Meet our team

Dr. Tommy Chang is the CEO of New Teacher Center, a national organization that works to disrupt the predictability of educational inequities for systemically underserved students by accelerating educator effectiveness. He has over 25 years of educational leadership experience in schools, districts, and non-profits.

Chang has served many roles in public education. He was the Superintendent of Boston Public Schools and a local instructional superintendent of the Intensive Support & Innovation Center at the Los Angeles Unified School District. He is a former biology teacher and high school principal. He has also served as the Senior Advisor for Strategy and Programs at Great Public Schools Now, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles that invests in schools, organizations, and initiatives that catalyze excellence in public education.

A native of Taiwan who immigrated with his family to the U.S. at age six, Chang grew up in Los Angeles and holds an Ed.D. from Loyola Marymount University, M.Ed.s from the Principals Leadership Institute and the Teachers Education Program at the University of California Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chang is a fearless advocate for educational equity and for fostering safe, welcoming, and sustaining learning environments for all students, including immigrants, LGBTQ youth, and court-involved students. He sits on a number of boards including Families In Schools, a non-profit focused on parents and community engagement; Silicon Schools Fund, a non-profit that funds the creation of new schools in the Bay Area of California focused on innovation and personalization; and Leading Educators, a non-profit that partners with school systems to improve teaching and leadership.

Virgil Roberts attended UCLA majoring in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. Prior to graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Roberts passed the Foreign Service Office’s examinations and received an appointment to the U. S. Foreign Service.

Roberts’ interest in foreign affairs led to work as an intern for the Voice of America during the summer of 1967. He has described his experience that summer as a turning point in his life. More than 100 race riots exploded across the nation, and the “Black Consciousness” movement took root across the land. Profoundly affected by the historic shifts in the American body politic, Roberts reconsidered his decision to become a career Foreign Service officer. He returned to UCLA and along with a few fellow students, helped to create UCLA’s African American Studies Center.

He attended Harvard Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1972. Roberts specialized in Civil Litigation and Entertainment Law. He also became involved in civil rights and civil liberties matters. Notable among them was his representation of the NAACP in the Los Angeles school desegregation case (Crawford vs. Board of Education).

Roberts joined Solar Records as Executive Vice President and General Counsel in 1981, became President of Dick Griffey Productions (DGP) in 1982, and President of Solar Records in 1990. One of the most successful African American-owned record companies in the 80’s, Solar had an impressive roster of gold and platinum-selling artists including Babyface, The Whispers, The Calloways, Shalamar, Midnight Star, The Deele, Lakeside, Dynasty, Klymaxx, Absolute, Jody Watley, Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Daniel, Vanity, and Richie Havens.

In 1996, Roberts left Solar/DGP to form the law firm of Bobbitt & Roberts. He is Managing Partner of the firm, which specializes in representing entertainment industry clients, concentrating on television, film, music, theater licensing, and merchandising. Mr. Roberts has represented clients such as Usher, Kanye West, Chaka Khan, Deathrow Records, Blackground Records, Slip ‘n’ Slide Records, the Ruff Ryders, the J. Walter Thompson Agency, and MTV.

Throughout his professional career, Roberts has been actively involved with the community and the legal profession. Currently, he serves on the Board of Trustees of Families In Schools, Southern California Public Radio, the FEDCO Foundation, Community Build, and the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools. He is also Vice Chairman of Usher’s New Look Foundation, and Co-founder and Chairman of the African American Board Leadership Institute (AABLI).

Roberts has served as a Trustee of both Occidental College and Claremont Graduate University and as Chairman of the Board of the California Community Foundation, and Board Chair of the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project (LAAMP), a public-school reform organization, which under Roberts’ leadership, raised and spent more than $120,000,000 to reform public education in the Los Angeles basin. He recently retired from the Board of the James Irvine Foundation after twelve (12) years and as the Chairman of the Board of Broadway Federal Bank after twenty (20) years of service and leading Broadway as it merged with City First Bank of Washington, D.C. to create the first African American managed bank with more than a billion dollars in assets.

