Alumni Association

The mission of the Pitzer College Alumni Association is to serve and engage the community by fostering lifelong relationships between alumni and the College, support the development of engaged, socially responsible citizens of the world, and initiate and lead programs that further the advancement of the College.

View the past presidents of the Alumni Association.

Alumni Board

The Alumni Board is a volunteer group dedicated to keeping fellow alumni connected with one another and Pitzer College. 

Alumni Board Members: 2023–24

  • Mark A. Cunningham ’89, P'25 – President

    Senior Partner, Jones Walker LLP

    Mark Cunningham is a senior partner in the New Orleans office of Jones Walker LLP where he co-leads the firm’s Corporate Compliance and White Collar Defense Team. Mark serves as primary outside antitrust counsel for companies in a wide range of industries and has focused his pro bono work on criminal justice reform serving as lead trial counsel for legal challenges against systemic prosecutorial misconduct and the denial of criminal defense counsel to the poor. Mark also served as the 75th president of the Louisiana State Bar Association and has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the Orleans Public Defenders Award for Extraordinary Commitment to Public Defense.

  • Diana Bob ’02 – Immediate Past President

    Diana graduated from Pitzer in 2002 with a degree in anthropology and environmental studies. A student-athlete, she was part of the Sagehens Softball team. While at Pitzer, she was awarded both the Udall Scholarship for Environmental Policy and the Udall Native American Congressional Internship. Diana went on to graduate from Lewis and Clark Law School in 2005 with a certificate in environmental law. Since then, she has been practicing Indian law with a focus on environmental and natural resources law, including energy development. She has served as a legal aid attorney at Northwest Justice Project in Spokane, WA; a policy attorney at the National Congress of American Indians in Washington DC; and a tribal attorney at the Lummi Nation in Bellingham, WA. Diana is the owner of Native Law PLLC, a Washington State-based law firm focused on Indian law that serves clients throughout the US. She has been appointed or elected to serve on the boards of Planned Parenthood, Northwest Justice Project, Northwest Indian Bar Association, the Washington State Bar Association, and the Northwest Straits Commission.

  • Derric J. Johnson ’95 – Race and Justice Committee Chai

    Chief Policy and Program Officer, United Friends of the Children

    Derric J. Johnson has been appointed Chief Policy and Program Officer for United Friends of the Children (UFC). In this role, he leads UFC’s policy advocacy and strategic partnerships, as well as provides thought leadership to the sectors impacting current and former foster/probation young adults. As UFC enters a new strategic planning period, Derric will be a key innovation partner in identifying opportunities to grow and/or enhance existing programs, as well as launch new initiatives. In addition, Derric contributes to UFC’s overall organizational administration, provides financial oversight of UFC programs, supports oversight of compliance and personnel matters, fundraising, and external relations activities.
    Previously, Derric was the Founding Director of The Equity and Justice Institute (E&JI) at The Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences, while also serving as a member of their senior administrative team. Through his leadership, he oversaw social justice advocacy, change management strategies, policy reform, anti-racist education administration, and civic/community engagement.

    Prior, Derric was a Senior Policy Advisor, Public Safety and Justice for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Second District). During his tenure, Derric led legislative efforts to establish the Civilian Oversight Commission of the Sheriff’s Department; reformed oversight policies for the largest Probation Department in the United States; advanced initiatives to improve deficiencies in cultural competency and systemic implicit biases; expanded countywide initiative promoting voter education and registration for justice-system involved adults to increase electoral turnout; and instituted the Fair Chance Ordinance for LA County that would eliminate restrictions on employment opportunities based solely on criminal convictions. Derric also attained a $30 million increase in state allocations for court-appointed dependency counsel to improve protections for foster youth in California and procured $5 million from the state’s Juvenile Justice and Crime Prevention funds (JJCPA) to support restorative justice and community-based programs to divert youth from the juvenile justice system.

