Board Members
Board President/Treasurer
Ms. Nelson is an Urban Planning and Land Development consultant with more than 30 years of experience in current planning, environmental planning, and land development/site acquisition services. She has managed planning and development projects for a number of private developers, and in a number of cities throughout the Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County areas. Ms. Nelson is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Urban and Regional Planning.
Ms. Nelson is an advocate for children and those in need and is passionate about the importance of high-quality education for all. She is an “out of the box” thinker who believes in innovative approaches to all things, especially education. She believes that access for underserved youth is essential to their ultimate success and development. Committed to service, Ms. Nelson is in partnership with a well-known international engineering firm where she organizes and participates in career day and STEAM-related educational events for schools in underserved areas. She manages a staff of ten young professionals and has recently been appointed to lead the company’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative for the West Region which includes northern and southern California, Seattle, Nevada, and Arizona.
Ms. Nelson is the mother of three amazing children; including two graduates of Loyola Marymount University, and one graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Los Angeles. She is also the proud grandmother of three REACH students. All of her children were born, raised, and educated in the Alvord and Corona/Norco Unified School Districts. She is a 20+ year resident of the Inland Empire.
Email: tnelson@reachroyals.org
Board Vice President
Carla Crow has been in the medical field for nearly 30 years. As a Registered Nurse, Mrs. Crow worked extensively at various hospitals as a clinical nurse. Eventually, she moved into the Home Health industry where she held a position as an Administrator/Director of Patient Care Services. For nearly a decade, Mrs. Crow has worked in academia, teaching Nursing Assistant Courses through the Riverside County Office of Education.
Mrs. Crow completed her BSN and received her Master’s Degree in Nursing with a specialty in Education through the University of Phoenix. She also is certified as a “Certified Dementia Practitioner ”. Mrs. Crow is the Administrator Assistant for her church’s non-profit clinic, she and her team provide medical care to the uninsured, underinsured, and homeless population.
Carla utilizes her knowledge and expertise in health services to oversee REACH Leadership Academy’s Health & Safety operations.
Email: ccrow@reachroyals.org
Board Secretary
Mrs. Boren has taught for RUSD for 14 years. During her time with RUSD, she has taught grades kinder through fourth. She currently teaches first grade. Jennifer holds a Master’s Degree in Cross-Cultural Education and a California Teaching Credential from National University in La Jolla, California in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree from San Diego State University. Mrs. Boren has always enjoyed teaching others and her kind nature and strong ethics make her an exceptional role model. She is married and her greatest role is as a mother to two young boys who inspire her to strive to better herself daily.
Mrs. Boren possesses a strong pedagogy that focuses on a whole-child approach. She stresses the importance of good character –responsibility, fairness, and caring are all pinnacles of student success. She ensures her students have clear guidelines and fosters a supportive learning environment to encourage the growth of mind and body. She serves a diverse student population and is extremely cognizant of the importance of tailoring instruction to extract the very best from each student. She is an inspiration to staff and students alike.
Email: jboren@reachroyals.org
Board Member
Ahlam Gheith was elected to the governing board in 2017 and has been a resident of Riverside County for over seven years. She has been involved in the education system for the past six years and has taught at ICC Community School and Corona Islamic School. Ahlam has also demonstrated her passion for education in her personal life. She is scheduled to be the Student Speaker for Norco College’s spring commencement ceremony due to her outstanding academic achievement. Ahlam is finishing her last two years at UC Riverside double majoring in Psychology and Political Science with a minor in communications.
Ahlam also has 12 years of experience in Inside Sales and relationship management, working with companies and small to medium businesses with extensive market knowledge in supplement and finance. Her expertise includes business development, program management, sales/revenue growth, and team building/development. She can prioritize multiple functions and tasks and manage time efficiently.
Ahlam has seven kids, six of whom attended REACH Leadership STEAM Academy. She is the founder and owner of Atollo Photography.
Email: agheith@reachroyals.org
Board Member
Angel Braach was elected to the governing board in 2021. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Law and Society from the University of California, Riverside, and a Juris Doctor from the University of La Verne College of Law. Ms. Braach is also in possession of a Master of Laws in Taxation from Chapman University School of Law.
Angel has over 10 years of experience as an attorney. She has extensive experience working with various government agencies from local municipalities to her current position with the State. Her background includes both civil and administrative law. The majority of her work has been focused on litigation, but she also has experience in drafting policies and contracts. Her professional memberships include The State Bar of California as an active member and the United States District Court, Central District of California.
Ms. Braach is not a stranger to volunteering. During her legal career, she has had the opportunity to volunteer at local organizations. She has been a REACH parent for five years and has two children who attend, in addition to a nephew and children of her friends. She is heavily invested in quality education and hopes that she can make meaningful contributions to the work the REACH Governing Board accomplishes.