He has been honored for his service to the community by the Los Angeles Urban League, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the University of Southern California (USC) School of Education, the UCLA Black Alumni Association, Chaka Khan Foundation, The Association of Fundraising Professionals, the California Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, and the 100 Black Men.

Roberts is married to writer/editor Brenda (Banks) Roberts, author of “Jazzy Miz Mozetta,” a children’s book that won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for its illustrations. Virgil and Brenda are the proud parents of two daughters, Gisele Simone and Hayley Tasha.

Mike Moultrie is a Senior Sales Executive at Colonial Life Insurance with a track record spanning over two decades. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Moultrie is a true local, deeply connected to the community he serves. His passion for sports, particularly baseball, was ignited at a young age, a passion that continued throughout his college years. He pursued his higher education at Paul Quinn College, an HBCU in Dallas, Texas, where he earned a degree in sociology.

Beyond his career, Moultrie exemplifies the spirit of community involvement and mentorship. Returning to his hometown after college, he dedicated his time and expertise to a myriad of volunteer organizations, leaving an indelible mark on countless lives. His role as a baseball coach, ranging from little league to college programs, stands as a testament to his commitment to nurturing the next generation of athletes and leaders. With a career marked by expertise and a passion for giving back, Moultrie is not just an accomplished professional but a dedicated community leader and mentor.

Dr. Manny A. Aceves is the Chief Program Officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF). As a member of the executive leadership team, Aceves provides oversight, vision, and strategy in the areas of programs, grantmaking, and strategic initiatives.

Before joining LADF, Aceves served as the Associate Dean for Strategic Engagement at the Loyola Marymount University School of Education where he was responsible for leading the School of Education’s external engagement efforts, supporting relationships with existing partners, and cultivating new and mutually beneficial partnerships that support preparation, professional development, outreach, and impact. Prior to his role at LMU, Aceves was the Chief External Impact Officer at KIPP SoCal Public Schools. Aceves oversaw government relations, advocacy and community engagement, development and fundraising, and marketing and communication efforts. Aceves began his career in education as a middle school classroom teacher in Los Angeles.

Aceves is also an active leader in numerous organizations. He currently serves on the board of directors for Bright Star Schools and is an active member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC). Previously, he served on the board of visitors for the Loyola Marymount University School of Education, board of directors for WISH Charter, advisory board for Playa Vista Elementary School, and on the advisory committee for the California Educator Diversity Research Project at the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. In addition, he served on the Green Dot Public Schools Administrator-in-Residence (AIR) Program Advisory Board and was the treasurer for the Association of Jesuit Schools and Universities (AJCU) Deans of Education Conference. Aceves was also a founding and former board member for the Teach for America Los Angeles Associates Board.

Aceves is a proud first-generation college graduate. He is a triple alumnus of LMU, receiving his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Social Justice, Master of Arts in School Administration, and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He also holds California credentials in both teaching and administration.

Dr. James C. Bridgeforth is an educator, researcher, and policy advocate. His research and teaching focus on community voice in education policy and governance, as well as the politics of educational leadership. His work specifically attends to manifestations of racism and antiblackness in schools. James is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware and a Faculty Affiliate at the Community Schools Learning Exchange.

James began his professional experience in education as a college admissions officer and later transitioned to a career in K-12 education as an elementary school teacher and leader. His scholarship, recognized by the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, has been published in academic journals such as the Journal of School Leadership, Education Policy Analysis Archives, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and Educational Administration Quarterly. James has also shared his work in national media outlets including Education Week and The Washington Post.

He holds a PhD in Urban Education Policy (University of Southern California ’23), an MEd in Educational Administration and Policy (University of Georgia ’17), and a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology (Georgia College & State University ’13).

