Our Team

Melissa Frank is Senior Counsel/Director of Government Affairs for The Wonderful Company. In that role, Ms. Frank manages government relations for The Wonderful Company and its related affiliates, including Wonderful Citrus, Wonderful Orchards, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, POM Wonderful, Fiji Water, and Justin Vineyards.

Before joining The Wonderful Company in 2009, Ms. Frank was an associate at Nossaman LLP advising clients on water and land use matters. Melissa received her B.A. from California State University Fresno and her J.D. from the University of California Los Angeles School of Law.

Ms. Frank is also an appointed member of the Kern County Planning Commission. In addition, Ms. Frank serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bakersfield Museum of Art, JJ’s Legacy, the Dignity Health Memorial Hospital Foundation, Agricultural Council of California, and the California Fresh Fruit Association.

John Harris owns and manages Harris Ranch, a diversified agricultural company in California and also includes the Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant. He also has been active in breeding and racing thoroughbred horses for almost 50 years, producing several California bred champions. John is active on boards of several organizations including the Pacific Legal Foundation, California Cattlemen’s Association, Western Growers Association, and the Race Track Chaplaincy of America. John has been active in several federal and state political campaigns and issues, particularly those impacting agriculture and water.  John and his wife, Carole, live on their River Ranch east of Fresno. 

Mr. Maddy has extensive public policy experience, having served in federal and state government and as a private sector legislative advocate. He holds an MBA from Golden Gate University and a B.A. from California State University, Fresno. Mr. Maddy has represented the views of numerous private sector interests and government agencies, including 3M, Amazon, BNSF Railway, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Raytheon, and the California Hospital Association.

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval has roots in Fowler, a city 15 minutes south of Fresno, and his commitment to the region and higher education form the foundation of his drive to promote the region’s economic and cultural ascendency. Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval is an immigrant to the San Joaquin Valley, having arrived in the region from Mexico at 10 years old. He worked on his father’s small farm and grew to appreciate the many cultures, languages and communities of the Valley.

After serving over two decades on campus, Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval was named Fresno State’s ninth president in 2021. Prior to his administrative appointments as the Dean of Arts and Humanities and Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval taught on campus for nearly 15 years. His expertise is in Spanish and Portuguese poetry, and he has published on authors from Cuba, Mexico, Spain and Portugal. Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval has a deep faith in the potential of Fresno State’s gifted students and works tirelessly to promote their growth and success. Under his leadership, Fresno State launched a groundbreaking new direct-admissions program, Bulldog Bound, in the Spring of 2022. In the first year, Bulldog Bound partnered with over 30 local school districts, transforming access to higher education in the Central Valley and fostering a college-going culture across the community.

Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval is most inspired by Fresno State’s power to transform the individual in ways that promote their unique skills and talents and encourage their dynamic contributions to the greater good. He is proud of Fresno State’s status as a national leader in recruiting, supporting and graduating students from diverse backgrounds. Under his leadership, Fresno State saw an impressive rise in national rankings. In 2023, Fresno State was ranked atop the CSU and among the highest in the West in national university rankings. Fresno State ranked No. 26 in Washington Monthly’s 2023 annual list of top universities. At No. 26, Fresno State ranks alongside six Ivy League schools and private universities like Stanford and MIT. In 2023, Fresno State also ranked No. 8 in social mobility in U.S. World News and Report and No. 6 in Social Mobility in the Wall Street Journal.

In the first three years of Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval’s presidency, Fresno State has achieved some truly remarkable accomplishments. In the Fall of 2022, Fresno State achieved a “Doctoral University — High Research Activity,” or “R2” by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. Fresno State is the only CSU in the Central San Joaquin Valley to have this designation and it is Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval’s sincere belief that research is at the heart of innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2022-23, Fresno State was awarded a record-breaking $65.5M in grants and contracts and has recorded a remarkable 75% increase over the last six years. In the Fall of 2023, Fresno State launched its new five-year strategic plan. The plan outlines five primary goals and was a product of the feedback of thousands of individuals across the campus community.

Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval believes in the power of relationships and professional development through mentorship and has engaged in mentoring, both informally and through established programs, for aspiring leaders from every college and school at Fresno State. He has also established formal relationships with a number of local and national organizations to strengthen the impact of Fresno State, including Fresno Housing, to address housing insecurity, the U.S. Army Civil Affairs to expand food security, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and the Study in Portugal Network to establish new study abroad pathway programs.

Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval received dual B.A.s (cum laude), in History and in Spanish, from the University of California, Irvine. His M.A. and Ph.D. are in Spanish and Portuguese literatures, also from UC Irvine. He subsequently successfully completed an advanced seminar on critical theory at Cornell’s School of Criticism and Theory.

Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval’s leadership has been recognized both locally and nationally.  He serves on a number of boards, including the federal USDA-HACU Leadership Group, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and serves as the Chair of the CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology and CSU WATER.  In 2023, he was named the recipient of the Robert C. Maxson President of the Year award for the second year in a row; the award was presented by the Cal State Student Association, a student organization that represents nearly half a million students in the CSU system. He also received the Horizon Excellence in the Arts Award by the Fresno Art Council in 2019 and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society in 2016.

Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval is dedicated to the Central Valley and Fresno State and is proud that his academic career has been invested in promoting the deep roots and bright futures of the students and region. With his deep love of the Valley and a strong connection to agriculture and the arts, he is committed to his community where he and his wife, Dr. Mariana Anagnostopoulos, and their two sons, Leo and Arion, call home.

Britt Rios-Ellis, M.S., Ph.D., serves as the 13th president of California State University, Stanislaus. A bilingual and bicultural educational and community health leader with a focus on academic and inclusive excellence and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of higher education, in which she has more than 30 years of experience and a deep commitment to student success, diversity and community engagement.

She most recently served as executive vice president of Academic Affairs and provost at Oakland University in Michigan from 2021 to 2024, where she focused her efforts on strengthening and restructuring academic affairs during the pandemic. During her tenure Rios-Ellis also raised much-needed funds, helped spearhead much needed programs, collaborated on innovative interprofessional initiatives and shepherded the purchase of a new building adjacent to a highly underserved community. She also led the effort that garnered Oakland the Carnegie classification as a community engaged campus.

Her appointment at Stanislaus State marks her return to the California State University system, where she previously held leadership roles at Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Long Beach.

As founding dean of Cal State Monterey Bay’s College of Health Sciences and Human Services, where she served from 2014 to 2020, she doubled and diversified underrepresented minority tenure-track faculty and co-founded its Master of Science Physician Assistant program, the first of its kind within the 23-campus CSU system. Additionally, she launched two academic departments, shepherded the Master of Public Health and led the Center for Community Health Engagement, a multipurpose, interprofessional space to optimize wellness for homeless populations.

From 1994 to 2014, Rios-Ellis was a professor of health sciences at Cal State Long Beach and the founding director of the Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation and Leadership Training and the community-based Centro Salud es Cultura, an applied research center strengthened by community outreach and programming. In 2013, she was named Outstanding Professor.

Rios-Ellis has led more than $59 million in student- and community-strengthening health- and education-related efforts funded by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education, the Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Minority Health and Health Disparities and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), among others.

Her areas of funded research include Latinx HIV/AIDS, nutrition, maternal/child health, chronic disease and mental health, often incorporating and pairing promotores de salud models with student training in community-based participatory research and evaluation.

She holds bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and political science, a Master of Science in Health and Fitness Management, a certificate in women’s studies and a doctorate in community health from the University of Oregon. Rios-Ellis completed Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education and the HERS (Higher Education Resource Services) Program for Women’s Leadership in Higher Education at Bryn Mawr. She also completed the Provost and Student Success Academies and the Millennial Leadership Academy of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

She is the recipient of the Henry Montes Presidential Award from the American Public Health Association’s Latino Caucus, two Woman of the Year accolades and the Sol Award from the Los Angeles County Office of AIDS Policy. Rios-Ellis was a commissioned member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Health Resources and Services Administration Advisory Committee on HIV, Hepatitis and STD Prevention/Treatment, the SAMHSA Advisory Committee for Women’s Services and President Obama’s Advisory Commission for HIV/AIDS Disclosure Work Group. She has appeared on Spanish and English-language television for Telemundo, Univisión, CNN and ABC World News.

Rios-Ellis is married to musician and music educator Enrique Rios-Ellis, DMA, and is the proud mother of Xóchitl, Enrique and Itzél, three budding artists who inspire her every day.

Hilda Cantú Montoy has dedicated her career to public agency law and have gained an excellent statewide reputation in my field and in working with City Councils, governing boards, management, and staff of numerous public agencies. She offers a wealth of general counsel experience, broad public agency law knowledge, timely responsiveness, and the ability to provide the full range of public agency services that may be required.  Hilda Cantú Montoy is service oriented, creative in finding solutions, and proactive in serving clients to minimize legal costs.

