Panelist Bios

Dr. Duane Coleman is the Superintendent of Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD). He is a product of the schools he now leads. He attended Laurel Elementary, Jefferson Middle School (though at the time it was Jefferson Junior High), and is a proud graduate of Oceanside High School (Once a Pirate always a Pirate!). The educational opportunities he experienced in Oceanside opened the doors that allowed him to pursue a college education. Dr. Coleman completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Hawaii, went on to complete his master’s in Business Education at National University, and earned his Education Specialist Degree from Point Loma University. He went on to earn his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Alliant International University. In May 2016, Dr. Coleman earned a Masters of Arts in Educational Technology from Central Michigan University. Dr. Coleman has been an educator for over 35 years. His experience has taken him from a classroom teacher at OUSD, to working as a site administrator in Oceanside, San Dieguito schools and also High School Principal at the Murietta Valley Unified School District. He eventually took on the role of Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for OUSD and in 2014, I became Superintendent of the finest district in California, Oceanside Unified.

Michael Funk, Director of the Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) for the California Department of Education, was appointed to this position in early 2012 by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson. The EXLD, in collaboration with a diverse group of educators and practitioners, developed “A Vision for Expanded Learning in California, Strategic Plan: 2014 – 2016”. Michael and the EXLD are working with SoL develop the EXLD into a learning ecosystem of support to after school and summer programs that support the families and children of CA. Prior to this role, Michael founded the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center (www.snbc.org) in San Francisco in 1996, providing engaging programs to approximately 1,100 youth each day and 400 adults each week.

Nedra Ginwright is the chief flourish officer of Flourish Agenda, an Oakland-based organization that provides transformative leadership development and builds social emotional well-being among urban youth and youth serving professionals. Nedra learned from her mother the power of stepping up as a leader, working on behalf of the voiceless, and getting involved to change social conditions. Nedra previously co-founded and led Leadership Excellence, supporting youth leadership development for African American youth. During twenty-five years of working with urban youth, Nedra has seen the impact of internalized and externalized racism on youths’ physical, spiritual, and emotional health. She has also seen the profound individual and community impacts of racial healing and what happens when youth feel safe, open, and hopeful. These firsthand experiences drive Nedra, who firmly believes that we cannot thrive as a community or larger society if the trauma of personal and institutional racism and oppression is not addressed. Nedra received the Powerful Women Making a Difference Ebony Magazine Award in 2009 and is a 2015 Echoing Green fellow.