The Central Valley Mother Lode Center of Excellence (CVML COE) is pleased to announce that the team is now fully staffed. Patricia Salinas has been appointed as Interim Regional Director of the Center of Excellence, beginning in September 2024. Patricia brings over 25 years of experience in educational leadership and administration, with a strong background in grant project development, assessment, and higher education. Her previous roles include Project Director at UC Merced, Chief Diversity Officer and Title V Director at Fresno Pacific University, and Business Account Specialist at Proteus Inc. She holds an M.A. in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from California State University, Fresno, and a B.A. in Business Administration from Fresno Pacific University. 

Ignacio Faria, Senior Research and Planning Analyst, and Angela Steitz, Program Specialist, joined the team in May 2024.The new team is committed to providing critical labor market research and technical assistance to the 15 CVML colleges. The team looks forward to collaborating with faculty, regional stakeholders, and employer partners to advance workforce development initiatives. To learn more and access COE resources for the CVML region, visit https://coeccc.net/region/central-california/.