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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Financial Advisor, 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 wealth planning for over 13 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.

Investment and Insurance Products are:   

• Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency 
• Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate 
• Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested 

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. PM-06032027-6272318.1.2

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.