These industry specialists have their pulse on the demands of business and industry to inform community college stakeholders engaged in the curriculum development process and are subject matter experts in their field.

Krista Vannest, DSN

vannestk@mjc.edu

209.575.6449

Background & Expertise

Krista has a long history both personally and professional in agriculture. She earned a B.S. in Agriculture Science and a M.S. in Agriculture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her family has a tree nut and meat livestock farm in East Modesto where they raise walnuts, almonds, beef, sheep and hogs. Krista has served as a high school teacher in agriculture for 17 years at Gustine High School and Pitman High School in Turlock, California, as well as one year at Modesto Junior College teaching Ag Business, Plant Science and Environmental Science.

Focus on Students

“It’s wonderful to open up students to understanding the complex sector of agriculture as it represents the largest number of jobs in the nation and in California. I enjoy designing and facilitating creative projects that help connect students to colleges and future careers.”

— Krista Vannest

Agriculture, Water & Environmental Technologies Resources & Links

• Ag Careers Website – visit their job board and learn about their human resources tools, workshops and training
• Pathway to PCA – learn about a career as a licensed pest control adviser
• Video Resources – more information on Ag, Water & Environmental technologies
• California Agriculture Education – explore Agriculture Education at this informative website
• California Agricultural Teachers’ Association – promotes and improves the teaching of agriculture in California

Nora Seronello, Technical Assistance Provider

seronellon@mjc.edu

209.575.6894

Connect on LinkedIn

Background & Expertise

Nora is an experienced director with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in higher education research and analysis, labor market information research and analysis, policy analysis, nonprofit organizations, Microsoft Excel and other analytical software, grant writing and administration, program design, implementation and management, editing, and public speaking, Nora earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Business Administration and Management, General from University of the Pacific.

Focus on Students

“It is all about community/society. Whether it be our institutional or individual members, people are our most valuable resource. The more we invest in our community, the better off is our society.”
— Nora Seronello

Centers of Excellence Resources & Links

• Centers of Excellence – visit our website and search for data, trends and publications on California’s high growth sectors

Bonita Steele, K-14 Technical Assistance Provider

bsteele@kccd.edu

661.336.5046

Connect on LinkedIn

Follow: @steele2bonita

Background & Expertise

Dr. Steele serves in a dual capacity as the region’s K14 Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) and the Project Director for the Kern Community College District’s California Career Pathways Trust Grant. As the K14 TAP, Dr. Steele supports the region’s colleges and high schools on career transition activities, outreach and marketing, and the implementation and model fidelity of the Get Focused Stay Focused (GFSF) curriculum. GFSF is a middle school through high school curriculum that supports student career exploration and career interest development including the preparation of a ten-year education and career plan. As the director of the Pathways Trust Grant, Dr. Steele engages more than 30 educational and business partners in a four year $9.5 million project to implement high school to college pathways in nine industry sectors. In its first year, the project reached 11,142 high school and 532 college pathway students.

Prior to assuming responsibility for the Pathways Trust Grant project, Dr. Steele served as the District Director of Grants and Resource Development for eight years, during which time, she provided workshops on grant writing, and engaged in programmatic design and problem solving, and acquired grant awards of more than $28 million dollars. Dr. Steele earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on Higher Education from California State University Fresno, and a Master and Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from California State University Bakersfield. Dr. Steele’s dissertation focuses on the benefits accrued to middle achieving high school students who participated in dual enrollment college courses while in high school.