Her experience includes serving as in-house City Attorney for the City of Fresno for more than 10 years. Currently, she serves as contract City Attorney for the Cities of Kerman and San Joaquin; General Counsel to the Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District and the Oversight Board to the Successor Agency for the City of Santa Clara Redevelopment Agency; and special counsel to various public agencies. Hilda Cantú Montoy’s special counsel work is broad. It has included workplace investigations, school district reorganizations, a Brown Act investigation, written legal opinions, election matters, legal advisor in administrative hearings, and representation of Oversight Boards to Successor Agencies involving the S.F. Forty Niners and the Oakland A’s.

Jim Costa represents California’s 21st Congressional District. He has served the San Joaquin Valley in the U.S. House of Representatives since January of 2005. Raised on a dairy farm in Fresno’s Kearney Park area, Congressman Costa is a third-generation family farmer. As a Member of Congress, Costa has applied his farming background to fighting for Valley water, agriculture, and the economy.

A lifelong resident of the Valley, Costa’s committee assignments allow him to effectively advocate for the district. Costa uses his position on the Natural Resources Committee to fight for the Valley’s fair share of water. This includes securing funding for dams, working to overturn unfair federal water regulations, and increasing Valley water allocations. On the Agriculture Committee, Costa has worked to increase federal support for Valley agriculture through the Farm Bill and other programs. When a milk price crisis devastated the region’s dairy industry, Costa introduced legislation to protect Valley dairy families and local jobs. In addition to his committee assignments, Costa is a member of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Coalition and has worked with his colleagues to support more responsible budgeting practices.

Costa’s work to improve the Valley stretches across the district. During his first term in office, Costa put together a broad-based bipartisan coalition aimed at developing a Regional Water Plan for Central California.  He also led the negotiations between the City of Fresno and the State of California that secured the final funding necessary to complete the new Amtrak station in Fresno.  During the 109th Congress, Costa played a leading role in the bipartisan effort to secure Highway 99 funding in the infrastructure bonds approved by California voters in 2006.  Costa was also a principal in the successful effort to secure Congressional approval of plans to keep Fresno’s 144th Air National Guard Fighter Wing viable well into the future.  As the primary author of state legislation to create the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, Costa continues to work with local and state officials to clean up the Valley’s air.

Costa’s efforts to strengthen Valley agriculture and the economy have been recognized by organizations like The American Farm Bureau Federation who named him a recipient of its “Friend of the Farm Bureau” award. Costa has also received the “Spirit of Enterprise” award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Costa’s work to crack down on violent crime and advocate for victims’ rights was recognized by the National Organization for Victim Assistance, which named him recipient of the Donald E. Santarelli Public Policy Award for demonstrating outstanding public policy leadership.

A product of Fresno County schools, Costa is a graduate of San Joaquin Memorial High School and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from California State University, Fresno. Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Costa served for 24 years in the California State Legislature.

Mr. Cowan is a Senior Advisor, Pacific Rim Advisory Group, LLC and is very involved in his community. He is an Air Force veteran of the Cold War and was a Captain in the Strategic Air Command. Mr. Cowan has received many accolades during his time in the flooring business, such as the Excellence in Business Award from the Modesto Bee in 2016. Over the years, he has served as the board chair of the Stanislaus Community Foundation, Community Hospice and Memorial Hospital. Mr. Cowan was also the former elected director of the Modesto Irrigation District and the past President of the Modesto Rotary Club.

Dr. Xuanning Fu came to the United States as an international student and has worked at four universities; the last 18 years at Fresno State.  He previously served as associate dean of the College of Social Sciences and dean of Undergraduate Studies before being appointed as vice provost. Dr. Fu was appointed Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs effective July 1, 2022. In his role as the university’s chief academic officer, he is committed to empowering California’s Central Valley’s diverse students who will become the leaders of tomorrow.

Dr. Harper has been serving as California State University, Bakersfield’s interim president since December 31 following the retirement of President Lynnette Zelezny.

Dr. Harper becomes the university’s sixth leader to serve in the role in a permanent capacity.

“During his interim appointment, Dr. Harper has taken meaningful and inclusive steps to enhance access, academic excellence and student success at CSU Bakersfield,” said CSU Trustee Douglas Faigin, chair of the CSUB Presidential Search Committee. “He has proven himself to be an equity-driven leader with a history of innovation in academic programming and student support. He will continue to identify and advance CSUB’s vision through a period of sustained growth and student success.”

