General Advisory Board Members

Susan Aminoff
Trustee, Santa Monica College

Gary Avrech
Go Graphics & Printing Co. - Since 1982 - Owner/Founder ; Community Productions, Inc. - 501(c)(3) - President/Founder ; MLK Westside Coalition - Past Chair ; NAACP Santa Monica/Venice - Past VIce President ; SMMUSD Intercultural Equity & Excellence DAC - Past Chair ; Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council - Emeritus Director ; SMC Board of Trustees - Past Student Trustee ; SMC Associated Students - Past President

Chris Baca
Meals on Wheels West

Rebecca Bijur Benefiel
Parent of three SMMUSD students (SMASH and PBL/Samo), Pico neighborhood resident, Affiliated Community Minister of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church of Canoga Park, on staff at St. Joseph Center

Kathleen Benjamin
President Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council

Maggie Castellanos
Community College Counselor

Sheryl Covey
Santa Monica College General Advisory Board, 2017-Present, Pepperdine University, School of Public Policy, Assistant Dean for Administration (32 years at Pepp), American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Member

Andria Denmon
Santa Monica College - Life Science Department, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Epsilon Xi Omega Chapter

Dr. Kiersten Elliott
Santa Monica College for over 20 years, SMMUSD parent, Sister Cities Board, SMC Associates Board

Trudi Ferguson
Vice Chair L.A. BEST (Afterschool enrichment program for 25, 000 LAUSD kids)

Anastasia Foster
Santa Monica College Board of Trustees member, Santa Monica Rent Control Board, SMC Bond Committee, Meals on Wheels West Board, Franklin Elementary PTA Exec, California Democratic Party Credentials Committee Vice-Chair, SMRR member, CEPS Steering Committee, Santa Monica Democratic Club activist

Aurelia Friedman
Office of Congressman Ted W. Lieu

Gretchen Goetz

Graphic Designer (retired), Sunset Park resident, SMMUSD supporter and parent of two alumni, Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Monica member

Teri Hannigan
SMC General Advisory Board, Topanga Town Council, Topanga Emergency Management Task Force, GVG Contemporary Art Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, CA, American Ceramics Society, Southern CA Design Chapter

Sonki Hong

Founder/CEO, Sonki Fitness
Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army

Kristina Irwin
GLAAR - Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors, Government Affairs Committee Member, Santa Monica College - General Advisory Board Member, Kiwanis Club Board of Directors; Service Leadership Programs Chair, Palisades Charter High School (PCHS) Board of Trustees Member, Member & Ex-Officio of the 42nd Assembly District

Jeff Jarow
Senior Vice President - PAR commercial brokerage, President - Santa Monica Sister City Association, Vice President - So Cal Sister Cities, SM Chamber of Commerce - Board Member, SM Pier Corporation - Exec Board, Ocean Park Association - Founding Board Member, Santa Monica 4th of July Parade - Founder & Organizer.

Peggy Kravitz
Retired Counseling Faculty, SMC

Robert Kronovet
Member California association of realtors, Pico improvement organization , member of the Christian towers, PTA member, Republican party member, NRA, ACLU.

Becky Lantry
GAB Co-Chair

Julie Matsumoto

Dave Partie
Brentwood Palisades Chorale; Deacon, Pacific Crossroads Church; National Alliance on Mental Illness

Paul Rosenstein
Former Santa Monica Mayor, Member, Mid-City Neighbors

Josep Sanchez

Nancy Schmidt
GAB Co-Chair

Scott Silverman
Santa Monica College, Emeritus Program of SMC, Associates, GAB, Nazun/Mazon Basic Needs Nonprofit

Jennifer Smith
SMMUSD board

Jadwin Todd

Mark Willis Vickers
New Roads School, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Cassidy Preschool, Sequoia Parks Conservancy

Lynn Wile

Name	ASsociation
A. J. Ali	A.J. Ali is a 2022 Joseph R. Biden Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. He is a service-disabled U.S. Air Force veteran who served honorably from 1983 to 1987 as a Journalist and Media Relations Specialist. He was based at Vandenberg AFB in CA, Comiso Air Station nuclear missile base in Sicily, and McClellan AFB in CA. He was a member of the USAF Soccer Team who went on to own two professional soccer teams. He is a TV host, director, producer, and writer. His award-winning film, WALKING WHILE BLACK: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer, which premiered in Santa Monica, and his book, L.O.V.E. Is The Answer, are helping to improve relations between police and the communities they serve nationwide, and are used in training programs that he developed. He is the host, director, and producer of the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer TV series. The show takes the old “flash mob” concept and turns it into something even more fun and much more meaningful — L.O.V.E. Mobs! Picture a flash mob mixed with the reveal portion of “Undercover Boss” and that’s the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer TV series! In 2020, he made history by being the focus of a 7-page spread in the “Black History 365” textbook, for his L.O.V.E. Is The Answer work. The textbooks are being used by schools nationwide. He is a 2019 BMe Community Vanguard Social Determinants of Health Fellow. He is the Producer & Host of the Wellness 101 game show. A.J. and his wife Jane, a 3x cancer survivor, have been joyfully and happily married since 1994. They have a blended family of 3 adult children, 5 grandchildren, and 1 great grandchild.
Lisa Boutin-Vitela	Santa Monica neighbor, Cerritos College Art History professor
Erica Cuyugan	Santa Monica Public Library
Donna Gentry	Santa Monica College Advisory Board, Human Relations Council Santa Monica Bay Board, We Are Santa Monica Fund Advisory Board
Ellen Hannan	Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors Board of Directors
Esmerelda Hernandez	Director of External Affairs for SMC Associated Student
Johann Hindert	US Army Association of the United States Army Naval Postgraduate School Western Michigan University Kalamazoo College Cincinnati Country Day School
Alan Jennat	San Diego State University, Advisory Chair for International Business College
Michael Kwon	US Army Coastal Recruiting Company
Ian McIlraith	SGI-USA MLK Westside Coalition, Secretary
Lynn Naliboff	SMC Emeritus student: Bodega volunteer; Making Waves for Democracy; SM Democratic Club; Santa Monica’s for Renters’ Rights; Sholem Community
Mia Seleshi	Alumna and Santa Monica resident