Leadership

Board of Directors

Marianna Buoni, Clean Harbors, Buttonwillow, LLC
Jess Frederick, WZI, Inc.
Jamie Thornberry, Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas
Jim Varley, Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office

Staff

Michael Turnipseed, Academy Director
Marlene Heise, Owner/Chief Strategic Officer of Heise Media Group

Faculty 2026

Alex Alva, Budget and Finance Director of Kern County Administrative Office
Joe Arriola, Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst, Kern County Administrative Office
Juan Avila, COO of Garden Pathways
Devin Brown, CHRO for Kern Health Systems
Alison Burrowes, Director of Kern County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Brynn Carrigan, Director of Kern County Public Health
Esmeralda Cazares, HR Director of Talent Management, Kern Health Systems
Morgan E. Clayton, President, Founder of Tel-Tec Security Systems Inc.
Christian Clegg, City Manager of the City of Bakersfield
Jim Damian, Local Entrepreneur
Mark Evans, Ph. D., California State University, Bakersfield
Andrew “J.R.” Flores, Program Director for American General Media
Dr. Joseph Florez, Associate Director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics, California State University, Bakersfield
Steven Gamboa, Ph. D., California State University, Bakersfield
Richard Gearhart, Ph. D., California State University, Bakersfield
Jessica Grimes, Ph. D., Dean of Economic and Workforce Development, KCCD
Marlene Heise, Owner/Chief Strategic Officer of Heise Media Group
Barry Hibbard, ASU Associates
Jenny Holtermann, Executive Director of Water Association of Kern County
Scott Hurlbert, City Manager of Wasco
Stacy Kuwahara, Kern County’s Chief Operations Officer
Matthew Martin, Kern County Chief of Staff, District 3
Nyakundi Michieka, Ph. D., California State University, Bakersfield
Brian Miller, Principal of Kern High School District’s Regional Occupational Programs (ROC/CTEC)
Rachel Nettleton, Executive Director of Kern County Farm Bureau
Nate Olson, Ph. D., Kegley Institute of Ethics, California State University, Bakersfield
Christian Romo, Chief of Staff for Kern County Board of Supervisors Chair
Melinda Santiago, LMFT, Director of Behavioral Health, Kern Health Systems
Lauren Skidmore, CEO of Open Door Network
Michael Turnipseed, Kern County Taxpayers Association, Faculty Director
Keith Wolaridge, Five Pillars and Associates
Mike Zulfa, Ed.D., Superintendent, Kern High School District