Focus on Students

“The Central & Mother Lode Region is an innovative and entrepreneurial group of educators who always put their students’ learning and success first!”
— Bonita Steele

K14 Resources & Links

• An 2013 Impact of DE on College Degree Attainment_Do Low SES Students Benefit
• High School to College Transition programs curricula
• Taylor 2015 Dual Credit Equity
• Ulate Addressing Access Disparities w CE in CA
• US Dept Ed What Works Clearinghouse dual_enrollment_022817
• Zinth 2018 05 14 Rethinking_Dual_Enrollment_to_Reach_More_Students

Dave Teasdale, Prop 39 Energy Technical Assistance Provider

dteasdal@kccd.edu

661.477.5447

Connect on LinkedIn

Background & Expertise

Dave has a diverse professional background in Management, Marketing and Market Research positions with companies like Starbuck’s FedEx Kinko’s, Taco Bell and the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District. In 2009, Dave help found the Clean Energy Center at Kern Community College District which prepared individuals for jobs as Utility Workers, Wind Turbine Technicians and Solar Installers. In 2013, the Clean Energy Center changes its name to the 21st Century Energy Center as training for jobs in the Construction and Oil Industry was added. David served on the Kern County Green Employer Council ad has worked closely on projects with the California Energy Commission, regional workforce development boards and economic development councils, and employer’s such as Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, EDF Renewable Energy, Chevron and PCL Construction. In 2010, Dave was asked to present at the Governor’s Workshop on Workforce Needs for Large-Scale Solar Projects and The Governor’s Conference on Local Renewable Energy Resources. In 2012, made a presentation at the Southern California Energy Summit; Putting Southern California back to work with Green Jobs

Since taking on the role of Proposition 39 Project Director for the Energy, Construction and Utility sector for the California Community Colleges in the Central Region, Dave has worked to provide college faculty with the most up-to-date information regarding changes in the State’s energy policies and created communities of practice allowing faculty to share materials and learn from each other. Dave has also fostered a close relationship with the Kern, Inyo, Mono Building Trades and the Fresno Building Trades and has organized Women in Trades workshops in Bakersfield and Fresno.

Focus on Students

“California’s Advanced Energy industry needs an additional 15,000 highly skilled workers every year, and Community Colleges are uniquely positioned to meet this need. It is my mission to connect industry with Colleges and to provide K-12 and Community College students with the information they need to determine if a career in the Energy, Construction and Utility sector might be right for them.”
— Dave Teasdale

ECU Resources & Links

• ECU Videos – Competition for skilled workers will intensify as 40% of the energy efficiency workforce retires over the next five years. Learn more about this sector by watching these videos.
• ECU Events – for industry, students and educators.
• Student Successes in ECU – these videos showcase the wide range of occuapations for student in this growing sector.
• Energy Efficiency Policy & Regulations – get the latest on California’s policies about energy efficiency.

Alicia Rios, Deputy Sector Navigator for Global Trade and Logistics

alicia.rios@scccd.edu

559.324.6401

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Alicia Rios serves as Deputy Sector Navigator (DSN) for Global Trade and Logistics on behalf of the California Community College Chancellors Office.

Director Rios is also the Statewide Ag Coordinator; implementing the Memorandum of Agreement the CITD entered into with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Ms. Rios began her career with the CITD in 1999, serving a dual role as a California-Mexico Trade Assistant and as an International Trade Specialist. Alicia was responsible for the implementation of the California-Mexico Trade Assistance grant activities and also pioneered the development of several successful export training programs, still offered today. During her time at the CITD, she has coordinated over 100 foreign buyer missions and assisted over 1,500 small and medium-sized U.S. companies, which, to date, have generated millions of dollars in export sales.

In 2013, Ms. Rios became the Director and has served in that capacity until becoming DSN for the Central Mother Lode Regional Consortium.

Ms. Rios is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business.

Valerie Fisher, Deputy Sector Navigator Health Workforce Initiative

valerief@cos.edu

559.737.6252

Connect on LinkedIn

Background & Expertise

Valerie started her professional career as a registered nurse in Orange County, California with career experience encompassing intensive care, trauma & flight nursing, human transplantation, post anesthesia recovery, emergency room and cardiac care units. Early in her career, she was selected as one of the first “Trauma Nurses” at Mission Regional Medical Center and later became an innovator in the emerging field of flight nursing. Valerie was one of five advanced practice nurses selected to create one of the first emergency medical helicopter flight teams in southern California. Later as a Senior Flight Nurse, she helped develop another emergency flight organization in northern California called California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (or CALSTAR) which is still in operation today.

