Governing Board

For 17 years Mr. Adams served as the emergency services coordinator for the City of Simi Valley. He then went on to serve as the housing manager for the City of Palmdale and previously worked as the senior redevelopment projects coordinator for the City of Lancaster. Mr. Adams is a U.S. Air Force veteran and specialized as a counterintelligence officer and an ICBM missile-launch crew commander. Mr. Adams received his Bachelor of Arts from UCLA and his Master of Science from USC. He has been a member of several community boards including the American Red Cross, United Way, the Antelope Valley Homeless Coalition. Michael Adams is a current elected board member of the Antelope Valley College District Board of Trustees and has been a member for over 17 years.

Ms. Ruth Escarcega Newell is a senior project manager for JLL/Capital One Financial Corporation. She began her nearly 20 year banking career with Washington Mutual (Great Western) before serving in senior positions with JLL/Bank of America. Her areas of expertise include managing projects, community involvement and building effective and efficient teams. She has leveraged those skills in her community over the past eight years by serving on charter school boards. She is committed to building sustainable relationships with other school board members and representatives in order to hold schools accountable to an effective and rigorous education. Ruth Escarcega Newell strongly believes that all students deserve a school that is dedicated to their future regardless of the instructional method or model.

Mr. Marvin Smith retired from Lockheed Skunk Works after 38 years of high-level management positions with top-secret clearance. During that time, he was responsible for nearly 700 employees in the research and development of advanced aircraft. He received a certificate from USC’s Graduate School of Business Administration in compliance with the Lockheed Management Institute. Smith is currently an active member of the Elks Lodge and is a strong supporter of youth activities in his community.

While at Keppel Union School District in Littlerock, Calif., Mr. James Lott held many positions including: science teacher, head teacher, curriculum coordinator, principal and assistant school superintendent. He taught at Antelope Valley College and California State University, Northridge. In 2004, he was inducted into the New Mexico Highlands University Hall of Honor for football and his educational accomplishments. In his community, Lott is co-founder of the Antelope Valley Domestic Violence Council, and the Antelope Valley Conservation Education Council, and serves on numerous boards in education and law enforcement. He received his bachelor’s in history and physical education from New Mexico Highlands University and his master’s in educational psychology from Azusa Pacific University.

For over 22 years, Ms. Dana Clark has taught in the Lancaster School District. She is certified and trained in several programs, including SIPPS, GLAD, Common Core, Leadership, Cooperative Learning, Resiliency and Capturing Kids Hearts. Clark earned her bachelor’s in Communications from California State University Fresno. She earned her Teaching Credential from Chapman University.