In her 33 years as CEO of the SCCCD, there's no doubt that Dr. Van Hook has earned her reputation as an inspirational and visionary leader, an exceptional innovator and a perennial optimist who never wavers from her core belief: If you can dream it, you can achieve it! When she dreams, she dreams B-I-G, and inspires those around her to do the same.

Dr. Van Hook is a builder at heart and has dedicated her career to building people, programs, pathways, plans, partnerships and possibilities. It is her keen sense of vision, strong commitment to the community she serves, and passion for supporting the development of possibilities that drives her to pursue the very things that many colleagues call "impossible." But it is her unique ability to share her vision and inspire others, while building bridges and partnerships along the way, that turns those impossibilities into possibilities.

She is passionate and ever-committed to the development of people and has dedicated her career into helping others achieve their highest potential. It is her intense natural drive that helps to inspire others while building and maintaining solid relationships on and off campus. Together, with her team mates, they create endless opportunities for students!

Magda is a 17-year-old high school student, social entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and event organizer at the beginning of her entrepreneurial career. A few months ago, she founded Open Coffee Youth, a global organization that hosts networking events for students around the world. Since the beginning of October 2020, they have conducted meetings for more than 500 young people from all over the world, opening local branches in more than 10 cities in Poland, as well as in the United States, Canada, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, and soon in Tunisia, Indonesia, UAE, Kenya and the Netherlands. In addition, she has had the opportunity to be a speaker at events and conferences related to education and entrepreneurship.

For over a year she has been doing an internship and gaining experience under the guidance of Richard Lucas, a well-known Polish-British businessman and entrepreneur. Magda also works with startups, being a member of the #OMGKRK Supporting Foundation team. For the last year she was also involved in communities such as TeenCrunch, and Our Future Foundation, among others.

Click here to watch Magda's TEDx Talk: "It's time for networking meet-ups organised by and for young people"

Jeffrey Forrest serves as Director of Older Youth Initiatives with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The goal of the Older Youth Initiatives Program is to work with agencies and stakeholders to create and deliver educational and career opportunities to Foster and Opportunity Youth in North America and Africa.

Prior to this role, Jeffrey was the Vice-President of economic Development for College of the Canyons. During his tenure he created partnerships with hundreds of companies, community-based organizations, government entities throughout Southern California to advance the efforts of the community college in providing workforce development solutions that lead to economic growth and prosperity for the region.

In August 2017, Jeffrey co-founded the Strong Workforce Apprenticeship Group (SWAG). SWAG partners with employers to fill their critical needs through apprenticeship. More than 80% of its current apprentices are minorities, women or Veterans. Because of its success, in March 2018, Jeffrey was invited to testify on Capitol Hill on the benefits of apprenticeship to small business.

Jeffrey believes that providing access to a quality education is critical to creating strong communities, and key to the long-term growth of the nation's economy. He has a Bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and an MBA from Lindenwood University. Jeffrey also possesses a Masters of Divinity degree (MDiv.) from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.

Nova Mandel (they/them, she/her) is currently in her third semester at College of the Canyons and is majoring in Global Studies. She is currently a college assistant for International Services & Programs at College of the Canyons, assisting with web design, research, data management, events, and their Intensive English Language Program (IELP).

She is a member of Sigma Delta Mu, which recognizes excellence in Spanish among the student population of higher education, as well as Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the international honor society of students studying at two-year colleges. Nova has also been volunteering for nine years at A Noise Within, a classical theatre in Pasadena, CA.

Nova's studies at COC focus on the social sciences and humanities, with a particular interest in how we can help make the world better for all people. She recently wrote a research paper on how communities can best support families to keep children out of foster care and is currently working on an article about how the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles contributes to educating people on the history of the holocaust and how all issues of discrimination and prejudice are interrelated.

He is the former Dean of the School of Business at College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita Community College District, where he also served as department chair for the Business Department, the Real Estate Department, and lead faculty for International Business/Business Law.

Dean Waldon previously served as an international trade consultant with the Center for International Trade Development/California-Mexico Trade Assistance Center for Citrus College in Glendora, CA. He was also a Coordinator for Pacific Rim Operations at Learning Tree International, Inc., and then Director for Government Relations with IEC, Inc., an international manufacturing company headquartered in Los Angeles. He practiced law primarily in the areas of contracts and civil rights and was a Bureau Chief for Civil Rights for the Florida Department of Transportation.

He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (International Finance and Marketing) from the University of Miami (Florida). He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School where he participated in the Concannon Programme of International Law in London, England.