The Board of Advisors helps the School of Education align its
programs, people and resources with the needs of the communities
and constituencies it serves. The Board also ensures and enhances
the School’s ability to serve through the generation of financial
and other support.
The Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce recognized Rick Fowler,
a chair of the School’s Board of Advisors, with the Peter McCuen
Award for Civic Entrepreneurs at the chamber’s 115th annual
awards ceremony on February 5, 2010.
Established in 2000, the award recognizes a businessperson who
has become extensively involved in promoting civic and community
involvement, and who brings business and entrepreneurial skills
to their personal interests and commitments.
On February 4, 2010, the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of
Commerce honored School of Education Board Member Christopher
Cabaldon, mayor of West Sacramento, at its 17th annual
installation and awards dinner. The group notes Cabaldon’s
longstanding service to his community.
Mary Catherine Swanson (Credential ‘67), a member of the School’s
Board of Advisors, has been awarded the 2010 Distinguished
Achievement Award by the Cal Aggie Alumni Association. Her award
is in recognition of exemplary achievement for her work as the
founder of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination).
Rick is President and CEO of The Community College Foundation, a
national nonprofit focused on improving communities through
education. He chairs the Advisory Board for the UC Davis
School of Education, is Vice Chairman of Golden Pacific Bancorp,
and a CalChamber board member. He served three terms on
Sacramento County’s Project Planning Commission, including nearly
two years as its Chair, is a past president of the Insurance
Industry Charitable Foundation, and chaired boards in the
Sacramento region including the American Leadership Forum and the
UC Davis Health System’s Leader
Dr. Jorge Ayala was elected Yolo County Superintendent of Schools
in 1999 and continues to direct the operations of the Yolo County
Office of Education. His career spans 31 years with extensive
experience as an elementary, middle and high school educator,
including 26 years as an administrator. Dr.
Christopher Cabaldon works on transformative policy strategies at
the local, regional, and statewide scales, with expertise across
a wide range of topical areas in policy, governance, politics,
economics, administration, and finance.
Davis Campbell, who retired as Executive Director of the
California School Boards Association in 2001, has a distinguished
career in public education. Prior to his retirement from CSBA
(1988-2001), Campbell served as Executive Director of the
California Institute for School Improvement and managing partner
of SRA Associates. (1983-88). From 1977 to 1983 he served as
Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of
California.
Herb Cross, vice president for Lyon Real Estate, has a long
history of civic leadership. He currently serves as a member of
the Dixon Unified School District Board of Trustees and the Dixon
Library Board of Trustees, as well as the UC Davis School of
Education Board of Advisors.
Herb is a former City of Dixon Councilmember, past chair of the
Sutter Davis Hospital Foundation Board, and past president of the
Yolo County Association of Realtors.
Diane Fiddyment is a President Emeritus of Big Brothers Big
Sisters of the North Bay. Before retiring in 1998, she was an
allied member of the Pacific Stock Exchange (PCX). In 1979, she
began working on the newly formed Options Trading Floor of the
PCX. As an independent market maker, she participated in making
markets in the option products of 40-50 different stocks. Diane
was a very active participant at the exchange and she served on
several committees including the Ethics and Business Conduct
Committee and as President of the Options Floor Trading
Committee.
David W. Gordon serves as Superintendent of the Sacramento (CA)
County Office of Education. The County office directly
serves more than 30,000 students and provides financial oversight
and support services to more than 235,000 students in thirteen
school districts. From 1995-2004 Mr. Gordon served as
Superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District.
Elk Grove is an ethnically and economically diverse district of
62,000 students covering 320 square miles of Sacramento County,
California. Mr.
Glen H. Harvey became Chief Executive Officer of WestEd in June
1997; she has led its transformation to a mission-driven and
quality-focused agency. WestEd’s emphasis is now on performing
the highest quality work to promote excellence, achieve equity,
and improve learning for children, youth, and adults.
Mohini Jain has an extensive background in education and
philanthropy. She had a successful career as a high school
science teacher for 18 years, retiring from Davis Senior High
School in 2008. Since then, she has been a founding member of the
Tiffany Circle of the American Red Cross Yolo County Chapter and
on the Board of Advisors for the Davis Schools Foundation, Yolo
Community Foundation, and India Association of Davis. In 2001,
she started the Mohini Jain Family Foundation, which provides
yearly grants for education.
David Murphy worked as a superintendent for 21 years. He served
the Davis Joint Unified School District and was appointed by the
Governor in 2009 to be the Superintendent of Education,
California’s Division of Juvenile Justice, Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Jeanne Reaves has a proven track record of successfully
overcoming the issues facing businesses today. She now leverages
that experience for her clients as President and CEO of Jeanne
Reaves Consulting.
Her accomplishments and prominence in corporate and non-profit
sectors have been widely recognized and honored. Named one of
Sacramento Magazine’s Fifty Most Powerful People and honored by
the Sacramento Metro Chamber as Sacramentan of the Year in 2009,
Jeanne draws upon her vast business talents to help organizations
succeed.
Sandi Redenbach, M.Ed., is an educator and national consultant
with a rich background in brain research, emotional intelligence,
self-esteem, alternative education, discipline, and programs for
at-risk students.
She is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, who now resides in
Davis, California. Her career spans more than 35 years of
classroom teaching. In addition to high school drama, speech,
social studies, language arts and English, she has taught classes
in self-esteem, parenting, rhetoric and communications at several
colleges, adult education centers, and UC Davis.
Dr. Francisco Rodriguez was appointed superintendent/president of
the MiraCosta Community College District in January 2009.
The MiraCosta College district serves more than 18,000 credit and
noncredit students at three campuses in North San Diego
County. Celebrating his 27th year of service to California
public higher education, Dr.
Meg Stallard has a long history of service to UC Davis. She is
the past Chair of the UC Davis Foundation and Founding Chair of
the School of Education’s Board of Advisors, and has served as
President of the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association as well as
co-Chair of the Davis Chancellor’s Club. Meg has also served on
the Stakeholders Committee for the Center for the Arts campaign.
Mary Catherine Swanson taught high school English for 20 years.
During that time she was instrumental in developing numerous
award winning language arts programs. In 1980 she developed AVID,
a secondary school program which prepares underachieving students
for four-year college entry. Today 95 percent of AVID graduates
enroll in college. Mary Catherine created the AVID Center in 1992
to support the in-school program.
Dr. Glen Thomas has been a classroom teacher and an administrator
at the school, district, county office, and state levels.
He served as Assistant Superintendent in the State Department of
Education, as State Education Technology Director, and for ten
years was the Executive Secretary to the State Curriculum
Commission. He also worked with the Academic Standards
Commission and served on the High School Exit Exam panel.
Larry N. Vanderhoef was appointed chancellor of the University of
California, Davis, in April 1994. UC Davis, with some 30,000
students, is one of 10 UC campuses and one of a select group of
62 North American universities admitted to membership in the
prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).
Dr. Louis A. Vismara is an interventional cardiologist and a
parent of four children. Since his son Mark was diagnosed with
autism, he has dedicated himself to issues of child development,
learning differences, diversity and access to health care for
under-served populations. Lou was a co-founder of the UC Davis
MIND Institute and currently serves as the chairperson of the
MIND Advisory Board. Lou was also a founding member of the
Proposition 10, First 5 California State Commission. Presently he
is a member of multiple advisory organizations, including the UC
Davis School of Education.
