2023-2024 Board Of Directors
Denise Bailey, Ph.D.
Denise is currently a professor and the Department Chair for the Department of Chemistry at Santiago Canyon College in Orange, Ca. While teaching courses in General and Organic Chemistry, she also serves as a senator for the Mathematics & Sciences Division on the Academic Senate; is a member of the Honors Committee; and co-chairs Community Science Night, an annual event which brings Orange Unified students and their families on campus to take part in science-related activities. Denise has extensive curriculum experience and is the primary reviewer for Chemistry curriculum for all community colleges in the state of California. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of San Diego and her doctorate in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine. Denise was born and raised in Orange County and she and her family still reside here.
Eden Quimzon
Eden has over 25 years of teaching and administrative experience in the elementary, adult, and continuing education arenas. Eden received her bachelor's degree, Elementary Teaching Credential, and Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language Acquisition Development Certificate through CSU, Long Beach. In the beginning of her career, she was an elementary school teacher and also served as a resource specialist in the Anaheim City School District. Eden then transitioned to teaching Adult Basic Education and ESL through the Garden Grove School District and Rancho Santiago Community College District. In 2003, she earned a master's degree in Reading and Literacy from Walden University. Her work as an ESL professor, department chair and coordinator has given her a great breadth and depth of experience. She currently serves as the Interim Dean of Instruction and Student Services at Santiago Canyon College in the city of Orange. Eden is a Santa Ana resident where she lives with her husband and 2 sons. Before serving as a board member at Unity, she was the proud parent of a Unity student. Her son attended Unity for all 4 years of his high school career and was the class valedictorian. She is happy to support the amazing work of Unity Middle College High School.
Yanira Bernal
Yanira Bernal, happily married to her college sweetheart, is a dedicated mother to a remarkable teenage boy. Born in Bellflower, CA, and raised in bustling Huntington Park, she proudly graduated from Huntington Park High School. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Human Services at California State University Dominguez Hills, breaking ground as the first generation graduate in her family to achieve a higher education degree. During her time at CSUDH, she played a pivotal role in establishing and becoming a chapter founding charter member for Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Incorporada, showcasing her commitment to academic excellence, expansion of the Latino culture to the community while promoting sisterhood and leadership. Post-graduation, she devoted nearly 11 years to Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. With the unconditional support from her husband, Yanira courageously transitioned from her career to become the devoted house manager and full-time caretaker for her elderly parent. Currently residing in the vibrant city of Yorba Linda, she treasures moments spent with her family and friends, actively participates in her organization, explores new places through travel, and delights in discovering unique dining experiences.
Kitty Juniper Aust
Kitty is an attorney with Buchalter, P.C., who provides legal advice to national and local entities, primarily in the health care industry. She has a diverse legal background with experience as a private practice attorney, government regulatory attorney, consumer advocate and corporate in-house counsel. She has assisted clients with legislative initiatives and advocated for them in California and Washington, D.C. Kitty thrives on fitting square pegs into round holes. Kitty has served on several professional and community boards in Orange County and San Diego, including The Lawyers Club of San Diego (past President and advisor), California Women Lawyers, The Friendly Center of Orange, Higher Ground Youth & Family Services, and San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program.
John Aust, Ph.D.
Dr. Aust has been teaching at Santiago Canyon College for over 35 years. He is the owner of John Aust Real Estate Co. and of C P Appraisers. He is a member of California Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. He was the President of the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers from 1997-2005. While C P Appraisers has worked extensively with lenders, Dr. Aust's own personal endeavors in the appraisal field include Litigation, Expert Witness, Diminution in Value, and Retrospective Appraisals. He is a partner in Appraisal Solutions and Products, LLC, a National Company which specializes in Automated Valuation Models (AVM's) and other alternative valuation products. In the local community, he is a member of the Orange Rotary, Orange Elks Club and attends Holy Family Catholic Church. He has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce for over 35 years. He is a founding Board member of the Orange Housing Development Corporation, a non-profit organization, having built or rehabilitated over 450 million dollars of Affordable Housing for persons with less than the average median incomes. As well, he is on the Board for the Youth Centers of Orange which provides for afterschool daycare.
Soraya Lopez
My name is Soraya Lopez and I’m thirty seven years old. I am a mother to three beautiful kids. Their names are Andrea, who’s twenty three years old, Clarissa, thirteen years old, and Ulises, nine years old. As a child my family and I moved to a few different cities in Mexico. For example, Acapulco, Mexico City, and lastly Mexicali. My parents divorced when I was seven years old and that’s when my mom decided to move to the United States for us to have a better life. My family and I live in Orange County. I attended Willard Jr. High, Century High School, Trident Continuation School and Santa Ana College. I become a single mom at the age of fifteen years old so I had to work and study at the same time. It was super hard but not impossible. My first job was at Taco Bell as a cashier. I have worked in retail stores, fast food restaurants, insurance agencies but my last job, the one I love the most, was as a Loan Funder for Washington Mutual (which is now Chase).
William Zulch
William is a lawyer with 40 years of experience in business, insurance and real estate litigation matters. He graduated from UC Irvine and obtained his JD at Southwestern University School of Law. As past Chair of the OCBA Client Relations Committee, Peter Elliott Inn of Court, Cursillo School of Leaders and Grandma’s House of Hope, William enjoys serving the community. In addition to his beautiful wife, William has six boys and 11 grandchildren.
Denise MacLean
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