I am an equity leader with over 20 years of teaching, leadership, and top-level systems design experience. Some of my favorite positions have been as a fourth-grade teacher and K-8 turnaround principal. I have also served as the founding Executive Director of Equity at San Diego County Office of Education and Chief Academic Officer at Alameda County Office of Education. More recently, I became the founder of a nonprofit organization, Amara Leaders, created to support the unique needs of African American women leaders; the founder and CEO of New Generation Equity, a firm focused on supporting individuals and organizations build and strengthen their systems to align with their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging goals; and Board Trustee of Antioch Unified School District in Northern California.
I earned my Doctorate and Master’s in Educational Leadership from Mills College in Oakland, California, a Master’s in Special Education from National University in Los Angeles and a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University. My experience as a National Equity Project fellow, practitioner of equity design work, and executive-level leader has deepened my expertise in equity leadership, change management, and liberatory design. I enjoy hiking, outdoor cycling, traveling, and spending quality time with my grandson, friends, and family.

Dr. Rebeca Andrade is the Superintendent of Salinas City Elementary School District. She has 25 years of public school experience, ranging from classroom teaching to central office administration. Her service also includes leading early education and expanded learning, two systems that provide a human developmental and social emotional focus in PreK-8th grades. Dr. Andrade has presented at various state educational conferences and her academic research focuses on STEM practices, policies, and implementation in all learning ecosystems. She has served on the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) Board, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 15 Board, USC Alumni Board (San Gabriel Valley Chapter), and on the state's Expanded Learning Division sustainability workgroup. She currently serves on the ACSA Region 10 Board. She mentors a first-generation student at CSUMB through the “Pay It Forward” program and has served as mentor for doctoral students at USC and educational leaders through the CALSA mentoring program.

Dr. Andrade received her bachelor of arts from the University of Southern California, her master of arts from Loyola Marymount University, and her doctorate of education in educational leadership from the University of Southern California.

Julie A. Vitale, Ph.D. serves as the Superintendent of the Oceanside Unified School District. Dr.Vitale has held the positions of assistant superintendent, director, high school principal,coordinator, assistant principal, and teacher. Dr. Vitale earned her Ph.D. in Urban EducationalAdministration from Claremont Graduate University. She earned a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from California State University San Bernardino and a Master ofArts and Bachelor of Arts from the University of LaVerne. Dr. Vitale maintains an administrative credential and her California teaching credential. Dr. Vitale has taught for Concordia University since 2007 and assisted with the design of their Ed.D. Program.

In 2015, Dr. Vitale was named as the Western Riverside County Association of School Managers Superintendent of the Year. Claremont Graduate University (CGU) honored her as a Sally Loyd Casanova Distinguished Alumni Panelist in 2017 and in 2022 CGU honored Dr. Vitale with their Urban Leadership Alumni Achievement Award. The San Diego County Office of Education awarded Dr. Vitale with their Lighthouse Award as an Equity Champion in 2021. The Equity Champion award goes to a community leader who encompasses the light necessary for people tocome together and create multiple opportunities for all students and families in pursuit of equitable outcomes and opportunities. She serves on the Executive Committee for AASA (TheSchool Superintendents Association) and as an AASA mentor to Aspiring Female Superintendents. Additionally she serves on the Governing Board for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

Dr. Vitale was instrumental in the creation of the inaugural Lead with Pride Summit, sponsored by ACSA and served as the conference chair. The conference was the first of its kind focused on creating safe and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ students and staff. She also served as the Chair for the San Diego County Office of Education LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee. In June of 2022, Dr. Vitale was the keynote speaker for the North County LGBT Center’s Pride by the Beach celebration. Dr. Vitale has presented at national, state, and local conferences and is published on various topics including: creating affirming schools for LGBT students and staff, whole system reform, and instructional technology.

