Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board

Ed Barr is President and CEO of P & L Specialties and the Tom Beard Company which produces, respectively, wine making equipment and wine barrel cleansing equipment. He has been an active member of the Youth Council since 2002. He was chair of the WIB for two terms from 2003 to 2004 and 2008 to 2010 and the chair of the Youth Council from 2005-2007, where he provided leadership and guidance for Sonoma County's Youth Symposium and worked with the Sonoma County Office of Education to develop the Work-Ready Certificate.

Dan Blake is the Career Development Specialist for the Sonoma County Office of Education. In this capacity, he is leading the County's effort to develop a comprehensive K-16 Career Development System, oversees the Work-Ready Certification program available to students in all Sonoma County high schools, coordinates the Middle School Career Exploration program that currently includes 17 Sonoma County middle schools, and supports the use of the Kuder Navigator online career and academic planning system by over 13,000 Sonoma County students in 36 middle and high schools.

Mr. Blake has 14 years of teaching experience, including 13 years as a social studies teacher at Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa. He also served as the school's Career Pathway Coordinator and as a Program Coordinator for both the Elsie Allen Community Development Academy and the University Center at Elsie Allen High School. He currently serves on the Sonoma County Youth Education and Employment Services Council Executive Committee and the Linked Learning Alliance Guidance and Counseling Subcommittee.

Jeanne Buckley retired from her position as a Superior Court Commissioner for the County of Sonoma in 1999. Jeanne became a lawyer in 1979, and currently works as a mediator and a private judge. Jeanne is the past president of the governing board of Chop's, Santa Rosa's teen center. She has also served as a board member on numerous boards, including the Sonoma County Community Foundation, Santa Rosa Symphony, Family Service Agency, and Sonoma County YMCA. She also lends her juvenile justice experience to multiple taskforces, boards and committees.

Sheriff-Coroner Steve Freitas is a 26-year veteran of Law Enforcement, coming to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office in 1991. Steve promoted to Sergeant in 2001 and Lieutenant in 2005. In July of 2005, he was selected as the Windsor Chief of Police until his appointment to Law Enforcement Division Assistant Sheriff in July of 2010. He was elected Sheriff-Coroner for the County of Sonoma and assumed the position on January 3, 2011.

Steve firmly believes in community involvement and serves on the Verity Advisory Board and the Work Force Investment Board Youth Council. He looks to continue these relationships as well as build new ones throughout his tenure as Sheriff of Sonoma County.

Roy Hurd has been involved in private education and school administration for more than 40 years, the past 24 years as President of Empire College in Santa Rosa. An active member of his community, Roy is Past-Chairman of the Board of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, Business Education Round Table, and Sonoma County School-to-Career Partnership. In 2001 he was appointed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors as a member of the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board (Chairman 2006-2009) and the Sonoma County Youth Employment Council. In 2007, Mr. Hurd was recipient of the Sonoma County Spirit Award which recognized his contributions to the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board.

Stephen Jackson was named Director of Career Development/ROP for the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) on January 20, 2006 after serving as interim director for six months. He oversees all aspects of the county-level effort to develop and deliver effective career development programs for high school students in Sonoma County. He joined the department in July 2004 and facilitated the successful effort to align ROP courses to state academic standards. Mr. Jackson has 17 years of teaching experience, including 12 years as a business and technology instructor at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa. He also served as Montgomery High School's career pathway coordinator for four years.

Matt Martin has worked as a teacher in an elementary school in Oakland, a facilitator for youth programs in inner city Bay Area communities, an operations director for Boys & Girls Clubs of Petaluma, and now as Executive Director for Social Advocates for Youth. A professional and personal goal of Matt's has always been to empower youth to reach their full potential as caring, productive, and responsible individuals.

Valerie McKamey is a Rehabilitation Supervisor for the California Department of Rehabilitation, serving Sonoma County since 1994. Valerie supervises the Transition Partnership Program, which helps special needs youth transition from school to work.

Jim Sartain has been involved with Sonoma County Youth Programs for the past 28 years. He served on the Private Industry Council for 17 years, two years as Chair. He was appointed to the WIB/Youth Council in 2000, serving as Chair its first two years. Jim has been a Senior Real Estate Advisor with Keegan & Coppin Company, Inc. since 1997. Prior to that, Jim held management positions in the Manufacturing Industry for 24 years. He also serves on the Boards of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Coast Air Museum.

Rafael Vazquez works as an outreach specialist for Santa Rosa Junior College's Extended Opportunity Programs & Services Department. This department serves economically disadvantaged students by providing counseling, funding, and other support services to help prepare them for success at SRJC. Rafael served on the board of directors of a non-profit organization that worked with troubled youth. He serves as a mentor to many young men who are affiliated with gangs with the objective of connecting them with positive alternatives to gang life.

Ron Beiden was the Division Director for the Boy's Camp and for Juvenile Probation Services for the Sonoma County Probation Department from 1975 to 2005. Ron continues to work for the department part time since retiring, and volunteers on the advisory committees for the Boys' and Girls' Probation Camps. Ron has been on the Youth Council since 2000, and served as the Chair for 2003-2004.

Sheron Bradley is the Tenant Services Supervisor of the Sonoma County Housing Authority at the Community Development Commission. She has spent the last twelve years managing subsidized housing arrangements for a variety of populations in Sonoma County. Currently she is working in partnership with Family, Youth, and Children Services of the Sonoma County Human Services Department to administer housing vouchers for former foster youth. She has also been involved with Junior League of Napa/Sonoma, YMCA, and other community organizations.

Marilee Eckert has been the Chief Executive Officer of Conservation Corps North Bay since 1992. Marilee has a M.A. in Counseling Psychology and over 25 years of experience in program development and management for various non-profit agencies. She is a proven and determined advocate for youth and the conservation corps model, making her well known to public officials and leaders on a local, state, and national level. Under Marilee's leadership, Conservation Corps North Bay has grown from a small Marin County-based organization to a $7 Million dollar organization serving California's North Bay with model programs that have been duplicated by corps nationwide and globally.

Steve Herrington took office as the elected Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools on January 3, 2011. He is a native Californian who began his career in education as a history teacher. Over the last 25 years, he has served as superintendent for three Northern California school districts, overseeing educational services for students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Prior to his election, he was superintendent of Windsor Unified School District. Schools and districts under his direction have earned awards for creating neighborhood family literacy centers, educating students to be environmental stewards, and making a difference in the lives of children and their families. Dr. Herrington is a Vietnam Era veteran who served in the United States Army and National Guard.

Georgia Ioakimedes was named Director of Alternative Education-Student Support Services for the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) on July 1, 2008 after serving as an Assistant Principal and Principal for the department for seven years. She oversees the delivery of county office educational services to at-risk youth in Sonoma County. This includes services to students who are expelled, on probation, habitually truant or wards of the court. Ms. Ioakimedes has been in the field of education for over thirty years, including 12 years as a high school teacher and counselor. Ms. Ioakimedes holds a Bachelor's degree in Organizational Behavior and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco.

Scott Kincaid is a Senior Vice President and Senior Loan Officer with First Community Bank in Santa Rosa. Mr. Kincaid has been a commercial lender since 1998. He was born and raised in Santa Rosa, attending local schools, including Cardinal Newman High School and SRJC. Scott's family on his mother's side has roots in Sonoma County dating back to 1856. Scott and his wife Amy are proudly raising their three children in Santa Rosa. Mr. Kincaid is actively serving or has served as a board member with the Sonoma County Alliance, Innovation Council, and the North Bay World Trade Association.

Casey McChesney has lived in Sonoma County since she was 2 years old. She earned a career certificate from SRJC, and completed her associate's degree there. She worked with developmentally disabled children and adults who were blind, or deaf or both for 12 and a half years. Casey has worked in Oakland at World Institute on Disability, Sonoma County Legal Aid, Sebastopol Independent Charter School, and then took the job of Program Director of YouthBuild Santa Rosa with Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County.

Bill Nordskog retired from Agilent technologies after 35 years. Bill is now the Chair of the United Way of the Wine County, Chair of the Youth Council, a CASA advocate, a steering committee member for the Santa Rosa Mays Gang Prevention Task Force, and part of the Sierra Youth Center Advisory Council.

Katrina Thurman is the Executive Director of Family Service Agency of Sonoma County and West County Community Services. She has an extensive background in the nonprofit sector providing strategic communication, fundraising, community development and ethnographic research expertise. Experience includes work with Boards of Directors (nonprofit governance), strategic planning, federal, state and local grants management, and organizational communication and development.

Catherine Wilson has 15 years of experience in the youth development field, as an Executive Director for three Boys & Girls Clubs and a national trainer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Currently she is employed as the manager of Career Development Services, Assessment and Testing Services at Santa Rosa Junior College.

During her time with Boys & Girls Clubs, Ms. Wilson implemented Gang prevention programs, Family Literacy programs, as well as a number of workforce development programs, targeting the nontraditional learners - who were falling behind in the school system. During this time, she also worked with the Community Policing Institute as a presenter on youth development work and law enforcement partnerships.

In her current position as the manager of Career Development Services, Ms. Wilson has the opportunity to work with youth the next level of youth - the ones who have moved out from the Boys & Girls Clubs and are on the way to deciding what they want to do with their lives through career exploration and on campus employment opportunities.