Erica is the Executive Director of LEAD California. She brings over 20 years of experience in P-20 education as a faculty member, researcher, and administrator. For 12 years, she served as a tenured faculty member at Seattle University leading their master’s program in student affairs. At Seattle University, she formed partnerships with university offices, community colleges, and educational non-profits to train her students in applied research to improve educational equity. She has also held faculty roles at Texas State University and Carleton College where she trained P-20 professionals in social justice leadership.

Erica’s research centers on how community partnerships can advance educational equity, diversity, and inclusion. She has co-authored over one hundred articles, book chapters, reports, and presentations. In 2018, she co-authored a book entitled “Place-based Community Engagement in Higher Education: A Strategy to Transform Universities and Communities” that has been used by over two dozen universities to do impactful community engagement work. She currently sits on the board of the Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. Her research has been funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the UCLA Institute of American Cultures.

Erica is the first in her family to graduate from college and is a beneficiary of educational opportunity programs. She regularly participates in multigenerational mentoring programs to contribute to developing the next generation of educational leaders. She earned a BA in Political Science and Asian American Studies, and a master’s degree and PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change all from the University of California, Los Angeles.