CTE Foundation Staff
Kathy Goodacre,
Chief Executive Officer
CEO Kathy Goodacre has led CTE Foundation since its inception and is recognized throughout the community for her leadership in advocating for the Foundation’s mission. Having raised two children with different learning styles, Kathy has a personal passion for ensuring all students see a viable education and career path out of high school. Her vision is for more parents, employers, community leaders and educators to recognize the value of career technical education as an equitable path forward for students to become better prepared to tackle life after high school. By engaging employers, Kathy is committed to a “grow our own” philosophy to ensure our young people can be trained here, go to work here and most importantly have fulfilling lives here in Sonoma County.
Ms. Goodacre started her career in Sonoma County in 1990 where she served as the Vice President of Marketing/Fund Development for the local United Way. Following her departure from United Way in 1997, she launched a non-profit consulting business providing an array of services with an emphasis on program and fund development.
Ms. Goodacre holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky and resides in Santa Rosa with her husband Matt.
Amber Figueroa,
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
Amber began supporting CTE Foundation’s marketing, fundraising and outreach efforts as an independent contractor in 2014 and joined the team full time in January 2017. She deeply enjoys developing partnerships and programs that inspire young people to see their path and creating opportunities for individuals to contribute to the common good.
Amber’s love for mission-driven work was fostered through a variety of leadership roles, beginning with the family restaurant business, then shifting to global advertising management and finally transitioning to nonprofit organization strategy and development.
Amber holds a BA in International Business from Seattle University and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. She resides in Healdsburg with her partner George and kitty, Mr. Boo.
Leslie Simmons,
Vice President, Impact & Investments
Leslie joined CTE Foundation in February 2019 and is Vice President of Impact & Investments. She is passionate about sharing the impact of CTE Foundation’s work through storytelling and loves the opportunity to talk with teachers and students about the value of CTE in supporting students’ excitement for the future.
Prior to her work for CTE Foundation, Leslie spent over a decade running a video and film production business in northern California, crafting engaging visual and written content to meet the marketing and branding needs for clients from billion-dollar corporations to grassroots nonprofits.
Leslie holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Studies from U.C. Santa Cruz, where she studied politics and economics with a social change lens. A native of Healdsburg, Leslie currently resides with her husband and kiddo in Cloverdale.
Brandon Jewell,
Director of Student Experience
Brandon joined CTE Foundation in 2017 and is the Director of Student Experience where he helps implement programs and serves as an intermediary between education and local employers to ensure students are engaged in high-quality career-connected learning. Brandon understands that preparing our local students for life and career in the Sonoma County area is essential for the success of our students and our local economy.
Brandon’s passion for this work began when he was Director of Business Development at Sonoma County BEST (Building Economic Success Together), an economic development initiative, and continued through his role as Director of Economic and Workforce Development at the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber.
Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Sonoma State University, served in Leadership Santa Rosa Class #31, and was awarded the North Bay Business Journal’s Forty Under 40.
Ginger Baker,
Community Engagement Specialist
As our new Community Engagement Specialist, Ginger Baker joined the CTE Foundation in August 2022. Ginger is excited to connect our youth to local businesses and educational pathways to find sustainable careers.
Ginger loves being part of a team that is community-minded and focused. She has worked in many industries, from medical, legal, education and wine to construction. In these past roles, she is incredibly grateful for her mentors and lifelong relationships that have strengthened her abilities to accomplish her objectives here at CTE Foundation.
Ginger is a native of Northern California. In 2002, she moved back to Sonoma County and raised her twin boys, Elijah and Christian. She loves travelling, hiking, white-water rafting, live music, dancing and catching up with friends and family.
Debbie Schoemaker,
Business Operations Manager
Debbie joined the CTE Foundation team in March 2020 as Administrative Manager. Her passion for helping children thrive and achieve a successful future is what led her to CTE Foundation. She has volunteered her time to various organizations including Junior Achievement, NY Cares and Gilead House and is now delighted to be part of a team that helps inspire the future workforce of Sonoma County.
Debbie moved to Sonoma County from New York in 2011, where she enjoyed a long career at Deloitte delivering global technology solutions to her colleagues around the world. After many years in the private sector, she decided to apply her experience in the education sector, working in various schools throughout Petaluma, and later joining the development team at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, a nonprofit organization delivering music and arts education to children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Baruch College in New York.
A native New Yorker who loves the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced city, Debbie has come to love the more relaxed pace of living in beautiful Sonoma County along with her son Justin and partner Tim.
Jocelyn Camacho,
Community WISE Intern
Jocelyn joined CTE Foundation in 2022 as a Community Wise Intern. She’s passionate about STEM and loves to work and talk with students to help reinforce their passion for STEM. Jocelyn finds it rewarding to see young minds passionate about the things they love.
Jocelyn was born and raised in Sonoma County and is currently studying Computer Science at Santa Rosa Junior College before transferring to a UC. She previously interned at Keysight Technologies through a CTE Foundation-founded program called Sonoma Corps.
She resides in Santa Rosa with her family and dog, Blue.
Lucia Fee,
Marketing Intern
Lucia joined CTE Foundation in 2023 as a Marketing Intern. She is excited to work with programs designed to both engage and inspire students, especially within STEM. Lucia also wants to find new ways to connect to students, to make sure that their career passions can be honored and achieved.
Lucia has lived in Sonoma County her whole life and is currently a senior at Technology high School in Rohnert Park. She has also been a part of the Sonoma County Junior Commission on the Status of Women for three years, the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra for two years playing the violin, and is interested in cognitive science, marketing, and astrophysics.
She lives in Petaluma with her family and her labradoodle, Ginger.