Zandra Jo Galvan has served as Superintendent of the Greenfield Union School District since August 10, 2017. Zandra has worked in public education since 1993 and began her career as an elementary classroom teacher for GUSD where she also attended kindergarten through graduation. Returning to serve as Superintendent allowed her childhood dreams to come true. Over the last six years, she has implemented a GUSD District Strategic Plan with an LCAP-aligned vision, mission, core values, and Board of Trustee priorities; a PLC model with essential standards, learning targets, common formative assessments and frequent data analysis; mapped career technical/job market trends and industry sectors; added SEL and wellness spaces for all; shifted to 21st century classroom furniture; and focused on student-centered LEGO & Apple learning spaces at all schools to build, innovate, and prepare for successful postsecondary college and career futures. Superintendent Galvan leads with an equity and inclusivity-focused mission for ALL students and most recently became a national Digital Promise/League of Innovative Schools District which is an esteemed honor for only 150 League districts in the United States.

Superintendent Galvan earned her B.A. in Liberal Studies and Teaching Credential from Fresno State, an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from CSU Monterey Bay, and an M.A. & Administrative Credential in Educational Leadership from San Jose State. She is now earning her Doctorate from USC. She has successfully completed the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Superintendent Academy & supports new superintendents, is a member of the ACSA Superintendents Council and the CSBA Superintendents’ Council, a member of the National Superintendents Roundtable, a National Mentor/Advisor/Presenter for AASA Aspiring Superintendents, National Advisor for Future Ready and ALL4ED Schools, National District Administration Superintendent Advisory team member & speaker, an ACSA Region10 Board of Director for the California Superintendents Council, is the current California Association of Latino/a/x Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) President (2021-2023) for the state of California, and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Latin Administrators & Superintendents (ALAS) for the 2022-2024 term.

Superintendent Galvan is passionate about preparing students to be socially, emotionally and academically prepared for college and career and ensures that every GUSD team member knows they are an ELITE team member dedicated to the arduous task of saving students from the cycle of poverty. She proudly is committed to “ALL Means ALL”: Fulfilling the Greenfield Guarantee for ALL students in the Greenfield Union School District.

Dr. Cheryl P. Hildreth is the Superintendent of Washington Unified School District(WUSD) in West Sacramento, CA. WUSD is committed to closing achievement and opportunity gaps by focusing on equity, excellence, and empowerment for every student every day. Dr. Hildreth has a proven track record for furthering academic excellence and a wealth of experience developing personal, cultural, and systemic transformation through the lens of equity.

Prior to joining WUSD, Dr. Hildreth was a senior leader in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). She served as a Local District Superintendent and provided direction and support to 150 schools. During her career, she has impacted the lives of countless youths. Notably, she has served as an elementary and middle school teacher, middle and high school assistant principal, middle school principal, director of secondary schools, and instructional area superintendent.

In addition to working within her district, she also supports initiatives at the legislative level. Recently, she was appointed to the Black Student Achievement committee formed by California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond. She is also a member of the Superintendent's Advisory Council for the California School Boards Association (CSBA).

Dr. Hildreth was educated in the public school system in Los Angeles. She holds a Doctoral Degree (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California; a Masters of Arts (M.A.) Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills; and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Public Relations from Howard University.

Daniela Arriaga holds a degree in painting from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is an accomplished mixed media sculptor and painter. Her vibrantly colored artwork draws influence from her Mexican heritage and has been featured  in Modern Luxury Magazine, Post Gallery ,  Los Angeles, and Wyland Gallery, Haleiwa and collected internationally. Daniela followed in the footsteps of a long line of educators and authors within her family who specialize in education as she released her first Illustrated Children’s book, Finding Aloha in 2021. Daniela is pleased to share her dynamic  live artist sketches and visual note taking at this year’s Leading While Female spring conference event.

Dr. Gloria L. Johnston has devoted over 40 years to a career in public education. She currently coaches,mentors and facilitates professional development for superintendents, school boards and central officeadministrators. Her work with school boards includes superintendent performance evaluations; strategicplanning including vision, mission, core values and strategic goals; development of board meeting norms andbehavior protocols; and board self-evaluations and goal setting. The primary focus of her work is on systemicstrategies that lead to improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Her years of service inprekindergarten through university included roles as a classroom teacher, principal, central office administrator,university professor and dean, and fourteen years as a superintendent of schools. She has served in urban,suburban, and rural school districts in Illinois, California and Caracas, Venezuela.

