Manuel Alvarado
Reedley Downtown Association, Reedley
A true Californian, Manuel Alvarado was born and raised in Sanger, California He earned a BA from California State University, Fresno. He performed in dozens of productions at the Good Company Music Hall in Fresno. After twenty years in the hotel, advertising [including the dancing raisins ad] and marketing business, he is serving as Executive Director for the Reedley Downtown Association where he works closely with the business community to make a difference in the economic stability and betterment of his community. Manuel has organized and is president of a new nonprofit organization, the Kings River Arts Council with a gallery showcasing the work of local artists. He also serves on the board of directors for the Reedley Visitor Center.

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John Alves
Americorps, Modesto
John Alves lives in Ceres. He is originally from Hercules, a small bay area city. He was accepted into Americorps (often called the domestic Peace Corps) in August, and was assigned to the Department of Employment and Training in Modesto. His one-year assignment, managed by the Great Valley Center, is to help bridge the digital divide between monolingual Hispanics and technology through workshops and outreach. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in psychology after earning his AA at Diablo Valley College.

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Ron Bordona
Bordona's Oakdale Home Furnishings, Oakdale
Ron Bordona has lived in Oakdale for more than 30 years. He is vice president of Bordona's Oakdale Home Furnishings, a 70-year-old family-owned business. Ron graduated from the University of LaVerne, with a BS in Business Administration. He is a graduate of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class 2000. Ron. was president of the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce for three years, forming an agriculture committee, to help fund agricultural-related projects. He was a founding member of the Stanislaus County "Courts and their Communities" program, focusing on a more "user-friendly court system". He is a Rotary Club member, president of Big Brothers Big Sisters and on the Oakdale Planning Commission.

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Nieves Castro
Caltrans, Stockton
Nieves Castro is a native of Fresno. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in urban studies and city planning. She works for Caltrans as a transportation planner. Nieves is active on issues related to the low-income, inner-city redevelopment, community and economic development. Nieves has volunteered as an elementary school tutor, for political campaigns, and for environmental, political, economic, and cultural conferences. She enjoys literature, concerts, travel, and dance and theater performances.

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Zena Gilbert
Modesto City Schools, Modesto
Zena Chin has been a teacher in the Modesto City School district for 12 years. She lives in Waterford where she serves on the Planning Commission. She has also helped to reestablish the Waterford Chamber of Commerce, and now serves as secretary/treasurer. Zena is a human rights activist and has been on the Modesto Teachers' Association Human Rights Committee fro the past 8 years. She cares about her community's growth, economy and land use.

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Rich Ciraulo
Mercy Housing, Sacramento
A native of Sacramento, Rich Ciraulo grew up living and celebrating diverse cultures and great food as the son of a Mexican mother and a Sicilian father. His affiliation with Mercy Housing California began as an Americorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) working with low. income families in the mutual self help program to form homeowner associations. He now is a project developer managing construction projects, land development and acquisition. Rich has also been the on-site project engineer for hospitals, microchip fabrication and university facilities in the Bay Area. He earned a BS in civil engineering and a MS in construction management and engineering from Stanford University. Rich's main interests are affordable housing and land use policies in and around the Sacramento region.

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Jeff Cummings
Shasta College, Redding
Jeff A. Cummings is a Northern California native. He graduated from California State University, Chico with a BS in Agriculture. He has a master's degree in education from Endicott College. Jeff is the Environmental Resources Instructor for Shasta College. His students are involved in environmental restoration working with state and private agencies. He lives in Bella Vista and is building an energy efficient house powered completely by solar energy.

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Martha Deschenes
Waterford
Martha Deschenes grew up in Whittier, California. She earned a BS in marketing/business administration from California State University Fullerton. After a few years of working in retail, the family moved to Redding. They lived there for 10 years, where Martha honed her skills as a classroom volunteer. When they moved to Rifle, Colorado, Martha did substitute teaching, took the hunter safety class and successfully shot 3 elk! She served 10 years on the city planning and zoning board and 5 years on the Grand River Hospital Board of Directors. Three years ago they moved to Waterford where Martha continues her civic involvement hoping to preserve its small town amenities.

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Georgina Espino
Welfare to Work Program, Visalia
Georgina Espino was born and raised in Fresno, and now lives in Visalia. Georgina is working on a BS in communications with an emphasis on broadcast journalism. She is the Workforce Development Specialist for the Welfare to Work Program. She has been active in her 3 children's education, serving on school site councils and PTAs. She is also involved in the Community Redevelopment Committee, Tulare-Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Association and County Leadership Program.

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Collette Farris
Otis Lee Weaver, Jr. Outreach Center, South Dos Palos
Collette Farris is Executive Director of the Otis Lee Weaver, Jr. (OLWJ) Outreach Center (non-profit) in South Dos Palos. She was born and raised in South Dos Palos. Collette was trained as an early childhood educator. She is now working with the Neighborhood Redevelopment Foundation, Midway Community Resource Council, Dos Palos-Oro Loma School District on economic, environmental and human service needs of children and families living in rural, under-served communities/neighborhoods. She is a member of the Merced County Advisory Board on Alcohol and Other Drug Problems and a community development consultant for the National Science, Technology and Trades Program.

