Funding Sources:

Robert (Bob) Wendel
Email: rwendel@calpass.org
Bob has worked at all levels of education – elementary, middle, and high school. He has taught in the credential program for Chapman College, as well. Bob was a site principal for 17 years. As a middle school principal, his school achieved California Distinguished School and the high school he served grew steadily in API, outscoring every other high school in the County, and was recognized as a High-Performing Title One School, with a Similar Schools rank of 10. Bob now coordinates Professional Development, directs BTSA Induction and heads the English, social studies and ELD departments for the Merced Union High School District.

Bob holds a Masters Degree in Education from Fresno Pacific University.

Kate Mahar
Email: kmahar@calpass.org
Kate currently serves as Director of the Institute for Citizenship Education and Teacher Preparation at Civicorps Schools in Oakland, CA. Previously, Kate has served as an administrator at the community college and high school levels. Her academic and career focus has been on supporting educationally disadvantaged youth and her graduate degrees were pursued to find ways to promote equity in our school systems.

Kate holds a master’s degree in Multicultural Education and a doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Virginia Horowitz, Nevada/Placer
Email: vhorowitz@calpass.org
Virginia has a long history in the classroom as an elementary classroom teacher, mentor teacher and language arts specialist as well as experience in K-12 administration as a Curriculum Director, Principal, and Coordinator for Learning Resources and Technology for the San Diego County Office of Education. Since 1999, she has served as an education consultant for both San Diego and Sacramento County Offices of Education.

Virginia Horowitz holds a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and a Master's Degree in Reading, both from San Diego State University.


Lynn Fowler, Sacramento
Email: lfowler@calpass.org
Lynn has worked in the community college systems of California and Washington state since 1993. She is currently the Director of Articulation and Transfer Services for the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento, CA, and a Counselor at Cosumnes River College, also in the Los Rios District.

Her Masters degree was earned at California State University, Long Beach, in Counseling with at specialization in Student Development in Higher Education. She is currently enrolled at Oregon State University in the doctoral program in Community College Leadership; her research interests include early identification of risk factors related to student success.

Katheryn Horton, North Bay
Email:khorton@calpass.org
Katheryn Horton has been coordinating Sonoma State University’s Early Assessment Program since January, 2005, and is now directing a school collaboration effort at the University. She previously taught journalism for SSU’s Upward Bound program, and operated her own freelance writing and marketing business for 15 years.

A communication theory graduate from UC San Diego, Katheryn is expecting to receive her Masters in Educational Leadership from Sonoma State University in May 2008.

Donna Dutton, East Los Angeles
Email: ddutton@calpass.org
Donna has served in many capacities during her tenure in the high school public education system. Her major roles include English instructor, assistant principal, interim principal, and director of curriculum and professional development. Her focus is on the continuous improvement model, using student data to support the achievement of ALL students.

Donna holds a master’s degree in Education and Instructional Leadership.

Lucia Lachmayr, San Mateo
Email: llachmayr@calpass.org
Lucia has tutored struggling English students since 2000. That experience motivated her to go into teaching and she began teaching English and Reading at the Post-Secondary level since 2002. She has taught a range, from basic writing English courses through upper-division composition courses, from basic reading to Literature courses. She also teaches integrated reading and writing courses. She has taught at San Francisco State University, City College of San Francisco and Skyline College, the latter where she currently teaches fulltime and is Co-coordinator of the Puente Project learning community, which assists underrepresented Latino/a students navigate their way successfully through higher education.

Lucia has a B.A. in Literature with a minor in World and Comparative Literature from San Francisco State University as well as an M.A. in Composition, an M.A. in Literature, and a Certificate in Teaching Reading at the Postsecondary Level, all from San Francisco State University.

Lisbeth Ceaser, Santa Barbara
Email: lceaser@calpass.org
Lisbeth currently serves as Director of Special Projects for the College of Education at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She is Campus Coordinator for the CSU Early Assessment Project and CSU Faculty Representative for statewide initiatives in reading education. Lisbeth has also served as director of Precollegiate Academic Development and AmeriCorps Service learning projects and is a CSU Chancellor’s Teacher Preparation Scholar. Her professional interests are curriculum development, literacy, and teacher education.

Lisbeth holds teaching and administrative credentials, an M.A. in English and an Ed.D in Higher Education.