EDMG Co-Owner and Principal Investigator | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fellow at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

Jeimee Estrada-Miller, a proud product of the Los Angeles education system, brings a lifelong passion for educational equity to her research that began with her own journey as a Los Angeles Unified student in Watts, South Los Angeles and continued at the University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., English/Political Science) and the University of Southern California (Master of Public Policy, doctoral candidate). Throughout her career, Estrada-Miller’s education, organizing, policy leadership, and research has focused on how policies and practices support educating all students and addressing achievement gaps for low-income kids of color.

Estrada-Miller currently leads policy and education research as co-owner of her own research firm, EDMG; is a Fellow in the Public Policy and Management program at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy; and is an affiliate at the USC Rossier School of Education Center for Education Policy, Equity, and Governance. She was previously a Senior Fellow at the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading; an Adjunct Instructor at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, teaching graduate courses on policy formulation and implementation; and National Senior Advisor on Policy and Strategy to Educators for Excellence (E4E), following serving as Executive Director in Los Angeles. Prior to joining E4E in 2019, Estrada-Miller served as Regional Vice President-Los Angeles and Vice President of Research and Policy at Innovate Public Schools, heading up the organization’s local expansion effort and leading parent organizing efforts. She also brings experience as a researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), legislative and policy advisor at the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), former high-school English and Spanish teacher, and instructor in California universities.

Estrada-Miller’s research has focused on how the policies and practices support educating all students and addressing achievement gaps for marginalized student populations. At AIR, Estrada-Miller led several policy and research projects on topics such as the California Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), state implementation of the federal flexibility provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and implementation of weighted-student funding formulas. As a fiscal and policy analyst at the LAO, she provided nonpartisan fiscal and policy advice to the legislature focusing on state accountability, teacher workforce and quality issues, charter schools, school district finance, and education data and technology.

Nadia Diaz Funn is the CEO of CORA Consulting, a Los Angeles-based philanthropic and nonprofit strategic and capacity building consulting firm. Over the course of her career, Diaz Funn has provided strategic guidance and execution to philanthropic institutions such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Ballmer Group Philanthropy. Most recently she served as a Portfolio Manager for Ballmer Group, where she led the organization’s regional and statewide K-12 and post-secondary education investments. During her tenure at Ballmer Group, Diaz Funn secured over a hundred and fifty million dollars for local and statewide nonprofits and public institutions to advance equity-centered policies and programs that foster greater access to higher education and degree completion.

Prior to her work at Ballmer Group, Diaz Funn served as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Better Community, a nonprofit promoting the economic prosperity of the Latino community and the greater Los Angeles region, inclusive of an improved quality of life for Latinos in education, health, and civic participation. During her tenure at ABC, she led numerous campaigns to increase educational opportunities for LAUSD students, strengthen parent engagement and choice, and expand access to higher education.

Diaz Funn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and a Master of Public Management degree from the University of Maryland. She is a former California Executive Fellow and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Families In Schools and the Foundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges. Additionally, she serves on several other advisory committees for local nonprofit organizations.

Diaz Funn was born and raised in unincorporated East Los Angeles. She attended local Catholic and public schools, wherein her passion for learning and desire for social justice were seeded and nurtured by loving parents, great teachers, counselors, coaches, and principals. Her experiences as a first-generation Latinx college student are foundational to her life’s work as an advocate for high-quality public education and civic engagement. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

Managing Director, Actum

Jorge Garrido is Senior Vice President of Mercury in Los Angeles. He has nearly a decade of experience in government relations and public affairs. At Mercury, Garrido develops and implements full-scale public affairs campaigns for major national and international companies, ranging from blue chip corporations and established technology and financial institutions to hedge funds and private investment firms. Prior to joining Mercury, Garrido provided government affairs and strategic counsel to various public agencies throughout Southern California. He earned a degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

State Relations External Advocate, California State University, Office of the Chancellor

Maryann Reyes is senior director of external relations for the California State University Office of the Chancellor. She is responsible for outreach to all CSU constituent groups and serves as the primary liaison between the Chancellor’s Office and underrepresented communities in California. She is responsible to identify and implement strategic opportunities to promote college preparedness and access to the university. Reyes oversees initiatives that often collaborate with Academic Affairs while providing engagement opportunities for the Chancellor and 23 campus presidents in regional, statewide, and national organizations focusing on underserved communities. The CSU’s partnerships with African American churches, Latino serving organizations, Asian and Pacific Islander representatives, and Native American communities have created new pathways to underscore the need for academic preparation leading to a university education for traditionally underrepresented communities. Reyes will also advise and support the system and campus leadership on related issues.

