Finalists

Dr. Bryan Hooper

Dr. Bryan K. Hooper Jr. currently serves as Dean of Social Sciences at Tallahassee State College, where he has dedicated 14 years to advancing student success and institutional excellence. A native of Miami, Florida, Dr. Hooper’s entire career has been centered in higher education. He holds a doctorate in Public Health from Florida A&M University, and a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Therapy from Florida State University. Throughout his tenure at TSC, Dr. Hooper has progressed through various roles; including adjunct faculty, full-time faculty member, program chair, First Year Experience Director, and Associate Dean, each providing unique perspectives that inform his strategic leadership approach. His commitment to excellence has earned him national recognition for leadership and innovation on multiple occasions.

As a first-generation college student, Dr. Hooper is deeply passionate about equity, access, and the transformative power of education in advancing social and economic mobility. He employs a "boots on the ground" leadership philosophy, believing that transformative leadership requires leading not only from the front but within the ranks alongside faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Terrell Clark

Terrell Clark is a student-centered, equity-driven higher education leader with extensive experience in university, community college, K–12, federal, and corporate settings. With 20 years of higher education experience, he has held many leadership roles, from Senior Pathway Dean, Executive Director of Online & Adult Learning, Director of eLearning, and Professor. He is also a United States Army veteran.

Over the course of his career, he has led ambitious programs of expansion and improvement, driving efforts to create equitable learning environments for students and a culture of radical collaboration and professional and personal growth for students, faculty, and staff. Community colleges play a special and unique role in our communities as engines of innovation, exemplars of civil discourse, and places where we cultivate our amazing students.

Dr. Melissa Menendez

A proud descendant of undocumented immigrants, Dr. Melissa Menendez is deeply committed to normalizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, dismantling systemic barriers, empowering others, and leading with cariño, cultural competency, collegiality, and integrity. In 2006, she was both the first in her family to graduate with a Ph.D. and hired as a tenure-track English instructor at Santa Barbara City College. Now, with over twenty years experience as adjunct and tenured faculty, department chair, advisor, coordinator, director, and Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution grant administrator, she comprehensively understands California community college programs, services, and mission, and has facilitated disaggregated data-informed initiatives that integrate instruction, student services, and learning support services to advance access, equity, and success for a diverse student body. She has chaired various committees, supported student advocacy, and contributed to program review, resource allocation, Guided Pathways, strategic enrollment management, accreditation, dual enrollment, curriculum development, articulation, grant writing, community partnerships, and institutional planning. As a servingness practitioner, she embraces culturally affirming curriculum and pedagogy and has helped shape institutional policies that champion anti-racism, diversity hiring, the assessment of student learning outcomes, curriculum innovation, and collaborative participatory governance processes.

Recently, her partnership with students, classified professionals, managers, administrators, and faculty resulted in the creation of an innovative first-year experience program, a faculty institute, and professional learning opportunities for student support colleagues that center successful enrollment, completion, and transfer for racially minoritized and marginalized populations. Recognized for implementing transformational change through consensus building, she received the Hayward Award, Excellence in Education and a Latino Legacy Award from The Future Leaders of America, and her contributions are featured on Season 7 of Dr. Gina Garcia’s “¿Qué Pasa, HSIs?” podcast. A Fresno-Clovis native and Fresno State alumnus, Dr. Menendez is thrilled for the opportunity to return home and serve the Clovis community.

Dr. Jessica Moran

Dr. Jessica Moran is a dedicated leader with over a decade of progressive experience in higher education, currently serving as Dean of Instruction at the Merced College Los Banos Campus. Born and raised in California's Central Valley as a first-generation college student, she is deeply committed to educational access, student success, and community impact. Her academic journey includes earning a Ph.D. in Higher Education, reflecting her passion for lifelong learning and professional growth. Throughout her career, she has focused on fostering inclusive learning environments and supporting faculty and staff in achieving excellence. Dr. Moran’s leadership emphasizes collaboration, strategic thinking, and student-centered strategies that ensure goals are met efficiently and effectively.

Dr. Bala Raja

I am an agricultural engineer and educator who has called California’s Central Valley home for twenty years, shaped by the privilege of working alongside farmers, growers, educators, and the broader agricultural and manufacturing communities. Over this time, I have served as faculty and progressed into increasingly responsible leadership roles spanning instruction, student services, and grants within the State Center, West Hills, Hartnell, and Citrus Community College Districts, as well as at California State University, Fresno. I have also served as visiting faculty at international universities in Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and India, enriching my global perspective on education and workforce development.

In these capacities, I have led student-centered, equity-minded initiatives in STEAM, Business, Career Technical Education, TRIO programs, grants, and guided pathways. I have collaborated closely with professional learning teams and Centers for Faculty Excellence across multiple CSU and Cal Poly campuses, as well as Citrus College, supporting faculty learning communities and advising faculty on their tenure journeys as a Gallup-certified Strengths coach. Additionally, I have built strong alliances with organizations such as Future Farmers of America, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, the Association of California Community College Administrators, the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance, and the Los Angeles Regional Consortium to support higher education.

Grounded in my lived experiences, my work centers on uplifting and expanding opportunities for economically disadvantaged students who rely on education as their path forward.

Dr. James Ortez

James R. Ortez, Ph.D., M.P.A., is an experienced and deeply committed higher-education leader with more than three decades dedicated to advancing student success, strengthening institutions, and advancing equity-minded innovation. He currently serves as Interim Vice President of Instruction at Clovis Community College, where he provides leadership across academic programs, accreditation, curriculum, enrollment management, and dual enrollment partnerships. In this role, he guided the college through a successful ACCJC reaccreditation, strengthens instructional operations, and champions the implementation of systemwide initiatives including AB 1111 (Common Course Numbering) and AB 1705 (Equitable Placement).

Dr. Ortez is recognized for his genuine commitment to equity and student achievement. He serves on the President’s DEIA Advisory committees, completed the Equity Leadership Academy, and played a key role in integrating Guided Pathways as a collegewide equity framework. His leadership has fueled significant programmatic growth, from creating new academic pathways, expanding transfer pipelines to launching new intercollegiate athletic programs and co-leading the design of vital campus facilities such as the ISE Diamond L.I.F.E. Sports Complex and the Kinesiology and Wellness Center.

Before joining Clovis Community College in 2017 as Dean of Instruction for Humanities, Social Sciences & Athletics, Dr. Ortez spent seventeen years at the University of California, Merced, serving as Associate Dean for the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts. He managed academic operations, curriculum development, multimillion-dollar instructional budgets, and a broad portfolio of student success, assessment, and accreditation initiatives. His earlier career includes leadership roles with the University of Washington, the UC College Prep Initiative, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

A proud first-generation Chicano educator from Madera, Dr. Ortez is guided by a servant-leadership philosophy rooted in humility, empathy, accountability, and intention. He commits to remove barriers, uplift communities, and strengthen institutions so every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.