2022 Class
KLA Class 2022
Shane Cox has lived in Bakersfield, CA, for nearly three years. The Adventist Health Kern County Network recently promoted him to Operations and Finance Officer for the three-hospital system with multiple clinics throughout Kern County. Shane graduated from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, with a Bachelor of Accounting and an MBA from the University of Texas in Arlington. In addition, he holds a CPA Certificate. He has over 25 years of healthcare experience and has served on numerous nonprofit and church boards. Shane loves to travel with his family and watch sports (including his hometown Kansas City Chiefs and Royals).
Leon Delouth was born and raised in Bakersfield. Leon most recently served as one of the founding members and Senior Organizers for All Of Us Or None Bakersfield. This grassroots organization focuses on system-impacted people, social reform, and equity in local communities. As a graduate of Southern Columbia University, Leon has used his education to establish multiple companies that employ and provide training to community members that are overlooked during the hiring process. In addition, Leon is committed to increasing housing availability and improving Kern County’s economic vitality.
Brian Holt was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA, and currently serves as the Business Manager and Financial Secretary of IBEW Local 428, proudly representing nearly 1,000 Kern County residents and their families. A graduate of the Local’s Electrical Apprenticeship program, Brian worked in the trade before being appointed to various Labor Management positions. He also sits on the Executive Boards of the Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties Building and Construction Trade Council and Central Labor Council. Brian’s public life includes serving as President of the Civil Service Commission for the County of Kern and on the Citizens Oversight Committee for the City of Bakersfield’s PSVS Measure. He is also a CASA volunteer who advocates for the foster youth of Kern County and roasts coffee in his spare time. Brian enjoys spending time with family and friends and watches too much Netflix with his wife, Dani.
Christine Lollar is the Regional Director of Grants for Adventist Health. Beginning her career in public relations, media, and advertising for private and government agencies, Lollar has dedicated more than 25 years to advocating for those most vulnerable, serving local nonprofits with fund development, program development, and communications. Lollar earned a business management degree from Fresno Pacific University, and certificates in Grant Writing (CSUF), The Grant Institute, The Grantsmanship Center, and Marketing Employment Services (USF). A member of the National Grant Management Association, she was appointed to the Early Childhood Council of Kern by the Board of Supervisors, where she has served for ten years. Lollar serves on three Adventist Health committees: Grant Policy; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Employee CAREs, (helping employees in crisis). She was recently appointed to the Advisory Council for Women in Leadership, Professional Development Program at CSU, Chico. Christine values being a wife, mother of four, and grandmother to eight, most of all.
Jonathan Medina, a Bakersfield native, graduated from Centennial High School and earned his Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Robert Morris University. He currently serves as a District Fiscal Analyst for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and is a certified Chief Business Official through the California Association of School Business Officials. Jon’s career in public service began in 2015, and he has since served in various roles in the County Office of Education, School District, and Joint Power Authority capacities. Jon has been married for seven years and has two young children. A baseball enthusiast, he can be found most weekends sharing his love of the game with the youth at Aera Park. Jon is looking forward to pairing the knowledge gained from the Kern Leaders Academy with his passion for student achievement so that he may better serve the communities of Kern.
Bill Mell was born in Westminster, California, in 1972 and moved to Bakersfield in 1987, where he attended Bakersfield High School. In 1995, he worked in the oilfields, had his daughter, and married his wife of 26 years. Their son was born in 1999, so they purchased their first home. Bill was still working in the oilfields as a workover rig operator when a friend suggested real estate could be a better profession. So, in June 2003, he earned his real estate salesperson license and went to work at Coldwell Banker America West. Bill later moved over to a smaller family company Epco Realty which later became Epco & Associates. While working at Epco, he earned his real estate broker’s license and moved to Miramar Real Estate as a broker associate. After working at Miramar for five years, Bill started his own company, Bill Mell & Associates, located on the corner of Sundale & Pebble Beach in Kern City.
Annamarie Oddo is a Marketing and Promotions Associate for Kern County’s Office of Countywide Communications and is fortunate to call Bakersfield her lifelong home. After graduating from Garces Memorial High School in 2016 and earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a marketing concentration from Cal State Bakersfield in 2020, Annamarie was eager to start a career in her hometown. After working for a preeminent Bakersfield law firm and developing her marketing and human resources skills, Annamarie recently found her dream role with Kern County’s Administrative Office, promoting all our community has to offer. As a fourth-generation Bakersfield native, Annamarie finds joy in combining her passion for her hometown with her role in local government. When she’s not at work, you can discover Annamarie on the tennis court, offering her amateur interior design services to family and friends or spending time with local foster youth through Bakersfield Angels.
Isarel Perez-Hernandez, as a first-generation immigrant to the United States, has experienced the challenges of integrating into a new culture and the benefits of higher education in this country. Isarel has learned the value of “paying it forward” to make a meaningful impact in a community. During his high school years, coaches Jim White and Amador Ayon instilled in him the value of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to be successful in life. Isarel later became the Head Cross Country Coach at Robert F. Kennedy High School in Delano. He continued promoting such values, which resulted in students pursuing higher education. He also volunteers as a bookkeeper for a local church in Delano. Isarel received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and has met the CPA exam qualifications and the requirements to start a Master’s Program in Public Administration. Before working for the City of Wasco, Isarel worked for several years as a banker. Isarel began serving the residents of Wasco as an entry-level utility clerk in 2015. Five years later, Isarel now proudly serves the residents of Wasco as their Finance Director, where he strives for financial transparency and accountability, which has resulted in recognition from the two most prestigious associations in the United States and California (GFOA and CSMFO). Isarel currently serves as a committee member for the CSMFO budget award program. In addition, he is a member of the investment sub-committee for the Central San Joaquin Risk Management.
Salvador Solorio-Ruiz, Delano City Council member, a son of immigrants, is a first-generation college graduate. He attended California State University, Fresno, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. After graduating, he returned to his hometown of Delano because he felt obligated to help build up the community that raised him in Kern County. With the community’s help and the power of young people, he is now one of the youngest council members in Delano. Sal hopes to inspire others to get civically engaged while at the same time creating a prosperous life for central valley families. In addition to being a Council member, Sal is a Community Engagement Coordinator with the California Health Collaborative, a nonprofit funded by the California Department of Public Health, educating communities on tobacco prevention.