Board of Education

Kim Joseph Cousins is the president/CEO for the Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce since August 2003.  Prior to his current position, Kim was a senior manager in various positions within the Finance, Marketing and Sales divisions for Mazda North American Operations. He has held various positions in the financial management field for McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell, TDK and Bristol Industries. Kim majored in Accounting and Management Information Systems and minored in Business Psychology at Cal State Fullerton. He attended a Ford Management Program at Tuck, Oxford and University of Bangalore, India.Community Involvement:

• Board Member – Southwest Healthcare System (2010-2018)
• Board Member – Trauma Intervention Program (2009-2017)
• Board Member – Lake Elsinore Unified School District (2006-2010)
• Board Member  – Economic Development Coalition of Southwest CA (2006-Present)
• Board Member – Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Riverside County (2017-2018)
• Board Member – Assistance League of Temecula Valley (2015-Present)
• Board Member – Bond Oversight Committee for Lake Elsinore USD (2017-Present)
• President – Rotary Club of Lake Elsinore (2016-2017) Member Since 2003
• Treasurer – HOA Board of Directors (1996-Present)

Kim’s personal successes include helping to raise two beautiful daughters and being a good husband. He is actively involved with his six beautiful grandchildren. He enjoys working with the local schools to improve opportunities for success beyond graduation. He effectively represents the City of Lake Elsinore in Southwest California.

Ben Johnson II is an experienced educational leader having served on the Alvord Board of Trustees for twenty-one years. During that time the district experienced positive advances in academics and facility improvement at all school sites in the district.  He continues to demonstrate leadership in the educational field serving as a governance/search consultant for McPherson and Jacobson, a California School Boards Association partner that assists Boards in the superintendent search and District goal development process.

In addition to his service as an educational leader, Ben has a legacy serving his local community. He is a committed citizen who has established himself with a distinguished record of volunteer and community service efforts. His dedicated volunteerism earned him recognition as the recipient of the Outstanding Citizen Award for Riverside County, and the Volunteer of the Year Award from the JC Penney Points of Light Program.

Ben has served in a variety of leadership and service roles including the Riverside Community College Foundation, Dean’s Community Advisory Council California Baptist University,  Riverside Community Health Foundation, Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Parkview Hospital’s Citizen Advisory Committee, Vice-Chair of both the Human Relations Committee and the City of Riverside Charter Review; a member of the Riverside Blueprint for Diversity, Raincross Group, a member of the Board of directors for the Youth Service Center; Director of Homeless Outreach and member of the National Executive Board for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.

Ben earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine. He is currently a Regional Care Lead with UCB Biopharma. Ben and his wife, Stacy, have been married for 31 years they have four daughters Rebekah, Anastacia, Rachel, and Abigail.

Jamie Azpeitia-Sachs is a small business owner, nonprofit executive, arts educator, grandmother, and former professional dancer. She attended UCLA before transferring to Chaminade University of Honolulu, where she studied dance, kinesiology, and physical therapy. She later earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) from Walden University and is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Before retiring from performance, Jamie danced with several professional companies and productions, including California Riverside Ballet, Inland Empire Contemporary Ballet, and the renowned “Glory of Easter” production at the Crystal Cathedral.

Since 2007, Jamie has led the ballet program for Inland Empire Contemporary Ballet, helping provide opportunities for more than 75 low-income students from communities across the Inland Empire to pursue higher education and professional careers in the arts. She is also the founder of the Inland Empire Dance Festival and has taught dance through programs with the Riverside Unified School District, the Riverside Arts Council, and numerous community organizations.

In addition to her work as a choreographer and educator, Jamie contributed to the implementation and development of California Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards and arts education initiatives in Hawaii. Her passion for expanding access to arts education for underserved youth and children with special needs inspired her to create “Ballet Buddies” and scholarship opportunities for students throughout the Inland Empire.

Jamie currently serves as Executive Director of the Riverside County Philharmonic, where she works to expand arts access, community partnerships, educational programming, and cultural engagement throughout Riverside County.

She has also been recognized for her philanthropic and community service efforts, including participation in numerous charity events benefiting breast cancer research through “Dancing for a Cure.” In 2008, she was nominated as one of San Bernardino County’s Distinguished Women of the Year and was honored by the City of Grand Terrace for her contributions to arts education, scholarship programs, fundraising, and the performing arts.

Among her recognitions, Jamie is a recipient of the “Unforgettable Hearts” Award presented by Mike Morrell and the Inland Empire Magazine. She has served as Legislative and Arts & Culture Chair for the Riverside Woman’s Club and as a panelist for the NAACP ACT-SO program.

Jamie currently serves on several boards for: Creative Habitat, Riverside PRIDE, the Riverside Fire Fighter's Foundation, Association of California County Board's of Education (ACCBE) and the Inland Empire Contemporary Ballet. She is also the owner of Inland Empire Dance Center and was re-elected as a Delegate to the 61st, now 63rd Assembly District for a third term.

As the daughter of a public-school educator and the wife of a public-school security director, Jamie is a passionate advocate for youth mentorship, educational opportunities, student safety, and community engagement. She and her husband John are longtime Riverside residents, the proud parents of five, and grandparents to one.

Bruce Dennis currently serves in leadership positions on two statewide education organizations. He is serving his third term on the Board of Directors of the California School Boards Association (CSBA) representing over 1,000 local and county boards of education, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of the California County Boards of Education (CCBE) since 2015. Mr. Dennis also served as the 2018 President for CCBE. Originally appointed to the Riverside County Board of Education in 2011 and subsequently re-elected in 2012, 2016 and 2020, he has been a tireless advocate for children at the local, state and federal levels. From 1995-2008, he served on the Nuview Union School District’s Board of Education.

