Kōrero EAG - Start Local, Go Global Malia M. Hoffmann, Ed.D. & Alfred Y. Ramirez, Ph.D.

"The pandemic shook us out of our teaching habits and forced us to find an alternative to in-person teaching. Like everyone else, I drank from the fire hose of online technology, and through the fatigue and misery of it all, I began to see the potential of the online lectures that were taking shape. They were as primitive as the first draft of any paper. But I was hopeful. I could do this. And I did not have to be on camera if I did not want to."

"The pandemic shook us out of our teaching habits and forced us to find an alternative to in-person teaching. Like everyone else, I drank from the fire hose of online technology, and through the fatigue and misery of it all, I began to see the potential of the online lectures that were taking shape. They were as primitive as the first draft of any paper. But I was hopeful. I could do this. And I did not have to be on camera if I did not want to."

Dave Cardona is a Graphic Designer in the Clothing Industry and has worked for over 20 years. Dave developed his passion for Graphic Design and Art by collecting Sports Trading cards and reading Sports Illustrated as a young boy. His first job as a Graphic Designer was in the Clothing Industry, and he continues to design, source and manufacture clothing with vendors overseas.

Carol Jiménez was elected to the Perris Elementary School District Board of Education in November 2022 and sworn into office in December 2022. Carol started her tenure in the district as a teacher, and as she noticed the disparity of the children in her district wrote grants to start a preschool program for the district. The grants were awarded and Carol became the Director of Child Development Programs for the District. With collaboration and funding from the state and First 5 a unique school readiness facility was built in Perris, named Rob Reiner Children & Families Development Center. The goal of the preschool programs was to address children and families’ needs to prevent barriers from being successful in school. She has two master’s degrees in Education, one from UCR and one from Cal State, San Bernardino. Her goal for being on the school board is to continue to serve the community with transparency and excitement!
Lisa Evans Powell was elected to the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education in November 2022. She is a Southern California native and holds Master's degrees in Social Welfare and Public Policy (as well as her Bachelor’s) from UCLA and a Doctorate of Social Work from USC (University of Southern California). She is a social worker, researcher, and active community volunteer who views her school board role as another way to serve her community. Lisa is thrilled at her new role, as she is of the belief that there is nearly no greater honor than playing a role in the education and development of our children and youth.

Dr. Denise Kennedy is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is part of an early childhood education collaborative in California called PEACH (Partnership in Education, Articulation, and Collaboration in Higher Education) and co-leads the Credential workgroup. Dr. Kennedy is on the leadership team for the CA Baccs group of 4-year University baccalaureate programs in California. She is on the California Commissioning on Teacher Credentialing Teacher Performance Assignment Design team for the Teacher level of the Child Development Permit and is active in the state in creating the PK-3 Early Childhood Specialist Instruction Credential. Given the push down of K-12 into early childhood, she is working with other Early Childhood Education (ECE) Professionals to create a developmentally appropriate credential through best practices in Child Development/ECE BA programs and Credential programs in CA. She is the Principal Investigator for the Cal Poly Pomona portion of the UP-LIFT California grant, where she and her team of Norco College, Baldwin Park Unified School district, and Early Edge California have created 8 DLL Competencies as well as an observation Tool to assess them in the classroom.

Dr. Chris Burns has been the Executive Director of Boys Republic since 2010 and has been employed there in various capacities for the last 30 years. His wife, Brandy, and he have raised their two boys in the Chino Valley, with one graduating from Cal Poly Pomona and working as an electrical engineer and the other in his junior year at Cal State Long Beach on a baseball scholarship. His passions begin with family and friends, assisting the less fortunate, and partnering with the Friends of Steve McQueen to bring a world-class car show to Boys Republic each June.