The Southern California team is composed of four individuals whose passion for serving their communities and dedication to bridging the education gap in America are unparalleled. Their work at College Summit takes them across Los Angeles County, from the valleys of San Fernando to the South Bay, in pursuit of higher college enrollment rates and stronger college-going cultures.

In turn, the staff is supported by an Advisory Board that truly “walks with a purpose.” They come from a diversity of occupational spheres – entertainment, business, education – to leverage their influence in the fight for equity in education. 

Southern California Team

Alexis Shah
Southern California Executive Director
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As College Summit’s Executive Director, Alexis is responsible for growth in the Southern California region, overseeing fundraising initiatives, program implementation, and community engagement. Previously, Alexis worked as a high-tech process improvement consultant and as the New Business Development Manager with Canon and ViaTRON. Alexis has nearly a decade of experience working with school districts and corporations. First-time travels to Pakistan, Dubai, Argentina, and the Skoll World Forum in March 2007 at the University of Oxford, stirred her deeply to reevaluate her personal vision and mission. She was inspired to seek a role at an organization where social change is both sustainable and measureable. Alexis joined College Summit in October 2007 as Program Director, and was promoted in Spring 2010. She majored in Communications at California State University Northridge (BA ’99). Alexis works in collaboration with school administrators, area superintendents, and district officials to oversee the successful implementation of the program, deliver innovative processes, and streamline gaps to increase college enrollment rates within Southern California. Alexis looks forward to expanding SoCal’s Regional Advisory Board and increase the fundraising contributions for the region, while strategically expanding the program regionally and building SoCal’s community partnerships. 

Ed Rice
Program Manager
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As College Summit’s Program Manager, Ed is responsible for cultivating and maintaining SoCal’s school partner relationships and managing the delivery and implementation of College Summit’s curriculum and services. A graduate of Howard University (BA ’95) and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (MSJ ’02), Ed began his career as a reporter. He has written for various publications, including the Orange County Register, Vibe magazine, and The Source magazine. Most recently, he served as the Program Manager for Youth Opportunities Unlimited in Los Angeles, where he supervised Y.O.U.’s Youth Point of View newspaper. Ed’s history in education includes teaching fifth grade and high school English in Los Angeles. He enjoys working with youth and currently runs a mentoring program in Los Angeles. 

Terry Sutuc
School Partnership Manager
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As College Summit’s School Partnership Manager, Teresa works to cultivate and implement the College Summit curriculum at our partner schools. She collaborates with students and teachers to build school cultures where college is an expectation for all, not just a few. Teresa began her career in education at UCLA’s Early Academic Outreach programs. After graduating, she was promoted to Site Coordinator. In this role, she managed and coordinated the implementation of student-centered activities and outreach efforts in six local high schools, and conducted workshops on admissions requirements, academic advisement, college readiness, and other college preparation topics. Later, as a Social Science teacher in South Los Angeles, she worked primarily with English Language Learners and low-income families. Teresa graduated from UCLA with a BA in Political Science and Latin American Studies, and earned her teaching credential and MA in Bilingual Education from Loyola Marymount University. 

Brian Rosenbaum
Community Engagement Coordinator
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As College Summit's Community Engagement Coordinator, Brian works to recruit and mobilize the organization’s growing volunteer and Alumni Leader base, while supporting sales initiatives, program implementation, and event coordination. He also leads public relations efforts for the region, maintaining key media relationships and directing social media engagement. A student of Psychology and Spanish at UCLA (BA ’07), Brian has worked with diverse populations in Los Angeles, including Latino children with cancer, pediatric palliative care patients, and at-risk teens and their families. Brian recently received his Masters of Social Work from Columbia University (’11), where he interned at Intermediate School 269 in the South Bronx, and supported the Development Department at a community-based non-profit in Upper Manhattan. Brian joined College Summit in 2011, seeing the organization as a place to bridge his passions for social justice, empowerment through education, and grassroots community building. 

Development Coordinator
To be determined

Southern California Advisory Board

The Southern California Advisory Board is currently composed of three leaders in their fields. We thank our board members for their enthusiasm, commitment and time.

Alfonso R. Salazar
Senior Manager, Public Sector,
Strategic Relationship Management,
Deloitte Services LP

Alfonso R. Salazar is a recognized expert in government and technology. He has more than 13 years of experience as a government executive and now manages business development in the technology and government sectors. Mr. Salazar joined Deloitte in 2006 to help lead the public sector practice in the Pacific Southwest. As part of the Strategic Relationship Management group, Mr. Salazar is responsible for delivering the services and expertise of the firm to the City & County of Los Angeles and other clients in the region. 

Mónica García
LAUSD Board President

Mónica García was elected to the LAUSD Board of Education in 2006, becoming the third Latina to serve on the Board in its 155-year history. In affirming her commitment to a quality and equitable educational system, Ms. García supports initiatives that provide all students access to a college preparatory curriculum and to career and technology pathways. She has earned a reputation as a bold, optimistic, and aggressive leader in education reform.

Lee Reherman
LG Entertainment

For more than a decade, Lee Reherman has been a recognizable entertainment personality, now boasting acting and hosting credits in over 50 television and feature film projects. In addition to his on-screen roles, Reherman serves as the CFO of Holster Inc./BLO & GO; Treasurer of CYKC, a non-profit organization that runs after-school programming for at-risk children in underserved school districts; and Vice-President of LG Entertainment, a production company that has two feature film projects and an awards show for veterans slated for 2009.

Support Our Work

Think you can bring something amazing to the Southern California team? Interested in serving on our Advisory Board? Click here to request more information.