Dr. Linda Murray, Santa Clara/San Jose
Email: lmurray@calpass.org
Linda is currently serving as Superintendent in Residence for the Education Trust-West (ETW) and is responsible for leading the practice work of the organization in California. The work is around high school reform to ensure that all California graduates are college and work ready. She also serves on State Superintendent Jack O’Connell’s P-16 Commission. Prior to joining ETW, Dr. Murray served as Superintendent of Schools for the San Jose Unified School District for eleven years.

Linda Murray holds a Ph.D. from State University of New York at Albany.

Dr. Constance J. Fish, North San Diego County
Email:cfish@calpass.org
Connie is currently serving as an adjunct professor for Point Loma Nazarene University in the administrative credential program and as an education consultant coaching principals in program improvement schools. Her passions as an assistant superintendent for instruction in multiple districts included technology as a ubiquitous classroom tool for teachers and students, quality literacy and mathematics instruction and assessment, and teacher support - materials, professional development, and collaboration.

Connie holds a doctorate degree in Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Southern California.


Cali Linfor, East, South and Central San Diego County
Email:clinfor@calpass.org
Cali has taught in the Rhetoric and Writing Department of San Diego State University (SDSU) since 1996. She has also been an instructor of composition, creative writing, reading, and English as a Second Language at Grossmont Community College, MiraCosta Community College and San Diego City College. Deeply involved in curriculum alignment work between higher education and secondary schools, Cali has served as the SDSU’s Language Arts Coordinator for the CSU’s Collaborative Academic Preparation Initiatives, the Co-Director of San Diego’s Reading Institutes for Academic Preparation (RIAP), and worked closely with the California Reading and Literature Project on reading and writing across the content areas.

Cali holds a BA from UCLA in Literature and Women Studies and an MFA from SDSU in Creative Writing.

Daniel Martinez, Ph.D , Riverside
Email: dmartinez@calpass.org
Daniel has worked in the California Community Colleges as an institutional researcher for 17 years. Currently, he is the associate director of institutional research at the Riverside Community College District. He has also taught psychology courses at community colleges in Southern California.

Daniel earned a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis on postsecondary education administration from The Claremont Graduate School.


Ron Williams, San Bernardino, East Valley
Email: rwilliams@calpass.org
Ron has an extensive background in transforming educational institutions across the State of California—Bakersfield, Chico, Palmdale, Madera, Palmdale, Sacramento, and San Bernardino. This involves working with educational organizations in the roles of teacher, principal, coordinator, director and faculty in K-12 through four-year institutions. In 2000, he became the Coordinator of Secondary School Reform for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools where he facilitates all pre-school through university initiatives, including the Center for the Advancement of Smaller Learning Environments (CASLE).

Ron has a Masters degree in Education Administration from Azusa Pacific University.


Virginia Rabor Moran, San Bernardino, High Desert
Email: vmoran@calpass.org
Virginia has served as a researcher and planner in the California Community College System for the past 10 years. Currently, she is the Executive Dean of Institutional Effectiveness at Victor Valley College, providing leadership and oversight for research, accreditation, and the overall organizational development for the college. She has also served as an associate faculty member in Psychology for several postsecondary institutions in the Inland Empire.

Virginia holds a Master's degree in Psychology from CSU, San Bernardino.


Katy Schneider, West San Bernardino
Email: kschneider@calpass.org
Kathryn served as a school administrator at the elementary and middle school levels in K-12 districts for 17 years. As an elementary school principal, her school achieved Distinguished School status, with a Similar Schools API ranking of 9. Her school’s continued growth in student performance was a significant factor in her selection as “Elementary Principal of the Year” in 2000 by the Association of California School Administrators. She taught educational leadership classes at the college level at Chapman University, Azusa Pacific University, and the University of La Verne. Her most recent position was Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in Bonita Unified School District.

Kathryn earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Redlands and an Educational Doctorate Degree in Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Southern California.

Kate Mahar
Email: kmahar@calpass.org
Kate currently serves as Director of the Institute for Citizenship Education and Teacher Preparation at Civicorps Schools in Oakland, CA. Previously, Kate has served as an administrator at the community college and high school levels. Her academic and career focus has been on supporting educationally disadvantaged youth and her graduate degrees were pursued to find ways to promote equity in our school systems.

Kate holds a master’s degree in Multicultural Education and a doctorate in Educational Leadership.