President and Professor Emeritus, California State University, Sacramento – Sacramento, California; President Emeritus, California State University, San Marcos –San Marcos, California
In 2012, the Mexican government recognized Alex Gonzalez with the Ohtli Award, its highest honor for leaders of Mexican descent. It recognized his efforts to pave the way for and improve the well-being of new generations of Mexicans in California.
He was appointed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Student Aid Commission and served six years as a commissioner for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the accrediting agency for higher education institutions in California and Hawaii. He also was appointed by then-President George W....
President Emerita, Antioch University – Seattle, Washington; Former President, Diné College – Tsaile, Arizona
Chosen as president of Antioch University Seattle, Dr. Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet became the first Native American woman to ascend to the presidency of an accredited university outside the tribal colleges. Prior to her presidency in Seattle from 2007 to 2013, Dr. Manuelito-Kerkvliet served as the first woman president of Diné College, a tribal college with 8 campuses located on the Navajo reservation situated in Arizona and New Mexico.
Dr. Manuelito-Kerkvliet is the great, great granddaughter of Navajo Chief Manuelito. She is born into the Towering House and...
Distinguished Faculty, Higher Education Leadership California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, California; Former Chancellor, Coast Community College District – Costa Mesa, California
Dr. Ding-Jo H. Currie’s career includes 30-plus years in the California Community College system with eight additional years in the California State University system. Ding-Jo retired in 2011 from Coast Community College District where she served as Chancellor. She also served as President of Coastline Community College prior to her Chancellor role. Currently, Ding-Jo is serving as Distinguished Faculty at CSU Fullerton and devotes herself in full-time leadership development work.
Having served in many key national leadership roles such as, Board Chair of...
CEO/Principal, Signature Solutions Corporate Results Executive Coach & Strategic Planner Former Executive Vice Chancellor of Strategic Planning, Partnership and Advancement, Peralta Community College District – Oakland, California
Elñora Tena Webb is an Executive Coach and strategic planner, leading a leadership firm, Signature Solutions Corporate Results. Previously, she served as an higher education executive, working with teams of faculty and staff to secure over $50 million in grants and gifts integral to building the enrollment and student success capacity of institutions. She was the Executive Vice Chancellor for the Peralta Community College District, and at its flagship institution, Laney College, she served as President from 2010-2016, Vice President of Instruction (Academic Affairs) from 2005-...
President Emeritus, California State University, Bakersfield - Bakersfield, California; Vice Chancellor- Business Affairs Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley – Berkeley, California
Dr. Horace Mitchell became the fourth President of California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) in July 2004 after thirty-six years of experience in higher education. Under Dr. Mitchell’s leadership, the university achieved national recognition for its efforts to extend the excellence and diversity of the faculty and academic programs, enhance the quality of the student experience and strengthen community engagement. He also was a professor of psychology with teaching and research interests in the areas of identity construction, multicultural psychology and psychological...
Associate Dean and Director, Native American Cultural Center, Stanford University – Stanford, California
Karen Biestman is the Associate Dean and Director of Stanford’s Native American Cultural Center, with teaching appointments at both Berkeley and Stanford Law Schools, and Stanford’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. Previously, she taught at Berkeley in Native American or American Studies since 1983, and held Student Affairs appointments on both campuses, with a year hiatus to serve as Director of Indian Education for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, in San Francisco.
Her expertise includes Federal Indian Law, Environmental...
Professor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley – Berkeley, California; Former Director, Media, Arts, and Culture, Ford Foundation
Margaret B. Wilkerson is a scholar, theatre director, experienced administrator and educational activist who devoted her life and career to social justice and equity in education and philanthropy. She is Professor Emerita at the University of California at Berkeley having returned to the San Francisco Bay Area after retiring from the Ford Foundation in New York City. At Ford, she was Director of Media, Arts and Culture, with programmatic responsibilities for the Foundation’s grantmaking in the U.S., Africa and the Middle East, Russia, Asia, and Latin America, after serving...
President, Luminario Education Strategies – Tucson, Arizona Associate to the Vice President, University of Arizona – Tucson, Arizona
Dr. Sofía Martinez Ramos is a Founding Fellow and Advisory Board member of the Executive Leadership Academy at University of California, Berkeley. She is a higher education professional with more than twenty years of experience in both the two and four-year institutions. Dr. Ramos’s areas of research and expertise are the education, success and development of leaders of color and the building of inclusive environments.
Sofia is president of Luminario Education Strategies where she provides career and advancement coaching and trainings. Most recently served as...
