Archives: Staff & Board
Daryl LaFountain
Finance Manager
Daryl is the finance manager for Californians Together. He has worked in nonprofit environments for almost three decades in settings that provide educational opportunities for children and support services for children and families bi-coastally. Most recently he owned and operated a company that provided outsourced financial services for nonprofits nationwide. Daryl lives in Los Angeles with his partner and children. He loves the California weather since relocating to Los Angeles seven years ago.
David Gonzalez
Communications Associate
Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, David is a proud product of California’s public schools. He seeks to ensure that every student in the state has access to a high-quality education and the supports they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond. David comes to Californians Together from the Data Quality Campaign, a national education and workforce policy nonprofit, where he worked to support the organization’s communications and federal policy efforts. Previously, he worked directly with students in Azusa and Baldwin Park as an afterschool and extended learning instructor—it was this experience that prompted David to consider the impact of public policy on students and families. He is particularly interested in the intersections of economic, racial, and environmental justice in education. David earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA as well as a master’s in American government from Georgetown University. Outside of work, David enjoys live music, visiting museums, and supporting his UCLA Bruins.
Leah Lampa
Professional Learning Specialist
A native Californian and daughter of Filipino immigrants, Leah is committed to advocating for California’s English learners and improving their educational experience. Leah has 15 years of experience in public education, including roles as a DC Public Schools elementary teacher, Dual Language Teacher Leader, ELL Department Chair, and District Multilingual Learner Specialist. Her experience has equipped her with expertise in creating language-rich environments and leveraging cultural diversity as assets within communities. Leah holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UC Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education from George Mason University.
Manuel Buenrostro
Policy Director
Manuel comes to this work as a native Californian, son of Mexican immigrants, former English learner, and first generation college graduate. He stands on the shoulders of his family and wonderful mentors and teachers at school, who worked hard to ensure he had access to opportunities. Manuel now has over fifteen years of experience working in public education, starting as an English learner teacher in Los Angeles. He has since worked at DC Public Schools and as an Obama administration appointee at US Department of Education. Prior to joining the Californians Together team, he was a policy analyst for the California School Boards Association, always focusing on closing opportunity gaps and equity. During his free time, you can find Manuel in Sacramento running, hanging out with his dog, Chewie, or at home watching the newest Marvel or Star Wars movies and shows.
Martha Hernandez
Executive Director
Martha Hernandez, the oldest of nine children, is a first-generation college graduate and a role model for her siblings who also earned university degrees and are now serving as physicians, teachers, a computer programmer, an organic chemist and a doctor of pharmacy. She attributes her family’s success to her mother who was an unwavering advocate for her children with a strong belief in the power of public education. Her lifelong support of the United Farm Workers and bilingual education has fueled her commitment to causes of equity and excellence in education especially on behalf of English learners. Her 42 years of public school experience at the classroom, school, district and county levels as well as her involvement in numerous state committees serve her well to advance the vision of Californians Together. Martha and her husband Aurelio Jaúregui are the former owners of Evita’s Mexican Café in Ventura named after their daughter. She is especially proud of her son, Juan Carlos who is an attorney and a computer software engineer.
Ruth Barnett Barajas
Project Director, ELLLI & Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students
Read Bio ›Ruth Barnett Barajas
Project Director, ELLLI & Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students
Growing up in San Diego County, Ruth had opportunities to become bilingual, applying the Spanish she learned in school by participating in a high school summer program sponsored by Rotary International, in Leon, Gto. (Mexico) and spending a year in Mexico City in college living with a host family and attending La Universidad Iberoamericana. She has been a strong advocate for multilingual programs for English learners and native English speakers alike ever since. With over 30 years in the field of EL education, Ruth has provided instruction and leadership at school and district levels as a Bilingual Teacher, EL Programs Specialist, and School Principal. As Project Director for the English Learner Leadership and Legacy Initiative and the Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students project, Ruth works with senior EL Leaders and advocates from throughout California to continue to build and sustain the movement for educational equity for English Learners.