Andi Bales Molnar is the Professional Learning System Specialist at the Oregon Early Learning Division. She has been appointed by the Early Learning Systems Director, Alyssa Chatterjee, to serve on the Council and represent the Early Learning Division.

Traniece Brown-Warrens is an Assistant Principal in Portland Public Schools. She has taught 8th Grade U.S. History in Houston, TX in addition she was a department chair, instructional excellence coach, teacher specialist, football coach, and basketball coach. She has won awards for her culturally responsive teaching style that infused Hip-Hop music and History. Director Brown-Warrens is an active member of the Oregon Association of Black School Educators and is currently working on her Doctorate of Education at Baylor University.

Shannon Criss is the Superintendent of Harney ESD. For 33 years she has strived to make a difference for students as a classroom teacher, administrator, mentor and coach; her belief is that we make a difference each and every day in the lives of others. Her aspiration is to make a positive difference. Director Criss serves on the EAC as a representative for frontier, remote one-room school districts.

Roberto Gamboa is the Director of Operations and Community Development for Euvalcree in Ontario. He is a First Generation Latinx Eastern Oregon-born and raised son to two undocumented parents from Mexico. Director Gamboa has worked with ODE in developing Student Success Act rule definitions and to convene with a state-wide partner group to advocate on behalf of BIPOC students across the state. He is a member of Governor Brown’s Healthy Schools Reopening Council and is an active member of the Oregon Trail REN.

Veronica Dujon, Ph.D., is the Director for Academic Policy and Authorization at Oregon Higher Education Coordination Commission. She leads the Commission's efforts to coordinate academic programs, degree pathways, accelerated learning and student success initiatives among Oregon's public universities. Dujon also oversees degree authorization for private schools, and licensing and compliance for private career schools. Prior to joining the HECC Veronica was an Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State University. She received her Ph.D. in environmental sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Colt Gill is the Director of the Oregon Department of Education. He served previously as Oregon’s first Education Innovation Officer. In this position, he focused on improving graduation outcomes. He has been an Oregon educator since 1989, most recently serving as superintendent of the Bethel School District in Eugene. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon and has served on a number of boards and commissions relating to education and children’s health and wellness initiatives.

Anthony Rosilez is executive director of the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, Oregon’s teacher licensing agency. Director Rosilez has held leadership roles both at the college level and at school districts. He most recently was vice president of student and personnel services, and legal counsel at Klamath Community College. Before that, he was an assistant professor at California State University San Marcos. Previously, he served as superintendent at Romoland School District in California and assistant superintendent at Harlem Consolidated School District 122 in Illinois.

Michele Oakes serves as mentor program coordinator, professional advancement & support systems coordinator, and elementary writing coach at Bend-La Pine School District. A National Board Certified teacher, Chair Oakes has 29 years of experience as a primary classroom teacher and instructional coach. She served as chair of the Governor’s Council on Educator Advancement and currently serves on the Central Oregon REN.

Lisa Hasuike is currently a Culturally Responsive Coordinator for middle schools in Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD), and was previously a Director of Bands at Twality Middle School, and Inza R. Wood Middle School for 15 years. In addition to her classroom teaching role, Lisa also worked as TTSD Building Equity Coordinator, District Equity Leadership Team (DELT) Student Pillar Leader, Asian Student Union Advisor, and Student Affinity Group trainer. She is an Oregon Education Association (OEA) Equity Sparks facilitator, and is a national and state delegate at the OEA & NEA Representative Assemblies. Lisa is an OEA Board Director and a member of Northwest Regional Education Network. She has advocated for families and students in TTSD through groups such as the Strategic Planning Community Advisory, Budget Committees, SIA Development Team, and family and student listening sessions.  She is a passionate education activist who believes in equity, inclusion, and educational practices that empower and inspire students, and educators.

Dr. Sue Rieke-Smith is the Superintendent for the Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD), overseeing PreK-12 academic services to nearly 12,000 students and 1800 staff.  Prior to TTSD, she was superintendent of the Springfield School District. Dr. Rieke-Smith’s career began with the Salem-Keizer School District (SKSD), teaching 5th grade ESOL in two Title I elementary schools.  While with SKSD she served as Curriculum Assistant Principal at McKay High School, and as Director of Instructional Services. Dr. Rieke-Smith also served as Principal at SKSD’s Houck Middle School where she led a federal No Child Left Behind restructure process. Her work was recognized by being named Oregon’s 2011 Middle School Principal of the Year. Dr. Rieke-Smith serves as adjunct faculty for the Administrator Licensure Program for the University of Oregon College of Education. She is the President-Elect for the Oregon Association of School Executives and also serves on the Oregon Educators Benefits Board and the National School Superintendent’s Association’s Governing Board.

