Our success is due to the efforts of the dedicated volunteers who serve as our Board of Directors. These committed individuals give of their time, talent, and financial resources, championing the development effort and building meaningful relationships in order to advance our students and our community.
Patricia L. Griffin retired from the College of San Mateo where she served as Vice-President
of Student Services for 16 years. Prior to that, she held academic and administrative
positions at three other community colleges. She holds BA and Ph.D. degrees from the
University of Michigan and an MS from Syracuse University. Pat has also taught graduate
courses in student development at Michigan and Santa Clara Universities.
During her 23 years as an administrator, Pat has had responsibility for virtually every area of student services. At the time of her retirement from CSM, the college’s student programs and services numbered nearly two dozen. While at CSM, Pat added new and strengthened existing programs and services, implemented both program review and student learning outcomes throughout student services, and guided the initial design for the consolidation of most student services into one new building.
Throughout her community college career, Pat has served on a number of local, state, and national committees, commissions, and boards, including president of both the California Community College Chief Student Services Administrators Association and the National Council on Student Development. Her community volunteer service includes nine years as a board member and officer of the Mental Health Association of San Mateo County and thirteen years as a member and a term as chair of the Citizen’s Oversight Committee which oversees the expenditure of bond funds for the San Mateo Union School District.
As the Chief Innovation Officer at The Just Trust, Ken is passionate about leveling
the playing field for justice-involved people. He aspires to make tech more accessible
and to increase economic mobility for marginalized communities. Ken focuses on human-centered
solutions and embraces his community's most pressing challenges.
Lisa Petrides, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of the Institute for the Study of Knowledge
Management in Education (ISKME), a San Mateo County-based education nonprofit dedicated
to democratizing access to education.
Dr. Petrides is a former faculty member in the Department of Organizational Leadership at Columbia University, Teachers College, and has advised and led development efforts that have enabled schools, colleges, universities, ministries of education, and the organizations that support them to expand their capacity to use data and information and create inclusive knowledge-driven environments focused on teaching and learning.
She received an MBA from Sonoma State University and a Ph.D. in Education Policy from Stanford University.
John co-founded and managed several businesses in the renewable energy and sustainability field. His companies built over $1.5 billion in renewable energy infrastructure that annually displaces the equivalent CO2 of over 100,000 cars. Prior to being an environmental entrepreneur, John worked with Bain & Company, a strategic management consulting firm.
In the 1990’s John was California’s Deputy Secretary for Transportation overseeing Caltrans, Highway Patrol/State Police, and parts of the DMV. In that role, John helped manage the rapid rebuilding of Southern California’s freeways after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, served on the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and was Director of the Executive Fellows Program.
John was the Governor's Higher Education Advisor providing analysis on legislative and budget matters related to UC, CSU, and community colleges. He began government service as an Assembly Fellow. John was the student body president and Student Trustee for San Joaquin Delta Community College District.
In 2020, John was elected to represent Area 5 (including Redwood City, East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks, and Menlo Park) on the San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees. Currently, John serves on the boards of the Redwood City Police Activities League, the Ravenswood Education Foundation, the Delta College Foundation, and the Ravenswood Little League. John is also on the City of Menlo Park's Housing Commission and he serves as an alternate on the San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee.
He has been a mentor at Menlo-Atherton High School, a parent representative at the Castilleja School, a volunteer at Encinal Elementary School, a Big Brother, and a youth sports coach in Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.
A first-generation college student, John graduated from Harvard Business School, University of California, Berkeley, and San Joaquin Delta Community College. He lives in Menlo Park with his wife of 20 years and 3 children.
Michal Foriest Settles is the retired Human Resources Department Manager at BART along with retiring as a Business Professor from San Francisco State, San Francisco City College, St. Mary’s, University of San Francisco, and guest speaker at UC Berkley. In retirement she serves on several boards: appointed unanimously to the Half Moon Bay Redistricting Commission; serves as President of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. – San Francisco Golden Gate Section (focuses on supporting women and girls in underserved communities); chair of fundraising and scholarship for the San Francisco Delta Community Foundation (with a focus in providing college scholarships and grants to single mothers); active member of the San Francisco Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. with a focus on providing financial literacy to underserved communities.
Prior civic appointments were to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency under Mayor Willie Brown. Settles also served as the coastal representative for the Sam Tran paratransit commission.
Dr. Settles earned her doctorate at the University of San Francisco’s School of Education in Organizational Leadership. While serving on the San Mateo Retirement Board for 5+ years, she earned retirement investment training certifications from UCLA, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Pepperdine University, and MIT.
Michal’s philanthropic efforts have involved the founding and funding of college scholarships at churches in Kentucky and North Carolina along with the creation of the George Floyd Social Justice scholarships at College of San Mateo and the University of San Francisco. Efforts are currently underway to found and fund these scholarships at two additional east coast colleges, Washington, DC’s Howard University and North Carolina’s A & T University.
Patricia Siguenza currently serves as Vice President of BioAnalytical Sciences in Development Sciences at Genentech. Since 2009, she has also lead the BioAnalytical Sciences (BAS) department, enabling global drug development by providing key data for non-clinical and clinical studies. Siguenza joined Genentech in 1987 after receiving her Associate of Science degree in biology from College of San Mateo and her Bachelor of Science degree in clinical science at San Francisco State University. Since then she has held positions of increasing responsibility, serving as team lead and contributing to many projects, including marketed products. She is a member of multiple technical review committees and technical/scientific forums and is currently co-sponsoring the Development Sciences Rotation Program, which aims to develop our future generation of scientists and leaders.
