ORGANIZING OUR REGION FOR REAL CHANGE

When I first became Vice President of the Corona-Norco Teachers Association, my mentor encouraged me to run for State Council and get involved at the state level.

At the time, that felt… almost absurd. Our local had never been deeply engaged in CTA’s statewide work. In fact, members often said,

“I love our local, but I hate CTA.”

So, as I always do, I jumped in anyway, eyes wide open.

Seeing the Gaps and Filling Them

Back then, our delegates rarely attended San Gorgonio Service Center meetings. When I started going regularly, I realized two things quickly:

1. Local presidents weren’t showing up.

2. The meetings weren’t meaningful enough to make them want to.

Rather than complain, I decided to help change that. I ran for Service Center Steering Committee, determined to make those meetings matter.

We started discussing real issues that impacted educators in our region, bargaining, workload, safety, special education, and the challenges unique to the Inland Empire.

Building a Culture of Connection

When I became CNTA President, I made it a personal mission to bring other locals into the fold.

At every Presidents’ Conference, I encouraged my colleagues to attend Service Center meetings. I followed up with their CTA staff partners. I even shared my hotel room with presidents who wanted to try attending State Council for the first time.

And it’s working.

I now serve as Vice Chair of the San Gorgonio Service Center, and at our most recent meeting, we welcomed two presidents who had never attended before. That’s the kind of inclusive, relational organizing I bring to every space.

The Inland Empire Organizing Model

Our regional strength grew into something even bigger, the Inland Empire Coalition for Scholar Success (IEC4SS). I helped create this coalition of local union presidents and members across the region.

Together, we coordinate bargaining strategies and organizing campaigns focused on what truly matters:

• Ensuring our Special Education Students are fully supported.

• Making campus safety a shared priority.

• Building structures for collective action that reflect the realities of our region’s politics.

Knowing Our Region And Moving It Forward

District M is unique. Our political landscape mirrors that of my own local, and many statewide initiatives that succeed elsewhere stall here.

But I know our people. I know how to reach them, motivate them, and organize them.

That’s why I was honored to receive the State WHO Award from the San Gorgonio Service Center Council an award that recognizes leaders who have made a great impact on the Service Center.

Because leadership isn’t about titles or speeches it’s about bringing local voices together and turning them into statewide strength.