    Derric is also a politically appointed Commissioner (representing the Second District) for the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and was recently re-elected as Vice President. The 15-member County commission is engaged in research and education to reduce prejudice based on sex, age, race, religion, national origin, or personal handicap and to foster civil peace and intergroup understanding among various communities within the jurisdiction.
    Additionally, Derric serves as a Board Member for several educational and non-profit organizations: MLK Health and Wellness Community Development Corporation and Pitzer College Alumni Board where he was recently appointed the inaugural Race and Justice Chair to support student engagement by identifying and activating the College’s social justice efforts. This role seeks to embed the study of racial violence and justice throughout the campus/curriculum to advance social justice campaigns that foster greater inclusiveness via the alumni, college, and community engagement initiatives. Derric is also an Executive Council Member of the Children’s Defense Fund-CA, and previously held Board appointments with United Friends of the Children, Peace4Kids, and Brilliant Corners, a nonprofit supportive housing agency providing for individuals with developmental disabilities and other special needs in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County, including individuals transitioning from homelessness and institutional settings.

     

    After being awarded a National Urban Fellowship, Derric earned his secondary Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Baruch College-City University of New York. He also received a Master’s in Business Management from Azusa Pacific University, and a Bachelor’s from Pitzer.

  • Elijah Pantoja '18 – Secretary

    Full time MBA student and Consortium Fellow at the UCLA Anderson School of Management – He/Him/His

    Elijah Pantoja is currently a Consortium Fellow and first-year MBA student at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Before beginning graduate school, Elijah spent his career in event planning and marketing for nonprofits. Most recently, he worked at Pomona College as the Assistant Director of Digital Communications and Analytics within the Office of Advancement. Now, Elijah is using the MBA to pivot into investment management with a particular interest in endowment management. Outside of his professional and academic career, Elijah enjoys mentoring high school and prospective MBA students, volunteering his time with numerous organizations in Los Angeles. He also produces music and DJs in his spare time.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Josue Pasillas ’17 – Reunion Committee Chair

    Communications Supervisor, Waukegan Park District

    Josue graduated from Pitzer College in 2017 with a self-designed degree in urban studies/environmental analysis and a minor in Spanish. As a student, Josue dedicated most of his time outside the classroom to the Pitzer College Student Senate, serving as a first-year representative, secretary, vice president, and student body president. Josue was also a member of the Latinx Student Union, First-Gen Club, and worked in the Office of College Advancement as an Advancement Ambassador. With experience as a first-generation student, Josue mentors students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to help them succeed in higher education.

    Josue is from Waukegan, Illinois, and is currently the Communications Supervisor at the Waukegan Park District, where he oversees all digital marketing efforts and implements community relations strategies. He serves as the Vice President on the Waukegan Public Library Board of Trustees and a member of the Waukegan Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors. Josue is currently a student at DePaul University pursuing a Master of Public Administration.

  • Paolina Cuevas ’20

    CDTech

    Paolina is a recent graduate of Pitzer College receiving her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Studies with an emphasis in Education. Her time being involved in the First-Generation program and club at Pitzer further shaped her passion for creating equitable access to higher education for everyone while including student leaders as active stakeholders in the process. She hopes to continue to provide college students with the tools needed to continue and finish their higher education journey.

    Since graduating she has been participating in a 10-month internship at CDTech, a non-profit in South Central LA focused on building economically viable communities, through the Public Allies Los Angeles program. In her current position, she engages with students, designs training and curriculum materials for their pilot internship in collaboration with the California Youth Leadership Corps to create paid opportunities for students to gain professional experience while obtaining their degree at LATTC. This experience has given her the opportunity to further develop as a leader, collaborate with a diverse cohort of allies across multiple non-profit organizations, and build long-lasting partnerships. She looks forward to what’s to come as she furthers her professional career in non-profit work.

