Board of Trustees
BOARD CONTACT INFORMATION
If you would like to contact the PUC Schools Boards of Trustees, please email [email protected].
BOARD MEMBERS
JUANA MARIA VALDIVIA, ED.D., BOARD CHAIR
Director of Student Outreach and Recruitment, California State University, Northridge
Dr. Valdivia earned a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts, as well as a master’s degree and doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where she now serves as the Director of Student Outreach and Recruitment. She has worked in higher education for more than 25 years, promoting college awareness and expanding access for students and their families.
She is also a proud parent of two PUC Triumph Charter High School alumnae, both of whom are currently enrolled at Cal Poly Humboldt and CSU Los Angeles.
MS. SARAH GRAMS, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT
President, Engaging Minds and Hearts
Sarah Grams is a former middle school teacher, PreK-12 teacher coach and high school administrator, with education roots in Baltimore, Milwaukee and Los Angeles public schools. Sarah received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her M.A. in Education from the Johns Hopkins University. Sarah specializes in teacher coaching and instruction, with deep experience in equity-focused educational leadership. Sarah currently works as the President of Engaging Minds and Hearts, responsible for overseeing the organization’s growth across the Southwest providing programs that educate students’ hearts and minds, from afterschool programs to PreK-8 curricula and teacher trainings. Sarah lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three amazing children.
MONICA MONGE-GARCIA, ED.D., BOARD SECRETARY
Dean of Student Learning, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
Monica Monge-Garcia is a native of the San Fernando Valley. Born and raised in Pacoima and San Fernando, Mrs. Monge-Garcia attended the local area public schools. She attended Los Angeles Mission College before transferring to Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Arts Degrees in Human Development with a specialization in Social Change. Mrs. Monge-Garcia has worked in higher education for the last 18 years. Currently, as a Dean at Moorpark College, her areas include English, Humanities, ESL credit/noncredit, Student Activities, Student Conduct and chairs the Behavioral Intervention Team. She is now ecstatic that she has the whole spectrum of education as a board member for PUC Schools. Her passion is in providing access to education to children and adults and being a board member allows her to serve her community.
MR. JOSH KINOSHITA, BOARD TREASURER
Education Consultant and Leadership Coach
Josh Kinoshita is an education consultant, leadership coach, and school leader with more than 20 years of experience in Los Angeles schools. He began his career as a teacher with LAUSD and later held operational and leadership roles at KIPP SoCal and Ednovate. He also directed ApplyLA, a citywide enrollment system that helped thousands of families access quality school options. Today, Josh supports schools and nonprofits with strategy, enrollment, leadership development, and data. Most recently, he has served as Interim Executive Director of Soleil Academy, a TK–5 charter school in Lynwood. He is a proud UCLA graduate and lives in Los Angeles with his family.
SARAH FIGUEROA-FREEMAN, ED.D. BOARD MEMBER
Since 1999, Sarah has been working in and around the education field. Before joining PLN in 2017, Sarah served as the Chief Operating Officer at Camino Nuevo Charter School. Throughout her career, Sarah has held various leadership roles with organizations such as the California Charter Schools Association, National Labor Relations Board, American Federation of Teachers, California State Senate, Cal State LA, the University of San Francisco and LAUSD. She is an accomplished leader with a passion for serving urban communities to ensure they are provided access to high quality services and educational opportunities. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of San Francisco, a Master’s degree in Labor and Employment Relations from Rutgers University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University.
MS. BROOKE BERN, BOARD MEMBER
Brooke Bern is a senior educational leader with over a decade of experience advancing instructional quality and operational excellence across charter school networks in the Los Angeles area. She currently serves as Director of Instructional Programs at Propel, where she leads strategy and implementation to strengthen teaching, learning, and school-level systems at both the school and network levels. Brooke has a proven track record coaching school leaders to elevate instructional quality and improve student outcomes, and brings expertise in instructional operations, charter development, and federal funding oversight. She is adept at aligning compliance and operations with academic priorities and has experience partnering with Boards to monitor academic performance, ensure fiscal stewardship, and support long-term strategy. Brooke brings a systems-oriented, equity-driven commitment to governance structures that promote accountability and sustainable impact.