CTE Foundation Announces 2026-2027 Board of Directors
Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation of Sonoma County is proud to announce its 2026-2027 Board of Directors, led by newly appointed Board Chair Priscilla Jaworski Quintanilla.
CTE Foundation’s 2026-2027 board officers include Chair, Priscilla Jaworski Quintanilla, Business Services Operations Manager for Redwood Credit Union; Vice Chair, Erica Torgerson, Director of Customer Service for Sonoma Clean Power; Treasurer, Arif Virji, Chair of Carle Mackie Power & Ross LLP’s Labor and Employment Law Group; Secretary, KC Nate, Chief Administrative Officer for Kaiser Permanente; and Immediate Past Chair, Julianna Graham, Senior Consultant for BPM.
“Stepping into the role of Board Chair in such a milestone year is a real honor,” says Priscilla Jaworski Quintanilla, Board Chair. “As we launch new development opportunities, including Workforce Champions, and head toward the 10th anniversary of our annual fundraiser and student showcase, Spark the Future, we’re inviting more local businesses than ever to invest directly in the students who will become Sonoma County’s next generation of talent. At Redwood Credit Union, we know that when employers open their doors to young people, the whole community grows stronger. I’m proud to lead CTE Foundation’s board who are committed to making sure every student in Sonoma County has a clear path from the classroom to a meaningful career, right here at home.”
Board Directors at large include Kelly Bass Seibel, Vice President of Community Engagement for Sonoma County Tourism; Luisa Beck, Director, Talent Acquisition for Jackson Family Wines; Brad Davis, Dean, Career & Technical Education at Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC); Merrilee Roscoe Alvarado, Director of Employee Culture & Community Relations for Hansel Auto Group; Mark Soiland, Owner of Soiland Company; Jennifer Stark, Product Manager for Keysight Technologies; Hector Velazquez, Principal of Nexo Media Inc. and Nexo Vibe Cloud, and Founder of the Business One Stop Shop (B-OSS); Elisabeth Wade, Dean, School of Science & Technology at Sonoma State University; and newly appointed director Araceli Nuñez, North Bay Subregional Director for the Bay Area Community College Consortium.
Nuñez brings deep expertise in the transition that matters most for students: the bridge from high school to college and career. BACCC links 28 community colleges around the San Francisco and Monterey Bays with K-12 schools and employers to build pathways into living-wage careers. Nuñez is also a graduate of BRIDGE (Building Representation, Inclusion, Diversity, and Governance Excellence), Los Cien Sonoma County’s leadership program that prepares community leaders to serve on local nonprofit boards and public commissions.
“As a first-generation college graduate, I know how much opportunity and connection can shape our futures. Los Cien’s BRIDGE program reinforced for me the value of bringing our experiences and voices to the table. Success looks different for everyone, and that’s something to embrace.” said Araceli Nuñez, North Bay Subregional Director, Bay Area Community College Consortium. “I’m excited to join CTE Foundation’s board to help expand access to work-based learning and build students’ social capital, the relationships that open doors. I want students to recognize their experiences, values, and strengths as remarkable assets that belong in classrooms, workplaces, and leadership. CTE is for all students, and every young person deserves opportunities to build a future that reflects who they are.”
“I’m energized every time this board gets in a room together. Our directors come from every corner of Sonoma County, from healthcare and wine to technology, law, the trades, and higher education, and each brings their own life story and expertise to the table. What unites them is how deeply they care about our community and the students who will shape its future. With this team, I couldn’t be more hopeful about what’s ahead,” said Eli Weinzveg, Executive Director of CTE Foundation.
CTE Foundation continues to play a pivotal role as Sonoma County’s education-to-workforce backbone, transforming educational models by aligning classroom learning with real-world experiences. Through Path to Purpose, its countywide internship program, CTE Foundation connects high school students directly with local employers for industry exposure and paid work experience in high-demand fields such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, engineering, agriculture and the skilled trades. This fall, the organization also launched Workforce Champions, a year-round business partnership program that gives local employers a direct way to invest in student success, and is preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Spark the Future on May 6, 2027, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