Realizing her passion for education and people development, Siguenza volunteers her time mentoring professionals, college students, and recent graduates. She has also participated in various panels where she shares her life story, and has volunteered with the San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation reviewing scholarship applications and serving as a member of the Alumni Council. In addition to her SMCCCF Board membership, Siguenza also serves on the Cañada College President’s Advisory Group. Most recently, she established a scholarship for San Mateo County Community College Students.
Peter Fitzsimmons has filled the Interim CFO position that was vacated by Bernata Slater due to her retirement at the end of 2023. Peter has over 30 years of financial management in the areas of revenue collection, auditing, budget development/analysis, payroll, contracts, grants, accounting, risk management, and auxiliary services.
Prior to his recent appointment, Peter served as the District Budget Officer for the District. Before joining the District in 2018, he served the San Jose Evergreen Community College District as the Executive Director of Fiscal Services for eight years. He has also served in various capacities in municipal government for 20 years prior to joining the California Community College System in 2010.
Peter received an MBA from Golden Gate University and lives with his partner in Antioch, California. He is an avid pet lover and enjoys traveling and spending time at home with friends and family.
Melissa came to the California Community College system in 2008 after 23 years as
a small business owner in law, hospitality, and real estate. She spent 13 years with
the Santa Barbara Community College District (SBCCD) working in the areas of entrepreneurship,
business, law, and extended learning.
In 2020, Melissa joined the San Mateo County Community College District as the President of Skyline College focusing on participatory governance, equity and antiracism, and civic engagement. In 2023, Melissa was appointed Interim Chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District. Melissa brings a student-centered approach to the work of the San Mateo County Community College District and seeks to set the example for providing progressive and equitable educational opportunities for our most disproportionately impacted student populations in San Mateo County.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctorate from Santa Barbara College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the State of California.
Dr. Richard Storti is passionate about education and is dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of students. He believes education is empowering and transformational and community colleges offer tremendous opportunities with high-quality instructional programs and student support services. He is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, anti-racism, social justice, student success, and providing safe and welcoming learning environments for all students. He is innovative in his approach to addressing challenges and barriers faced by students.
Dr. Storti earned his doctorate degree in education from the University of Southern California, an MS in accountancy from California State University, Fullerton, and BS in business administration accountancy from California State University, Long Beach. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Kim Lopez currently serves as President of Cañada College in Redwood City, CA. She has previously served as Vice President of Student Services at College of San Mateo (CSM), a position she has held since 2017. In August 2019, she became Acting President at CSM and in 2020 she was named Interim President, a position she held until June 2021.
Prior to joining CSM, Ms. Lopez served as Dean of Counseling and Enrollment Services, and later Vice President of Student Services at Cañada College. Prior to Cañada College, she was a Faculty member at the College of the Siskiyous, serving as the Director for EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, and TRIO, and as a Counselor.
Ms. Lopez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara and a Master’s in Counseling Education from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Dr. Manuel Alejandro Pérez is a first-generation scholar practitioner with nearly 20 years of professional experience in higher education across the California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), California Community College, and private university systems. His early beginnings in school as a community college student in Sacramento have greatly shaped his leadership and passion for strategic planning and action that is equity-informed and rooted in liberation for our communities. From 2019-2024, Dr. Pérez has served as the Vice President of Student Services at Cañada College, where he was proud to lead the College in building new and strengthening existing support for students.
Dr. Pérez received his Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Ethnic Studies from Santa Clara University, and his Master’s degree in Communication Studies from San Diego State University. He completed his doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco where he also teaches courses as part-time faculty.
Before arriving to SMCCCD, Dr. Pérez served as the Interim Assistant Vice President for Equity & Community Inclusion for San Francisco State University. In this role, he led and supported campus climate and diversity initiatives to inform equity interventions and programming at the University. Prior to SF State, Dr. Pérez served as the Dean of Student Development and Dean of Equity Programs & Pathways for American River College (ARC). Over the course of his eight years at ARC, he was responsible for equity and student success initiatives for underserved communities, student leadership and engagement programs, six Federal TRIO grants with comprehensive counseling and embedded learning communities, and the development of guided pathways for feeder middle and high schools to the college.
Since February 2021, Dr. Newin Paul Orante has served as the Vice President of Student Services at Skyline College. Prior, he also held the position of the Vice President of Student Services at Diablo Valley College (DVC). He completed his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University, as well as holding a Master's in Public Administration with an emphasis on Organizational Change from California State University, East Bay. He has over 28 years of experience working in various systems and segments of education and has served the last 22 years in the California Community College System.
Newin is an active member of the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE). In 2019, he was also a founding member of The Coalition; an organization comprised of members from APAHE, A2MEND, and COLEGAS. Furthermore, he serves as a Board Member for the City of Oakland-based community organization, Homies Empowerment. More recently, he is one of the 32 cabinet-level administrators selected as a member of the University of California, Davis, 2023 Wheelhouse Advancing Leaders Institute.
As a scholar-practitioner, Newin’s work is predicated on his commitment to organizational development, community relations, and social justice education.
Bio and photograph coming soon.