Meet Our Board
The Board of Directors is the governing body of SIATech High Schools. Board responsibilities include:
- Approving the organization’s mission, strategic goals, and objectives
- Establishing policies related to programs and services
- Approving the annual budget
- Advising the Superintendent/CEO, who is responsible for the management of the organization
SIATech Schools Board of Directors is made up of seven members. The chair, two directors, treasurer, staff representative, secretary, and CEO of SIATech represent its leadership.
Communication With the Board
Information about SIATech School’s board meeting dates, board members, and board policies are below. To submit a public comment to the board, please complete a request form and send to pricilla.perez@siatech.org.
Board Meeting Information
SIATech board meetings are held in a hybrid format with in-person and virtual attendance options. To attend in-person, the address is: SIATech Board Room, 2611 Temple Heights Drive, Suite A, Oceanside, CA 92056. To attend virtually, join the Zoom video link: https://siatechbod.zoom.us/j/8230926719 and use passcode: 8WvDYi. You can also join by phone by calling 669-900-6833 (Meeting ID: 823 092 6719 and Passcode: 424562).
Board Members
Oliver Unaka
Chair
Oliver Unaka became a member of the SIATech Board of Directors in September 2023. He is the Associate Vice President at the University of La Verne and a seasoned expert in marketing communications. With nearly three decades of experience across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, he is an educational leader, business consultant, lecturer, and a mentor for at-promise youth. Oliver is a passionate advocate for high-quality and equitable education, dedicating himself to enhancing student-learning outcomes at all levels – from TK-12 to post-secondary. He has served on several boards, including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, California Association of Black School Educators, and The State Bar of California.
Oliver holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Redlands and a bachelor’s degree with honors (Phi Sigma Tau) in Philosophy from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Additionally, he holds certificates from the African American Board Leadership Institute and Cornell University.
Erica A. Alfaro
Director
Erica Alfara joined the SIATech Board of Directors in 2022. She is an author, keynote speaker, education advocate, and senior human resources generalist. Her story became known when her master's graduation picture where she is standing in a field with her farm worker mother and father went viral and made headlines around the world. Erica was a high school dropout, a teenage mother, and a victim of domestic violence who, after many adversities, managed to reinvent herself and become the woman she is today – someone who has achieved everything she thought was impossible.
Erica obtained her high school diploma from New Millennium Charter school in Fresno, CA. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from California State University San Marcos and her master's in Education with a concentration in Counseling from San Diego State University.
Elyse Burden
Director
Elyse Burden joined the SIATech Board of Directors in September 2023.
Jennifer Credit
Staff Representative
Jennifer Credit teaches English at SIATech’s San Diego Job Corps site, where she has taught since 2018. Additional roles include new staff mentor support provider and team member on the SIATech professional learning committee guiding coalition. Before teaching at SIATech, Jennifer taught all levels of high school English in traditional classrooms at Title I schools in San Diego county, where she also served as class advisor and student advisor for the California Scholarship Federation.
Jennifer holds a Master of Arts in Secondary Teaching degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences in English, and a Single Subject Teaching Credential from San Diego State University. Additionally, Jennifer is a 300-hour certified yoga and meditation teacher.
Joe Herrity
Director
Joe Herrity is Principal at Groundwork Social Sector Consulting where he focuses on organizational development, including serving as a co-convener of the California Opportunity Youth Network. Joe has spent the past 20 years traversing the social sector with a primary focus on youth development, workforce development, and collective impact systems change efforts. He is particularly proud to serve as a founding Ally Advisor to the Youth Liberation Movement, a young adult led organization in Santa Clara County working to help public systems and agencies center lived experience expertise. He became a SIATech board member in the fall of 2022.
Dr. Asha' Jones
Secretary
Dr. Asha' Jones has joined the SIATech board.