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President of West Valley College

Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza serves as the 13th president of West Valley College. President Taylor-Mendoza is the first African American educator to lead the College. She is a longtime leader in the Bay Area with twelve years of service in the San Mateo County Community College District, having recently served as the President of the College of San Mateo, Vice President of Instruction at Skyline College in San Bruno, founding Dean of Academic Support and Learning Technologies at College of San Mateo (CSM), and as the Director of the Learning Center at CSM.

President Taylor-Mendoza has over twenty-three years of higher education experience in both instruction and student services, mainly in the California community college system. In her various roles as a classified professional, tenured faculty leader, director, dean, vice president, and now president, President Taylor-Mendoza has found inspiration in the brilliance, power, and endless potential of community college students. She leads for social justice and liberation, recognizing our shared responsibility to address the historical legacy of racism to create a more just system of access, reward, and long-term equitable outcomes to inspire individual achievement and generational impact. The “obligation gap,” a term she coined, speaks to institutional responsibility. She is co-author of Minding the Obligation Gap in Community Colleges: Theory and Practice in Achieving Educational Equity. President Taylor-Mendoza is also an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow and American Leadership Forum, Silicon Valley Senior Fellow.

President Taylor-Mendoza’s areas of expertise include accreditation, dual enrollment, educational policy, enrollment management, global learning, guided pathways, online learning, organizational development, professional development, and workforce partnerships. As Chief Instructional Officer, President Taylor-Mendoza served on the State Chancellor’s Office’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statewide Implementation Workgroup in developing, implementing, and assessing DEI strategies to improve systemwide equitable outcomes for California’s 116 colleges. In addition, she was an adviser to the State Chancellor’s Office on the Trustee Fellowship and provided strategies to support trustees in their role as district leaders identifying regional workforce gaps and measuring student equity goals.ty.

In my career in technology, a lot has changed. Y2K and 9/11 transformed the way companies thought about business continuity. Machine learning, digital data centers, and the rise of cyber threats changed the way we think about business security and the role of effective IT management. And all sizes and types of businesses have now become digital businesses.

Over that time, I've drawn on my career experience to help each of my customers navigate these massive transformations. Today, that experience allows me to work with my customers in a wide variety of industries to help them overcome the challenges they have as an organization and reach the goals they want to achieve.

One thing hasn’t changed: change. It will always be with us. And the team I’ve built at Sagacent Technologies is committed to making it work for you.

Songwriter, singer and pianist Vienna Teng has released five studio albums, toured across North America, Europe and Asia, and appeared on NPR Weekend Edition and The Late Show with David Letterman among others. Her songs have been covered by vocal and instrumental ensembles around the world, and drawn praise from the likes of music innovator David Byrne and choral composer Eric Whitacre. From an unlikely start as a computer science major at Stanford, playing in coffeehouses after work as a software programmer, she has built a loyal audience touring in intimate listening-room venues and cultivating community online. In the 2010s, Vienna pursued a second career in environmental sustainability at the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute, McKinsey & Company’s Sustainability practice, and global nonprofit Delterra  - themes reflected in her 2013 album Aims, which made her the first artist to win four Independent Music Awards in one year. She currently makes her home in Washington DC, and divides her time between creating new music and organizing her fanbase to take action on climate change.

Pacific Links Foundation

Tessa Reynolds (she/they) works for the county of Santa Clara as a Rehabilitation Counselor where they lead the Harm ReduQion Project, which focuses trauma-centered harm reduction support and services for people who use substances in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Tessa is a certified substance use counselor, and brings a client centered, trauma sensitive, and harm reduction approach to their work. They have worked for over 10 years with individuals involved in the criminal justice system, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and those who are unhoused, with a focus on substance use care. Tessa is an active member of DUHAC the Drug User Health Advisory Committee, of Santa Clara County and is passionate about making sure marginalized communities have a say in the care they receive.

The Harm ReduQion Project offers 2SLGBTQIA+-affirming, trauma-centered substance use and overdose prevention, education, and resources. We provide NARCAN trainings, access to NARCAN, Fentanyl Testing Strips, and Safer Sex supplies. The best way to connect to our HRQ team is the email address harmreduqion@hhs.sccgov.org

Dr. Emily Roben is a pediatric emergency medicine physician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland and San Francisco. Emily's academic work focuses on improving and maintaining all aspects of care quality in the emergency department, ranging from daily department operations to patient care from arrival to discharge. She is also actively involved in education and mentoring for trainees and students. 

