Supporting Pathways to Reduce Inequities
Our collaborative aims to address long-standing social and economic inequities in higher education and workforce participation.
Eastern Sierra K-16
California Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program
This program is part of a statewide initiative aimed at helping California’s economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing long-standing social and economic inequities in higher education and workforce participation.
Beginning in August 2022, regional partners began to meet to discuss the possibilities of forming a collaborative to address educational and occupational needs of the region. Based on these initial meetings, the collaborative applied for a planning grant which was received in November 2022 ($250,000).
Under the Planning Grant, the collaborative achieved the following:
- Engaged in foundational capacity building.
- Created a governance structure for the collaborative.
- Conducted a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis.
- Conducted an assessment of Pathway and Equity Needs of the region.
- Developed a branding toolkit.
- Held 2 in-person collaboration sessions at Columbia College.
- Between Dec 2022 and September 2023, 33 Executive Steering Council, Core Team and Workgroup meetings occurred.
Based on the success of the planning grant, an Implementation Grant was applied for in September 2023 and received in April 2024. The Implementation Grant runs November 2023-June 2026.
Work Group
Steering Council
Bradley Porfilio
Dean of the College of Education, Kinesiology, and Social Work at Stanislaus State
Barry Simpson
Superintendent of Inyo County Office of Education
John Alexander
Executive Director at MACT HEALTH BOARD, INC.
Richard Ogle
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs at California State University, Stanislaus
Shawn Vandergriff
Apple | Collaborating with Higher Education and Academic Medical Centers
Tyler Newton
Operations Executive at Adventist Health Sonora
Randall Butow
Territory Manager at Cal.net
Dr. Lena Tran, Ed.D.,MBA
President, Columbia College
Jason Buckingham
Executive Director at Golden Sierra JTA
Mike Merrill
Superintendent of Summerville Union High School District K12
Scott Nanick
Superintendent, Bret Harte Union High School District
Jared Critchfield
Superintendent at Amador County Office of Education
Stacey Adler
Superintendent of Schools at Mono County Office of Education
Chad Redwing
Columbia College President
Dave Thoeny
Executive Director at Mother Lode Job Training
Jeff Aranguena
Superintendent of Mariposa County Unified School District and County Office of Education
ORQUIDEA LARGO, ED.D.
ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR & CHIEF OUTREACH OFFICER (COO) UC MERCED
Sean Hancock
President at Cerro Coso Community College
Andrew Gardner
Amador College Connect
Tammy Nguyen
Superintendent of Schools at Mono County Office Education
K-16 Staff
Bo Locke, MA
Program Specialist IT Pathways
Iveth Moreno
Program Specialist Healthcare Pathways
Jon Otterson
Grants Accounting Analyst
Emily Graham, MPA
Director
Sayed Aqil Mosawi
Grant Support Technician
Selina Flores
Program Specialist Education Pathways
