Candidates

Candidates for Area Board of Director

For Board of Director positions, the three NEA candidates and the one AFT candidate with the most votes are elected. There are no run-offs. Elections for Area Chairs, if needed, will be held during the Second Round.

Note Candidate statements/flyers are not UTLA’s statements/flyers. UTLA does not edit, censor, or endorse any of them.

Contested

2025-2026 South Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoGina Gray
  • Candidate PhotoOlga Calacuayo
  • Candidate PhotoOfelia Sofia Ryan
  • Candidate PhotoClaudia Silva
  • Candidate PhotoApril Thomas

2025-2026 Valley East Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoDaniel H. Acuna
  • Candidate PhotoRoger Whiting
  • Candidate PhotoOralia Reyes
  • Candidate PhotoChelsea Hinton
  • Candidate PhotoScott Mandel *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoDr. Marianne Quintero

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoVictoria Casas *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoLeonard Newsome

2025-2026 Central Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoLupe Torres
  • Candidate PhotoDavid Feldman *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoClaudia Rodriguez *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoEstela Rios
  • Candidate PhotoAlex Gomez
  • Candidate PhotoEva Dunn *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoMelissa Naponelli

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoZulma Tobar
  • Candidate PhotoIris Mendoza

2025-2026 East Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoVicky Montes *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoRafael Rodriguez
  • Candidate PhotoThalia Cataño
  • Candidate PhotoJacquelin Dang
  • Candidate PhotoWilliam Chavez
  • Candidate PhotoNoemi (Mimi) Guzman
  • Candidate PhotoJennifer Marquez

2025-2026 Harbor Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoMaya Suzuki Daniels
  • Candidate PhotoAngela Chavez
  • Candidate PhotoPhylis Hoffman
  • Candidate PhotoMonica Caballero *Area Chair Candidate

2025-2026 North Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoJohn U. Aquino
  • Candidate PhotoMarie Germaine
  • Candidate PhotoChantile Emerick
  • Candidate PhotoGuenevere Alapag-Spiller
  • Candidate PhotoDavid De La Cruz Rosales

2025-2026 West Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoBeth Devakul Clark
  • Candidate PhotoAndrea Shaloo
  • Candidate PhotoNoriko Nakada
  • Candidate PhotoJustin Cohen
  • Candidate PhotoWade Kyle
  • Candidate PhotoMaria Lopez
  • Candidate PhotoJennifer Anderson *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoLarry Shoham
  • Candidate PhotoRenee Senigram

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoNoah Lippe-Klein *Area Chair Candidate
  • Candidate PhotoRyan Andrews
* indicates that the candidate is also running for Area Chairperson

Uncontested

These candidates were unopposed and therefore elected by acclamation.

2025-2026 Valley West Area

NEA UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoBrian SimilyElected
  • Candidate PhotoCarmen EstermanElected
  • Candidate PhotoIvannia NolascoElected

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoWendy Lucia Lozano *Area ChairElected

2025-2026 South Area

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoL. Cynthia Matthews *Area ChairElected

2025-2026 East Area

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoMarcela Chagoya *Area Chair CandidateElected

2025-2026 Harbor Area

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoCrystal MurrayElected

2025-2026 North Area

AFT UTLA Board of Director

  • Candidate PhotoMark Ramos *Area ChairElected
* indicates that the candidate is also running for Area Chairperson