Emily earned her medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, part of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. She received a master's degree in healthcare quality and patient safety from The Graduate School of Northwestern University.

Emily is passionate about teaching, community service, and outreach. She can be reached for questions or future speaking engagements via DACdb. 

Kenya Moses is a hybrid expert, championing in business for over 20 years; serving the non-profit, small business to corporate sectors. From her work as a Certified Executive Leadership Coach, to her work as a Marketing Strategist and Speaker, she takes a holistic approach to creating meaningful impact on the individuals and businesses she serves.

Kenya is the founder & CEO of the marketing and leadership development firm, ConsciousMark, in addition to being a professional vocalist, published author, former professional dancer, and mother of two teens. Her work has been featured in publications including, Essence Magazine, Thrive Global, and LiveStrong. Most recently, she received the 100 Women of Influence 2024 Award by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. 

Doug Brent is a technology leader and strategist focused on the digitization of industrial business such as agriculture, construction and transportation. Doug served in a chief technology officer role at Trimble, a $3B+ revenue industrial technology leader. Doug is a Silicon Valley veteran – from start-ups to Apple and IBM. Doug is a Board member at industrial technology company Anova, and an advisor to Piaggio Fast Forward, a personal robotics company.

Doug is the 2024-2025 President of the Rotary Club of Los Gatos, where he also served as secretary for three years. Doug is a three year appointee to the Rotary International committee on technology.

Doug Brent is a Silicon Valley veteran, expert in the connection between the physical and digital worlds in a range of industrial settings--today’s digital transformation. In 2011, Doug became the first VP Technology Innovation (CTO) at Trimble, a leader in digitization for construction, transportation, agriculture and other industrial markets. At Trimble, Doug championed modern software platforms, cutting-edge technology and culture change that supported growth from $1.7B to $3B of revenue and a transition from a hardware-centric model to a deep software and solutions model.



 

Dr. Caicai Wu grew up in China in an intellectual family, with both parents obtained master’s
degrees from US. As she was about to finish junior high school, the cultural revolution started.
Like millions of millions of teenagers of that time in China, she was sent to the countryside,
1,200 miles away from her home town, Beijing, to be “Re-educated”. She worked in the field and
later worked as a “barefoot doctor” in a village for four and half years. After returning to Beijing,
she worked as a chemist in the waste treatment plant in a coking factory for five years. During
those five years, she self-studied high school curriculum and some college level chemistry
books. When the cultural revolution ended, she passed the competitive entrance exam to
college. Her mother, a senior translator in the largest news agency in China who held a Master’s
degree in Teaching English from Columbia University in US, trained her in English for over 15
years. In 1988, she passed the TOFEL and GRE exam and was accepted in the graduate
program at the University of Washington in Seattle. She received her PhD in Analytical
Chemistry in 1993 and completed two post-doctoral fellowships from the Departments of Lab
Medicine and Bioengineering at the University of Washington. Dr. Wu is a diplomate of the
American Board of Clinical Chemistry emeritus and was a fellow in the National Academy of
Clinical Biochemistry. From 1999 to 1981, Dr. Wu worked for Pacific Biometrics, Inc. (PBI), a
Seattle based clinical reference laboratory. Dr. Wu performed a number of duties with increasing
responsibility. She was the Associate / Technical Director for six years. Since 2011, Dr. Wu
worked as the Laboratory Supervisor in the Science Department at Northwest University in
Kirkland, Washington. Dr. Wu also teaches the laboratory courses for Survey of Chemistry in the
same school. She has published over 20 articles / abstracts in peer reviewed scientific journals
and held 7 patents. After retirement in 2021, Dr. Wu continued to teach online science courses
at Northwest University for 2 years. Now, Dr. Wu is the science instructor for College of Adaptive
Arts.

From 2010, Dr. Wu started taking voice lessons with an opera singer Pamela La Salle
Casella. The voice training has been strict and challenging. Dr. Wu loves to share such
gifts with others, especially for seniors in retirement homes. She was one of the
founding members of Gospel Choir at the University Presbyterian Church since 2005.
From 2011 to 2013, she participated in several chorus singing of opera productions by
Lyric Opera Northwest, such as La Boheme, La Traviata, Tosca. At school she sang
solo for her students and for visitors from China. She also sang at the wedding of the
chairman of the Science Department, Dr. Steinkamp. In 2014, she started to lead sing
along or singing solo for seniors at Merrill Garden, Columbia, Hearthstone and Crista
retirement facilities. In addition, she sang solos in the masses at Sacred Heart Church
in downtown Seattle and in talent shows for international students at University
Presbyterian in Seattle. After moving to CA, Dr. Wu continues to use the gift of singing
to serve senior communities.