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Theresa Kiehn
Great Valley Center, Modesto
Theresa Fontana was raised on her family's farm in Ceres. Throughout her high school and college years, Theresa helped harvest, manufacture and market produce for the family farm. She earned a BA in political science at California State University, Stanislaus. Theresa works at the Great Valley Center as the Agricultural Programs Assistant.

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Amelia Butler-Henson
Salida
Amelia Butler-Henson grew up in Gary, Indiana and attended Indiana University. After living in Denver, she moved to the Bay Area and sold corporate advertising for The Wall Street Journal. In expanding her educational horizons, Amelia has taken courses in sales, business and nonprofit management. Amelia attributes her community concern and activism to her mother who gave to the underprivileged. She has been president of a nonprofit organization in the Bay Area, networking chair for a national organization, fundraising director for Women's Success Connection and the Guild for Laura's House. Amelia is on the Women's Haven of Modesto Board of Directors. She has a strong interest in education and community empowerment.

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Gwen Huff
Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Fresno
Gwen Huff is the San Joaquin Valley Regional Coordinator for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. She works with farmers on environmentally friendly farming practices, and has developed a pilot network to provide fresh, local produce to schools She has worked in agriculture for 15 years, as a pest control advisor in the Fresno area and agriculture extension with the Peace Corps in Mauritania, West Africa. Gwen is also active with an informal network of folk musicians in the Fresno area.

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Keith A. Kelley
Fresno West Coalition, Fresno
Keith A. Kelley is the Executive Director of the Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development in West Fresno. He is Vice Chair of the West Fresno Health Coalition Board, serves on the Care Fresno Board, the Salvation Army advisory committee, and the Mayor 's core advisory committee. He is a past president of the San Joaquin African American Historical and Cultural Museum. He was Vice President of Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Fresno class that spearheaded Fresno's All America City campaign won by Fresno in 2000. His commitment to building bridges in the community is demonstrated through a number of affiliations from Barrios Unidos (a gang intervention organization] to the City of Fresno Cultural Arts District. Keith has been recognized for his community service with various awards and honors.

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Rey Leon
Avenal
Born in Fresno and raised in the Huron area, Rey Leon graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a BA in Chicano Studies. Rey is a policy analyst for environmental health issues at the new office of the Latino Issues Forum in the San Joaquin Valley. He has been a college instructor, outreach coordinator, and an Upward Bound advisor. An active community organizer, he is president of the Chamber of Commerce, and was the founder of La Raza Unida Foundation, a youth leadership support group. Some of his accomplishments include health fairs, grassroots academic programs and international delegations for human rights and education. Rey plans to pursue a master's degree in international relations along with managing the family business. He is very proud of his Mexican culture with Michoacan origins. He especially enjoys cultural art, poetry, literature, and socio-cultural economic issues.

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Tejinder S. Maan
Yuba County Environmental Health Department, Marysville
Tejinder Maan, born in Punjab, India, and a United States citizen since 1980, has deep familial roots in the California agricultural community. Tejinder rose from a farm laborer in his youth to the Director of Yuba County Environmental Health Department. He is vice-chair of Region 1 California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health. Governor Davis recently appointed Tejinder to the Yuba-Sutter Fair Board. An active member of his community, he is the spokesperson for the Punjabi American Heritage Society and one of the co-founders of the first Sikh School in the United States. He hosts and produces "Punjabi Waves", a local weekly television show featuring interviews, discussions on current events and social issues.

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Rosenda Mataka
Westley
Rosenda Mataka grew up in Livermore. She has resided in Grayson for the past 22 years. She was most recently employed by the Congress of California Seniors doing outreach services for senior citizens. Rosenda is on the board of directors of the Grayson Community Services District. She is active with the Central California Environmental Justice Network.

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Russell Medeiros
Community Services Council, Sacramento
Russell Medeiros is the database coordinator for the Community Services Council surveying the community and collecting information about nonprofit and government agency service providers. He enjoys helping to get the word out through outreach visits and committee involvement. Before job injuries, Russell owned a construction company. He attended college with a focus on community involvement. He is active in his neighborhood association and volunteers with Infoline Sacramento. He is a member of Sacramento's 2001-2002 Hunger Commission. Russell is interested in the improvement of education, nutritional health and employment opportunities for local residents. His goal is to run for government office such as City Council within ten to twelve years.

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Carlos Morales
Galt Community Concilio, Galt
Carlos Morales is the Outreach Coordinator for the Galt Community Concilio, working with some 30 farm labor camps in the river delta region. The Concilio is a Family Resource Center for the low to moderate income population. Carlos is part of strategic planning processes for the newly formed Health and Housing Coalition to improve health and housing access to farm workers in the area.