Reyes is a senior manager with leadership experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining the CSU Chancellor’s Office, she dedicated 17 years to Southern California Edison (director of Local Public Affairs; manager, Economic Development Services; manager, Business Solutions). Previously, Reyes served as district director to United States Senator Dianne Feinstein and as assistant director of Project EXCEL, an education division of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino think tank based in Washington, D.C. She also has a strong record on community service. Reyes received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and studied at the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.

Alejandro Romero is the Chief Growth Officer of Carmen Mireles, Inc. (CM, Inc.) a nutrition and weight management provider of products, services, and information in the self-care and personal health industry. With a focus on retail nutrition locations in Southern California, CM, Inc. has made a positive impact in communities through its “brick and mortar” locations and strategic local collaborations. Expansion efforts are currently underway for Northern California, Arizona, and Nevada through 2026. Previously, Romero served as an executive in the engineering and construction management industry providing services to public agencies.

His 20+ years of service have been dedicated to the growth of businesses in the Southern California region. Romero holds a post-graduate degree from the Executive Entrepreneur Program, Graduate School of Business – Stanford and Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration – University of California, Riverside. Romero enjoys volunteering as an Alumni Board Member, AYSO Soccer Coach, Chamber of Commerce Board Member, and mentor to future entrepreneurs and leaders.

Yolie is the daughter of working-class immigrant parents, was an English learner, and spent most of her childhood overcoming challenging medical conditions. As the first in her family to graduate college, Yolie has spent her 30-year career working to dismantle systemic barriers that deny children the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. She has held various leadership, management, consultant, and policy positions in city and county government, non-profit organizations, philanthropy, and elected office.

As President and CEO, Yolie is building on FIS’ legacy and taking FIS to new horizons in its commitment to ensuring equitable partnerships between families, schools, and community partners to ensure children are on the path to success, from birth through college and career.

Born in El Salvador, Jessie traveled to the U.S. border into California to be reunited with her immigrant parents, began her public education journey in kindergarten, and had to learn to navigate the school system as an English language learner. Over the past 17 years, Jessie has been tenacious in engaging marginalized families, early childhood educators, and communities in co-designing programs and services for children birth to five and their families. In her role with FIS, Jessie leads the establishment and cultivation of FIS’ partnerships and support base with school districts, partner organizations, parent leaders, and educational leaders dedicated to family and community engagement as a key strategy for student success.

Over the last decade, Joshua Lowe has worked in the nonprofit space. Joshua understands the impact of allocating resources and managing assets that impact our communities. Joshua has been a Senior Leader for multiple organizations and brings experience from the for-profit space as well. He has a diverse career from managing schools to nonprofit programming and managing and implementing city and governmental contracts with the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Justice.

Joshua is an HBCU Graduate from Dillard University in New Orleans, where he majored in Marketing and Management Information Systems. Joshua then went to Loyola in New Orleans, where he obtained his Master’s in Pastoral Leadership and Master’s in Business Administration.

As Vice President of Operations, Joshua hopes to create linear relationships with the communities we serve and build sustainable resources for Families In Schools. Joshua understands the impact of equitable distribution of resources and knows the educational deficits when those needs are not met.

Ryan Christian, a recent graduate of the University of Southern California, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Blockchain. Her early passion for business, finance, and economics and their influence on resources, safety, and daily life led her to pursue a career in these fields. Outside of academia, Ryan gained practical experience working in finance and accounting at Deloitte and Northern Trust Company. She is also actively involved in community service, serving as chairman of the Fundraising and Building Our Economic Wealth committees for the Iota Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and contributing to the Marshall Pathways Program.

