Dr. Cynthia Azari has over 35 years of professional experience in higher education, educational administration, leadership and teaching including supervision of college operations and programs, faculty and staff selection, planning, curriculum development, faculty evaluation, budget preparation, fiscal management and community involvement. She has served as a community college president for nearly 20 years in Pennsylvania and California as well as VP for Academic Affairs and Dean of Business and Technology in Washington State. Dr. Azari has served as CEO for organizations as large as 2500 employees with a budget of $190 million and as small as 200 employees with a budget of $27 million. In retirement, Dr. Azari has served as interim college president and vice president in California and Oregon.

Dr. Azari has been a collaborative proponent of positively maximizing the teaching and learning environment of the classroom for the benefit of student success.

Dr. Azari earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Seattle University, MS in Industrial Relations and MA in Educational Administration from West Virginia University and a BA in Government, Secondary Education from Houston College. She and her husband have two daughters - a cardiologist in New York and an entertainment attorney in Los Angeles. They also enjoy their four grandchildren.

Nick E. Mitchell Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer Logix Federal Credit Union

Nick E. Mitchell is the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer at Logix Federal Credit Union, a $9.8 billion financial institution serving over 245,000 members headquartered in Santa Clarita, California. In addition to managing the company’s legal affairs, Nick oversees the Regulatory Compliance, Vendor Management, Special Assets, Credit Administration & Support, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, Policies and Procedures, HR Management Systems, Enterprise Risk Management, Internal Audit, BSA/AML Investigations, Post Funding Loan Quality, Loan Resolution, Fraud Risk Management, and Safety & Security Operations departments. Nick has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Management degree from Woodbury University, and a Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School. Nick has managed teams in legal affairs, sales, learning and development, talent acquisition, service quality, member loyalty, and project management. Nick also completed his Certified Compliance Officer designation and Management and Leadership Accreditation from the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions, his Association for Talent Development Certified Professional in Learning and Performance credential, and his Satmetrix Certified Net Promoter designation. Nick serves a member of the Board of Advisors for the Woodbury University School of Business, and as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation.

Mr. Jeff Neumeister

Jeff Neumeister is a well-educated and experienced forensic expert and consultant in accounting and financial advisory services. Small organizations, startups, holding entities, high-net-worth individuals, and middle market companies, directly and through their retained counsel, have relied upon Jeff to identify problems, uncover frauds, improve efficiencies and to initiate and defend against litigation. Over his 22 years of professional experience, he has worked in firms ranging in size from large international entities to smaller regional practices. Jeff has been designated as an expert in multiple cases and has provided valuable deposition testimony for his clients. He has provided litigation advisory services to clients spanning a breadth of industries including construction, entertainment, health care, investments, information technology, professional services, retail, oil and gas, real estate, education, food and beverage, transportation, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing. Jeff has provided business valuations for litigation and non-litigation purposes. Jeff has also managed the financial due diligence process for both buy and sell transactions. Through the use of sophisticated analytic solutions, investigative techniques, and an understanding of accounting, he has found effective solutions for a range of clients’ problems including those related to tax strategies, operational efficiencies, and internal controls.

Dr. Elaine Ahumada

Professor of Public Administration California Baptist University (CBU)

Dr. Elaine Ahumada is a Professor of Public Administration in the History and Government Department within the College of Arts & Sciences at California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside, California. Currently she serves as the director of the Doctorate in Public Administration (DPA) Program and is also a public policy lecturer at the University of California, Riverside. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration, teaching, and program development, Dr. Ahumada has served as a college dean, department chair, and director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at CBU. Dr. Ahumada has served with several on boards of non-profits in Southern California including Feeding America (Vice Chair), president of the American Society for Public Administration (Inland Empire Chapter), collaborative policy networks; IE 2030 and Inland Empire Growth and Opportunity (IEGO) and the Emily Shane Foundation. She holds a Doctorate in Public Administration, a Master of Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of La Verne. Dr. Ahumada is a contributing author to the PA Times online for the American Society for Public Administration, enjoys international travel, hockey, and walks on the beach with morkies Stella and Luna.

Dr. Laurie Nalepa has extensive experience both as an educator and administrator in higher education. She is currently Dean of Career and Technical Education at Los Angeles Valley Community College. Her responsibilities include workforce development, curriculum development, and grant management. She has also been involved in student enrollment and retention, faculty assessment, placement, teaching, community relations, and outreach. Dr. Nalepa continues to teach at the undergraduate and doctorial level.

As an educational consultant she developed customized training programs for industry and academic partners. Past clients include The Ritz, Santa Monica Place, and the Marina Marriott. Prior to this, she was a senior executive in marketing and management positions. Dr. Nalepa received her B.A. degree in sociology from the University of California at Los Angeles. She completed her M.B.A. degree in marketing and organizational behavior from the University of Southern California. Dr. Nalepa received her Ed.D. degree in adult education with a specialization in computers and information technology from Nova Southeastern University. She is the co-author of the book, The Murder Mystique: Female Killers in Popular Culture.

Jane Skeeter, LEED® AP Founder and CEO of UltraGlas, Inc.- Retired

Jane Skeeter is Founder and retired CEO of UltraGlas, Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of designed architectural and high-performance glass and glass tile. UltraGlas has been recognized and with numerous awards for its innovative products by the glass, interior design and architectural industries.

Skeeter is Chair of Woodbury University School of Business’s Advisory Board and the 2022 Fernando Award Recipient, for her volunteerism and philanthropy in the San Fernando Valley. She is a CA Licensed General Contractor and Glazing Contractor and is a Certified Interior Designer. She is a graduate of the UCLA MDE program, the NAWBO-LA Peak Leadership Academy, and is a LEED AP, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional. Some of Jane’s other accomplishments are: NEWH Icon of Industry (international); LA Chamber of Commerce Export Achievement Award, Past President of NAWBO-LA and Leadership Award; SFV Business Journal Women in Business CEO of the Year and Businesswoman of the Decade; L. A. SBA’s Women in Business Champion of the Year; State of California, 23rd District Small Business of the Year; Pioneer Woman Award from the LA City Commission on the Status of Women; and the NAWBO/Wells Fargo National Trailblazer Award

Jane remains dedicated to serving community non-profits in various capacities. She’s been married to renowned fine artist, Barron Postmus, Sr. since 1977, has 4 children and 6 adult grandchildren.