  • Kyle K. Dalrymple ’17

    Associate Director, Secretariat Advisors – He/Him/His

    Kyle graduated from Pitzer in 2017 with a degree in Mathematical Economics. At Pitzer, he was an athlete competing on the Pomona-Pitzer Swim & Dive team and served in student government, including on the Faculty Executive Committee from 2015 to 2017. Kyle is now an Associate Director at Secretariat Advisors, a disputes and litigation consulting firm, where he specializes in commercial damages, forensic accounting, and investigations. He also serves on the Associates Advisory Board of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and the Board of Associates at Claremont McKenna College’s Robert Day Scholars program.

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  • Steven Liang ’10

    Steven LiangDirector and Storyteller

    Known for his short films AfueraComing Home, and Falling for Angels. He has also directed two documentaries, A Better Life and Trans Lives Matter National Day of Action. Topics such as resilience, the American dream, and underdogs inspire his work. In 2019, Liang was selected to participate in the Ryan Murphy TV HALF Initiative’s Directing Mentorship Program. From 2016 to 2018, his web series was in development at the Warner Bros.-based Stage 13. He is the recipient of the 2017 Film Independent Directing Lab Fellowship, the 2017 Armed with a Camera Fellowship, the 2015 Carl David Memorial Fellowship, and the 2013 AbelCine Documentary Grant. He was also a finalist for the 2016 ABC-Disney Directing Fellowship. At Pitzer, Liang was active at CAPAS and worked as an RA at Holden Hall. His senior year at Pitzer, he was awarded a Fulbright.

  • Jai Phillips '02

    Senior Program Officer, Youth Development at The California Community Foundation – He/Him/His

    Jai Phillips directs CCF’s public-private partnership with the Los Angeles County Probation Department.  Additionally, Phillips manages CCF’s youth development, juvenile justice, race equity, and boys and men of color portfolios to advance the Foundation’s overarching vision of providing youth and families with culturally responsive, asset-based, high-quality resources and opportunities toward successful pathways to adulthood.

    As a lifelong South Los Angeles resident with a proven history of community involvement, Phillips is committed to empowering youth to change their trajectories through a comprehensive approach that addresses their multifaceted needs.

    Before joining CCF, he served as the regional development officer for Children’s Defense Fund-California, where he led the organization’s strategies for developing relationships and partnerships to achieve fundraising goals, program sustainability, and expansion.  He also served as development and operations manager for the Jackie Robinson Foundation, responsible for providing scholarships, mentoring, and leadership opportunities for underserved youth across the country for nearly a decade.

    Phillips obtained his bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Black studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California where his sense of social responsibility – one of the five core values of Pitzer College’s approach to education – was cemented.

  • Brandi Redick ’01

    Independent Social Media consultant and Owner, PRbyBR

    Meet Brandi Redick, the visionary media maven whose passion and flair for marketing have 
    paved the way for her remarkable career. Her journey began as an intern at Glam Couture Magazine, where she stepped into the world of social media marketing at a time when its potential was vastly underestimated. Little did she know that her ingenuity and dedication would soon transform her from an intern to the magazine’s official online voice, catapulting her into the director role for Glam Couture’s thriving online media department.

    Immersing herself in the world of social media, Brandi delved deep into its intricacies, learning by doing and devouring every book, blog, and article on the subject. Staying ahead of the curve and constantly staying informed about online marketing trends, she ensured that Glam Couture maintained a competitive edge over its rivals. Her exemplary skills and commitment led her to the prestigious position of Executive Managing Editor, where she excelled for two years before
    deciding to take a bold leap of faith in 2012, venturing into the world of independent social media consultancy.

    Brandi has been an unstoppable force for the past fifteen years, steering her public relations and social media consulting firm, PRbyBR, to tremendous success. Within this capacity, she has
    acted as the passionate publicist and online voice for numerous fashion and fitness businesses, as well as esteemed nonprofits, including Tiffany Haddish’s She Ready Foundation, People Assisting The Homeless (P.A.T.H), Kidsave.org, Milky Mama, Clear Gardens Yoga Studio, The King Center, and Faithful Central Bible Church, among many others.

