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.

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, Ph.D., 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.

Mario Franco, PMP, CDFM, COR, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Financial Officer for Lutheran Social Services Southern California.

Franco brings more than 20 years of experience in operational efficiencies, financial analytics, critical thinking, leadership, enhancing team dynamics, and driving effective organizational activities toward a common cause or direction. His background includes organizational leadership, operations, financial management, leadership development, program management, procurement and acquisition, contract management, curriculum development, mergers and acquisitions, change management, enterprise solutions, IPO transactional activities, and public speaking.

He has extensive experience in program management initiatives, both in the United States and other countries. These economic restructuring and educational platform initiatives have accounted for more than $100 billion. Prior to his current role at Lutheran Social Services Southern California, Franco served as an interim director, chief operations officer, chief financial officer, consultant, commanding and executive officer, legal administrator, controller, budget officer, finance officer, training officer, and program and project manager.

He is an alumnus of Stanford University Graduate School of Business (Executive Education) with certification in Corporate Innovation and has a Leading with Finance certificate from Harvard Business School, a Certificate of Accountancy from National University, Certification in Generative AI for Business Leaders, and a Project Management and Contracting certificate from Defense Acquisition University. He is currently a member of the Institute of Management Accountants, Society for Human Resource Management, American Society of Military Comptrollers, American College of Healthcare Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Disabled American Veterans Charity, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He has spoken at numerous professional venues, both stateside and foreign, on a variety of different topics, including organizational leadership, strategic planning, operational efficiencies, fiscal accountability, appropriated dollars, joint service agreements, team building, workforce engagement, and effective leadership. He also served 20 years as an active-duty United States Marine.

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.

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.

Azucena Hernandez, also known as Susy, is a strategic leader with over a decade of experience advancing organizational impact and systemic transformation. Born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles, Azucena is a proud first-generation LAUSD, community college, and UC Santa Barbara alumna. She draws from her personal experiences navigating public education and immigration systems to advocate for equitable opportunities for students and families.

Her career began with advocacy for youth at the community college level, evolving into a lifelong mission to ensure every child can thrive regardless of language, birthplace, or zip code. A recognized public speaker and panelist, Azucena has shared her expertise at regional and national forums, including the National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference, HOPE’s Latina History Day® Conference, and Cal State LA’s Leadership Forum. She’s engaged diverse audiences on topics ranging from youth mental health to authentic community engagement and education equity.

Azucena’s career spans transformative work in education, public health, environmental justice, and community development. Most recently, in Boyle Heights, she led system-level advocacy and program strategy across multiple issue areas through a collective impact approach. Her leadership fostered innovative community-school partnerships, advancing equity and opportunity for students with the highest needs. Azucena also founded a consulting practice focused on education and leadership, helping organizations achieve systemic change through community care, wellness, and transformational coaching.

In her free time, Azucena enjoys reading, supporting local vendors, and spending quality time outdoors with her daughter.

Sierra Abukins brings diverse experience from her work in the education, government, nonprofit, and advocacy sectors. She was a member of the founding team of Innovate Public Schools. By securing funds to grow the work and elevating the brand through successful communications strategies, her impact in the education nonprofit space has resulted in helping to build the power of low-income parents of color pushing for high-quality and equitable public schools.

Drawing on her days as a reporter, producer, and anchor, Sierra loves telling good stories and helping others to find their voice. She is fluent in Spanish and has studied in Cuba, lived and worked in Mexico, and traveled widely. Sierra holds a BA in history, with a minor in Latin American studies, from Lewis and Clark College. She lives in Monterey, CA with her husband and two boys.

Hoa Truong’s passion for education and developing leaders has deep roots.

Along with his family, Hoa came to the U.S. as an immigrant and refugee, fleeing from the dangerous aftermath of the Vietnam War. His parents always stressed the importance of education to making a successful life in their new country. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and earning his master of business administration at UCLA, Hoa left a career in the private sector to make sure that other children had the same opportunities he had growing up.

Supporting operations for public school systems, Hoa helped secure tens of millions of dollars in resources, and provided teachers with up-to-date data that let them personalize learning for students.

