This season, members of the FoundationCCC Board of Directors demonstrated the power of leadership through action—from exploring global food systems and publishing stories of resilience to being honored in the cosmos. Their journeys reflect a shared commitment to innovation, equity, and student success.

Advancing Workforce Innovation: Food Frontier Tour

Keetha Mills, President and CEO of FoundationCCC, joined Patrick Mulvaney, Chair of the Board, celebrated chef/owner of Mulvaney’s B&L, and longtime advocate for sustainable food systems, and several other dignitaries from the Sacramento region, on the Food Frontier Innovation Tour. Together, they explored ag-tech breakthroughs in the Netherlands and Belgium to identify strategies for cultivating future-ready jobs and resilient food innovation in the Sacramento region.

“Seeing how other countries are innovating around food and sustainability was inspiring. We got a glimpse into the future of food and realized that Community Colleges have a big role to play in training the workforce of tomorrow and FoundationCCC is perfectly placed to lead the conversations around future workforce development for jobs that have yet to come into being.”

— Patrick Mulvaney,
Chair, FoundationCCC Board of Directors

Their participation reflects a shared drive to build locally grounded solutions with global relevance, especially those that benefit students, workers, and communities through equitable economic opportunity.

Learn more about the Food Frontier initiative, and its goal to champion the Sacramento region’s diverse food ecosystem and catalyze growth. 

Expanding Access to Leadership: Harry Le Grande’s Memoir

With the release of Leading to Yes: How I Saw Every Challenge as an Opportunity, Harry Le Grande, FoundationCCC Board Member and a respected leader across the UC, CSU, and CCC systems, invites readers into his journey from blue-collar beginnings to executive leadership. His book offers a fresh perspective on navigating challenges, with reflection prompts and practical leadership tools designed to inspire a wider range of future changemakers, particularly those who haven’t always seen their stories reflected in traditional leadership narratives.

Elevating Student Success in STEM: Manuel Baca’s Asteroid

Manuel Baca, FoundationCCC Board Member and longtime champion of student success and STEM education, was recently celebrated with an asteroid named in his honor. Discovered by Mt. San Antonio College students, “drmanuelbaca” celebrates his creation of the Kepler Astronomy Scholarship, a program that has opened doors for community college students to explore careers in science and astronomy.

This recognition is a powerful reminder of how visionary leadership can create pathways that reach far beyond the classroom, and even beyond our planet. 

“It was a major surprise. I felt a deep appreciation and was left with few words to fully convey my thanks and gratitude to those students and professors involved.”

— Manual Baca, Member,
FoundationCCC Board of Directors

From global innovation to personal legacy, our Board continues to turn bold ideas into meaningful impact, championing new possibilities across our colleges, our communities, and even the stars. Their actions reflect a kind of leadership that moves with intention, rooted in equity, driven by purpose, and always reaching forward.

Find out more about our leadership >