    But her journey doesn’t stop there. Recently, Brandi launched an inspiring speaking series called #APostIsNotAGhost, dedicated to educating youth about the best practices on social media and how their online behavior can impact their future, including college admissions and employment prospects. Fueled by her unwavering belief in the internet’s transformative power, Brandi is on a mission to leverage social media as a potent tool for education and promote
    ideas and services that can genuinely make the world a better place.

    Beyond her remarkable career achievements, Brandi is an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc, holding a significant role as the Community Service and Social Action Chair and Rhosebud Advisor for the Theta Uplison Sigma Chapter located in Inglewood, CA. Through her involvement with esteemed organizations like the San Diego Chargers and Brotherhood Crusade, she has made a lasting impact on her community, giving back and making a difference in the lives of countless individuals.

    Brandi Redick’s story is one of tenacity, innovation, and a commitment to using her expertise and platform to bring about positive change in the world. A true trailblazer, she continues to inspire others with her boundless energy and dedication to making a difference through the power of social media and community service.

  • Jumane Redway-Upshur ’01

    Community Ambassador and Social Equity Partner, STIIIZY

    Jumane Redway-Upshur ’01 is a Community Ambassador and Social Equity Partner at STIIIZY. Jumane has spent over 10 years in the cannabis industry and has also worked in the fields of education and professional sports.

    Jumane was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, and attended Pitzer College in 1997. His diverse range of interests led him to graduate with a double -major in 2001 with a concentration in Media Studies and Organizational Studies. After stints in publishing and teaching for LAUSD public schools, Jumane attended graduate school at the University of Oregon, again, broadening his unique skill sets with an MBA and JD degree.

    After another short stint in the publishing industry, Jumane returned home and began working in professional sports with the Los Angeles Clippers. However, after the NBA lockout of 2011, he shifted from basketball to football and spent time with the NFL Network in the 2012 season.

    Around this time, Jumane began working pro bono for an old friend who had a burgeoning medical cannabis business. As the business expanded, Jumane officially took on a series of executive roles to scale the company upward. By 2016, at the dawn of cannabis legalization in CA, Dank Tank had annual sales of $1M and was carried in over 100 medical dispensaries.

    In 2019, Jumane was granted the right to apply for a cannabis retail license through the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulations, Social Equity Program. At this time, he began a partnership with STIIIZY to open a retail location. While at STIIIZY, Jumane has taken on a variety of roles related to cultivation, social impact, and licensing. STIIIZY is
    California’s #1 cannabis brand with over 20+ locations throughout California, and others throughout the US.

    In 2022, Jumane also launched MyBlackHistoryCalendar.com and the “My-BHC” mobile app. The app is an audiobook on Black diaspora that educates and entertains each user every day in the form of a virtual calendar. Each day features 1-2 stories about a relevant person or historic event that is germane to that specific day. The mobile application is available for download on all platforms.

     

  • Angela Sanbrano ’75

    Activist and Community Organizer and Chair of the Board of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-LA) – She/Her/Ella

    Angela is an acclaimed activist and community organizer who has led some of the nation’s most prominent immigrant- and refugee rights groups, including the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) and the Central American Resource Center-LA (CARECEN). Sanbrano now serves as the chair of The Board of the American Resource Center (CARECEN-LA).  A graduate of Pitzer College in 1975, she was presented with the Pitzer Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019. Born in Juarez, Mexico, and raised in El Paso, TX, Sanbrano majored in psychology at Pitzer. She began community organizing in the ’70s, advocating bilingual education and housing rights in Los Angeles. In 1983, Sanbrano earned a law degree at the Peoples College of Law in LA, where she met Salvadoran refugees fleeing their country’s civil war. Two years later, she became executive director of CISPES, a national grassroots organization that supports social and economic justice in El Salvador and opposes US intervention in the Central American country. She served as an official witness of the signing of the Chapultepec Peace Accords in Mexico City, which ended the 12-year civil war in El Salvador in 1992.  Sanbrano took the helm of CARECEN, the largest Central American immigrant rights organization in the US, in the mid-1990s, leading the organization as its executive director until 2007. In addition to her work with CISPES and CARECEN, Sanbrano was president of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, now called Alianza Americas, when it won a 2010 MacArthur “Genius” Award for Creative & Effective Institutions. She is also the co-chair of the Latino and Latina Roundtable of the Pomona and San Gabriel Valley and chair of CARECEN’s Board of Directors.

