August 10, 2020
Christina Jimenez
cjimenez@@cccco.edu
T 916.322.4004
Sacramento, Calif. – California Community Colleges Board President Tom Epstein issued the following statement on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointment of two new members to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors:
“I am delighted to welcome Joseph Williams and Iulia Tarasova to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. They both bring outstanding experience and a commitment to community college students that will add great value to our board. I look forward to working with them to move our system forward in our unyielding push for equity and student success during this challenging time.”
The two new California Community Colleges Board of Governors representatives complete the 17-member team comprised of statewide leaders.
Williams, 44, of Rialto, has been public affairs manager at Southern California Edison since 2019. Williams is the founder and served as chief executive officer at Youth Action Project from 2006 to 2018. Williams held multiple positions at the County of San Bernardino, including an offender employment services specialist from 2003 to 2006 and a contracts analyst from 2001 to 2003. Williams is president of the board of directors at Youth Action Project, Inc. Williams is a member of the board of trustees at San Bernardino Community College District, executive board member of the California Workforce Development Board, member of the California Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities, member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc and Rotary International. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Social Impact from Claremont Lincoln University.
Tarasova, 22, of Roseville, served as student trustee caucus secretary for Student Senate for California Community Colleges from 2019 to 2020. Tarasova was a student trustee of the Sierra College District Board of Trustees and president of the Student Senate at Sierra College from 2019 to 2020, and has represented students in several positions and governance committees since 2018. She was a human resources intern at the City of Roseville from 2018 to 2020. Tarasova was a finance department intern at Quest Media & Supplies Inc. from 2016 to 2019. She was a Student Tutor at Roseville Joint Union High from 2016 to 2017. Tarasova was a Summer Youth Intern at Kaiser Permanente in 2016.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; degree and certificate pathways; and basic skills education in English and math. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision for Success, a strategic plan designed to improve student success outcomes, increase transfer rates and eliminate achievement gaps. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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