Olga is a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. From a young age, Olga’s parents instilled in her the value of education, given that they did not have the opportunity to attain one themselves. As a result, Olga developed a passion for working in the community with organizers, leaders, and educators to ensure students have access to quality education and resources. She brings over 15 years of experience in education and nonprofit management to her role as Senior Campaign Director at Families In Schools. With a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Los Angeles and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California, Olga has demonstrated exceptional commitment and expertise in public administration and community leadership. Her innovative approach and commitment to equity have significantly impacted the organizations she has worked with. At Families In Schools, she aims to advocate for and implement programs that support educational success, community well-being, and parent engagement.  

Gracias, Mom y Pops.

As a queer Chicana born and raised in Los Angeles, Sarah (she/they) believes that all children deserve to see themselves in the books they read and the educational spaces they inhabit. Literacy and a love for reading have been long-time passions of hers, leading to her earning a Bachelor’s in English with a Creative Writing concentration from UCLA and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Mills College. During their time at Mills, they assisted with communications and event promotion as a graduate assistant for the Place for Writers and served as the managing editor for the college’s literary magazine 580 Split, which involved her taking on project management, editorial, and communications responsibilities. She has also interned at the literary agency Writers House—supporting Senior Agent Rebecca Sherman and Junior Agent Laura Gruszka in reviewing queries and manuscripts for children’s literature—and will begin a managing editorial internship with Penguin Random House this fall.

As FIS’s Communications Manager, Sarah is responsible for executing FIS’s communications strategies and ensuring effective communication across various platforms, including the website, newsletters, email marketing campaigns, social media, press releases, and promotional materials. They also assist FIS’s Director of Advocacy in acting as a member of the Digital Equity Los Angeles (DELA) coalition. Sarah hopes that, through her work with FIS, she can facilitate families and communities to advocate for the rights of all children and make sure they feel seen and heard for maximum student achievement and happiness.

Daniela was born and raised in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. Her bicultural and bilingual approach to life has always been a key component of her identity, allowing her to be curious and open to learning. Throughout her journey, Daniela has worked in non-profit organizations dedicated to creating more equitable and inclusive systems for communities. As a Project Manager with Family In Schools, Daniela is committed to continue building pathways for equitable, anti-racist, and anti-biased family and community engagement systems.

At FIS, Sandy has made it her mission to radically center and create space for the unfiltered voices of students and families whose lives are often overwhelmed by circumstances of peril, poverty, and race. Thus, challenging policymakers and community-based organizations to center their work and policies around race, equity, and access. Today, her work has become increasingly more integral to student learning outcomes and closing the widening achievement gap—particularly for low-income and immigrant communities.

Eliana Morales is a dedicated community advocate with experience in empowering diverse groups, creating connections to resources, and fostering expanded learning partnerships for scholars and their families. She was the first in her family to graduate college and navigate systemic barriers to educational success. Throughout her work in community programs and organizations, she has consistently worked to promote equality, inclusivity, and social justice. In her new role as Project Manager with Families In Schools, she hopes to facilitate partnerships that support families in receiving the resources they need to thrive and succeed.

Over the last decade and a half, Silvia’s work in higher education, school districts, and non-profit organizations has centered on fostering partnerships to enhance family involvement and engagement to support students’ lifelong success. By working closely with school districts, community partners, students, and families, Silvia provides curriculum training that is constantly evolving to meet the community’s needs. Additionally, she supports the capacity building of educational leaders and community members via local, state, and nationwide professional development to increase family involvement and engagement.

Throughout her career, Catharine has worked in public charter schools dedicated to supporting children between 6th-12th grade to be college-ready. She has focused primarily on bridging the gap between families and schools. She understands the positive effect a student’s education can have when their family has established a meaningful partnership with their school.

As a Project Manager with Families In Schools, Catharine is committed to creating meaningful engagement systems and practices and to engaging families.