  • Susie Warren ’78

    Claremont Graduate University, Senior Research and Evaluation Associate

    Susan R. Warren, Ph.D., has been developing, inspiring, teaching, and leading students, families, and communities towards a vision for equity and inclusion for over 40 years. Through research and leadership she has made a significant contribution at the local, national, and global levels. 

    Her career path reflects a life dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. She served 22 years as a K-8 teacher, program specialist, and principal in 3 Southern California districts supporting underrepresented and underserved students and their families. She also helped build the capacity of the educators at her schools and encouraged them to use their talents, achieve their goals, and reach for their dreams. During this time, Warren developed resources, wrote grants, and implemented programs for teachers to incorporate environmental education in their schools. Warren also became a science ambassador for the state in CSIN (California Science Implementation Network) promoting a balanced K-12 science curriculum for all California students. She worked on state health committees creating model K-12 state curriculum and guides. She wrote grants and initiated a national Peace Builder Program at 2 large elementary schools in San Bernardino County, then expanded the program to include parents who were inspired and trained to become Peace Builders in their own communities. As a trained evaluator, she led teams across the region conducting state program and compliance evaluations. Additionally, Warren worked for the state in the California School Leadership Academy building the capacity of school leadership teams through training in organizational transformation and equity. One of her final accomplishments in K-12 education was writing and being awarded a state grant for over $1 million to initiate and implement afterschool programs at 5 middle schools in a large L.A. County school district predominantly serving underrepresented students of color. 

    Warren’s career path changed after earning a Ph.D. in Urban Educational Leadership at CGU where was awarded the Peter Lincoln Spencer Outstanding Dissertation of the Year. Transitioning to higher education, she developed and directed Social Justice MA programs in Education and taught MA and doctoral courses for 17 years at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and Azusa Pacific University (APU). Throughout this time, Warren advised and coached thousands of educators, always inspiring them to reach their capacities and strive for equity. She was acknowledged for her talents as a professor and received a prestigious and competitive award for Outstanding Teaching at APU. Her students throughout the years still seek her support both personally and professionally. Research is another area of accomplishment for Warren. She has over 30 peer reviewed publications, mostly focusing on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and she received a prestigious and competitive award for Outstanding Research at APU. She has presented her research across the globe at hundreds of conferences and other venues and co-edited and co-authored a book that was just published in January 2023 by Teachers College Press, Columbia University: Building Culturally Responsive Partnerships Among Schools, Families, and Communities. In her last three years at APU, Warren served as the director of the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence, training staff, faculty, and administrators to create a more inclusive campus through cultural proficiency and cognitive coaching. She developed and implemented a Diversity Ambassador Program at the center inspiring and training over 250 staff, faculty, and administrators to become leaders in this transformation within their own departments. The program still exists and has been recognized nationally for its success. Warren will present, again, research on the program this April to global participants at the American Educational Research Association Conference in Chicago. Warren’s most recent work in higher education was as a senior research associate at CGU evaluating education programs in TK-12 and higher education institutions. All of the center’s evaluations are for organizations supporting equity and social justice work such as programs to increase college access, support victims of human trafficking, and assist incarcerated youth of color. 

    Most of Warren’s time is now spent directing the children’s non-profit summer STEAM program she co-founded on the Pitzer campus. Now in its 40th year, Project Think has touched the lives and encouraged thousands of children to engage in, think critically about, and love learning through a liberal arts education. There is more on Warren’s accomplishments through Project Think in the Service to Alma Mater section. 

