Board of Directors
The all-volunteer California Jump$tart Coalition Board of Directors has formal authority for creating the organization's vision and accomplishing its mission and objectives. It is charged with the organization's governance, policy and strategy.
Tena Lozano
Tena Lozano is the current Chair of the California Jump$tart Coalition. In addition, she is the executive director of the Richard Myles Johnson Foundation, the state credit union foundation for California and Nevada. The RMJ Foundation’s signature program, Bite of Reality teaches teens real-world financial realities in a fun, interactive simulation that appeals to their desire to be financially successful. The simulation is both interactive (with volunteers playing the role of pushy salespeople) and tech-savvy (with students utilizing a smartphone app to enter their purchasing decisions), making for a timely and relevant experience.
She is a past chair of the California Jump$tart Coalition and has more than 30 years’ experience in the credit union movement. She received a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from California Polytechnic University, Pomona
Lisa Amos
Lisa Amos, CPFFE, is Faculty Coordinator for the Mountie Money Management Center (MMMC) at Mt San Antonio College in Walnut. As a Professor of Family and Consumer Studies she has taught Life Management, Personal Finance, and Consumer Skills classes since 2002. She regularly teaches Life Management classes for high school students through Mt. SAC’s Dual Enrollment program. Lisa is active with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Association (AFCPE®), American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) and the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA). She holds a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences from Iowa State University and an M.S in Family and Consumer Sciences from California State University, Northridge.
John Angelo
John Angelo has had a long career in association management over the past 46 years that includes work with the American Red Cross, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and with the CA Society of CPAs (CalCPA) for over 30 years. He is the Former Executive Director of CalCPA Institute (created to provide Financial Literacy for Californians) and Vice President, Strategic Relations for CalCPA. Prior to retirement his scope of work at CalCPA included Financial Literacy, working with accounting educators throughout the state, student outreach, leadership identification and development, nominations, member affinity programs and building strategic alliances with other professional organizations. John is a 30 year member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and a member and past Board Chair of California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE).
Jim Charkins
Jim Charkins, Ph.D. is the Economics Professor Emeritus and Director for Economics Education, California State University, San Bernardino. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1970. Dr. Charkins has developed economics teaching materials and conducted workshops nationally and internationally for teachers and students from the Kindergarten through doctoral level. He is the author of the MoneyWiseTeen (winner of two international awards for creative marketing), Living the American Dream, the Teacher Guide to the California Economics Standards, and It’s Your Choice. He serves on many boards including CCEE, the California Association of School Economics Teachers, and the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Business Economists.
Andrea Ferrero
Andrea Ferrero is the Co-Founder and Director of Pockets Change, an education organization that uses hip hop pedagogy to build financial capability with K-12 students, families, and educators. Teaching on the Navajo reservation where she grew up, Andrea saw friends and students falter when money moved from math class to practical application. Looking for tools to empower learning communities, she stepped into the world of financial literacy and edtech. She’s enjoyed over a decade of teaching PreK-12th grade, coaching educators, and designing award winning educational programs and digital products. Andrea received a B.S. in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University, and two Master’s in Educational Leadership and Curriculum & Instruction with Multicultural Contexts from Azusa Pacific University. She holds a teaching credential in PreK-12th grade multiple subjects. While she’s based in Santa Barbara, California, Andrea calls learning communities in cities around the world home.
Andee Hugenberg
Andee Hugenberg is a District Lead at EVERFI. She has promoted Financial Literacy in the classroom since starting at EVERFI in 2017. Prior to working at EVERFI, Andee was a 6th and 2nd grade teacher in Nebraska, an ESL teacher in Germany, and an oceanfront lifeguard for the city of San Diego (where she was born and raised and still resides today!) Andee received her B.A. in Elementary Education at Creighton University. She grows more passionate about financial literacy every day, especially now that she’s raising children of her own. She finds joy in supporting districts and teachers who are dedicated to financial literacy instruction for their students.
Bruce Kajiwara
Bruce Kajiwara has been in the financial services industry since 1979, when he began work as a public accountant in the national firm of Price Waterhouse (now PwC). Bruce is a Certified Public Accountant (non-practicing).
Even though he no longer practices as a CPA, Bruce remains active with his CPA profession. Bruce served as a director in the Sacramento Chapter of the California Society of CPAs (CalCPA), is currently chairperson of the chapter’s Estate and Financial Planning Committee, a position he has held for over 25 years. He is a former co-vice-chair of the State Personal Financial Planning Committee for CalCPA. Bruce strives to educate his clients about their personal finances as much as possible. He exhibits this commitment beyond work by volunteering to teach others about financial topics, whether they be high school students or adults. He has been a member of CalCPA’s Financial Literacy Committee since 2003 and is a past chair of that committee.
