July 1 marked new additions and new roles for Partners in Education board of directors, including Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, taking the helm as board president. Doug Ford, a longtime board member and founder of D.D. Ford Construction, will serve as the board’s vice president.
Salcido attended UCSB, where she majored in English and earned her master’s degree in education. She began teaching at Dos Pueblos High School and subsequently served as assistant principal of San Marcos High School and principal of Santa Barbara Junior High School, before joining the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
She completed the USC doctoral program at the Rossier School of Education, where she focused on organizational change, leadership, and student equity. Salcido joined the Partners in Education board in 2017.
“Partners in Education is a vital part of our community providing volunteers and career readiness training for our youth,” she said. “I am honored to serve as this year’s board president as we continue to guide the programs and services Partners offers in Santa Barbara County.”
Ford majored in Industrial Arts with an emphasis in Fine Woodworking at California State Long Beach before starting one of Santa Barbara’s premier construction companies. He began participating in Partners’ Career Days nearly 10 years ago.
He is vice president of the TRADART Foundation, which is committed to job preparation programs for youth and the advancement of craftmanship training. His company has been a supporter of Partners’ Paid Student Internship Program, having hired multiple high school interns since 2011.
Jesus Terrazas is a new board member and an alum of Partners’ Internship Program. His internship took place at D.D. Ford Construction, where he was mentored by now Ford. Terrazas and his family also received a computer through Partners in Education’s Computer for Families program nearly 15 years ago.
“Partners in Education is a wonderful organization that offers incredible support and opportunities to local students and their families,” Terrazas said. “Being a recipient of its programs’ benefits, I am now thrilled to be involved as a member of the board.”
Terrazas is currently a manager at Merryl Brown Events; he holds a bachelor of arts degree in communication from UCSB.
Also new to the board is Jeffrey Milem, dean and professor at UCSB’s Gevirtz School of Education. In addition to his leadership in higher education, Milem has had a noted research career in the field of racial dynamics in higher education, helping colleges and universities enhance equity, access, and success for all students.
Partners has a long-standing relationship with UCSB, and under Milem’s leadership, thousands of students and faculty members have volunteered in school and afterschool programs over the years. Many education students gain their required field experience through Partners while also benefitting their community.
Each year, Partners in Education coordinates thousands of volunteers, mostly professionals from local businesses, to participate in guest speaking, career days, mock job interviews, resume coaching, and classroom or afterschool tutoring.
Partners fulfills needs in K-12 schools and youth programs through the coordination of volunteer and business resources. The organization was formed by local business and education leaders in 1977, and is administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
Through the partnerships, 276,000 volunteer hours have been used at K-12 campuses and youth-serving nonprofits across the county; more than 12,300 computers have been delivered to families in need; and some 660 high school students have received paid job readiness training and internship experience in the workplace.
For more information, visit partners.sbceo.org.
— Valerie Cantella for Santa Barbara County Education Office.