As Chief Advancement Officer for the Los Angeles Community College District and Executive Director of the Foundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges, Kelly King leads programs and philanthropic partnerships that support the 200,000+ students and diverse communities served by the District. 

Before joining LACCD in 2022, King served as Senior Program Officer for Education at the California Community Foundation where she managed large-scale efforts to advance a more equitable education system in Los Angeles County, with a special focus on postsecondary access and attainment. As Executive Vice President at Focusing Philanthropy, she developed and managed a national portfolio of philanthropic investments that included education, health access, and workforce development. 

King began her career in the education and nonprofit sector at the Scripps College Academy, leading the college access program to national recognition. King received a bachelor’s degree in politics and public policy analysis from Scripps College, and a master’s degree in education policy, evaluation, and reform from Claremont Graduate University.

Maureen Carew is the Principal Consultant and Founder of Carew Consulting, where she helps mission-driven organizations navigate leadership transitions, strengthen operations, and align strategy for lasting impact. With 25+ years across philanthropy, education, and nonprofit leadership, she brings a deep understanding of how to stabilize organizations and support growth.

Carew previously led a $35 million grantmaking strategy for an education-focused foundation and has served in senior roles at Stanford University’s Gardner Center, San Francisco Unified School District, and multiple nonprofits. She is known for her cultural humility, equity-driven approach and for supporting leaders through coaching, advising, and board development.

Carew holds a M.P.A from San Francisco State University and has completed executive programs at Harvard, Stanford, and Third Sector Company. Based in San Francisco, she volunteers with SFCASA and the Red Cross.

Ria Sengupta Bhatt is Founder and Principal Consultant at Mandala Strategies, where she brings over 20 years of expertise at the intersections of the nonprofit sector, philanthropy, and public policy. Throughout her consulting career, Bhatt has partnered with a diverse array of clients, including foundations, universities, nonprofits, and research organizations. Her work spans launching new programs, developing strategy, assessing impact, and conducting applied research. In addition to her consulting work, Bhatt has held various leadership roles within philanthropy and policy advocacy. Bhatt served as founding Director of Public Policy at College Futures Foundation for four plus years, and was Deputy Director at California Competes, a policy research and advocacy organization focused on improving higher education and workforce outcomes. Batt holds a M.P.P. from Georgetown University and a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Thomas Cruz-Soto is Dean of Student Services at Riverside City College (RCC), where he oversees EOP&S/CARE, the Veterans Center, CalWORKs, Trio, DRC, and Foster Youth / Guardian Scholars. He also leads student conduct, co-chairs the RCC CARES team, and served as Interim Vice President of Student Services in 2022–23, guiding strategic planning, policy, and budget oversight. He will reprise this role in 2024–25 to lead the $124 million Intersegmental Housing Initiative, the ASPIRE Housing Project for housing-insecure students, and the development of the Inland Empire Trade Technical Center.

Previously, Dr. Cruz-Soto was Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) Pomona, where he advanced student engagement, diversity, and responsible freedom of speech. He spent a decade at Colgate University, rising from Director of the ALANA Cultural Center to Associate Dean of Campus Life, where he strengthened alumni engagement and supported a $480 million campaign. Earlier in his career, he directed GEAR-UP programs at Rowan and Kean Universities, serving thousands of underrepresented students across multiple cities.

A first-generation college graduate from Camden, New Jersey, Dr. Cruz-Soto holds a bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College and a master’s and doctorate in education leadership from Rowan University. He is active with NAACP Riverside, Latino Network, and A2MEND, and brings global experience through educational initiatives in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

As Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Executive for the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), Dr. Leigh Sata oversees the facilities team for the largest community college and bond program in the nation, consisting of nine colleges and additional teaching and administrative sites.  

Before joining LACCD, Dr. Sata served as the Vice President of Capital Projects and Operations at San Francisco’s California College of the Arts.  Recent public agency experience includes time as the Interim Assistant Superintendent of Facilities for the Sacramento City Unified School District, where he oversaw a facility planning process that distributed bond funds to the most vulnerable students and school sites, rather than by traditional facility metrics.  He has also served as Vice Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District in Oakland, and led bond programs for several other community colleges.  

Dr. Sata’s dissertation research focused on the design and implementation of sustainability plans in the Community College system.  With decades of experience as an architect, program and project manager, and facilities executive, he is well equipped to lead the LACCD team into a new era of development and sustainability.

Dr. Matthew Smith is Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at California State University, San Bernardino. He previously served as Senior Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at CSU Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), where he developed the Basic Needs Initiative, securing over $600,000 to launch emergency housing, food support, and emergency grants for students. He also helped secure California’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant to build a new affordable residence hall serving more than 300 students, and partnered with academic affairs to launch First-Year Interest Groups, contributing to an eight-point increase in first-year retention.

At CSUDH, Dr. Smith also expanded student engagement through Parent and Family Programs and equity-driven initiatives, while strengthening fiscal transparency and staff development. He is Co-Founder and Principal Investigator of the CSU Young Males of Color Consortium, a systemwide initiative that has raised over $4.5 million to close opportunity gaps for young men of color across all 23 CSU campuses.

Earlier in his career, he directed Educational Partnerships at CSUDH, managing more than $10 million in grants and leading the nationally recognized Male Success Alliance. A proud first-generation graduate, Dr. Smith earned his B.A. from CSU San Bernardino, M.S. from CSU Fullerton, and Ph.D. in Education from Claremont Graduate University.