Dr. Moises Aguirre, Vice Chair
Dr. Moises Aguirre is the Superintendent of the Sweetwater Union High School District, where he leads efforts to improve educational outcomes and equity for students across South County.
Alternate: Dr. Vernon Moore, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Equity and Support
Services, Sweetwater Union High School District.
Tiffany Allen
Tiffany Allen serves as the City Manager for the City of Chula Vista, one of the fastest growing cities in San Diego County. As the City’s executive officer, she is responsible for ensuring the effective administration of all City affairs, overseeing implementation of City Council policies, leading a municipal workforce of more than 2,000 employees, and ensuring the delivery of essential services to the community. Allen has more than 20 years of leadership experience within the organization, serving in multiple key roles throughout her career.
Maria Anguiano
Maria Anguiano serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at College Futures Foundation, where she works on initiatives to improve access and success in higher education. She also serves on several executive boards, such as the Vice Chair of the University of California Board of Regents, and the Chair of the James Irvine Foundation. Her work focuses on helping organizations navigate transformation with clarity and purpose.
Dr. Adrian Arancibia
Dr. Adrian Arancibia is a Professor of English and Chicano Studies at the San Diego Community College District and serves as a Board Trustee for the Sweetwater Union High School District. His work focuses on education, community engagement, and representation.
Dr. Zaneta Salde Encarnacion
Dr. Zaneta Salde Encarnacion serves as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Superintendent/President at the Southwestern Community College District, where she provides executive leadership and strategy across legislative affairs, institutional governance, and regional partnerships that advance student access and success.
Clarissa Falcon, Chair
Clarissa Falcon is the Principal Owner and Consultant of Falcon Strategies, where she provides strategic consulting services in public affairs and community engagement. She is Chair of the California Transportation Commission; Founder & CEO, Senari Labs (AI governance), and advises civic leaders and organizations via Falcon Strategies.
Dr. Olivia A. Graeve
Dr. Olivia A. Graeve is the Elias Masry Endowed Professor in Engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego. She also serves as Director of the CaliBaja Center for Resilient Materials and Systems and is a past Chair of the UC San Diego Divisional Academic Senate. Her work focuses on engineering innovation and cross-border collaboration in the CaliBaja region.
Virginia Guerra
Virginia Aguilar Guerra brings more than 25 years of experience across higher education, workforce development, and economic advancement, with a career dedicated to expanding equitable access to meaningful employment opportunities. Since 2023, Virginia has served as an Equal Employment Specialist for Commander, Navy Region Southwest, the headquarters command supporting more than 10,000 civilian employees and numerous subordinate commands across California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada.
Dr. Valita Jones
Dr. Valita Jones is the Director of the Office of Diversity and Community Partnerships and Administrative Director of the PRIME Programs at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She also serves as a Research Associate with the Consciousness Quotient Institute. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and has extensive experience across higher education systems. Dr. Jones is an equity-focused leader and has served on multiple community
advisory boards in San Diego County.
Gala Ledezma
Gala Ledezma currently serves as a Senior Research Analyst in Academic and Student Affairs at the California State University Chancellor’s Office, and a Ph.D. candidate in Education Policy at UC Irvine. She holds degrees from UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. She was born and raised in the South Bay and is a first-generation college student and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her research focuses on expanding access to higher education and strengthening equitable pathways to college degrees.
David Malcolm
David Malcolm is an entrepreneur with more than five decades of experience in residential and commercial real estate. After earning his real estate license while still in high school, and his broker’s license two years later, he founded his first company in 1978, a company that exists to this day. Malcolm currently is President of Cal West Apartments, Inc. based in San Diego. His company handles sales, acquisitions, management, and loan negotiations, totaling more than $4 billion during his career.
Dr. John C. Moore
Dr. John C. Moore (Ph.D., Linguistics, UC Santa Cruz) has been a faculty member in the Department of Linguistics at UC San Diego since 1992. His research focuses on theoretical syntax, lexical semantics, and Spanish linguistics, including work on language use in the San Diego– Tijuana border region. Moore has served as UC San Diego’s Dean of Undergraduate Education since 2018. Previous administrative positions include department chair and provost of John Muir College.
Dr. Mark Sanchez
Dr. Mark Sanchez is the Superintendent/President of the Southwestern Community College District, a role he assumed in 2021 after returning to his alma mater. A native of San Diego, Dr. Sanchez began his college career at SWC in 1989, earning an Associate’s Degree in General Studies before transferring to UC Santa Barbara to study sociology. He is a leader in expanding educational access and advancing student success in the South Bay region. Under his leadership, Southwestern college has been on the cutting edge of developing transformative academic programs and pathways that opened doors for countless learners in the South Bay and CaliBaja region.
Dr. William "Bill" Tong
Dr. William Tong is the Provost of San Diego State University (SDSU), leading the university’s academic administration and research strategy. He is also a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and a senior faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry where he oversees academic affairs and supports institutional excellence in teaching, research, and student success.
Alternate: Dr. Sonja Pruitt-Lord, Interim Vice Provost