Mr. Dennis has an extensive background in child advocacy and community service. He served nine years on the Board of Directors of the Riverside County School Boards Association, including one term as President. He served 14 years CSBA’s Delegate Assembly representing both Riverside and Imperial counties. He has served appointments to CSBA’s Legislative, Policy Platform, Small School District, Annual Conference and Bylaws committees. He also served six years as a Federal Government Relations Chair for CSBA. He is an eight-time participant of the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) Advocacy Institute, as well serving as a member of their Federal Relations Network. Bruce is a Past President of his Rotary Club and in 2010 was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International.

Mr. Dennis is a retired Postmaster for the United States Postal Service and was awarded the Postal Service’s Benjamin Award for Community Outreach Activities. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton and a Masters in Boardmanship from the California School Boards Association.

He and with his wife of 41 years Robin, a retired teacher, live in Nuevo and have a daughter, Sarah, a professor at Palomar Community College, son-in-law David and an amazing granddaughter, Kayla.

Ray “Coach” Curtis is a retired educator who has served the students of five California Counties (Riverside, Modoc, Monterey, San Diego, Tulare) in the different capacities as teacher, coach, Middle School  Administrator, High School Administrator, Assistant Superintendent as well as a School Board Trustee in the Banning and Beaumont School Districts.

Coach Curtis graduated from Banning High School in Banning. He earned his AA degree from Mt. San Jacinto Community College. His Bachelor of Arts from Humboldt  State University and his Masters Degree from Azusa Pacific University.

After graduating from college, Ray Curtis returned to serve the Banning Unified School District Students as a teacher, coach, Athletic Director, and  administrator.  Ray Curtis was the Banning High School Varsity Coach for 15 years and the Riverside City College Assistant Coach for two years.

He is very familiar with the school districts in Trustee Area 5 (Banning, Beaumont, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs and San Jacinto)

Ray Curtis was recruited to become a high school principal in Modoc County for a district that had just received 26 major Western Association of School And Colleges recommendations for improvement. After seven years the high school became a California Distinguished High School and also received the first California Partnership Academy Grant.

He then became the Director of Personnel in Tulare County. During that time Ray restructured the Human Resource Division and was noted for his ability to work with various groups on resolving conflicts at the lowest level as well as working with the high risk students at the continuation school become successful.

Ray Curtis was recruited to apply for the Assistant Superintendent position in San Diego County. During his time there he restructured the Human Resource Office and established a proactive recruitment program and interview system that resulted in an 85% retention rate of personnel.

An opportunity arose for Ray to become the Director of Personnel in the Beaumont Unified School District District. During his seven years Ray once again used his skills, knowledge and abilities to restructure the Human Recourse Division to meet the demands for the rapid student growth. He was also a member of the(RIMS) Riverside Inyo Mono San Bernardino County Nationwide Recruitment  Team for school districts within those counties.

A career advancement opportunity became available for Ray to serve the students of Monterey County as Personnel Director in a K-6 school district, During that time, Ray provided quality instructors to serve the students of the district.

Ray remains a student advocate and is active in giving back to the local area  by serving on the Inland Empire First Tee Board and as a Volunteer for the California Highway Patrol.

Elizabeth F. Romero grew up in the community of Thermal, California, the daughter of hardworking immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador.

Elizabeth attended Coachella Valley High School and College of the Desert prior to transferring to the University of California, Riverside where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She also holds a Masters of Politics, Economics and Business from Claremont Graduate University.

Elizabeth has been appointed as the new Assistant Vice Chancellor of Government & Community Relations at the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

Prior to joining UCR, Elizabeth served as the Director of Community and Government Relations for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest in Riverside and Imperial Counties. Elizabeth also managed the Building Healthy Communities Initiative funded by The California Endowment. She has also worked for Desert Arc, University Center for Developmental Disabilities and served as a Legislative Assistant to the late Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor Roy Wilson and Supervisor John J. Benoit.

In 2006, Elizabeth was first elected to the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees at the age of 23. Currently, Elizabeth serves as an elected member of the Riverside County Board of Education representing Coachella Valley, Desert Center, Desert Sands, Palm Springs and Palo Verde Unified School Districts.

Elizabeth is an alumnus of the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) Leadership Institute and Women’s Policy Institute sponsored by the Women’s Foundation of California. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Desert Regional Medical Center and Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert.

Jennifer Mejares Pham proudly serves as the elected Trustee for Area 7 on the Riverside County Board of Education, representing the communities of Murrieta, Temecula, Wildomar, and the southern portion of Lake Elsinore. A lifelong resident of Southwest Riverside County and a deeply engaged community leader, Jennifer brings over two decades of experience in school governance, educational advocacy, and student-centered support.

She is the founder of Learning with Jen, a college admissions and tutoring practice, and the director of Emerson Royce Academy, a private homeschool program that supports student entrepreneurs and nontraditional learners. Her work focuses on personalized education for students with learning differences and helping families navigate the complex academic landscape.

Jennifer’s commitment to service extends beyond education. She currently serves on the boards of the Murrieta Laurel Cemetery Foundation and the Student of the Month Scholarship Program, and continues to volunteer with various organizations focused on supporting children and military/grieving families.

Her leadership has been recognized nationally with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer Service, and she was named to the “40 Under 40” list for her contributions to education and civic leadership.

Jennifer brings a unique lens to her work through her roles as a mother of three, a first-generation college graduate, a former foster parent, and a young widow. She is a frequent speaker at educational conferences and community events. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in integrity, accountability, and purpose-driven service, with an unwavering commitment to meet families where they are—with dignity, access, and care. Her focus remains clear: building strong schools and stronger communities—one student, one family, and one opportunity at a time.