Latino astronaut among 7 Latinos named by Newsom to higher education boards

Among the 10 Californians that Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Friday to the governing boards of the state’s three public institutions of higher education, seven were Latino.

Those selected included three from the San Joaquín Valley:

▪ Former astronaut José M. Hernández of Manteca, who was picked for a 12-year term on the University of California Board of Regents.

▪ Yammilette Rodríguez of Fresno, who as senior director of the Youth Leadership Institute has molded area youth into become leaders and problem solvers, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees.

▪ Irma L. Olguín Jr. of Caruthers, co-founder and CEO at Bitwise Industries, has been named to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

“These leaders bring a wide array of knowledge and experience from across the state’s diverse regions, including the Central Valley, to our world-class colleges and universities, and share a deep commitment to serving our state,” said Newsom.

“California is doubling down on our work to make college more affordable and accessible than ever before, spurring upward mobility and boosting our nation-leading recovery.”

The appointments have been praised by various organizations.

“HOPE is also thrilled to see that 7 out of 10 of the appointments made to the governing boards of the state’s public institutions of higher education are Latinos, of which four are Latina women,” said Helen Iris Torres, CEO of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality.”

Other Latinos appointed include Julia I. López and María G. Linares to the CSU Board of Trustees; and, Joshua Elizondo and Blas Villalobos to the community college board.

“As the recent release of 2020 Census data confirms, Latinos in California are the largest ethnic group in the state at nearly 40% of the overall population, and more than half of K-12 students in California are Latino,” said Torres.

“As our population continues to grow and Latino students continue to drive enrollment at our colleges and universities, Latino students seeing themselves reflected in the leadership of our institutions is paramount to ensuring their success.”

The nomination of Hernández, the NASA astronaut-turned-winemaker, was welcomed by UC Regents Chair Cecilia V. Estolano.

““I look forward to working with my new colleague, José Hernández, to expand UC’s affordability and accessibility for all Californians,” said Estolano. “José’s personal story of perseverance, hard work and success is inspiring.

With his deep ties to California, his commitment to education, and his expertise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, I know that José will be a strong advocate for the University.”

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz applauded Hernández’s appointment in a press statement.

“A Central Valley native, José M. Hernández will be an important voice on the Board of Regents for all of California and particularly for our region, which has previously seen such powerful Valley advocates as Leo Kolligian, Odessa Johnson and Fred Ruiz represent our needs and aspirations at the highest levels of the university,” said Sánchez Muñoz.

His deep and diverse expertise will be a tremendous asset to the Board as we work together to serve students and families across the state,” said UC President Michael V. Drake.

Hernández, 58, has been president and chief executive officer at Tierra Luna Engineering, LLC, since 2012. He was president of PT Strategies at PT Capital/PT Strategies from 2013 to 2016. Before that, he was executive director of strategic operations at MEI Technologies from 2011 to 2012.

During his 10 years at NASA’s Johnson Space Center beginning in 2001, he served as an astronaut, legislative analyst, branch chief and materials research engineer. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Hernández held numerous roles including program manager and engineer from 1985 to 2001.

Hernández is a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens and Latinos in Science and Engineering. He earned a master of science degree in electronics engineering, signals, and systems from UC Santa Bárbara.

His appointment must be confirmed by the state Senate. There is no compensation.

California State University appointees

Rodríguez, 45, has been with the Youth Leadership Institute since 2009 when she was Central Valley senior director through 2020. She is the organization’s national trainer and consultant.

“The decisions made by governing board members directly impact the lives of students, and having a leader like Yammilette represented ensures our students have a champion,” said Torres, the HOPE CEO.

She has also been regional director for the Latino Issues Forum (2008-09), and governmental relations consultant at PG&E (2008-09).

Rodríguez was a district representative for Assemblymember Sarah Reyes (1999-2001), and was director of admissions at Fresno Pacific University (2001-07).

She is a board member at the Vesper Society, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality Advisory Board and the Central Valley Latino Leaders Academy.

Rodríguez earned a master of arts degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Fresno Pacific University.

Also nominated are Linares, 36, of Tustin, who has chaired the CSU Fullerton Associated Students board of directors; López, 73, of San Francisco, who was president/CEO at the College Futures Foundation (2008-17); and, Romey Sabalius, 58, of San José, a San José State professor since 1995.

Community college appointees

Olguín, 40, has been active in providing coding and other high tech education to underserved communities. She co-founded Hashtag Fresno in 2011.

Olguín was co-founder and president at Edit LLC (2011-16), and of 59DaysOfCode (2009-16). She was a professional geek at Geekwise (1999-2013), and a teacher at The Center for Advanced Research and Technology and at Fresno Unified School District (2006-07).

She is an advisory board member at REDF and a President’s Advisory Board Member at California State University, Fresno.

Also appointed are Elizondo, 25, of Los Angeles, student body president at Santa Mónica College since 2021; Villalobos, 40, of Lakewood, CEO of Centerstone’s Military Services since 2021; Jennifer Perry, 60, of Los Angeles, who has been executive director of Children’s Action Network since 1990; Roy A. Shahbazian, 48, of Sacramento, a math professor at Santa Ana College since 2001; degree in Mathematics from the University of California, Irvine. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Shahbazian is registered without party preference.

The positions require state Senate confirmation; and the compensation is $100 per diem.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 20 de agosto de 2021, 9:22 p. m..