Dean's Community Advisory Council

Gabriela Alonso is the school, family, and community partnerships coordinator for Riverside Unified School District, where she leads the work of family and community engagement. Gabriela recognizes that supporting the optimal development of families, respecting diversity, and facilitating social connectedness through community building are fundamental to family and community engagement. With over 25 years in public education, Gabriela has worked closely with various student populations and multigenerational families to identify and remove barriers to learning. Gabriela received her master of social work and bachelor of arts in sociology from California State University, San Bernardino. She holds a Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Social Work and Certification in Early Childhood Education. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, and raised in East Los Angeles, Gabriela is passionate about creating opportunities that support the unique needs of immigrant students and families. Gabriela is blessed with a son, Cristian, who ignites hope and inspires her to live every day with purpose.

Corinne Awad is the Director of Development for the Riverside University Health System (RUHS) Foundation. Corinne is a long-time public servant and began her local government career at Rancho California Water District where she worked for 5 years, before joining the County of Riverside in 2004. She finds providing public service to the community to be very rewarding and continuously looks for ways to serve, connect and collaborate with stakeholders, donors, the community, and the public. Corinne holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University and in 2016 earned her Master of Public Administration from California Baptist University. Corinne is a mother of five. She lives in San Jacinto with her husband and their three youngest children. 

A California League of School’s Teacher of the Year with experience in both comprehensive and alternative settings, Jessie brings passion and experience to her work. She currently teaches at Orange Grove High, an alternative high school for at-promise youth. She also provides coaching and professional learning to educators in a variety of areas, including social emotional learning, resiliency, trauma-sensitive practices, and mindfulness. Jessie has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Chapman University.

Dr. Keyisha Holmes is the Director II of Leadership, Innovation, and Outreach for the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE). Prior to this position, she served as a director, principal, special education teacher, and adjunct faculty member. Dr. Holmes holds a doctorate in educational leadership for social justice from the University of Redlands, an M.A. in Special Education, and a B.A. in Sociology. She also is committed to the transformation of not only the education system but the lives of people from various ethnic, professional, and social backgrounds seeking to lead more purposeful and meaningful lives. Within this pursuit lies her legacy as a wife, mother, mentor educational leader, teacher, and social justice advocate.

Ana Lee, founder of Women in Tandem. Ana was born and raised in Riverside, attending RUSD schools Longfellow, Central, and Poly High School. As a lifelong resident of Riverside, Ana Yeager Lee has volunteered with over 15 local organizations. After completing an undergraduate program in political science at the University of San Diego, Ana participated in Americorps NCCC. She was stationed in the southeast region of the United States completing service projects ranging from trail building in South Carolina to tutoring in Louisiana. Ana worked for a local Riverside City Council campaign prior to beginning law school. Ana practiced criminal defense for a decade, specializing in juvenile defense and treatment courts such as Mental Health Court, Drug Court, and Girls Court. Ana is former president of the Pick Group of Young Professionals here in Riverside.

Dr. Jeffrey Mar, MD, is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and has over 21 years of experience in the medical field.  He completed his undergraduate degree  in Human Biology at Stanford University and graduated from Dartmouth College medical school in 1999. He is board certified in Pediatrics, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Adult Psychiatry.

Michael Moore has been in the fire service for 35 years. In August 2014, he became the 21st fire chief for the City of Riverside Fire Department. Michael has a master’s degree in public administration from California State University Long Beach, a bachelor’s degree in management from Redlands University, an associate's degree in fire science from Long Beach City College, and an associate's degree in paramedical sciences from Santa Ana College. Michael resides in Corona, California with his wife, Robyne, of 34 years.

Walter Mueller is director of development for Olive Crest, an organization committed to ‘providing safe and loving families for every child’ which serves Southern California, the Pacific Northwest and Nevada. Walter has over twenty years of experience in supporting youth services through fundraising with a business approach to operations.  He considers his personal ministry to ensure that “every child has an opportunity to pursue their God-given dreams.”  Over his career, he has served as a regional representative, chief development officer and chief executive officer for non-profit organizations and enjoys working through teams to develop strategic plans and take organizations to the next level in pursuit of their mission. Walter and his wife, Debbie, are proud parents of two teenagers and make their home in Redlands, California.

Jennifer O’Farrell has spearheaded programs for various nonprofits, developed Riverside County’s first Anti-Human Trafficking Program and County Task Force, and the region’s first Big Brothers Big Sisters location. As executive director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire, she aims to break cycles of poverty and trafficking, and give youth a second chance through one-to-one mentoring. Jennifer holds a bachelor of arts degree from California Baptist University, is a TedX Riverside speaker, a 2014 NAACP Community Service Freedom Award recipient, and a proud mom and wife.

Sean Oliver is the founder and chief equipping officer of Sean Oliver, a leadership development firm committed to equipping leaders for life, leadership and legacy. Mr. Oliver serves as an executive leadership coach, speaker, and author of several corporate training programs. Sean has been married to his bride, Melanie, for nearly 30 years, and they have two adult daughters. Sean loves collaborating with and equipping leaders from around the globe by utilizing technology to coach and train leaders remotely. Sean and his wife are active volunteers in their Church, South Hills Corona.

