Office of the Executive Director

Christopher J. Nellum, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Christopher J. Nellum, Ph.D. (he/him/his), is the Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, a nonprofit education equity organization focused…

Carol Hedgspeth, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Carol Hedgspeth, Ph.D. (she/her/hers), started her career in the late 1990s in academia, teaching various core college courses in…

Rachel Ruffalo
Senior Director of Strategic Advocacy
Rachel Ruffalo (she/her) serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Advocacy at the Education Trust—West. Rachel’s career in education…

Sarah Pugeda
Senior Executive Assistant
Sarah Pugeda (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as an Executive Assistant to the Executive Director. She has many years…
Partnerships & Engagement

Lange Luntao
Director of External Relations
At Ed Trust–West, Lange Luntao (he/him/his) works closely with his colleagues to drive high-impact campaigns that achieve meaningful policy…

Mayra A. Lara, Ed.D.
Director of Southern California Partnerships & Engagement
At a young age, Mayra A. Lara, Ed.D. (she/her/ella), immigrated to the United States from Mexico with her parents…

Esmeralda Marcial
Manager of External Relations
Esmeralda Marcial (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as the Manager of External Relations with a background in organizing, electoral…

Megan Kane
External Relations Associate
Megan Kane (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as the External Relations Associate with a background in educational equity, research,…
Communications

Daisy Ruiz-Purcell
Director of Communications
Daisy Ruiz-Purcell (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as a fierce advocate for education equity. As a first-generation college graduate…

Mariel Matze
Associate Director, Communications
Mariel (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West with a background in K-12 education and expertise in writing, storytelling, press relations,…

Karla Fernandez
Communications Manager
Karla Fernandez (she/her/hers) joins Ed Trust–West as a Communications Manager with over 11 years of experience advancing social impact…

Esha Pillay
Communications Specialist
Esha (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West with a background in student affairs, writing, and digital media communications. She oversees…
Government Relations

Brian Rivas
Senior Director of Policy and Government Relations
Brian Rivas (he/him/his) has been working to improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged students in California for nearly twenty years.…

Melissa Bardo
Associate Director of Policy and Government Relations
Melissa Bardo (she/her/hers) serves as the Associate Director of Policy and Government Relations for the Education Trust–West. Overseeing the…

Raquel Morales
Policy and Government Relations Associate
Raquel Morales (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as the Policy and Government Relations Associate. As a first-generation student who…
Research & Policy Analysis

Melissa Valenzuela-Stookey
Director of P-16 Research
Melissa (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West with a background in education research and policy advocacy across the birth through…

Christa Koppuzha
Research and Data Analyst
Christa Koppuzha (she/her/hers) was raised by Indian immigrants who instilled the value and power of education in her from…

Vanessa Romo
Research and Data Analyst
Vanessa Romo (she/her/hers) is a Research and Data Analyst at The Education Trust–West. She joins The Education Trust–West with…

Isaac Alferos
Research and Data Analyst
As a Research and Data Analyst, Isaac Alferos (He/They) joins the Education Trust—West team with his experience as an…

Natalie Wheatfall-Lum, J.D.
Director of P-16 Education Policy
Since Natalie Wheatfall-Lum, J.D. (she/her/hers), joined The Education Trust—West in 2014, she has supported the organization’s policy research, analysis,…

Roy Tongilava
Policy Analyst, TK-12
Roy (he/him) joins The Education Trust—West as a Policy Analyst (TK-12) with considerable experience in research and policy analysis,…

Pamela Low
Policy Analyst, TK-12
Pamela M. Low (she/her) is a K-12 Policy Analyst at the Education Trust—West (ETW), where she works to improve…

Benito Aranda-Comer
Policy Analyst, TK-12
Benito Aranda-Comer (he/him) joins The Education Trust–West as a K-12 Policy Analyst. Before joining the Education Trust–West, Benito was…

Denise Luna
Associate Director of Higher Education Policy
Denise Luna (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director of Higher Education Policy at The Education Trust—West. As a daughter of…

Michael-Sesen Perrilliat
Higher Education Policy Analyst
Sesen (he/him) joins the team as a Higher Education Policy Analyst. Sesen is, first and foremost, a student advocate.…

Maya Valree
Policy Analyst (Parenting Students)
Maya Valree (she/her(s)) joins The Education Trust–West as a Policy Analyst (Parenting Students). Before joining The Education Trust–West, Maya…
Educator Engagement

Crystal A. Moore, Ph.D.
Director of Educator Engagement
Crystal A. Moore, Ph.D. (she/her/hers), is the Director of Educator Engagement at The Education Trust–West. In this role, she…

Brieana Johnson
Senior Associate, Educator Engagement
Brieana Johnson (she/her) joins The Education Trust–West as a Senior Associate of Educator Engagement. A fierce advocate for educational…

Camille Medrano
Senior Associate, Educator Engagement
Camille Medrano (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as a Senior Educator Engagement Associate. From her experiences navigating the education…
Planning, Grants & Administration

Natalie Johal
Associate Director, People & Operations
Natalie (she/they) serves as Associate Director of People & Operations at The Education Trust–West (ETW) where they manage the…

Janel Lloyd
Operations Associate
Janel Lloyd (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as the Operations Associate, with a background in operations, finance, client services,…

Erika Oseguera
Director of Planning, Grants, and Administration
Erika (she/her/hers) comes to Ed Trust–West with over 12 years of operational support experience in the private and non-profit…

Angelica Ramirez
Senior Development Associate
Angelica Ramirez (she/her/hers) joins The Education Trust–West as the Senior Development Associate. She comes to The Education Trust–West with…
Ed Trust—West Staff Contact
The Education Trust—West
Tel: 510.465.6444
Fax: 510.465.0859
For general inquiries about The Education Trust—West, please contact us at (510) 465-6444.
For information on job opportunities or internships, visit our career opportunities page.
For media inquiries, contact Mariel Matze at (650) 380-1973.
For information about research and policy analysis, including data inquiries, contact Melissa Figueira.
For government affairs, contact Brian Rivas at (916) 761-9060.
For information about our work with schools and districts, contact the Educator Engagement team at (510) 879-6210.