As managing director of The Broad Academy, Hoa helped over 350 leaders maximize their potential so they can best serve students with the highest needs.  He recruited, selected, coached, and led the programming for superintendents and CEOs of school districts and charter organizations.  He has successfully addressed issues of diversity, turning a program that was composed of mostly white male leaders, to one that has 70% leaders of color and is majority women.

As a human capital and strategy consultant, Hoa has continued to help school systems and education nonprofits strengthen their leadership, culture, and strategy. He has designed and facilitated a leadership development program for superintendents through Leading Now, launched an Equity Advisory Council for Ogden School District (UT) that led to a more diverse teacher pipeline, and supported executive teams at Chicago Public Schools to build a stronger culture and align their work to district-wide goals. Through this work, Hoa continues to center equity and leadership as the keys to delivering on the promise of public education.

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.

Ashley Johnson is a Black queer New Yorker, proud bonus parent, and lifelong hopeful Knicks fan who brings an intentional approach to racial equity, justice, and organizational healing. As a racial equity trainer and transformative justice practitioner, Ashley helps organizations and communities embrace values that heal complex trauma and foster sustainable change. They blend creativity, care, and a deep commitment to ancestral healing technologies to cultivate environments where community is a verb and collective liberation is actionable.

With over 20 years of experience in community organizing, placemaking strategies, curriculum development, and leadership coaching, Ashley is skilled at facilitating groups of 5 to 100, creating online and in-person trainings, and designing interactive, play-centered learning environments. Their work includes contributions to organizations like Race Forward and the Center for Justice Innovation.

Ashley emphasizes adaptive leadership, cultural congruence, and values-based decision-making to inspire lasting change within individuals and organizations. They design and lead programs focused on racial equity, democratic engagement, and transformative justice, supporting teams in becoming high-performing learning communities.

In addition to their role as Director of Training and Capacity Building, Ashley is a reiki practitioner and healing justice facilitator. They serve on the founding board of the Center for Mental Health and Wellness in Compton, California, and remain dedicated to reimagining safer, healthier communities where activism, leadership, and connection thrive.

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.

LaToya Samantha Smith was born in Nassau, Bahamas, and raised in Delray Beach, Florida, in a household that valued resilience, culture, and education. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bethune-Cookman College and began her career as a humanities instructor at her former high school.

For nearly two decades, LaToya has taught and advocated for At-Promise students across Florida, Maryland, and California. As both an educator and curriculum writer, she has developed culturally responsive, literacy-centered materials for students in grades 1–12, always with a focus on access, identity, and belonging. She is also a writer with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Lindenwood University. Her work explores parenthood, identity, and social justice.

As the Senior Curriculum and Training Associate at Families in Schools, LaToya intends to support the organization’s mission by designing high-quality learning experiences that strengthen connections between families, schools, and communities. She is committed to advancing equity through instruction that honors students’ lived experiences and empowers families as partners in their children’s learning.

LaToya is the author of several works, including a children’s book, a guided journal for mothers, and a contemporary novel. Across all her roles, she remains guided by the belief that strong learning communities grow from culturally affirming spaces where students and families feel seen, valued, and supported.

Alisa Stanley is an accomplished education professional with extensive experience in K-12 operations, compliance, community engagement, and organizational leadership across public, charter, and nonprofit settings. She holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s in Education, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership. Alisa brings a strong foundation in both human development and systems thinking to her work supporting students and families.

Throughout her career, Alisa has served in key operational and compliance roles where she led initiatives focused on data integrity, enrollment management, training implementation, policy development, and family engagement. Her work has strengthened organizational processes, improved communication pathways, and supported leaders and teams in creating more effective and equitable environments for the communities they serve.

Alisa’s professional passions center on empowering families, strengthening school-community relationships, and building capacity for educators and leaders through high-quality training and supportive systems. She has designed outreach strategies, supported DEI initiatives, facilitated engagement spaces, and developed resources that promote clarity, access, and belonging for diverse school communities.

At Families In Schools, Alisa supports the development and delivery of training, tools, and capacity-building initiatives that deepen family engagement across partner organizations. She is committed to ensuring that all families feel connected, informed, and equipped to advocate for their children’s educational success.

Driven, relational, and mission-centered, Alisa brings a blend of strategic insight, cultural humility, and community-focused experience to the FIS team. She is excited to contribute to work that uplifts families and strengthens educational ecosystems across California.