Sonoma State Dean Laura Alamillo joins Los Cien Sonoma County board
Dr. Laura Alamillo, dean of the College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies at Sonoma State University, has been elected to the board of directors of Los Cien Sonoma County.
She joins a group of North Bay leaders from across sectors committed to elevating Latino voices and advancing equity across the region.
Founded in 2009, Los Cien is an equity-focused, membership-driven nonprofit organization that brings together community leaders, organizations, businesses, and government agencies. The organization hosts monthly convenings focused on equity and inclusion, addressing challenges faced by marginalized communities in Sonoma County.
Los Cien has hosted more than 160 convenings across the North Bay and is known for its events celebrating the diversity of Latino culture.
“I am so proud to have been elected to serve on the Board of Los Cien,” Alamillo said. “They lead with expertise, thoughtful programming and always with a sense of hope and promise for our community. They are a model organization for our community, region and California.”
Alamillo said that in the new role she would be focused on strengthening the existing partnership between SSU and Los Cien, and providing input on educational issues affecting the preschool through 12th grade education pathway in Sonoma County.
“Education builds power, fuels economic mobility, and creates generational change, and Dr. Alamillo embodies this vision every day,” the organization said in an Instagram post announcing the appointment, calling Alamillo a “champion for justice-oriented education.”
Alamillo is a scholar in language, literacy and culture. She earned her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining Sonoma State, she served two years as interim dean at Fresno State and has been part of the California State University system since 2004, when she began as an assistant professor in the Department of Language, Literacy, Bilingual and Special Education at Fresno State.
Throughout her career, Alamillo has helped develop graduate programs and supported teacher residency initiatives. She also led the launch of one of the first bilingual preschool programs at a CSU campus for the children of student parents during her time at Fresno State.