Board Members

William Sterling currently serves as the Chair of the Workforce Development Board.  He previously served as Vice Chair, Second Vice-Chair and was a member of various committees.  He is the President/CEO of Sterling Synergy Systems, Inc. providing technical and business consulting services to business throughout the United States. He is also the co-founder and President/CEO of BCM Group, Inc., which provides program and construction management services. He has over 25 years of executive management, leadership, and consulting experience with for-profit and non-profit corporations.

Shannon Shannon is the President of SaddleRock Reverse Mortgage.  During her 17-years in the reverse mortgage industry, Shannon has managed teams for some of the largest companies in the nation from Wells Fargo to MetLife.  Before this role, Shannon and her husband Rory owned Directors Residential Lending with an annual lending pipeline of $250,000,000 and sold it to American Home Mortgage in 2007. 

Phillip Cothran has served for over 24 years on the WDB, serving as chair three times and committee chair of numerous committees. As a small businessman and President of the Fontana Chamber of Commerce, he understands the needs of the business community and what it means to have a trained and qualified workforce.

Cinnamon Alvarez is an entrepreneur, a life coach, and the author of the best-selling book Generating Your Own Happiness. As the multi-talented entrepreneur behind the artisanal lighting company A19, Cinnamon uses her design skills to create ceramic lighting fixtures that complement modern decor. Having been in the ceramic lighting business over 20 years, Cinnamon has also founded an art gallery, run a fitness franchise, and coached others to start their own businesses and generate their own happiness.

Cinnamon brings energy, vision, and the business acumen gained from two decades of business ownership to all her projects. She has served as President of the Los Angeles Founding Chapter of NEWH, awarding scholarships while promoting a high standard of achievement in hospitality design industry. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the San Bernardino Workforce Development Board. She enjoys defying odds and supporting others in accomplishing their wildest dreams.

Alfonso Jimenez Jr. is a proud husband, and father of three girls.  He is an Alumni of California State University Fresno where he achieved his Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling.

Alfonso while working with DOR has spent time as a counselor specializing in working with youth and the mental health populations. He then became a team manager for the DOR CA Promise Grant Program. Leading a vocational rehabilitation team in collaboration with Local Educational Agencies (LEA’s) providing services to youth and families throughout the state of CA.   Currently Alfonso is the District Administrator at the Department of Rehabilitation in the Inland Empire District Servicing Riverside, San Bernardino, and Imperial Counties.    Mr. Jimenez has been active in professional and community affairs.  He has served on several statewide task forces, currently sits on the Riverside County Workforce Development board as a member and has also been active in various affinity groups to promote equality and increased services for the underserviced community members of the Inland Empire.  He is very excited to join the San Bernardino County Workforce Board. 

Bill Blankenship is a strategic consultant with over 30 years of experience in Federal, State and local government affairs. His primary focus is providing businesses, municipalities, regional government agencies, associations and local non-profits the winning strategies of navigating the complex political and regulatory environment. He is well versed in the impediments that impact the Development Industry with a focus on the supply of housing. He has developed niche in the local legislative process of the Inland Empire. Bill joined the Building Industry Association-Riverside County Chapter as the Director of Governmental Affairs in 2000. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Director and in 2011 he was appointed the Chief Executive Officer. Bill was responsible for the day-to-day management duties and the strategic direction of the association, with offices in downtown Riverside and the Coachella Valley. The Chapter is a non-profit trade association representing 400 member companies involved in all aspects of the building industry. Bill’s representation of the Industry spanned the greatest housing growth period and its largest decline. Through these tumultuous times Riverside County was the West Coast’s largest housing market. Bill’s extensive experience in the legislative affairs arena includes being both the District Director and Campaign Manager for Congressman Gary Miller. Bill also served as the Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Gary Miller. Other professional activities include serving as the Field Representative for California State Senator Cathie Wright and Assemblyman Paul Woodruff. In addition, Bill has worked in numerous political campaigns throughout his career. He resides in Redlands with his wife Tonja, his daughter Caroline and their King Charles Spaniel, Bailey. He is a cycling enthusiast, antique collector and enjoys trap shooting.

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Jennifer McLain Hiramoto is a key driver of the growth in the City of Ontario, where she serves as the Executive Director of Economic Development. She is also committed to economic development across California. She has worked in local government for nearly 15 years, and was recently appointed as the Chair Elect to the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED).

In Ontario, she leads the City’s real estate acquisition and development strategy, and oversees its robust business development, marketing and expansion efforts. Prior to joining Ontario, she worked for the cities of Glendale and Monrovia, and the San Garbiel Valley Economic Partnership. Her interest in municipal government, however, began when she was a newspaper reporter in the Bay Area.

She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from San Jose State University, and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

On April 17, 2023, Mauricio Arellano became
Superintendent of the San Bernardino City Unified School District. He was selected by the SBCUSD Board of Education in February 2023
in a unanimous vote following a comprehensive community engagement process and national search. His appointment as Superintendent is a homecoming for Arellano, who grew up in San Bernardino attending SBCUSD schools as a child. Superintendent Arellano graduated from San
Bernardino High School and started his career in education as a bilingual elementary school teacher in the District more than 30 years ago. He is the son of immigrant parents from Mexico who also worked in SBCUSD schools. Superintendent Arellano was a first generation college student when he pursued his
undergraduate degrees in sociology and Spanish at the University of California, Riverside. He later earned a master’s degree in educational administration from California State University, San Bernardino. During his tenure as Superintendent of the Redlands Unified School District, he garnered
local, state, and national honors and was personally recognized many times for his
leadership, most recently being named as U.C. Davis C-STEM Superintendent of the Year in 2020. Superintendent Arellano served for 14 years as the assistant superintendent of human resources in the Palm Springs Unified School District.

