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Erika Melton
Board Chair
emelton@cwcharter.org
Erika Melton is excited to continue her journey as a member of the Board of Directors for Connecting Waters Charter Schools. As a parent at CWCV for 8 years, she has watched her two children excel and grow while utilizing the many resources CWCV has to offer. With an early interest in and love of education, Erika earned her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education with a Minor in Exceptional Youth from CSU, Stanislaus and began her career working in and later managing children’s centers. Following the birth of her first child, she opened her own family day care, so she could continue to teach and work with children while prioritizing the individual needs of her growing family.
Erika is currently a proud mom to a pre-teen and a teenager who are entering the 6th and 9th grade. In addition to homeschooling her children, Erika leads her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop and also runs a small business from home that allows her to create passion projects that utilize her creativity and love of educating. As her children have grown, she has continued to seek out roles for herself that allow her to teach, including those with a focus on one of her dearest passions, sewing! When not behind an embroidery machine, Erika can be found enjoying time with her family and friends, snuggling with her 5 (that’s right FIVE!) guinea pigs, sipping on her favorite chai tea latte, and engaging in her local community. Beginning her new role as Board Co-Chair, Erika is excited and committed to ensuring the continuing success of the school and its amazing community of stakeholders—from students, parents, faculty, and staff.
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Jennifer Louie-Monzon
Board Vice Chair
jlouie-monzon@cwcharter.org
Jennifer Louie-Monzon is a dedicated parent at Connecting Waters East Bay (CWEB) and a seasoned homeschooling advocate. A Bay Area native, her family's educational path evolved when her son, a gifted child with impulsive-type ADHD, found his ideal learning environment through homeschooling. After careful research and his decision to embrace it, he began with Connecting Waters Charter Schools (CWCS), where he's now happily in his eighth year. While her daughter initially joined her brother at CWEB, she's recently chosen to return to their local middle school, a decision that truly reflects Jennifer's belief in students taking equal ownership in their educational journey.
Professionally, Jennifer holds a degree in biomedical engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and has built a career in the life sciences industry, focusing on healthcare innovation and technology. Beyond her professional life, her commitment to education and community is evident through extensive volunteer work. Before becoming a CWEB parent, she held various PTA officer positions at her children's public school, including an impactful two-year term as PTA President. During her presidency, she championed three core principles: fostering stronger relations with school leadership, sponsoring programs that fairly benefited all students, and modernizing PTA operations for greater efficiency. She also co-leads her daughter's Girl Scouts troop, an experience that's given her hands-on insight into managing a "small non-profit."
Jennifer is enthusiastic about sharing her professional and volunteering experiences, along with her deep dedication to supporting students and their parents, with the CWCS Board.
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Kaneez Fatima
Board Member
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Keith Martin
Board Member
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Kristen Corrales
Board Member
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Lydia Addipah
Board Member
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Stuart Welch
Board Member
Stuart Welch currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Life Connection Church in Modesto, CA. 95355. Stuart also serves his Conference Superintendent as an Assistant Superintendent, overseeing denominational churches from Oakdale, Turlock, Ripon, over to the Bay Area and up to Corralitos, CA. He also serves on the Conference Ministerial Education and Guidance Board, sharing responsibility for the selection, training and oversight of all promising leaders in the Conference.
Prior to his assignment in Modesto, he has served as an Adjunct Professor and Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Yuba College in Marysville, CA. Stuart is a retired Bay Area Police Officer, in which he has served in multiple roles; including patrol, field training officer, SWAT officer and an investigator. After retiring from the department, Stuart founded and operated a private security firm, the third largest Black owned firm in Northern California.
Stuart serves his community by engaging in a diverse range of roles, Board member for a women & children’s homeless shelter, Advocate for Foster Children in Elk Grove, CA., Boys & Girls Club volunteer, a member of the StanCo Health Coalition as well as participating with Modesto City Schools and the Sylvan Union School Districts.
Stuart is married to Chrystal and they have five adult children and are currently empty-nesters.