Throughout her career, Gloria has been and continues to be an invited speaker at local, state and nationalprofessional conferences. She has served on state and national educational and research panels andcommittees, and has been awarded major professional development grants. She has also served on communityboards, with civic groups and currently facilitates and participates in several superintendent professionalorganizations.

She is coauthor of three books, "Eight at the Top: A View Inside Public Education", a collection of stories aboutthe work of school district superintendents, "Effective Superintendent-School Board Practices: Strategies forDeveloping and Maintaining Good Relationships With Your Board", a practical, experience-based look at themost important role the superintendent has in leading a school district, and "The Superintendent's Planner: AMonthly Guide and Reflective Journal", a yearlong look at the work of the superintendent in managing the dayto-day operations of the school district.

Dr. Johnston earned her PhD in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Illinois at Chicago, her MS inBilingual/Bicultural Education and her BS in Humanities (magna cum laude) from Northern Illinois Universityand her A from Elgin Community College.

She currently lives in San Diego, California, close to her two children, three grandchildren and the beach.

Dr. Linda Lambert is Professor Emeritus at California State University, East Bay, and an experienced social worker, teacher, school and district administrator, history instructor, university department chair, international consultant and novelist.  She served as a middle school principal and director of the Marin County Principal’s Center. She received her doctorate from the University of San Francisco. In 1989, she became a special envoy to Egypt charged with setting up a national curriculum center. Lambert has written nine internationally-recognized books in educational leadership. The Constructivist Leader, a national best-seller was designated Book of the Year by the National Staff Development Association. She is best known for her original work in constructivist leadership, leadership capacity and women’s ways of leading. Her works have been translated into Chinese, Malay, Spanish and Lithuanian.

The second edition of Women’s Ways of Leading with Mary Gardner will be released in the fall of 2023. Linda integrates her global work in leadership with feminine and historical themes that take center stage in her novels as well. Two decades of exploration in Egypt inspired her to write The Cairo Codex, the first awarding-winning novel in the Justine Trilogy, followed by The Italian Letters and A Rapture of Ravens: Awakening in Taos.

Linda and her husband, Dr. Morgan Lambert, share five children, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They live in Santa Rosa, California.

As a public school educator for over 26 years, Dr. Roxane Fuentes has served as anelementary teacher, instructional coach, principal, Assistant Superintendent ofEducational Services, and Interim Superintendent, before becoming the first LatinaSuperintendent of the Berryessa Union School District in San Jose, CA in 2017.

As a first generation college student herself, Dr. Fuentes has worked to close theachievement gap by nurturing strong parent and community engagement, providinginnovative learning experiences for students, all while promoting a culture of equity,collaboration, and support throughout her career. She is passionately committed to thepower and promise of public education as a nexus of community advancement andeconomic growth. Under her leadership in Berryessa, student learning experiences andopportunities continue to expand.

Dr. Fuentes' highest honor was recently being recognized as Berryessa Citizens AdvisoryCouncil "Citizen of the Year" for 2022. In addition, Dr. Fuentes currently serves as ACSARegion 8 State Board Member. She was also appointed to CSBA's SuperintendentAdvsiory Council for 2022-2024. Strongly committed to the support and advancement ofequity leaders, Dr. Fuentes also serves as the California Association of LatinoSuperintendents and Administrators (CALSA) President-Elect, and past Bay Area Region 1Director. She has served as a mentor in the USC Rossier doctoral program as well as amentor for CALSA’s mentoring program. In 2015, Dr. Fuentes was selected as the ACSARegion 15 Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year. In 2019, she was namedas one of the 100 Most Influential Women of Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley BusinessJournal. Dr. Fuentes was recognized in 2019 as CALSA’s "Honoring Our Own"Superintendent of the Year. Most recently, Dr. Fuentes was invited to be a panelist for theUSC Rossier’s “New Vision for Schools” leadership series hosted by Pedro Noguera andState Superintendent Tony Thurmond regarding the importance of mental health servicesfor students during the COVID pandemic.

Dr. Fuentes earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of SouthernCalifornia, her master’s degree in History at California State University, Fullerton, asecond master’s degree in Education Administration at California State University, LongBeach, and her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at the University of SouthernCalifornia. She is a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa scholar society and arecipient of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship.