Twelve individuals and groups being honored at regional education summit

The “Toward a Shared Vision Awards” ceremony will occur on Thursday, October 26th, at the Riverside Convention Center. Hosted by Growing Inland Achievement (GIA), a local nonprofit, the awards recognize contributions to educational attainment and economic success in the Inland Empire.

Carl Dameron | VOICE Contributor

Seven individuals and five groups will be recognized for their work in driving Inland Empire’s educational and economic success.

The Toward a Shared Vision Awards ceremony is set for Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Riverside Convention Center.

“The Toward a Shared Vision Awards recognizes individuals and groups making significant contributions to educational attainment and economic success in the Inland Empire region while embodying core values of equity, transformation, collaboration, innovation, and centering students,” said Ann Marie Sakrekoff, Interim CEO of Growing Inland Achievement (GIA), the local nonprofit hosting the awards celebration.

“We received twenty-five nominations for individuals and groups throughout the region, all of which are well-deserving candidates,” said Sakrekoff. “GIA brought together a diverse panel of representatives from local education and community-based organizations who deliberated and selected 12 individuals and groups to be recognized across six categories.”

The awardees are:

For Student-Centered Excellence:

• Group: Children Deserve Success Program, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

• Individual: Dr. Tomás D. Morales, President, California State University, San Bernardino

For Excellence in Regional Transformation:

• Group: Ontario-Montclair Promise Scholars

• Individual: Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, California’s 58th Assembly District

For Focused Excellence:

• Group: College Futures Foundation

• Individual: Dr. Henry D. Shannon, Superintendent/President, Chaffey College

For Excellence in Regional Collaboration:

• Group: Making Hope Happen Foundation

• Individual: Kim McNulty, Vice President of Regional Strategy, OneFuture Coachella Valley

For Excellence in Innovation:

• Group: Office of Pre-College Programs, California State University, San Bernardino

• Individual: Dr. Ivan Peña, Dean of Student Services and Counseling, Crafton Hills College

For Excellence in Regional Leadership:

• Individual: Julie Pehkonen, Chair, Inland Empire/Desert Regional Consortium

• Individual: Dr. Judy D. White, President/Founder, MOSAIC, Retired 12th Superintendent of Schools for Riverside County

The awards ceremony is scheduled for October 26 at 2 p.m. as a culminating program of the two-day Toward a Shared Vision regional summit. Tickets for the full two-day summit can be purchased for $129. A day-two-only ticket, including the recognition ceremony, can be purchased for $65. Ticket sales will contribute to GIA’s student scholarship fund. Learn more about the awards and register to attend on GIA’s website: https://inlandempiregia.org/tasv-2023-awards/.

Since 2015, Growing Inland Achievement has been actively supporting educational attainment and economic success in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. To learn more about their mission and initiatives, please visit InlandEmpireGIA.org.