Board Member Contact Information and Roles
Dr. Norman Bullock is an experienced business and thought partner with an extensive background in nonprofit leadership, business, financial management, and social enterprise. He has held senior finance and administrative leadership positions with several mission driven organizations and has a history of building strong teams, process improvement, and improved financial performance. Further, Norman is a collaborative, engaging, and mission-driven executive with the understanding, experience, personality, and passion necessary to take a nonprofit to the next level. He has the ability to think strategically and execute on plan, maintain the fiscal and financial health of an organization, and partner effectively across all levels of an organization through effective written and spoken communication. He is a servant leader with a business mindset and a deep commitment to impacting social change.
Norman currently serves as President and Managing Consultant for Strategic Innovation Partner, a non-profit that partners with mission-driven organizations to achieve social impact, by offering organizational development and fractional non-profit CFO services. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer at Chrysalis, a non-profit that serves people navigating barriers to the workforce by offering a job-readiness program, individualized supportive services, and paid transitional employment.
Before Chrysalis, he served as a Vice President at ExED, a mission driven non-profit organization that works to provide access to an excellent public education, which opens
the doors to opportunity and provides a pathway out of poverty for many. In his capacity, he served as CFO and Thought Partner, providing business management services to several non-profit charter school organizations. Further, he provided organizational and financial strategies to assist these organizations operate efficiently, build financial plans to meet short-term and long-term objectives, and secure affordable facilities all of which enabled these mission-driven organizations to achieve their goals of providing quality education.
Norman has also held senior leadership positions with other mission driven organizations. He also spent time at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and served as Executive Director of a non-profit that focused on affordable housing and community development in South Los Angeles. He began his professional career at Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co., CPAs where he served as a Manager and audited several non-profits.
Through his career, Norman has seen how building more classrooms and housing creates opportunities for students and families to succeed and helps neighborhoods thrive. His life across the years has been committed to promoting ways to serve others and build community.
Norman is an ordained minister having served most recently as Transitional Pastor of First Baptist Church of Los Angeles.
In addition to his professional journey, Norman has leveraged his work experience with volunteer work including: Past President, California NAACP; Board Member, American Baptist Foundation; Past Board Member, Ruach Community Development Corp., Kappa Achievement Fund and 100 Black Men of Los Angeles
Norman holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Economics/Sociology, an MBA from Walden University, a Master of Divinity in Urban Ministry and Social Ethics from the Claremont School of Theology and a Doctorate in Leadership & Urban Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary with additional post graduate work at Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University, Harvard University and USC.
With over 15 years of experience in education, Jessica is a dedicated leader who strives to create and support high-quality, equitable, and effective schools for all students, especially those who are marginalized and underserved. She currently leads the School Quality Support team at California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), the largest advocacy organization for charter schools in the nation. In her role, she oversees the development and implementation of programs and support services for charter schools across California, covering areas such as academic programs, assessment and data use, and strategic planning. She also supports CCSA’s work to advocate for policies and practices that promote school quality and accountability. Prior to her role at CCSA, Jessica was a teacher, after school director, and mentor principal for Aspire Public Schools. She has years of experience building and leading effective teams that are collaborative and results oriented. Further, she is currently part-time faculty with Loyola Marymount University, coaching and advising teacher candidates. Jessica is a graduate of both Cornell University (Bachelors in Phycology) and University of California, Berkeley (M.A. Educational Leadership and Administration.) Jessica is the mother of two kids, ages 5 and 7.
Mr. Wheat is a dedicated risk management professional with over a decade of experience structuring risk management and insurance programs. He is currently a principal at EPIC Insurance Brokers specializing in the education, not for profit, real estate, and healthcare sectors. His experience working closely with school leaders and underwriting companies has given him a micro and macro view of the operational risk that schools face on a daily basis. Outside of Insurance, Mr. Wheat is passionate about supporting and mentoring inner city youth and advocating for mental health resources for urban communities. He is devoted to seeing youth succeed inside and outside of the classroom and is an ardent supporter of schools in the region; sitting on multiple advisory boards. Mr. Wheat enjoys snowboarding, CrossFit, and spending time with his family at their house in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles.
Volunteer Experience:
- Chair of Walk Committee for Out of the Darkness Walk - 2021
- Advisory Board member for Verbum Dei Jesuit High School
- Coach for YMCA Culver City youth basketball
- 100 Black Men of Los Angeles
Education:
- St. Mary's College of CA, B.S. Finance
- USC Ross Real Estate Development
Imelda Buncab is an experienced nonprofit sector professional with over 20 years serving, advocating for, and working with underserved communities, families, and individuals. Her work encompasses addressing gendered violence, homelessness, food insecurity, and intersecting social justice issues, such as racism. She believes in a holistic approach that addresses the social determinants of health which includes access to an education that is equitable, accessible, and culturally and linguistically centered.
She is a proactive, strategic thinker with demonstrated talent of successfully managing local and national programs of diverse constituents, teams, and communities. Imelda is experienced in community engagement, program development and management, nonprofit leadership, program outreach, training, and comprehensive service provision. She brings a depth and breadth of experience in the nonprofit sector from direct services to stakeholder engagements.
Imelda also serves on the board of Orange County Leadership Tomorrow and as an advisory board member of Be a Bookworm. She was a former board member of a Los Angeles based survivor led anti-trafficking organization, Maria Suarez Foundation. Imelda volunteers in communities where she works and lives extending her professional service in caring and connecting with her community.
Additionally, she is a business partner of Phantom Design, a design and technology company. This allows her to bring additional communications resources to her various volunteer work and projects.
Diane Alvarado is a proud mother of three, two of which attend Extera Public Schools. She serves on the ELAC committee to support English Learners and is a member of the school’s recruitment committee. She has served on the Board since August 2023.
Diane volunteers with programs to address the hunger needs of those experiencing homelessness and living in orphanages. SHe was inspired to this service through her church missionary work and after working in quality assurance for Proportion Foods, United Food Group, and AFA Foods. She has also served as the quality control lead for Buena Vista’s school lunch program. Diane previously attended East LA Community College, earning a certification in Automated Business Finance and has served as a certified special education teacher trainee in the Los Angeles area. Her time with the Job Corps (1995) also informs her lens on supporting the schools classified staff.