Dr. Karen Pérez brings more than 25 years of experience in education and community advocacy, teaching, and district level administration.  As a highly skilled bilingual educator, Karen specialized in early literacy, Spanish Language Development and Supports for Emergent Multilingual/English language learners. When in the classroom, Karen developed student and parent supports from kindergarten to college in Latino majority communities. As a district level HR and Multilingual department TOSA, Karen mentored new Dual Language teachers and co-led HR diversification efforts. Karen has also served as a district administrator for Equity and Multilingual Programs, developing budgets for more equitable student outcomes.  At the university level, Karen has served as an adjunct professor in the Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, where she has taught Culturally Responsive Teaching in Linguistically Diverse Classrooms and co-facilitated Leadership Retreats for the Educational Leadership Doctoral Candidates.  

Dr. Pérez has earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Lewis and Clark College, a Master of Education in Elementary Education, Special Education, and ESOL and Bilingual Education K-12 endorsements from Portland State University. Karen currently hold an Oregon administrative and a teaching license. As a community member, Karen is serving as the President of the Oregon Association of Latino Administrators, a Beaverton School District Board Member, and a COSA equity board member.  Most importantly, to her, Dr. Pérez is a mother, a daughter, a partner and an multi-lingual educator who now serves and collaborates with her community in creating spaces for others to thrive.

Amanda Manjarrez is the Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Foundations for a Better Oregon (FBO). Amanda brings creative leadership and a deep commitment to social justice to her work at FBO. A longtime advocate for racial equity and good governance in Oregon and New Mexico, her superpower lies in her ability to demystify complex systems and engage cross-cultural, cross-sector coalitions to design and advocate for system change strategies that center the leadership and experience of those most impacted. Before joining FBO, Amanda served as the first Director of Advocacy for Latino Network, an education-focused nonprofit, and of the Coalition of Communities of Communities of Color, an alliance of over 19 culturally-specific organizations. An alumni of Lewis & Clark Law School, she is an active member of the New Mexico State Bar and on the board of the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Elena Barreto is currently the Early Learning Community Navigator for the NW Early Learning Hub where she works at the intersection of social justice and education. She works with partners to build capacity and implement early learning and parenting support opportunities rooted in equitable practices across Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. Additionally, she works with families to elevate their voices, desires, and needs to decision makers in the region to effect change.

Ardis Clark is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and a mother of four. She is currently an Instructional Leader at the Warm Springs K-8 Academy, and is serving a second term on the Education Committee as current Chair Person. Director Clark is an an experienced educator and strong advocate for the need to diversify the educator workforce; she is also a third generation educator working toward change for Indian Education.

Josh Davies is a Hanis Coos citizen and current Director of Education for the Confederate Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI). Josh has earned his BA in Liberal Arts from Evergreen State College, MA from City University Vancouver, Administrative Licensure from University of Concordia – Portland. He has held various educational positions beginning with his journey as an educational assistant, classroom teacher, assistant principal, athletic director, athletic coach for many sports/many levels. Formerly, Josh served on CTCLUSI Tribal Council from 2018-2022. During his time on Tribal Council, Josh also submitted testimony in support of HB 2052 American Indian-Alaska Natives students' rights to wear regalia at graduation and 2056 Tribal Early Learning Hub.

Director Davies is married to his wife Delilah, and father of four children; Jorney, Jordan, Sailee and Justus. Currently Director Davies sits on many committees and boards related to education and leadership, however his ultimate goal is to provide equality and equitable service for all children of all cultures.

Besides sitting on the Board of Directors for the EAC, Josh also sits on the following boards or commissions:

• American Indian/Alaskan Native Advisory Committee

• Sapsik'ʷałá Tribal Advisory Council

• Government to Government Education Cluster

• New Beginnings Tribal Student Steering Committee

• Early Learning Division Tribal Advisory Committee – Tribal Early Learning Hub

• Tribal Early Learning Hub Rules Advisory Council

• TSPC Board of Commissioners

• TSPC Practices Commission Committee

• TSPC Evaluation Subcommittee

• Indigenous First Steps: Family, Culture, Community Leadership Team; Portland State University

• OIEA Board of Directors

• Participated on the Native American Advisory Council – University of Oregon

• Grow Your Own – South Coast Educational Service District Advisory Council

• SB-13 Tribal Curriculum Planning Committee: SB 13 Tribal History/Shared History Online PD Event

Leah Dunbar currently serves as a Language Arts/Social Studies Specialist for Lane Educational Service District where she facilitates professional learning, following over twenty years spent as an innovative high school Language Arts/Ethnic Studies instructor. Daughter of a life-long Special Education teacher, and identical twin sister to another passionate educator, Leah is committed supporting equitable, highly relevant learning environments that center youth voice and agency. She completed her D.Ed. in Educational Leadership from University of Oregon in 2020, with a research focus on Ethnic Studies implementation in K-12. She is also a proud coordinating body member of the Western Regional Educator Network (WREN).

Jana Giles has been an educator in Oregon for six years. She grew up in rural Southern Oregon and attended Title-1 K-12 public schools. Giles has taught first-grade and is currently teaching in a third-grade classroom at North Marion, as well as being the Vice President of her Local Union. Her intimate experience within rural communities, school leadership, and elementary classrooms has directly shaped her approach to education.

An educator for 25 years, Mark Girod is dean of the College of Education at Western Oregon University and president of the Oregon Association for Colleges of Teacher Education. He is Past President of the Oregon Association of Teacher Education and served on the Oregon Coalition of Quality Teaching and Learning and the Oregon Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. He just completed two terms as a commissioner with the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

Diana Juárez is a passionate, multilingual, BIPOC, autodidactic educator, that has experienced firsthand the inequities in schooling that obstruct the education of our students today. She is driven to see the implementation of an inclusive and equitable education system that acknowledges the assets that Oregon’s diverse learners bring to our classrooms and provides them with safe, welcoming environments in which they can thrive. She is determined to ensure that the interests of those most impacted by the education systems are represented in any changes made. Her pursuit of this goal is evidenced in a plethora of spheres—practicing educator, Douglas REN Coordinating Body member, Teachers of Color affinity group member, Equity Team member, and participant in a wide range of learning communities—as she is acutely aware that to develop an equitable system requires the involvement of all stakeholders. Director Juárez is a teacher at Phoenix Charter School of Roseburg.

Lisa Longoria was selected as Oregon Middle School Principal of the Year in 2020. Under her leadership and guidance, students in the Ontario School District have been afforded educational frameworks that have opened opportunities for students and empowered them to reach previously unattainable goals. Her leadership acts as an example of the impact that educational leaders can have in inspiring all educators to refine the practice and focus their efforts.

Representative Susan McLain is a 5th generation Oregonian, raised on farms in the Willamette Valley. A graduate of Western Oregon University (formerly Oregon College of Education), Rep. McLain spent over 40 years teaching and coaching speech and debate in Hillsboro. In 2011, she was honored to receive a Crystal Apple award for outstanding local teachers from the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce. Rep. McLain recently received a national award for longevity and excellence as Glencoe High School’s Speech and Debate coach. After her election to the Oregon State House in 2014, Rep. McLain has been a legislative advocate for Oregon students, teachers, and schools.

Bekah Sabzalian is an equitable education advocate, a licensed Oregon teacher and a philanthropy professional. She is currently an independent contractor having recently held the position of Program Officer in the Equitable Education portfolio at Meyer Memorial Trust. In her role she partnered with educators, community organizations, and school districts across the state of Oregon to ensure our most vulnerable children have access to responsive and relevant public education, with the ultimate goal of eliminating existing achievement and graduation gaps. Prior to Meyer, Bekah was a teacher with Portland Public Schools predominantly working with underserved students in North Portland. During this time she led the learning of hundreds of children, engaged and welcomed a multitude of parents/caregivers and co-led equity efforts in her building, guiding her colleagues to shift their teaching strategies towards more inclusive practices. She moved into teaching after years of non-profit experience, working in districts throughout Multnomah County promoting diversity, equity and inclusion for the County’s most vulnerable youth and leading programming promoting high school graduation for Native American students.  Bekah has served as a coordinating body member of the Multnomah Clackamas Regional Educator Network (MCREN) since its founding in 2018. She's also the coordinator of the Oregon Collective Summit, an annual event celebrating the contributions of educators of color in Oregon's public schools. Bekah holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching from Concordia University and attended the University of Oregon where she received her undergraduate degree in International Studies with a focus on Human Rights. Currently, she is pursuing a literacy endorsement focused on the science of reading with a dyslexia concentration from Eastern Oregon University.  During her K-12 experience, Bekah attended schools in Gresham, Corbett, Boring, Troutdale, Portland, Phoenix, AZ, rural Wisconsin, and the Columbia River Gorge. She now resides in East Portland with her two spirited boys, Reza and Javier, and their playful kitties, Pumpkin and Ping Pong.