We are excited to share that long-time board member Dominick Correy has been elected board chair. Correy is a graduate of Pasadena Unified Schools (PUSD) and is the proud parent of a Pasadena High School class of 2024 graduate. He is currently the Director of Community Relations for the Rose Bowl Stadium and a former District Representative for California State Senator Anthony Portantino. Looking forward to his term as board chair, Correy is focused on sustainably reaching more students and families through partnership. “As a CAP parent with a student in the I Heart College alumni program, I’ve experienced firsthand CAP’s ability to demystify the college application and financial aid process, and I’m excited to usher CAP into this next phase of growth and collaboration.”
Immediate past board chair Laura Zachar will continue on as CAP’s vice chair. “Laura’s leadership over the past four years, through the pandemic and expansion into Hacienda La Puente School District (HLPUSD), was invaluable. We are grateful for her steadfast investment in CAP,” says CAP’s co-founder and executive director, Mo Hyman.
After five years as an alumni chair and board member, Michael Ocon takes on the role of secretary. Ocon is a graduate of Pasadena High School (PHS), and holds a Bachelor’s in English from Stanford University and a Master’s of Public Administration from USC. He currently serves as the Manager of Community Partnerships and Communications for Collaborate PASadena, a collective impact organization, and is an appointee of the Pasadena Community Access Corporation Board.
An alumnus of JMHS and a PUSD parent, Dr. Lawton Gray currently serves as the principal for John Muir Early College Magnet, where under his leadership, the school has grown into a thriving launchpad for students to begin their college journey in 9th grade. “CAP’s support of PUSD students and families is crucial, not only for first-generation students, but for all students and families navigating the ever-changing college entrance and matriculation landscape. I am proud to join the board and look forward to working with the organization’s leadership and staff in this capacity.”
Nancy Stiles joins CAP as the organization’s Director of Strategic Initiatives. As a former educator and experienced nonprofit leader, Stiles will focus her efforts on fiscal sustainability planning. “It is truly a joy to join this amazing team that works so hard to ensure students and families have access to opportunities they need to thrive,” says Stiles. “I have admired the work of CAP for a long time, and I look forward to helping further the organization’s impact and reach.”
Stiles will work closely with Cynthia Contreras, who joined CAP’s high school team as a program coordinator in 2020. In 2023, she piloted College Champions, CAP’s first youth leadership program that empowers first-generation seniors to serve as peer mentors at PHS. Now, as CAP’s Manager of Partnerships and College Champions, Contreras will dedicate her time to further growing and implementing the program at PHS and JMHS, as well as cultivating community partnerships.
“We are excited to welcome our new board members and leadership staff,” says Hyman. “Everyone brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will guide CAP into the next phase of our strategic development and growth. I am gratified and honored to work alongside our staff, board, and partners to ensure that underserved students have access to and succeed in college and achieve their post-secondary goals.”
