She left the Central Valley to attend college at The George Washington University. She returned to the Valley for her graduate work and completed her M.A. at UC Davis in Economics. She is currently working to finish her M.S. at UC Davis in Community Development. Jennifer works with Community Services & Employment Traininig, Inc., the Community Action Agency for Tulare County. There she helps administer programs that create stronger communities and families including: community capacity building, neighborhood programs, microenterprises, regional initiatives, and leadership development.

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