Happy summer! One year ago, I joined CTE Foundation as Executive Director. Having a front row seat to witness the remarkable work this team does is inspiring, and I’m proud to share some of what we accomplished this spring. But before I get into the numbers, I want to say something about the people behind them…

At its core, an intermediary is a connector. The role can be complicated and nuanced and sometimes feels like trying to plan a simple Saturday with friends. One person wants to spend the afternoon wine tasting in Healdsburg, another wants fish tacos out at Bodega Bay, someone else refuses to drive over Highway 12 after noon, and somehow you are the one expected to pull it all together without too much complaining in the group text….

For over a decade, Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation has been the connective tissue helping Sonoma County students turn aspiration into opportunity. We partner with schools like Santa Rosa City Schools, colleges, and local businesses to create pathways to high-demand, high-wage, and high-skill careers – the very careers that drive our region and offer our students a chance to thrive right here at home…

As students head back to class, Santa Rosa City Schools is reimagining some of its secondary campuses for a new 7-12 model. This shift creates an unprecedented opportunity for younger students to gain earlier exposure and even access to programs, classrooms and industry-standard tools that prepare them for college and careers…

As summer unfolds across Sonoma County and our schools take a seasonal pause, it’s a time not just for reflection, but for clarity and urgency. We are at a pivotal moment in public education. At a time when local districts are grappling with declining enrollment, significant budget shortfalls, and even school closures, students and families are asking important questions…

The sun hasn’t yet hit its highest point in the sky as I drive up through the large-scale carport of Virginia Dare Winery (owned by Francis Ford Coppola Winery) on a recent summer day, but it didn’t keep a team of educators from taking advantage of the shade as Miguel Lopez, Director of Bottling and Canning Operations, explains what the facility they were visiting today was all about…