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Janet Paine
Family Health Care Network, Visalia
Janet Paine has lived in Visalia since she was in second grade. Janet holds a BS in health science from California State University, Fresno and a MA in allied health care/community health from California State University, Los Angeles. She is the Director of Special Programs for Family HealthCare Network, a nonprofit community based organization with 7 health centers in Tulare County. Working at Family HealthCare Network enables Janet to give back to her community. She is active in many community organizations including Soroptimist International of Visalia and the Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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Yvette Quiroga
Housing Authority, Madera
YvetteQuiroga is a project analyst for the Housing Authority in Madera. She lives in Mendota, where she serves on the planning commission, the Madera Opportunities for Resident Enrichment and Services {MORES]. Before returning to her home townof Mendota, she worked in Watsonville, Kernan and Sacramento gaining a variety of experience in community issues. Her volunteer experience was equally broad from serving on the Fresno County Latino Network to after school tutoring. Yvette has a BA in psychology from the University of California Santa Cruz and a MA in public policy & administration from California State University Sacramento.

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Heather Quilici
Butte Community College, Chico
Heather Quilici was born and raised in Chico and graduated from California State University, Chico with a BA in Communication. Heather worked in the Silicon Valley for 10 years  in a variety of business development capacities.  Most recently she worked for Remedy Corporation where she was responsible for Educational Services programs on a world-wide basis.  She and her husband recently moved back to Chico to be closer to their families.   Currently, Heather designs and  teaches leadership development courses at Butte College for public and private sector businesses in Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties.  She is also actively involved in her families vineyard and winery.

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Anna Ramirez
Chatom Union School District, Turlock
Anna Ramirez moved to Turlock eight years ago from Chico. Originally from Los Angeles, she was raised in a traditional Hispanic home. Anna is a school attendance coordinator for the Chaton Union School District. She has served on the School Site Council, and is the English Learning Advisory Committee' (ELAC) Coordinator. She is President of California School Employees Association (CSEA] local chapter. Because of her deep interest in education, Anna ran for the Turlock High School Board of Trustees. She is a member of Mujeres Latinas de Stanislaus, committed to educating women and serving the community. Anna is also is active in her church.

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Gary Shimotsu
Shimotsu Architecture, Sacramento
GaryShimotsu was raised in Torrance. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in architecture, he designed custom residences in the Palos Verdes peninsula area. In 1990, he started his own architecture firm in Sacramento. He oversees a variety of projects with emphasis on office, retail, education, childcare and housing projects of varying densities. He is licensed in California and Hawaii. Gary also is active in the Sacramento Senator Lions Club, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity and serves on the Fairytale Town Board of Directors. He enjoys photography, travel and having a great meal.

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J. Port Telles
Law offices, Sacramento
Port Telles is an attorney in Sacramento. Prior to starting his firm, Port worked for the law firm of Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedermann & Girard, specializing in water and land use law. Port worked as a legislative assistant in Washington DC for Congressman Cal Dooley [San Joaquin Valley representative] focusing on health care, labor, education and transportation. He earned his law degree from UC Hastings and his BS degree from UCLA. Port was born and raised in Fresno, and comes from a fourth generation farming family. He enjoys skiing, tennis, cycling, swimming, and playing the banjo.

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Stella Ureno
California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock
Stella Ureno is the Academic Advisor, for Student Support Services at California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock. Stella is a life long resident of the Central Valley and was raised in Sanger. She now lives in Ceres. She graduated from California State University, Fresno and with a BA in Health Science and an MA in Educational Counseling. She is an alumna of Hispanas Organized for Political Equity (HOPE). She is currently the President of Mujeres Latinas de Stanislaus County, serves on the scholarship committee and is co-chair for the Noche de Becas "Evening of Scholarships", co sponsored by 13 Latino organizations in. Modesto. She is a past board member of the Modesto Hispanic Leadership Council. Stella serves on the California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education planning commitee.

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Catherine Warmerdam
California Department of Food & Agriculture, Sacramento
Catherine Warmerdam has made Sacramento her home after spending six years in Washington, DC. A native of Hanford, her lifelong interest in food and agriculture began on her family's fruit farm where she worked each summer from childhood through college. Catherine's career in public relations has led her to positions in government, nonprofit and private industry. She is employed at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Catherine studied sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz and earned her master's degree in public relations from the University of Maryland. Her interests include cooking, gardening and cinema.

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Anthony Yrigollen
Fresno
Anthony Yrigollen was born and raised in Hanford. He attends Fresno City College where he's studying political science. He intends to pursue his college degree and a career in legislative development. He is the volunteer Youth Coordinator for the campaign for Dolores Gallegos, 30th Assembly District candidate. He also coordinates nonpartisan voter registration drives at area colleges.