In her spare time, other than singing, Dr. Wu enjoys writing and cooking.

It's a lovely program hearing the perspectives and history of all the past presidents of the Saratoga Rotary Club. 

Wrapping gifts for local schoolchildren in the community. 

Dr. Kenneth Geisick began his role as Superintendent of Saratoga Union School District on September 3, 2019. Dr. Geisick most recently served as the Superintendent of Schools in the Orland Joint Unified School District in Orland, CA. 

“I am honored to be selected by the Board of Trustees to lead the outstanding Saratoga Union School District as the new superintendent,” Geisick said. “The district has a long tradition of excellence in providing students with an exceptional education and I look forward to building on the district’s strong foundation and many accomplishments. Coming to Saratoga will be something of a homecoming for me, I grew up in the area and attended nearby Union School District and Campbell Union High School District. And, my mother actually attended Saratoga Elementary School some years ago.”

Prior to his tenure as superintendent at Orland, Geisick held positions as Chief Educational Services Officer for THINK Together, an academically oriented after-school learning program that serves over 100,000 children each year; as Superintendent of Schools in Riverbank Unified School District; and as a high school and middle school principal.

Geisick began his career in education as a classroom teacher at Andrew Hill High School in San Jose, teaching social studies, English language development, and journalism.

Joyce Mercado, Rotary Club of Alameda President, is available to give Rotary Clubs a presentation on her new book “Save the Planet in Your Spare Time – A Climate Protection Handbook for the Busy Person.” The book chronicles Joyce’s journey to becoming a climate protection leader in Alameda so others can learn from her experience.  The book covers:

·         Reducing your emissions

·         Creating and distributing a checklist of 70 action items to protect the climate and a resource list to help individuals take action

·         Writing for the local press

·         Jumping at opportunities as they present themselves

·         Partnering with other organizations

·         Building leadership actions into your daily life

·         Taking political action

·         Presenting on climate change

·         Maintaining your optimism

Leaders influencing others in their communities to protect the climate, community by community, is an essential element in fighting climate change and Rotarians can be an effective part of the solution to the climate crisis with the guidance in this handbook. Anyone can be such a leader, even if you have a busy life. We need thousands of leaders like you in communities nationwide and worldwide to solve the climate crisis.  Together we can make a difference!

Joyce Mercado’s bio:

Joyce Mercado has been an effective climate activist in her community of Alameda for the last twenty years even while holding a full-time job as a Technical Sales Manager for IBM and raising two children with her husband David. Joyce is a monthly climate protection columnist for the local press, an Al Gore program-trained Climate Reality Project Leader who has given dozens of presentations on climate protection, a member of many climate protection organizations, creator of the Alameda Climate Protection Checklist and Resource List with 70 actions individuals can take and has been recognized by the City of Alameda for her climate protection leadership. The climate emergency prompted her to write this book when she retired so others could learn from her experience to become climate leaders in their communities. Joyce is a proud Rotarian having served as Community Service Chair and President of the Rotary Club of Alameda. Joyce has a Bachelor of Science in Physics from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Joyce went to graduate school at Princeton University to study plasma (electrically charged gas) physics for two years.  Joyce decided plasma physics was not for her, attended her first on-campus interview, and got a job at IBM for the next 35 years. Joyce lives in Alameda, California with her husband David.

Mona Hrapkowicz is a Director of Strategic Accounts for ZT Systems.  ZT Systems is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of complex compute and AI solutions serving the top Cloud Services Providers based in North America.  She brings her clients nearly 40 years of high technology experience in both the semiconductor and hardware infrastructure industry.  She has worked for large multinational corporations including Intel, HP, IBM, Texas Instruments and NEC.  She currently works has influence on technology deployments in the world of AI and manages engagements with   companies such as NVIDIA and AMD. She holds a BSEE from Santa Clara University (1987) and an MBA from Columbia University (1991).  She is optimistic about the future of technology and its potential to transform lives globally in a positive way.