During his tenure as interim president, Dr. Harper has launched a number of initiatives that support increased access and student success, including the middle and high school pre-admit program, making CSUB the first-choice destination for an increasing number of Kern County high school graduates. He also launched the Umoja Black Student Success Transfer Program in partnership with Bakersfield College to support student success, and CSUB will open its Black Students Success Center in the coming months.

Dr. Harper also began an initiative for CSUB to pursue the statewide Black-Serving Institution designation, has championed the `Runners on the Rise campaign, and has accelerated the completion of donor-supported facilities projects on campus.

Prior to his role as interim president, Dr. Harper served in several leadership roles at CSUB, starting in 2016, including as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, associate vice president of the same division, and dean of Academic Programs. He is also a professor of communications.

In his capacity as provost, Dr. Harper led initiatives that resulted in all-time highs in graduation and retention rates at CSUB; advanced diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for faculty and students; built significant public-private partnerships to increase enrollment; and inspired successful philanthropic efforts and investments to advance student success.

Dr. Harper previously served as the associate vice president for Academic Administration (2012-2016) at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where he led the opening of a branch campus located in downtown Philadelphia and worked with the Frederick Douglass Institute to develop the campus’s Diversity Strategic Plan to attract diverse candidates for faculty positions. Dr. Harper also served as associate provost at Wilkes University of Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2012, where he was responsible for regional accreditation, assessment and institutional effectiveness.

Before joining Wilkes University, Dr. Harper was an associate for Academic Affairs at the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia, the system administrative body of the 16 four-year institutions and 23 two-year institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dr. Harper earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in rhetoric and communication from West Chester University and a doctorate in human communication from Howard University. He also served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve and is the recipient of the U.S. Army Achievement Medal and the Martin Luther King Unity Award.

Mr. Hurley has been on the Maddy Institute board since about 2008. He hopes to provide an important perspective from the south Valley and Tulare county, where he has served on several boards and committees as a volunteer and advisor.

Mr. Russo is an original Maddy Institute Board member and previously served as a political consultant to Senator Maddy. He was also a business partner after Senator Maddy left public office, and always a close friend. His goal is to provide a training ground for the Ken Maddy Way: working cooperatively with everyone, using friendship and civility, as well as exceptional legislative skills to get things done and be one of the most impactful legislators of his generation.

Justin Salters is the Founder and President of Hey Salty, a full service public relations and marketing agency based in Bakersfield, California. Prior to founding Hey Salty, Salters worked in corporate affairs at Chevron and for a Sacramento-based public affairs firm. In addition to serving on the Maddy Institute Board, Salters is a Past President of the CSUB Alumni Association, Past Chairman of JJ’s Legacy, and member of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield. Salters and his wife, Emily, live in southwest Bakersfield with their two daughters and rescue dog.

A California native whose parents immigrated from Mexico and whose father worked in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz has deep roots in the UC System and the Central Valley region. He earned his B.A. in psychology from UC Santa Barbara. Prior to earning his M.A. in Mexican American studies from California State University, Los Angeles he was a secondary school teacher and instructor in the California Community College system. He earned his Ph.D. in education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied curriculum & instruction in the Division of Urban Schooling.

During his time in LA, Dr. Muñoz served on the board of directors of several nonprofit agencies, was appointed to the Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board-Youth Council, served on both the Parks & Recreation and Substance Abuse Commissions in San Bernardino County, and was chair of the 2001 City of Los Angeles Crossroad Symposium for at-risk youth.

Dr. Muñoz joined UC Merced as the school’s 4th Chancellor from the University of Houston Downtown (UHD), where he served as president and within his first year launched the university’s largest capital campaign and led the institution’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey. Prior to UHD, Dr. Muñoz served as senior vice president and vice provost at Texas Tech University.

He is the author of book chapters, academic articles, essays, refereed and invited conference presentations and professor in the Department of Sociology. In 2010, Chancellor Muñoz was among the contributing editors of the seminal compilation, the Handbook of Latinos and Education.

Dr. Muñoz has also served on the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence, and is currently vice chair of the board of directors of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Excelencia in Education, and the American Council on Education. He was appointed by Governor Newsom to the board of the California Strategic Growth Council in December 2020.

