Joan Ahrens is the coordinator of the Project Success Learning Communities program at Grossmont College. She has taught developmental, transfer, and honors level composition courses in interdisciplinary links for over 13 years. Joan is an alumni of the National Center for Developmental Education’s 2011 Kellogg Institute, and she is currently working on an online Ed.S. degree in Adult and Developmental Education at Appalachian State University.

Tate Hurvitz currently teaches the English portion in several links, both at the developmental and transfer levels, in Grossmont College’s interdisciplinary, first year experience program, The Freshman Academy. He also serves as the program's co-coordinator, helping to facilitate instructor professional development, program planning, and student social opportunities. Additionally, he is a fellow at the San Diego Center for Ethics in Science and Technology, helping to plan and coordinate public outreach events and writing about current science and technology issues for local news outlets. He is proud to serve on the CLCC’s leadership counsel.

Sue Parsons is currently the Director of Learning Communities and Teacher TRAC Programs at Cerritos College where she has also been an associate professor of Mathematics since 1985 and has taught in learning communities since 1995. From 2006 through 2008, she participated with a college team as part of the National Learning Community Assessment project with Washington Center. She was also honored to be part of the formation meeting for the California Learning Communities Consortium (CLCC) in fall 2007. Sue has extensive experience in developing and managing grants which currently include a California Community College Chancellor’s Grant, Boeing Foundation Grant, and a National Science Foundation Grant. She is active in her national mathematics organization, American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, where she served as West Region Vice President, Co-PI on a NSF Teacher Preparation grant, and served as a Writing Team Chair for the AMATYC Beyond Crossroads Project. She is currently a commissioner on the National Association of State University Land Grant Colleges Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative. She was also a founding member of the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs and served as the Associations second president.

Anna Rogers is an Assistant Professor of English at San Diego City College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History and Criticism from the University of California, San Diego and a master’s degree in American Literature from San Diego State University. She currently teaches in the City College Learning Community Program and has been involved in the planning and development of that program since 2009. In addition, she is involved in the Basic Skills Acceleration program at City College where she is focusing on the integration of Accelerated courses into the Learning Community Program. She has been involved in the planning and development of Learning Community trainings and conferences, and has been a member of the California Learning Communities Consortium (CLCC) Leadership Council since 2012.

Prior to her academic career, she has spent many years working in the fields of visual arts and education for a variety of non-profit organizations in Southern California. During this time, she served as Assistant Curator at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego and as Assistant Director of Education at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. In these positions, she developed exhibitions and education programs.  She currently serves on the La Jolla Playhouse Leadership Council and on the Advisory Board for Pillars of the Community, a non-profit community service organization based in the Southeast San Diego neighborhood of Encanto.

Elva Salinas is a professor of English at San Diego City College (SDCC) who currently teaches in the English and Chicano/a Studies departments. She earned a Masters in Comparative Literatures in English and Spanish from the University of California at San Diego (Magna Cum Laude), a Bachelor degree in Vocational Education from San Diego State University (Magna Cum Laude), and an Associate Degree in Cosmetology from San Diego City College (High Honors). She has been an entrepreneur and owned a very lucrative hair salon in East San Diego, and a professor and department chair of Cosmetology at SDCC. She is the recipient of the Golden Apple-Faculty of the Year Award, KPBS and Union Bank Hispanic Heritage Local Hero Award in education, and Board of Governors Exemplary Program Award for leadership in Learning Communities. On an administrative level, she currently serves SDCC as the Basic Skills Coordinator and Learning Communities program director. She believes that the key to true learning is problem-posing education combined with experiential teaching; exposing students to the world outside of the classroom is her greatest passion. She believes that education must be transformational, that culturally and personally relevant experiences are essential to learning, and that each one of us can make a difference.

In addition to participating in the design and teaching of several learning communities at Cerritos College, Ana Torres-Bower coordinated the Learning Communities Program (LCP) for its first six years, later participated as LCs program scheduler, and developed/coordinated First-Year-Experience (FYE). Currently, she is faculty/program facilitator for the 13-year-old program. She has also been involved in LCs through the coordination of LC conferences, institutes, and workshops; and has participated in state and national LCs professional organizations. Furthermore, she has developed grants, established LCs student scholarships, and participated in LC program evaluation at other institutions. Lastly, she has been involved in the California Learning Communities Consortium (CLCC) since fall 2007 as a member of the leadership committee.