Email: abraach@reachroyals.org
Board Member
Patricio Perez was elected to the REACH governing board in 2021. Dr. Perez brings a unique global and diverse view of education systems to our school. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biotechnology Engineering and a Master’s of Science degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Chile. He then received his Doctoral degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Neuroscience Biology from the University of Chile. His dissertation is titled “Lateral root development: identifying molecular components mediating Sortin2 response.”
Dr. Perez has an expansive trajectory in the area of Molecular and Cell Biology including fellowships and scholarships, research, teaching, and publications. His experience includes collaborations with other academics and renowned global institutions. Dr. Perez is currently at the University of California, Riverside as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences.
Dr. Perez truly values democratic values and the crucial work that governing boards provide to their respective agencies and communities. He hopes to spread his passion for the arts and sciences at our STEAM institution and meaningfully contribute to our program.
Membership to scientific societies includes the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Society for Plant Biologists (ASPB), and the Chilean Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SBBMCh).
Email: pperez@reachroyals.org
Board Member
Ashleigh Reid has served as a parent member since 2017. She firmly believes that education is an important life tool for success if distributed equitably. Ashleigh is an ardent supporter of charter schools. She believes that charter schools are tailored more to the individual child's needs versus traditional public schools. Through her oversight and parent lens, her priorities include business operations, curriculum, and technology procurement. Ashleigh notes that one of the essential aspects of REACH is its school culture-- teachers and staff are genuine, and REACH has set a standard of excellence in all aspects of its operations.
Mrs. Reid has ten years of business administration experience and holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and a Master's from the University of Phoenix. Ashleigh currently works for California's Department of Adult Parole Operations, hand-in-hand with the Southern California region's regional administrator. She and her husband are also Youth Pastors at their church. In this role, Mrs. Reid works and connects with youth and facilitates events and fundraisers. She expresses that it feels good to give back to her community and see people's lives change based on her commitment to serve others.
Ashleigh currently lives in and was raised in the Inland Empire. Her three children, as well as cousins, attend REACH. When Ashleigh is not working or serving REACH or her church, she spends quality time with her family. They enjoy riding bikes, journaling, and cooking together.
Email: areid@reachroyals.org
Board Member
Maria Maness is a Latina Spanish-speaking community college counselor. She has over a decade of post-secondary education experience. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of La Verne in Organizational Management and a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in Academic Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services credential. Mrs. Maness, also known as Maestra Maria, has found significant meaning in serving all students, including underrepresented special populations, foster youth, and first-generation college students. Her passion for educating and counseling students stems from her personal experience as an immigrant, support through the foster care system, and mentors in her life. Working with students fuels her spirit and gives new meaning to her profession. She aspires to continue serving students and her community through mentoring and community involvement.
While Mrs. Maness enjoys serving students, her most important role is that of motherhood and grandparenting an energetic five-year-old. When time permits, she enjoys reverse triathlons, and CrossFit.
Email: mmaness@reachroyals.org
Board Member
Kimmery Moss is a full-time mother of two young children. She was born and raised in Southern California, where she developed a love for school, the natural world, and creativity. She pursued higher education at the University of Southern California, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis in Poetry and minored in Political Science. She graduated with honors and was awarded the “Renaissance Scholar” title for her diverse areas of study.
There, she served as a member of Americorps, where she was an assistant preschool teacher in Los Angeles Jumpstart preschools for three years. She also created and implemented a poetry curriculum for 5th-grade students at 32nd Street Elementary School and organized the publication of an anthology of their poetry titled “Just a Kid in the World,” which contained over 100 student poems. Before graduation, she embarked on a semester-long voyage on a 112-foot schooner where she learned to sail as they circumnavigated the Caribbean basin, traveled to diverse countries, learned about ocean research, conservation, and scientific study of the natural world.
After graduation, Kimmery applied and was accepted into the prestigious Teach for America program, where she served as an 8th-grade language arts teacher in LAUSD at GreenDot Public Schools. She received her teaching credentials from Loyola Marymount University and went on to teach for Riverside Unified School District at Chemawa Middle School. After her years of teaching middle school, she switched gears and began her yoga journey, gaining her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certificate and instructing yoga for adult students. These days, she teaches yoga to postpartum mothers and her four-year-old daughter.
Kimmery brings a wealth of knowledge in early education, creativity, and language arts, as well as the perspective of a mother of young children. She has explored and accomplished many things, including earning a Black Belt Degree, being a certified PADI SCUBA Divemaster and Rescue Diver, and being published in several printed and digital poetry anthologies. Her latest collection of poetry was published in March 2023 and is titled “A Soul Stroll.”
During her free time, you can find her writing, teaching yoga, enjoying quality time with family, or spending time in nature.
Email: kmoss@reachroyals.org