He is a graduate of the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership offered jointly by Arizona State and Georgetown Universities, ACE’s Spectrum Executive Leadership Program, Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership, UC Berkeley’s Executive Leadership Academy, and the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Policy’s Governor’s Executive Development Program.

He is married to Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz, Ph.D., an accomplished scholar and professor at the University of California, Merced. They have three sons: Joaquin Diego Muñoz, who attends the United States Merchant Marine Academy; Cruz Santos Muñoz, a sophomore at Texas State University San Marcos; and Juan Amado Muñoz, who attends high school in Merced.

Ms. Hiyama is serving in a new role at PG&E, supporting the Company’s implementation of the LEAN business structure and Regional Service Model for the Central Valley region. She previously served as the Government Affairs Director for Comcast in the Central Valley. Ms. Hiyama is an alumna of Fresno State University (2005) and the Maddy Institute Internship Program -Senator Feinstein & Congressman Costa (2005).

Mr. Wieland is a founding shareholder of Sagaser, Watkins & Wieland PC and represents private and public sector employers in all aspects of labor relations and employment law matters. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Wieland worked with several California State Assembly and U.S. House of Representatives members. He also previously worked as the Program Coordinator for the Maddy Institute. Mr. Wieland received his bachelors in Political Science and History from Fresno State and his Juris Doctor from the San Joaquin College of Law. He is also a Maddy Institute Scholar Intern alum.

Ana Jovel Melendez was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2024 to serve as Deputy Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). Ana previously served in various positions in the Office of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer from 2005 to 2014, as Deputy Director of the Kenneth L. Maddy Institute from 2014 to 2016, and as legislative staff in the California State Assembly from 2016 to 2021. Directly prior to joining CalEPA, Ana was Director of Legislative Affairs at the State Water Resources Control Board.

Ana is a member of Hispañas Organized for Political Equality and an alumni of the HOPE Leadership Institute. Her accomplishments include being a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, a Sally Casanova Fellow, a Leon & Sylvia Panetta Scholar, and a 2022 Fresno State Top Dog Alumni. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from California State University, Fresno.

Aldi Ramirez is a highly accomplished leader with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff at Shehadey Family Foods/Producers Dairy, where she leverages her expertise in strategic initiatives, cross-functional collaboration, and stakeholder relations to enhance operational efficiency in a dynamic food manufacturing environment.

Prior to her current role, Aldi held several positions, including Deputy City Manager and Assistant Director for the City of Fresno. In these roles, she oversaw operations across multiple city departments and managed complex citywide initiatives. Her exceptional ability to foster collaboration among public officials, departments, and community stakeholders significantly contributed to the city’s growth and development. Aldi is a proud two-time alumna of California State University, Fresno, where she earned both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, graduating with honors. Her academic accomplishments, along with her diverse career in public service, private industry, and community engagement, position her as an effective leader dedicated to delivering results and advancing organizational goals.

Blake Zante is the Executive Director of the Kenneth L. Maddy Institute. As an alumnus of The Maddy Institute’s Legislative Intern Scholar Program, Zante’s journey has been rooted in a commitment to public service and civic engagement.

As Executive Director, Zante oversees the institute’s operations, orchestrating its diverse programs with the aim of training the next generation of leaders, bolstering democratic participation, providing nonpartisan public policy analysis, and increasing civic engagement in the San Joaquin Valley and state of California. He is also responsible for producing and hosting public affairs programs, such as The Maddy Report, which serve to illuminate the impact of public policy on San Joaquin Valley agriculture and various other sectors.

Former leaders of The Maddy Institute include former Fresno State President Harold Haak, U.S. Representative Jim Costa, and former Mayor of Fresno Dan Whitehurst.

A government affairs and communications professional, Zante worked as a district representative to former Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, as press secretary to state Senator Andreas Borgeas, and operated a public affairs consultancy.

Beyond his professional commitments, Zante remains engaged in community service and advocacy. He serves as a Fresno County planning commissioner, a board member for both the Fresno State Alumni Association and the San Joaquin Political Academy of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Fresno Rotary Club.

Zante earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Public Administration from California State University, Fresno. During his time at the university, he served as student body president and received a President’s Honors Scholarship from the Smittcamp Family Honors College. Zante is an alumnus of the Capital Fellows Program.

