(Santa Ana, Calif.) – With a unanimous vote, the Santa Ana College (SAC) Foundation Board of Directors recently appointed attorney José Alfredo Hernández as its newest member to oversee the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which raises funds for SAC and the 54,696 students it serves annually.
An immigrant himself, Hernandez said he is proud to serve on the SAC Foundation Board and in turn help the college's largely first-generation students climb the ladder of professional and personal success and fulfill the workforce needs of the region.
“I was raised here in the city of Santa Ana, although I wasn't born here, I consider the city of Santa Ana my home," Hernández said. “Over my many years here, I've seen Santa Ana College be so crucial to the development of our community and provide wonderful training."
Hernández immigrated from Mexico as a child and rose to become a prominent Orange County attorney. He was a member of the first graduating class from Century High School in the city of Santa Ana in 1992, later attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California, Los Angeles, and Whittier Law School. He founded the Law Office of José Alfredo Hernández, APC in Orange, which specializes in immigration law and criminal defense. He previously served on the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education from 2007 through 2016.
“José Alfredo Hernández is an Orange County success story and his dedication to raising the profile of Santa Ana College through his work on our board is a testament to his leadership and volunteerism," said Kristin Crellin, president of the SAC Foundation Board of Directors. Crellin is the senior vice president of School & Community Relations at Schools First Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the nation.
Hernández, who previously volunteered with SAC's Legal Studies Program, becomes the newest member of the 24-seat Foundation Board, which oversees $14 million in assets. The Foundation's $6 million Raising The Game Campaign is currently 85 percent funded going into its third and final year.
“When top business and community leaders like José, Kristin and their colleagues step up in volunteer service on our Foundation Board, it speaks volumes about what we do at Santa Ana College, which is fueling our local, state and national economic engine by preparing students for careers or further higher education," said Dr. Annebelle Nery, president of SAC. “We are grateful for our board members and their leadership as we help students achieve their educational goals. Our Foundation board's commitment shows through the ongoing success of our current fundraising campaign and the fact that SAC is one of the largest community colleges in California serving diverse students according to Community College Review."
To learn more about the Santa Ana College Foundation, please visit www.sac.edu/foundation. At Santa Ana College, classes start every eight weeks, to learn more, visit www. sac.edu. Questions about this press release can be directed to Dalilah Davaloz, public information officer at davaloz_dalilah@sac.edu.
About Santa Ana College:
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 54,696 students yearly. At SAC, students can work toward completing an associate degree, university transfer, career/workforce training or a bachelor's degree in occupational studies. As part of Santa Ana College, the School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center offers FREE classes throughout the community for adults of all ages and academic backgrounds. Santa Ana College is an award-winning college and was recently ranked as one of the nation's top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students and named one of the best community colleges in California by Intelligent.com. The college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and medical personnel. Santa Ana College is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
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