Richard Pelfrey holds his Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation from the College for Financial Planning. He began his career in financial services in 2003, when he became a licensed futures and commodities trader. Richard worked in the futures and commodity markets for over 9 years, developing hedging and speculative strategies for affluent clients. Richard earned the title of Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012, joining Wells Fargo Advisors in 2020. Richard has been providing comprehensive financial planning for over 10 years; including education savings, investment, retirement and succession planning.

As an advisory council member of the DCAC, I act in a completely separate role from my position as a Financial Advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors.

A life-long resident of the inland region, Erin is hugely committed to the community and to maximizing impact for good. Erin works with organizations that do “real good” for others. Most recently, she served the Riverside University Health System Foundation as executive director, and worked with teams responsible for fundraising, marketing and communications, and governmental relations for Riverside County’s public safety net healthcare system. Erin is married to Mark and has two beautiful children, Jade and Isaac, who, together, are the light of her life.

Robin Reid is a health/human services and public safety policy analyst to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Prior to joining County staff in 2005, she was a legislative assistant to two Senators and an Assemblymember in the California State Legislature. Robin holds a degree in social and behavioral science, a Juris Doctor degree and was recently certificated through Harvard University in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Robin previously served on the boards of San Jacinto Valley Academy and Court Appointed Special Advocates. She also serves on numerous committees and task forces for Riverside County. Born and raised in Southern California, she enjoys spending time in the outdoors exploring with her husband and dogs. She has three grown boys and four beautiful grandchildren.

Jeremy N. Roark is an attorney at the prestigious Holstrom Block &Parke, APLC. Jeremy has practiced family law exclusively in the Inland Empire for over 13 years. Jeremy is certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS), a designation given to attorneys that have demonstrated the highest standards of legal competence in this area of law. As a father of a young child with special needs a now a foster parent to a newborn, Mr. Roark navigates balances his work and personal life to be both an engaged/present parent and zealous advocate for his clients. Mr. Roark’s familiarity with the judges and support staff in the local family court system breeds a high degree of credibility and expectation that he is able to deliver to his clients. He has established a reputation as a fierce advocate for his clients, and a source of authority for educating the courts about issues related to co-parenting children with special needs. Admitted to the State Bar of California in 2008, Mr. Roark holds a Juris Doctor Degree from University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, one of the most prestigious law schools in the state. He completed his undergraduate degree at University of California, Los Angeles, majoring in business economics. *Certified Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

Cassondra Marie Rose is the president/founder and a licensed marriage and family therapist at Renewing Hope Family Counseling Center, Inc. Cassondra offers therapeutic services for adolescents through adults who are experiencing a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem and relationship problems. She offers guidance, support and encouragement to help you through the challenges in life. Cassondra specializes in adolescent life cycle changes including but not limited to ODD, conduct disorder, bullying, weight loss/gain and more. She brings to each of the sessions her experience as a therapist as well as her knowledge of multiple techniques and self-exploration.

Dr. Katarina Roy Schanz serves as the director of wellness and engagement for Riverside Unified School District where she oversees student and employee well-being. Her prior roles include school counselor, assistant principal, and principal. She has also served as adjunct faculty for various schools. Dr. Roy Schanz earned a doctorate in organizational leadership, an M.A. in educational administration, an M.A. in school counseling, and a B.A. in English literature. She is dedicated to supporting students, families and staff in pursuit of living fulfilled lives. She enjoys time with family and can often be found curled up with a good book.

Matthew Stowe is chief operating officer and managing partner at OctoClean Franchising Systems Inc., a hospital housekeeping and commercial cleaning franchise established in 2000. He was the recipient of the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award in 2008. Matthew has been active with the Riverside Chamber since 2008 and has been a member for over 10 years. He currently sits on the Hunter Park Business Council Board as vice president. He is also a committee member for the chamber’s annual golf tournament.

For the past 23 years, Sean Sullivan has dedicated his career to transforming the lives of the most severely abused and neglected children in Orange, and Riverside counties. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Irvine and his master’s degree in social work from California State University, San Bernardino. Sean is currently a deputy director with Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Self-Sufficiency Division, and is also a member of CBU's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Dean’s Community Advisory Committee.

Michelle Wohl has worked in the child welfare field for 28 years, currently serving as deputy director in Riverside County. She has held various positions throughout her career, also having worked in county human resources. Her passion for social work is demonstrated with a focus on family engagement and service delivery with fidelity to safety and risk assessment models. She believes pouring into the strengths of staff is an essential way to sustain a well-performing workforce. She strives to deliver customer service as a hallmark to quality practice, taking the time to listen to the perspective of those we serve — vulnerable children, youth, young adults, and their families. While supporting their caregivers, we can affect life change. Michelle earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology at California Baptist University in 1994. She held a marriage and family therapist license for a number of years, ultimately transitioning her aspirations to training and coaching. She has served as an adjunct professor at CBU and continues to deliver child welfare curriculum and training in partnership with San Diego State University’s Child Welfare Development Services.