    Service to Alma Mater* 

    Susan Warren was the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. As a first gen student without financial resources, she was provided financial aid that allowed her to attend and thrive at Pitzer. Over the years, since graduating from Pitzer (’78), Warren has recruited dozens of students, parents, and school staff to not only become change-makers but to become inspired and educated social justice advocates, as she was, by attending Pitzer College. One such woman was an instructional aide in special education at a middle school who had grown-up in Mexico and attended college for a couple of years in engineering school. She quit college to marry her husband from California and move to the United States. Warren was an assistant principal at the middle school and encouraged the woman to join her in leading a student club that was a branch of a national organization, Socially Together and Naturally Diverse, a large social movement to bring together diverse students at schools for reconciliation. As Warren worked with her, she took on more responsibility including running folkloric dancing afterschool and helping to coordinate a schoolwide, student led event that included the outside community – all learning about and celebrating the diverse religions of the student body. Warren knew that the instructional aide could be a wonderful teacher who had a passion for equity and inclusion.  One afternoon when the woman was visiting, Warren locked her office door, opened her computer, and had the staff member complete the application for Pitzer’s New Resources Program. A few years later, Silvia Elvis not only graduated from Pitzer College (’99) but went on to Claremont Graduate University where she was a student in one of Warren’s Family and Community Engagement courses. Silvia was a bilingual teacher for many years who engaged and supported not only her students but their families. She became the English Language resource teacher for her school and has been actively involved at the district and county levels with this work for over 20 years. She is known for her amazing advocacy for English Learners and their families. She credits Warren with believing in her, encouraging her, and supporting her. “It is because of Warren that I am a teacher and have supported so many marginalized children and their families. Susie brought Silvia back to Pitzer for the reunion this past spring (2023), Silvia’s first time back to campus since graduating. Silvia will now be on the 2024 Reunion Committee and is excited to be a part of Pitzer again. Warren believes in people, has high expectations for them, and helps them achieve their goals and dreams” (Silvia Elvis). Silvia’s story is one of many. 

    Warren was also the first Pitzer Fellow supporting the founding of the CCCSI (California Center for Community and Social Interaction), today known as Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center, and establishment of the center’s first community programs. Together with the center’s team, they investigated and started many community programs and projects at Pitzer including Jump Start, the International Social Studies K-12 Curriculum Project, and literacy instruction at Camp Afflerbaugh detention center. She taught a course to Pitzer students on community-based research and helped develop the center’s project both within Pitzer and the surrounding communities. Warren’s work at the center included promoting collaborative research between Pitzer and the communities, a true passion of hers. She is currently on the Pitzer CEC 25th Anniversary Planning Committee. 

    As Claremont Graduate University’s Director of the MA in Community Education and Teaching and the MA in Community Education and Research programs, Warren recruited undergraduates from the 5Cs, including Pitzer. She then taught and advised them on a career path as educators dedicated to supporting marginalized students, their families, and communities through equity and excellence in education. Many of the students in these programs became recognized leaders in community education and have served countless students and their families throughout California. This ripple effect all started when Pitzer College accepted Susan Warren and offered her a scholarship in 1974. 

    Warren co-founded and continues to serve as the CEO and director of Project Think, TK-8th grade children’s summer academic enrichment STEAM program. Founded on the Pitzer campus in 1980, the non-profit program reflects Pitzer’s values and mission. Students are provided with a liberal arts curriculum and encouraged to engage in activities that promote critical thinking. The curriculum is designed to stimulate deeper learning and discussion around topics that will prepare them to be leaders in the future. The program began with 15 students from Warren’s and her co-teacher’s classrooms and in 2019 (the last year of the program prior to being off for 3 years due to COVID) there were approximately 250 students each 3-week session. This summer, Project Think will celebrate its 40th year of operation and is excited to be back on Pitzer’s campus. Alumni from the program have started sending their testimonials about how the program impacted them as children and youth.  These will be posted on a special page on the website.  www.projectthink.com 

    Finally, Warren has served for the past 12 years as an executive board member of the California chapter of the National Association of Multicultural Educators (CA-NAME) which sponsors yearly conferences on Ethnic Studies for educators throughout the state. The 2023 conference was held at Cal State L.A. in January.