Stepan Mekhitarian
Stepan Mekhitarian currently serves as the national K12 Outreach Manager for Intuit for Education. With a background in business-economics and 17 years in education at school sites and in district leadership roles, Stepan is deeply passionate about the importance of financial literacy to help students achieve success. Previously, Stepan served as the Director of Innovation, Instruction, Assessment and Accountability at Glendale Unified School District and held positions as Secondary Math Coordinator and Coordinator of Data and Blended Learning at Los Angeles Unified School District. He started his career in education as a high school math teacher and school administrator at Green Dot Public Schools. He has collaborated on designing and leading professional development for the California Department of Education and has authored books on using instructional technology and actionable data to drive personalized learning and innovation. Stepan holds master’s and doctorate degrees from UCLA, Harvard and Loyola Marymount University and is motivated by the approach “your success is my success” - that the work isn’t done until all students succeed.
Chase Peckham
Chase Peckham serves as the director of community outreach for the San Diego Financial Literacy Center (SDFLC), a nonprofit he helped establish in 2013 as the education arm of DebtWave Credit Counseling, Inc. The work of the SDFLC is focused on personal financial education of San Diego County residents with a focus on youth (K-12 and college), military (active, transitioning and veteran) and low-to-moderate income individuals.
Chase received his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of San Francisco in 1995. He also earned his Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF) and Certified Personal Finance Counselor (CPFC) certifications through the Center for Financial Certifications.
Chase serves on the board of the Stone Ranch Elementary School Foundation and on the San Diego Mesa College of Business Advisory Board. He lives with his wife, Keri and children, Clayton and Avery in 4S Ranch, a community in North County San Diego.
In his free time, Chase enjoys vacationing with his family, boating, waterskiing, golfing and watching his kids play sports.
Josh Smith
Josh Smith serves as Vice President, School and Community Relations for SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union (FCU) headquartered in Tustin, CA. The credit union serves school employees in California and is the largest education-based credit union in the nation, as well as the largest credit union based in California. Serving in his current role since 2021, he and his teams support the credit union’s relationship development, philanthropic impact, and financial education efforts throughout the state. Josh also serves as Executive Director for the Education Foundation for California Schools, which provides curriculum and project grants to California K-14 teachers. He also proudly serves as a board member for various education-based foundations. Beginning his credit union career at SchoolsFirst FCU in 2005, Josh has served in a variety of areas, including Membership Development, Government Affairs and Advocacy. Josh has a BA in Communications, Public Relations from California State University, Fullerton and currently resides in Orange, CA.
Ann M. Stahl
Ann Stahl has been a California Jump$tart Coalition Board Member since 2005, and currently serves as its Secretary. She recently retired after 44 years as a Federal Trade Commission Investigator, first at the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in Washington, D.C. and then with its Western Regional Office in Los Angeles. She worked on both consumer protection and antitrust cases, and was also responsible for media relations and outreach for the regional office. She is an adjunct professor in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department of California State University-Northridge, where she teaches a course in Consumer Advocacy and Education. She also serves as Treasurer of the California Alliance for Consumer Education, and as an Educator with the Stop Senior Scams Acting Program.
Abby Ulm
Abby Ulm is the Executive Director of the Altura Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Altura Credit Union, where she leads strategic initiatives that advance education and financial wellness for residents throughout Riverside County, California. In addition to her Foundation role, Abby provides executive oversight of Altura Credit Union’s financial education and financial counseling programs. These initiatives deliver interactive workshops and individualized financial coaching designed to equip individuals and families with the knowledge and tools needed to improve cash flow, build savings, manage credit, and achieve long-term financial stability.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and is a certified Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI). Abby is widely recognized for her ability to design scalable, high-impact programs that create measurable improvements in financial well-being and expand access to opportunity for underserved communities.
Melissa Webb
Melissa Webb has served as the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Education Programs Consultant at the California Department of Education (CDE) for the past eleven years, specifically in the Education, Child Development, and Family Services, Fashion and Interior Design, and Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation industry sectors. She provides technical assistance and support to FCS teachers statewide, including curriculum and instruction, standards implementation, and professional development opportunities. Melissa is also the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) California State Advisor.
Melissa has been awarded the California FCCLA Distinguished Service Citation and is a California Honorary Member. She was inducted into the National FCCLA Leadership Hall of Fame in 2020.
Melissa serves on the following Board of Directors’ for California FCCLA, Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers Association of California, California Affiliate of Family and Consumer Sciences, California Jumpstart, and LEAD FCS. Early in her career, Melissa taught at Lakewood High School in the Long Beach Unified School District for ten years and for four years at Monticello High School in Minnesota. Melissa earned her Bachelor of Arts and her Master of Arts degrees in Family and Consumer Sciences from California State University, Long Beach. Melissa can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..