Sonoma State University Foundation Board
New board members
Maraskeshia Smith
City Manager of Santa Rosa
Maraskeshia Smith is the first African American woman to take on Santa Rosa’s City Manager role since 2022. Before this pivotal role, Maraskeshia served as Deputy City Manager of Stockton, where her responsibilities spanned economic development, human resources, municipal utilities, and initiatives addressing affordable housing and homelessness. She has been dedicated to nonprofit organizations focused on youth education and development. Maraskeshia was acknowledged for her achievements with her selection as one of the 2023 North Bay’s Influential Women. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Eastern Kentucky University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky.
Ernesto M. Olivares
Community Safety Consultant
Ernesto M. Olivares has over 45 years of public safety experience, including over 30 years as a law enforcement professional and 17 years leading efforts in youth safety and violence prevention. Ernesto served on the Santa Rosa City Council for 12 years, including a term as mayor. Before his election to the Council, Ernesto was a lieutenant with the Santa Rosa Police Department, where he retired in 2008. Ernesto has served as a consultant helping communities develop comprehensive and strategic violence prevention plans, that include cities such as Long Beach, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, and Hagerstown, Maryland. Currently, he is assisting the City of Santa Rosa in updating its Violence Prevention Partnership Strategic Plan.
Marcela Piedra
City Manager of Rohnert Park
Marcela Piedra began working as the City Manager of Rohnert Park in 2023. She has 20 years of municipal management experience as well as executive leadership, which includes serving as Deputy City Manager, Community Services Director, Director of Economic Development, and Redevelopment Manager for the City of El Centro. She has extensive involvement coordinating and overseeing community and economic development, redevelopment, housing, community services, and cultural activities. Marcela has an Associate of Arts degree in Business with an emphasis in Business Administration from Imperial Valley College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business, with an emphasis in Spanish and Latin America, from San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Frank Chong
Former Superintendent/President Emeritus at Santa Rosa Junior College
Prior to joining Santa Rosa Junior College as President/Superintendent in 2012, Frank Chong served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges in the U.S. Department of Education. He has previously served as president of Laney College, President of Mission College, Dean of Student Affairs at San Francisco City College, special assistant to Mayor Willie Brown of Oakland, speaker of the California Assembly, and he has been an administrator for multiple nonprofit organizations. Chong currently serves on the boards of Pepperwood Preserve and the Sonoma County Health Alliance, and is a former president and founding member of the national advocacy organization of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education. Chong has a doctorate in education from Dowling College, a master’s In public administration from Harvard Kennedy School, and bachelor of arts in Social Welfare/Asian American Studies from the University of California in Berkeley.
Foundation Board members
Executive Committee
Board Chair
David Felte, ‘01
Board Vice-Chair
Robert U’Ren
SSU Foundation CEO
Mario Perez
SSU Foundation COO & Secretary
Ian Hannah, ‘04, ‘07
SSU Foundation CFO
Amanda Visser
Members
Monir Ahmed
Frank Chong
Anita Christmas, ‘89, ‘92
Taylor Frickman
Cassandra Garcia
Thomas Gillespie, ‘74
Joseph Huang, ‘02, ‘04, ‘18
Tom Isaak, ‘66
Brigitte Lahme
Ming-Tung “Mike” Lee, SSU President
H. Andrea Neves
Ernesto Olivares
Kenneth “Randy” Pennington, ‘85
Marcela Piedra
Ali Pourghadir, ‘05
Travis Saracco, ‘12
Maraskeshia Smith
Michael Sullivan
Brent Thomas, ‘92
