EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
AEF is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of parents, community business and professional people, retired educators, and community activist.
Steve Perry
President
Steve was born in Alhambra and attended Martha Baldwin School and San Gabriel High School. He joined the AEF Board in 2005, was elected president in 2006, and continues to lead the Foundation today as president. Steve has served on the Alhambra Unified School District Board of Education and as a member of the Alhambra Civil Service Commission. He is a Director-Chairman for the Tournament of Roses. His many community activities have led to many honors. Among them: Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the year, 2008; Boy Scout Citizen of the Year, 2016; AEF Life Time Achievement Award, 2017; and Honorary Life Membership Award from the Alhambra District PTA. His wife Debora is the Instructional Specialist at Garfield School and his son Caleb attends Park School.
Cliff Bender
1st Vice President
Cliff is a long-time Alhambra resident and has served on the AEF Board since 2010. He has held the office of treasurer and is presently first-vice president. He has two adult daughters who have gone through schools in the Alhambra Unified School District. Cliff is a retired educator, with 37 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Maria Chow-Kakazu
2nd Vice President
Maria is the parent of two former Alhambra district students. She has been a member of the Board since 2012 and has served as secretary and third vice-president. She has worked for over 25 years at the Garfield Medical Center in various positions and is presently Director of Rehab for Garfield Medical Center and Monterey Park Hospital. She has received the Superb Performance Recognition from Garfield Medical Center and Tour De Cure for American Diabetes from 2010 to 2014. She loves cycling, painting, live theater, concerts and art.
Martin Ulloa
Secretary
Martin is a teacher at Independence High School in Alhambra and has served on the AEF Board since 2003. He presently holds the office of secretary on the Board. Martin has also been president of the Alhambra Latino Association and the San Gabriel Fine Arts Association. He holds degrees from Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Los Angeles and Grand Canyon University. Martin served as PTA president at Northrup School during the time his three children attended Northrup.
Dawn Rock
Treasurer
Dawn was born in Pasadena, has resided in Monterey Park most of her life, and attended Mark Keppel High School. With 31 years of experience, Dawn worked in all levels of public education, including elementary, middle, and high school and the district office. She has been an English teacher, Counselor, Principal, and Director of Special Education and Student Services. After earning her BA, two MA degrees, and 3 credentials from CSULA, Dawn earned her doctorate in Social Work from the Universityof Southern California. Dawn and Nathaniel have been married for over 30 years and all four of their children attended MKHS.
Board of Directors volunteering at the Food Bank
2024 - 2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ed Aguirre
Ed retired from AUSD in 1998. He served as principal at Northrup, Ynez and Fremont schools during his Alhambra career. He joined AEF Board of Directors in 1998 and became their third President. After 5 years as President, he began AEF Summer Elementary Enrichment Academy and the Summer High School Program. Ed, a die-hard USC Football fan with tickets on the 50 yard line, has been married to Marsha for over 32 years.
Shirley Gudal
Shirley is a retired AUSD Instructional Specialist who worked at Northrup School for 39 years. She joined the AEF Board in 2016 and serves the Foundation as one of our grant writers. She has attended Pacific Lutheran University, Cal State Los Angeles, and Point Loma University and holds a Bachelor’s in Education and Master’s in Education. Shirley volunteers much of her time with Friends of the San Gabriel Library, Las Alas (assistance league of Arcadia), and was on the School Board for Grace Christian Academy. Shirley is the 2012 recipient of the AEF Service to Education Award.
John Nunez
John joined the AEF Board in 2006. He is presently serving on the Garvey Board of Education and was first elected to serve a four-year term in 1981 and re-elected in 1993 and 2017. He has dedicated considerable effort to community service work through a wide variety of projects, boards and offices, including: Board Member for Alhambra Unified School District; Mayor Pro Tem and Councilmember for Rosemead City Council; Regional Representative for San Gabriel Valley Council of Government’s Committee on Energy and Human Development; Co-President of the Garvey Council PTA; and many other boards and committees. He has received two PTA Honorary Service Awards, and the Golden Apple Award from the Association of California School Administrators.
Alice Tan
Alice is a parent of two children, one of which attends Baldwin School. She is a former AUSD student, having attended Baldwin School and San Gabriel High School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, and is presently a Financial Consultant at Kaiser Permanente. Alice is active in Girls Scout Daisy Troop #00421 and holds the position of treasurer of this troop. She also is a pre-school Sunday school teacher at Evergreen Baptist Church. Alice has been on the AEF Board since 2017.
Hoang (Kevin) Nong
Hoang (Kevin) Nong is currently a math teacher at San Gabriel High School and joined the staff in 1994. He is a product of AUSD, an alumnus of Ynez elementary and Mark Keppel High School in the early 1980s. He holds a BA in math from Cal State Los Angeles and a MA in education from Grand Canyon University. Kevin is also a parent in the district with two children who are currently attending Monterey Highlands School.
Lorraine Tom
Lorraine is presently a teacher/librarian at San Gabriel High School. She has been on the AEF Board since 2005. Lorraine holds a BA in History from Cal State University Los Angeles and a California Teaching Credential.
Sharon Woo
Sharon is a software engineer by profession, with a BS degree in Biomedical Engineering and a MS degree in Electrical Engineering, from USC and Cal State University Fullerton. She retired from the engineering world to become a full- time mom and active volunteer at all of her children’s schools. Desiring to continue helping students after her children graduated from Keppel, Sharon became an instructional aide for the AUSD Special Education Department. Sharon is a member and office holder of the Mark Keppel High Alliance, PTSA, Instrumental Music Boosters, Drama Boosters, and more. She is the recipient of many awards, including the AEF Service to Education Award, PTSA Honorary Service Award, Golden Oak Award, Keppel Honorary Thespian Award, and others. She has been an AEF Board member since 2012 and held the office of 2nd Vice-President.
Thomas Wong
Thomas Wong was born and raised in Monterey Park. He serves as president of the board of the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District. He was first elected to represent the city of Monterey Park to the water board in November 2012, where he has spearheaded efforts to ensure a sustainable, affordable and resilient water supply for residents in the San Gabriel Valley. Thomas also works as a Public Affairs Manager on the Policy Engagement Team at Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, where he helps advance clean energy, climate and environmental policies. He also serves on the boards of Climate Resolve, the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, and Nature for All, and is a co-chair of the LA Chamber's Energy, Water and Environmental Sustainability Council. Prior to Edison, he was an aide to State Controller Betty Yee and former Assembly member Mike Eng. He received his Bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Geography/Environmental Studies from UCLA and his Master of Public Administration from USC.
Rafaela Diaz
Rafaela Diaz, a proud first-generation college graduate from Kern County, Bakersfield, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. With over 13 years of experience, Rafaela's career began at Transtech, where she played a key role in supporting Building, Safety, and Planning Departments across Southern California cities, including the City of Alhambra. Her journey continued in 2014 at Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas). There, as an engineer, Rafaela made notable contributions to public safety through her involvement in a major capital project focused on the safety of SoCalGas' pipeline system. Her expertise also extended to regulatory affairs, where she managed corporate-wide teams' participation in proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission as a Regulatory Case Manager. Rafaela has since returned to Transtech, now in client relations, where she uses her experience in engineering to ensure success in project deliveries for client cities. Beyond her professional endeavors, Rafaela is an active member of the Bell Chamber of Commerce, the non-profit Embracing Latina Leadership Alliances (ELLAS), and the PBS SoCal | KCET Community Advisory Board, showcasing her dedication to both her profession and her community.