Guadalupe Cruz, born and raised in Kings County, began her career at The Maddy Institute as a Program Coordinator before transitioning to her current role as Assistant Director. In this role, Guadalupe supports the Executive Director with strategic planning and implementation. She oversees the institute’s internship programs and handles marketing and communications to promote the institute’s initiatives. Additionally, she assists with budget monitoring, daily operations, student assistant oversight, and the preparation of reports, including grants and annual reports on the organization’s programs.

A proud first generation student, Guadalupe earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from California State University, Fresno. During her time at Fresno State, Guadalupe had the opportunity to work in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and State Assembly through The Maddy Institute’s Valley Legislative Internship Program.

Tonia Loeffler is a Program Coordinator for The Maddy Institute. Her duties include facilitating the production of The Maddy Report television and Valley Views Podcast programming, coordinating events, dabbling in fundraising, and overseeing various administrative functions.

Previously, Tonia has served as an events coordinator, a community college instructor, and a full-time mom.

Tonia earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism and her Master’s degree in Linguistics from California State University, Fresno. She has two daughters in college who have made life exciting, fun, busy, and beyond fulfilling.

Emily Peacock is a recent Fresno State alumni with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Creative Writing. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for an anthology of Nikkei poetry and a Fundraising Intern for the Anti-Racism Commitment Coalition (ARCC). A 2024 Larry Levis Poetry Prize winner and a finalist for the Mireyda Barraza Martinez Prize for Social Justice Writing, Emily’s creative work has been published by the American Academy of Poets, Zeniada Magazine, and more.

In the future, Emily hopes to make creative writing more accessible to incarcerated youth and currently facilitates classes at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) with Poetic Justice.

Camalah Saleh is a third-year student at California State University, Fresno, double majoring in political science and communication. She is also a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College.

Previously, Camalah served as a Maddy Intern for Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell and interned at the District Attorney’s Office. This past semester, Camalah had the honor of representing Fresno State as a Panetta Intern on Capitol Hill, where she worked in the office of Congresswoman Linda Sánchez.

On campus, Camalah serves as the president of Students for Palestinian Liberation, where she works to educate and advocate for the Palestinian cause among students and the local community. In addition, she works as a student assistant at The Maddy Institute.

Through these experiences, she witnessed the intersection of public policy and the legal field, inspiring her to pursue a joint MA/JD emphasizing immigration and international affairs. Her ultimate goal is to give back to her community by establishing an immigration law firm in Sanger, CA, the town her family migrated to when she was three.

Claudio Silva is a second-year student at California State University, Fresno, majoring in public health with a Spanish minor to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He was born and raised in Hanford, CA, and this close-knit town has nurtured his love for a sense of community from volunteering to working with the non-profit organization Communities for a New California. He is also an Honors student and a part of the Smittcamp Family Honors College 25th Cohort.

At Fresno State, Claudio is a part of the Council of Presidential Scholars and holds an officer position as Historian. Being a part of the medical field has always been a long-term goal and something that he finds extremely rewarding. Therefore, he hopes to pursue a master’s and even a doctorate in Nursing to use his passion for medicine to help inform individuals from minority groups about how to obtain adequate healthcare and their options

Shireen Virk, born and raised in Fresno, CA is a dedicated biochemistry major at California State University, Fresno. She is a proud member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College and is a part of the 24th cohort. She has aspirations of attending medical school in the future hoping to specialize in neurology. Alongside academic pursuits, Shireen is passionate about healthcare and public health, a passion that has led to a growing interest in health policy. She has volunteered at Valley Children’s Hospital for the past 7 years, where she works directly with patients and healthcare providers, gaining hands-on experience and insight into the healthcare system.

Benjamin Rigby is a fourth-year political science major at California State University, Fresno and a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College. He has been involved with Camp Kesem at Fresno State for four years, where he has served as both Outreach and Operations Coordinator. As part of Fresno State’s College of Social Sciences Honors Program, he has contributed to research in public health policy under Dr. Bryant. Benjamin plans to pursue graduate school after earning his bachelor’s degree and aspires to a career in policy analysis.

Dr. Wellman joined the faculty of the Master of Public Administration program at California State University, Stanislaus in 2012 and served as the MPA Program Co-Director from 2016-2021. Dr. Wellman is a 2011 Ph.D. graduate of the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

His research interests focus primarily on transportation policymaking, specifically on the role of administrative discretion in transportation decision-making. Dr. Wellman’s research questions how car-centric transportation practices contribute to societal inequities, suburban sprawl, and the marginalization of car-less communities. His teaching areas include public administration theory, public sector ethics, and public administration’s place in society.