Strategic Advisors

The Education Trust–West’s Strategic Advisor Council comprises civil rights, education, public policy, business, and community leaders with demonstrated commitment to educational equity. By working closely with our Executive Director, our Strategic Advisors serve as critical thought partners and community connectors by providing professional expertise, knowledge of constituent perspectives, and connections to local and national resources and networks. The Strategic Advisor Council lends additional layers of diversity and provides new views for and with Ed Trust–West, including public policy, narrative change, and community engagement. In addition to serving as ambassadors and advocates in the community, Ed Trust–West’s Strategic Advisors weigh in on the organization’s strategic planning and priorities, financial sustainability, and amplification of work across the state.

New Advisors

Justin Blakely
Public Policy Associate
Crystal Stairs, Inc.
Kylie Campbell
Director
Career Ladders Project
Daisy Gonzales, Ph.D.
Interim Chancellor
California Community Colleges
Felicia Jones
Deputy Director/Chief Strategist
Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement
Alvin Hong Lee
Executive Director
GENup (Generation Up)
John R. Lee
Vice President, Programs and Education TGR Foundation
Elodia Ortega-Lampkin
Superintendent
Woodland Joint Unified School District
Alex Serna
Chief Program Officer
Breakthrough Collaborative

Returning Advisors

Jose Atilio Hernandez
Founder & Managing Principal
IDEATE California
Pamela Burdman
Executive Director
Just Equations
Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez
Deputy Director
Californians Together
Michal Kurlaender, Ph.D.
Professor (UC Davis) & Co-Director (PACE) UC Davis School of Education & Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE)
Feliza Ortiz-Licon, Ph.D.
Chief of Staff
New Teacher Center (NTC)
Andrea Venezia, Ph.D.
Senior Principal Research Scientist and Director College and Career Pathways Program
SRI Education