Cherilyn Greenlee has over 29 years’ experience working for the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) including Unemployment Insurance and Workforce Services Branches. She is currently the Deputy Division Chief for the Inland Empire Region of the Workforce Services Branch. She provides leadership for EDD and partner staff in an Integrated Service Delivery Model environment within the America’s Job Centers of California in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Tawnya Rhoades-Hensley spent twenty-seven years in education developing many career pathways.  She spent time cultivating many educators teaching at all levels from pre-school through university.  While each had an impact on her heart and the community, it was teaching teachers and administrators that truly moved the pendulum for our city and county. This inspired her to continue with career pathways by opening an educational consulting business in retirement.  She has served the community through many boards including: Rotary, National Charity League, San Bernardino Police Foundation and Assistance League of San Bernardino.  Tawnya has a Master’s Degree in Education: Special Education, as well as degrees in Economics and Behavior and Diversity. She has specialized in Literacy and moving the pendulum for both communities and schools alike.

Lowell King has been a part of the Goodwill Southern California (GSC) team for 27 years. In 2001, King was appointed the Regional Operations Officer for the Goodwill Industries Inland Counties (GIIC) an organization that was facing bankruptcy and closure. Within 18 months the organization was out of debt and as a result in 2003 Lowell played an instrumental role of merging the two Goodwill’s, GSC and GIIC. This created what is now the largest Goodwill service territory in North America, spanning 31,000 square miles including Los Angeles (North of Rosecrans), Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This merger has allowed GSC to dramatically increase its impact in mission services, social enterprise and the ability to serve its communities in the Inland Empire in a way that was once thought not possible. Lowell oversees the daily operations of the Inland Empire campus and works to maximize the agency’s Workforce and Career Development programs, supports its social enterprise and green business lines by developing and maintaining key relationships with community leaders and governmental agencies, Local, State and Federal legislators and service groups.
Lowell has a strong commitment to the community, and has a heartfelt desire to help those around him succeed. Lowell believes that given the opportunity everyone in our community can contribute and demonstrates this through his heart, passion, and desire to enrich the lives of those in our community.

As a matter of background, Lowell serves on the boards for the San Bernardino County Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), was appointed to the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (WDB) (2011-2016, 2020), appointed to the WDB Executive committee (2013-2016), chaired the WDB Youth Council (2013-2016); appointed to San Bernardino County Homeless Advisory Board, St. Bernadine’s Hospital Community Benefits Initiative Committee Member (2006-2017), Non-Profit Executive Network (NEN), Chair of the board of Inland Action (IA) (2021-2023), Board member of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP); member of IEEP’s Business Council and Workforce Council, and board member of the Greater Ontario Business Council. Lowell received the Terrific 20 for Senate District 20 award 2018, Finalist Man of the Year Assembly District 47 2018, finalist for the California State University San Bernardino – Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award 2017, Unforgettables Heart award 2015, Providing Help, Creating Hope award from Catholic Charities 2010, was named the Community Leader of the Year by America’s Charity in 2009 and has been recognized with various other awards and proclamations from Federal, State and local officials.

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Bio coming soon.

Dr. Henry D. Shannon is the Superintendent/President of Chaffey College, which has campuses in Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana and Chino.

Dr. Dale Marsden recently served as Superintendent of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), California’s 10th largest urban public school district, which serves a diverse student population of 73 percent Latino and 14 percent African-American, in an area with a 91% poverty rate. The District serves over 50,000 students, 8,000 staff in 73 schools across a 98-square-mile radius.  During Dr. Marsden’s tenure, the SBCUSD team experienced a historic increase in graduation rates from 66.8% to 93.6% (surpassing county, state, and national graduation rates), doubled the number of students eligible to attend 4-year universities, and increased from 5 to 53 high-growth, high-demand pathway experiences, ensuring equity and access for all students to high-wage careers in local and world industries.  Dr. Marsden is a veteran of the United States Air Force and has nearly 30 years of experience in public education. He earned his bachelor’s degree from California State University, San Bernardino in Liberal Studies with a minor in mathematics, a master’s degree in Educational Administration, and a doctorate of education in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Pepperdine University, where he was named the 2016 Superintendent of the Year. In 2018, he was named a National Leader to Learn From by Education Week. Dr. Marsden currently supports the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, a host of state-wide and regional education reform and work-based learning initiatives, and is founder/CEO of Tomorrow’s Talent ©, a company focused on Bridging young adults (16-24) to
work-based learning experiences: Local Talent, Local Employers, Local Economy.

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Stacy DeVoll is President of DeVoll Rubber MFG Group and is proud to be the third generation in the family business. DeVoll Rubber started almost 50 years ago in her grandmother’s garage. Working in the shop during summer vacation gave her an appreciation for hard work and an understanding of the opportunity that the business could provide. Stacy has championed small business and women in manufacturing, she currently sits on the board of The High Desert Manufacturing Council and the board of The Greater High Desert Chamber of Commerce. Stacy joined the Kiwanis club of Victorville in 2021 and was elected to the board of the High Desert Community Foundation in 2022. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and doing voice over work.