Maddie Orenstein (she/they) has over 15 years of experience working in education, from working as a college counselor and admin in schools, to supporting school districts and educational leaders to listen to and connect more deeply with their communities. She fell in love with West Contra Costa and its students while working at Leadership Public…
Margot Aishiteru joins the Ed Fund as the Business Success Manager with more than 20 years of experience in operations and technology management. She has a passion for advocacy, and has been an active volunteer in the West Contra Costa Unified School District community serving on the Parent Leadership Council, Community Advisory Committee for Special…
Dr. Linda Delgado is an educator with a passion for learning, education, and community. Linda has taught in and lead schools from Kindergarten through High School and finds great hope in working with youth and their families. She has lived in Richmond for over thirty years and continues to appreciate her vibrant, engaged and productively…
Dilan A. Pedraza (he/him/el) is the Teach Plus National Policy Specialist. In this role, Dilan supports teachers from across the country to advance equity-driven federal policy change. Dilan served as Legislative Staff for U.S. Senator Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), advising the Senator on immigration, labor, early childhood, and housing policy. Dilan was a Teach For America…
Raised in Richmond and a graduate of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, Sarah joined the Ed Fund as the College Access Coordinator through the AmeriCorps VISTA program in 2020. Sarah graduated from UC Davis with Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology, Spanish, and Chicanx studies. Through her undergraduate career, she worked for the Davis Joint…
Shakira joins the Ed Fund as the Director of Strategic Partnerships, bringing significant experience in supporting parents through transformative family engagement, advocacy, and leadership development. She believes that empowering families and students is the key to transforming schools and communities and increasing student success. Shakira has previously worked with local Richmond organizations such as the…
Robert Bunce has been an innovative, passionate and results driven nonprofit administrator, public school educator, and consultant for over 25 years. Robert joined the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund in 2010, and was charged with implementing the organization’s first strategic plan. Robert helped build the Ed Fund into West Contra Costa’s primary intermediary organization.…
Bertha Romo, MA, is a proud WCCUSD graduate, who has worked in the Richmond and San Pablo community for eight years, doing direct service work to support local youth, and coordinating the City of San Pablo’s school-based grant program. Bertha has experience in data collection & analysis, program design & evaluation, budget management, and partnership…
Dr. Mara Lockowandt is the Director of School Partnerships at East Bay Center where she oversees the strategic development of a nationally recognized teacher professional development program, school and community youth programs, and early childhood education programs. She is dedicated to improving outcomes for diverse and marginalized youth including asylum seekers/refugees, low income, trauma-sensitive, and…
Marcus Walton is a longtime West Contra Costa resident who graduated from WCCUSD schools and worked for the district for several years as the Communications Director, where he advocated for students and worked with community groups to support public education. He is a communications professional with more than 25 years of experience in journalism, public…