Persist 2025

Dr. Noemí Hernández Alexander,  a first-generation college student and child of Mexican immigrants, is a mother, an education leader, a scholar, and a public servant with a powerful story of persistence through adversity. She has dedicated her life to breaking barriers and creating pathways for young women and students of all backgrounds. She has dedicated the last twenty years of her life to education, creating opportunities for students from Kindergarteners to Ph.D. candidates. Most recently, she served as the Interim Dean of Student Services at Riverside City College, supporting essential programs like TRIO, EOPS, Upward Bound, veterans, foster youth, and justice-impacted students. She is also a Professor of Political Science and Public Administration and the former Department Chair of History and Government at California Baptist University. Her leadership is marked by innovation, collaboration, and commitment to mentoring students and developing inclusive academic programs that prepare the next generation for civic engagement and public service.

Elected in 2022, to the Riverside Unified School District Board of Education, Noemí won her seat as a first-time candidate against all the odds. Since then, she has championed Dual-Enrollment and is a strong proponent of CTE expansion to include essential trades and the computing skills needed to enter the workforce of the future. Her leadership has been instrumental in reopening Casa Blanca Elementary School, restoring a vital educational resource in a historically Latino neighborhood, and in advocating for the construction of a new East Side school to eliminate long-distance busing for students. She also played a key role in selecting the district’s first Latina superintendent, marking a historic step in elevating Latina leadership.

Noemi works closely with Parent Advisory Groups to strengthen trust and ensure that families, many of whom are first-generation or Spanish-speaking, have a platform to share their voices and shape decisions. She continues to champion English learner success, equitable access, and culturally responsive communication in both English and Spanish. She is also leading initiatives to strengthen campus safety, advocating for wraparound services for mixed status families, and is spearheading fundraising for a $4.5 million multi-field soccer complex that will serve Riverside youth and families. Her work as trustee reflects a deep belief in community partnerships and a steadfast commitment to ensuring that every child has what they need to succeed.

Noemí’s research agenda lies at the intersection of politics, race, and gender, reflecting her passion for amplifying diverse voices in leadership. She is currently conducting a study—planned as a forthcoming book— on the fundraising experiences of women of color, who run for elected office. Grounded in feminist theory and intersectional frameworks, this work highlights the unique challenges and strategies of female candidates while offering insights into barriers, opportunities, and reforms needed to build more equitable pathways to leadership. By bridging her academic expertise, public service, and lived commitment to equity, Dr. Hernández Alexander brings to Persist a powerful message about resilience, advocacy, and the transformative power of education and representation.

Sabrina Cervantes is a working mother of triplets running to represent the 31st State Senate District. A Democrat, she currently represents the 58th Assembly District, which comprises portions of the Inland Empire. Sabrina was first elected to the State Legislature in 2016, and from 2022-2024, served as Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. She is also the first openly LGBTQ+ Latina to represent Western Riverside County in the Legislature.

Over the course of her first eight years in the State Legislature, Sabrina has authored 49 bills that have been signed into law, including important legislation to keep our communities safe and help local veterans, seniors, small businesses, and schools. She has brought home more than $650 million in state funding for Inland Empire infrastructure to reduce local traffic, expand the medical school at UC Riverside, and build new parks and green spaces. As the Chair of the State Assembly’s Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy, she secured funding to open a new trade school in Jurupa Valley for in-demand job skills, one of only two such trade schools in Southern California.

Sabrina is a lifelong Riverside County resident who worked in the private sector, state government, and for a statewide nonprofit organization prior to her election to the State Legislature. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in public policy from the University of California, Riverside, and she completed an executive education program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Sabrina and her wife, Courtney, are the proud parents of triplets.

A dozen members of Sabrina’s family served in World War II, including Sabrina’s grandfather, Gregorio Cervantes. Her great-uncle Joe landed on Omaha Beach, her great-uncle David fought to liberate both France and Italy, and her great-uncle Sam served in the Pacific Theater.

Connie Leyva is currently the Executive Director at KVCR Public Radio and Television. KVCR is located on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College serving the Inland Empire on Channel 24 and FM 91.9. She oversees all aspects of KVCR including community and student engagement, raising money, and content. Prior to joining KVCR in December of 2022, Leyva was the Senator serving the 20th Senate District in the Inland Empire from 2014 to 2022, representing almost a million constituents. During her tenue in the California State Senate, Senator Leyva served as chair of numerous key committees including the Democratic Caucus, Senate Education Committee, and Mobile and Manufactured Homes Select Committee. She authored more than fifty bills signed into law including landmark legislation on statute of limitation on sexual assault and Clean Truck Heavy-Duty Regulation. Leyva has always had a heart for people and the communities in which they live. She went to work for UFCW Local 1428 in 1994 and helped workers find their voices on the job. Starting in the benefits department, she ultimately became the first woman president of that local. From 2004-2014, while serving as UFCW Local President, she was also the first woman president of the California Labor Federation representing over 2.1 million workers though out California. Leyva lives in Chino, CA. with her husband Al where they raised their twin daughters who are now grown and have their own families.

Bio TBA

Clarissa Cervantes is a mom, businesswoman, and longtime community leader who currently represents Ward 2 on the Riverside City Council. She is the first woman to ever represent Ward 2, and she is the second Latina and the second LGBTQ person ever elected to the Riverside City Council.

As a Councilmember, Clarissa has pushed for millions of dollars in necessary road repairs, supported small businesses with microgrants, championed environmental and open space protections, created opportunities for artists to beautify neighborhoods, and voted to expand access to affordable housing. 

