Dr. Debra Duardo is the Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools. Previously executive director of Student Health and Human Services for the Los Angeles Unified School District, she has more than 30 years of professional experience working with at-promise students and their families. Her unique life experience as a high school dropout able to overcome obstacles drives her passion to ensure that all students receive an education in a safe, caring environment and that every student is college-prepared and career ready.

President of the County Board of Education, Dr. Monte E. Perez is president of Los Angeles Mission College. He was assistant director of Admissions at Stanford University and later director of the Educational Opportunity Program and Student Support Services at California State University, Los Angeles. He serves on the Governing Board for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

Gloria Rogers is currently the Assistant Vice President of Business Development for the California Credit Union where she previously served as a Business Development Officer. Ms. Rogers is responsible for the CCU Annual Scholarship and other programs to support the education community.

David Sanford is the Founder and General Partner of Tempest Capital Management, an investment fund that primarily focuses on investing in emerging and disruptive technology. Mr. Sanford previously led the West Coast presence for Hitchwood Capital as a Partner and Portfolio Manager, and prior to that, he led technology investments for Scout Capital. Throughout his career, Mr. Sanford has demonstrated a commitment to social impact. While living in New York, he volunteered through the Harlem Children’s Aid Society, tutoring low-income students. After moving to San Francisco he launched the NextGen Leadership Council for the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco.

Chris Steinhauser served as superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District between 2002 and 2020. Mr. Steinhauser has more than 40 years of experience in Long Beach’s diverse school system and has earned a national reputation for improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps. His school district won the national Broad Prize for Urban Education and has qualified as a finalist for the award five times.

Andrea Foggy-Paxton, with 25+ years of experience, is a Board Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Education, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at EdLoC, Founder of Social Studies Accelerator, and CEO of Foggy Paxton Consulting. She collaborates with government, philanthropy, and nonprofits, advancing youth and community outcomes. Formerly Managing Director at The Broad Center and program officer at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she led efforts in urban education excellence and equity. With a background in startup nonprofits and initiatives, including LA Youth at Work and Rock the Vote, she's a Freedom School teacher. Foggy-Paxton holds a bachelor’s in political science from UC Berkeley and a master’s in public administration from Baruch College.

Dr. Elizabeth Graswich is Executive Director of Communications for the Los Angeles County Office of Education. She’s a veteran communications executive in public education leadership, with expertise in public policy, media relations, crisis management, project management, community outreach, social media, marketing, and event planning. Ms. Graswich has 15 years of experience in strategic communications for large, high profile public agencies where she directed crisis management and rapid response, CEO and senior leadership messaging, media relations, parent engagement, initiative leadership, community relations and outreach, brand management, and digital media.

Gary Newman spent most of his career at Twentieth Century Fox, notably overseeing the Fox Television Group, which included Fox Broadcasting Company, 20th Century Fox Television, and Fox 21 Television Studios. Joining in 1990, he rose to President of TCFTV in 1999, leading it to become a top programming supplier and profit driver. Mr. Newman received several honors, including NATPE’s Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award and induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. In 2023, he joined the BBC's Commercial Board. He has served on the Board and the Advisory Council of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society since 2006, and serves on the boards of the Alliance for Children’s Rights and UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Mr. Newman started his career as an attorney, earning his J.D. from USC Law Center and his B.A. from Yale University.

Dr. Iris Zuñiga, Co-founder of Amanecer Consulting Group, has 20 years of experience driving impactful strategies at the intersection of education and social services. She has led initiatives to break intergenerational poverty, including managing Cradle to College and Career programs and a $3.5 million scholarship fund supporting 1,000 students. As Vice President of the Los Angeles Recreation & Parks Commission, Dr. Zuñiga oversaw a $160 million budget and 420 parks. She also served on California’s task force on Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty and is a recent Annie E. Casey Fellow. A graduate of UCLA and CSUN, Dr. Zuñiga earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at LMU, driven by her passion for equity and academic access for underrepresented students.