Following her years as an active clinical nurse, Valerie entered the field of education with a focus on health care grant management and special projects management. Her experiences include: California Department of Education grants (K-12), Job Training Partnership Act /Workforce Investment Act/American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Federal grants (postsecondary), and multi-agency community collaborative grants. Since 2007, Valerie has worked in a variety of roles for the California Community College system.

Focus on Students

“My work with the Health Workforce Initiative and the community colleges fosters communication and collaboration between the educational system and the health care industry. By building health career pipelines starting at middle schools to high schools to community colleges, students have multiple opportunities to explore careers in healthcare and hopefully choose to dedicate their lives to serving those in need. Community collaboratives are the key to the success of building these pipelines which leads to student success.”
— Valerie Fisher

Health Care Resources & Links

• Health Workforce Initiative – statewide website for health care initiatives
• Exploring Health Careers: What do you want to be? – Health career resource for students, counselors and others interested in guided pathways in health
• HOSA – Future Health Professionals – an international student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education (HSE) Division of ACTE to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people
• Explore Health Careers – options in health care careers
• Click here for the Central Region Health Career Resource Guide – a listing of all health care programs in the Central / Mother Lode region

Dennis Mohle, DSN

dennis.mohle@fresnocitycollege.edu

559.442.4600 x8471

Connect on LinkedIn

Background & Expertise

Dennis works with 13 community colleges in the Central Valley and Mother Lode regions of California on collaboration projects that result in braided federal and state funding. As a DSN in California’s Central Valley, he works closely with the agriculture industry sector and is developing an industry-sector hybrid of agriculture and technology to bride the skills gaps of agriculture in the Central Valley. Duties and responsibilities of this new position include identifying entry-level skills in ag-technology that lead students to higher-paying jobs.

Focus on Students

“Raising the bar for students and their knowledge is an important focus of our work.”
— Dennis Mohle

ICT/Digital Media Resources & Links

• Click here to learn more about Information Communications Technologies, ICT, and Digital Media, now integrated into almost every technology, industry and job.
• California Cyberhub – our mission is to enable a future ethical workforce by expanding and supporting quality cyber training across the State with a one-stop source for best practices and support resources gathered from all cyber training and competition activities in California.

Vincent Roos, DSN

vincent.roos@mccd.edu

209.386.6734

Background & Expertise

Vince’s early career focused on Agri-Business mostly in the production farming of fruits and nuts, dried fruit production and marketing – mail-order and retail outlets. After earning a doctorate degree in Organizational Development, Vince has consulted and worked with various organizations to help them achieve a higher impact. The last 5 ½ years have been dedicated to working in education at the college level. Vince has worked extensively with Fresno Pacific University in various capacities (teaching & administration) as well as Merced College and Fresno State as an adjunct in business.

Focus on Students

“My greatest satisfaction comes from participating in educational processes and linkages which provide students with appropriate pathways to become not only adept in particular skills, but provide a greater sense of purpose, achieving success, but fulfillment and impact as well.”
— Vince Roos

Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Resources & Links

• Centers of Excellence – learn more about retail, hospitality & tourism through industry-specifc reports and data.

Alese Campbell, DSN

acampbell@deltacollege.edu

209.954.5069

Connect on LinkedIn

Background & Expertise

As a creative leader with a MBA, Alese strategically connects community partners with business and industry. She leverages more than 15 years of entrepreneurial experience to help some 300+ business owners and C-Level partners expand their businesses. She has managed non-profit and corporate centers from $200K to $2M budgets and led teams of 3-50 staff members. Her specialities include grant and program management, business and economic development, account management, client service and retention, marketing, sales, vendor relations, financial and budgeting management, training, building strategic relationships.

Focus on Students

“I’m in it for the students, to create and expand jobs and opportunities to solve problems and take action, share the entrepreneurial mindset.”
— Alese Campbell

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Resources & Links

• eShip Educator – Log in to share and use world-class, best-practice curriculum from great entrepreneurship instructors.
• Learn more about how California Community Colleges support the small business sector.