Kerry Franco is the President and Chief Deputy of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, a role she has held since June 2022. Under her leadership at GLAEF, she has been instrumental in establishing a nearly $13 million dollar endowment to benefit youth education in Inglewood, California. Kerry previously served in pivotal roles such as Program Officer for Scholarships at the California Community Foundation, Senior Director for Development at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and Senior Director for Academic Support at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. With a background spanning over 20 years in nonprofit management, student development, and philanthropy, Kerry has raised more than $14 million in scholarships, student support, healthcare and medical research. She has managed over $105 million of philanthropic fund assets and helped to create and manage over 500 distinct scholarship funds. She has also helped to award over $8 million in scholarships to more than 1,500 students in Los Angeles County. Kerry is a Riordan Leadership Institute Fellow and former Commissioner of the Montebello Unified School District Personnel Commission. Currently, she serves as a Board of Director member for UNITE-LA and the Rio Hondo College Foundation and is an Advisory Board member for the Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University. She holds a BS in Public Policy, Management, and Planning, as well as a Master’s in Education from USC. As a teenage mother, young wife, and first generation college student, Kerry’s experiences have fueled her passion for supporting students, uplifting communities, promoting equity, and engaging with the philanthropic community. She has dedicated much of her career to ensuring students can achieve and reach their highest potential, even in the face of adversity. Kerry is committed to making a positive impact and creating opportunities for all students to succeed, underpinning her dedication to fostering positive change in education and community development throughout Los Angeles. Kerry is a proud mom of three children and resides in the San Gabriel Valley with her husband and their two dogs.

Sam Gelinas is the Vice President of Programs, Strategy, and Development at the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation. Previously, Sam was the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships at Educational Facilities Group, a Los Angeles-based firm that led the development of permanent campuses for public schools in California. Prior to that Sam was the Chief Program Officer at the LA Promise Fund, where he oversaw a diverse portfolio of work that addressed issue areas including arts education, girls empowerment, career readiness, college access and success and family engagement. Sam started his career as a Special Education teacher in the Washington, D.C. Public Schools. ​ Sam received his BA in Sociology and Psychology from Pitzer College. He holds a master’s in education from George Washington University and a MPP from the University of Southern California.

Alexandra Marmion Roosa is the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations at the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation. Previously, Alexandra served as Senior Director of Operations for Development at the J. Paul Getty Trust, a global cultural and philanthropic organization dedicated to the visual arts. Prior to her affiliation with the Getty, Alexandra was the Assistant Provost and Director of Research and Sponsored Programs for Pepperdine University. Concurrently, as an adjunct law professor at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Alexandra developed the curriculum for and taught Law and the Visual Arts.  While in D.C., Alexandra managed a national policy initiative on museum-community engagement for the Board of Directors of the American Association of Museums or AAM [now American Alliance of Museums]. Alexandra also co-authored a legal manual, The AAM Guide to Writing an Employee Handbook, to assist museums and other non-profits with human resource management. ​ Alexandra earned her B.A. in Humanistic Studies from The Johns Hopkins University. She holds a J.D. from Emory University School of Law and a M.A in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Southern California.

Alex Halpern is the Programs and Development Manager at the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation. Previously, Alex was the Program Manager and College Coordinator at Neighborhood Youth Association, a community-based organization. There, Alex led the leadership development and college access program for low-income high school students in south and west Los Angeles, where she directed all steps in the college application process and ran programming related to leadership and professional development, as well as led alumni engagement and volunteer management. She worked closely with students and families, and collaborated with community members, educators, and partners to create successful pathways to and through higher education for first-generation students. Prior to that, Alex taught English as a Second Language and built curriculum for English language learners. ​ Alex earned her Bachelor’s in Middle Eastern Studies from Brandeis University, and her Master’s in Social Science and Comparative Education from UCLA, where she focused on equity and equality in the education system.

Jessica Catalan is the Director of Programs and External Relations at the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation. Previously, Jessica served as School Partnership Director at the Harmony Project working alongside several schools, school districts, community spaces and partners to bring music instruction and social support to thousands of students throughout Los Angeles.  Her ability to maintain existing and establish new partnerships, enabled Jessica to increase Harmony Project’s reach within Los Angeles and provide sequential,  year-round, full scholarship programming for students grades K-12. ​ Jessica is also an active and experienced Teaching Artist and Performer. She earned her Bachelor’s in Music in French Horn Performance from Azusa Pacific University, and her Master’s in French Horn Performance from the University of Southern California.

Kristina Romero is the Chief of Staff at the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation.  Previously, Kristina served as Manager of Education and Workforce Development at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and its strategic affiliate UNITE-LA. There, Kristina led L.A. Cash for College, the region’s largest financial aid literacy and college information campaign. In addition, Kristina engaged the local business community, K-12 partners, government agencies, and other civic groups to advance financial aid policy reform at the state and federal levels. With a firm grasp of both practice and policy, Kristina advised the L.A. College Promise partners on ways to better address students’ unmet financial needs.   Kristina earned her bachelor’s in education and psychology at Brown University and her Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis on community organization, planning, and administration from the University of Southern California.

M.E. Hege is the Executive Assistant and Office Manager at the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation. Previously, M.E. served as Project Specialist at the Keck School of Medicine of USC working alongside fundraisers in the Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations to support the many programs at Keck. During her tenure at USC, M.E. also served as Development Officer, fundraising for Medical Education and establishing relationships with longtime foundations, and as an Executive Assistant, serving as the first point of contact to the office and managing the daily operations of the team. M.E. earned her bachelor’s in American Studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California.