A veteran campaign organizer, Clarissa has worked on presidential, congressional, state legislative, county, and municipal campaigns throughout California. She also served as Chair of the Riverside Transit Agency’s Greater Riverside Transportation NOW Chapter and worked as a Legislative Field Representative to former Riverside Councilmember Andy Melendrez.

Clarissa holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Politics and Government from California State University, Northridge and a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning with an emphasis on Planning and Policy at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona.

Denise Davis is the founder of the Persist Women's Political Engagement Conference. The inaugural event started in 2017 and was the first of its kind in the region, bringing together students, scholars, elected officials, and those who work in the non-profit arena with a focus on inspiring women to get more involved at every level of government. Denise currently serves as the Assistant Director of Advocacy and Institutional Relations in UCR's Office of Governmental and Community Relations. In 2018, Denise was elected to the Redlands City Council and was re-elected in 2022, currently serving in her 7th year. She holds a masters degree from the London School of Economics and served as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar while there in 2007-2008. She is a first-generation college graduate and earned her BA from the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands. Above all, she's the proud mom of a lively two-year-old, whose boundless curiosity and sense of joy and wonder inspire her daily. 

Erin Edwards is the Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Riverside. Erin has nearly two decades of experience in policy, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership, having recently served as a Riverside City Councilmember. In that role, Erin represented 45,000 residents and hundreds of businesses in the Downtown Riverside core and surrounding neighborhoods where she created Riverside’s 6-pillar Homelessness Action Plan; sparked the Riverside Nonprofit Resilience Fund and Affordable Housing Trust Fund; and championed Riverside’s Community Engagement Policy, Street Outreach Nurse program, Wildlands public safety teams, and Parks & Neighborhood Specialists program. Erin also served as Chair of the Riverside City Council’s Housing & Homelessness Committee; on the Governing Board of Riverside County’s Continuum of Care; and two terms as Riverside’s Mayor Pro Tempore.

Susan C. Freeman is an award-winning CEO, strategic communicator, and Ph.D. scholar specializing in the Management of Complex Systems at the University of California, Merced. With over 20 years of experience, she has led initiatives in corporate strategy, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and systemic change. She is the CEO and Founder of Conscious Inclusion Company, LLC, a firm dedicated to creating and maintaining equity through inclusion in workplaces through data-driven solutions.

A recognized expert in inclusive leadership and corporate communications, Susan has educated over 3,000 legal and financial service professionals, consulted for Fortune 500 firms, and contributed thought leadership on workplace inclusion, gender equity, and business development. 

For Luz Gallegos, TODEC is a family affair. She grew up within the embrace of the TODEC community- an organization her parents started when her family first moved to the Inland Empire. For many years she served as the Community Program Director of TODEC before stepping into the Executive Director role in 2020. Outside of work, she loves to sing and lives in the community with her husband, children, and dogs.

Mark C. Long began his role as Dean of the UCR School of Public Policy (SPP) in January 2023, following the successful tenure of Anil Deolalikar, who served as Founding Dean of SPP.

From 2004-2022, Long was Professor of Public Policy and Governance and Adjunct Professor of Economics at the University of Washington. He served as the Evans School of Public Policy and Goverance's Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (2018-19) and Associate Dean for Research (2016-18). Long served on the faculty of George Washington University as an assistant professor of economics and public policy and administration from 2002-04.

Long holds a Ph.D. and MA in Economics from the University of Michigan, an MPP from the University of Michigan, a secondary teaching credential via UCLA, and a BA in Studio Art from DePauw University. 

Dr. Justine Ross is Executive Director of the Center for Community Solutions at UC Riverside’s School of Public Policy, where she leads community-engaged research and cross-sector initiatives that advance regional well-being by partnering with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and university researchers to identify local policy challenges and co-develop data-informed solutions. She also oversees the Center’s student programs, such as the Randall Lewis Policy Fellowship, which provide hands-on research and professional development experiences for UCR MPP students. Her own research focuses on employment law, hiring practices, and workforce development, with particular attention to justice-impacted populations and strategies to reduce barriers to opportunity. Dr. Ross holds a PhD in Political Science from UC Riverside and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Brie Giset Smith brings over 20 years of experience in fundraising and program development, staff management, financial administration, organizational and board leadership, and strategic planning – most recently as Chief Development Officer for Discovery Science Foundation.

Regina Weatherspoon-Bell is a businesswoman, nonprofit founder/CEO, creative event and documentary producer and community volunteer.

In 2020 she concluded two terms serving as Deputy Director for the First District San Bernardino County Supervisor Robert Lovingood. During the past twelve years, she grew her nonprofit, Dreamers, Visionaries & Leaders (DVL) Project, into a well-recognized established brand within the High Desert and Inland Empire by providing cultural enrichment programs and scholarships.

In addition to IEHP Foundation, serves on several boards, including as former Vice Chair of Providence Southern California Health Care Regional Board, appointee to the San Bernardino County Committee on School District Organization, Board Member of Providence St. Mary Hospital Community Ministry Board and Past Board President of High Desert Community Foundation.

Stephanie Williams is executive editor of the IE Voice and Black Voice News. A longtime champion for civil rights and social justice in all its forms, she is also an advocate for government transparency and committed to ferreting out and exposing government corruption. Over the years Stephanie has reported for other publications in the inland region and Los Angeles and received awards from the California News Publishers Association for her investigative reporting and Ethnic Media Services for her weekly column, Keeping it Real. She also served as a Health Journalism Fellow with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism.