Meet the Team

Mr. Michael Sacoto serves as the K-14 Technical Assistant Provider (TAP) for the Orange County K-12 Strong Workforce Program (SWP). As the K-14 TAP, Mr. Sacoto provides leadership and guidance to all Orange County Local Education Agencies applying and facilitating K-12 SWP projects and the regions four K-12 Pathway Coordinators. Mr. Sacoto ensures the success of K-12 SWP projects by facilitating professional development activities, coordinating communication and collaboration between LEAs and community college leadership to align K-14 career pathways, and spearheading a K-12 regional needs assessment identifying seven areas of need in which he and the K-12 Pathway Coordinators will focus on addressing during the 2021 – 2022 academic year.

Mr. Sacoto has vast experience in providing regional leadership that has resulted in identifying and addressing the educational and workforce needs of the Inland Empire and most recently the Orange County region. His ability to conduct research, evaluate programs and develop partnerships, with K-14 and other industry professionals, has played a vital role in the successful implementation of various career program initiatives. He has previously managed several CTE and workforce grants that support the enhancement and improvement of career pathways throughout San Bernardino County, Orange County, and the Pomona Valley area.

Mr. Sacoto has a passion for creating equitable programs that empower students to explore career paths and gain work readiness skills. From providing work-based learning opportunities for students, externships for instructors, to developing county-wide employer partnerships to address regional challenges, Mr. Sacoto does it to ensure all students are provided with the resources and programs they need to achieve their own version of success.

He has been recognized by the San Bernardino County Medical Society and received the Outstanding Citizen Award and a Special Congressional Recognition from the United States Congress for developing a regional allied health and medical internship program, which provided high school and community college students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the healthcare industry.

After transferring from Santa Monica College, Michael went on to earn a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Management from the University of La Verne. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership at Claremont Graduate University.

Phone: 3107549844
Email: sacoto_michael@rsccd.edu
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Early Life and Education

As the eldest child of Mexican immigrants, Jorge was deeply inspired by his parents' strong work ethic and dedication to their family. His parents instilled in him the value of education and the importance of giving back to the community. Jorge was an outstanding student, earning a Cal Grant to attend California Polytechnic Pomona, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Driven by his passion for education and desire to make a difference, Jorge pursued a master’s degree in Instructional Design and Technology. Determined to further contribute to the field of education, Jorge enrolled in a Doctorate program in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California (USC) and is graduating in May 2023.

Career in Education and Leadership

Jorge began his career in education when he joined the Orange County Department of Education as an aide. Gaining recognition for his dedication to improving educational opportunities for students, inclusivity, and his innovative approach to program development, Jorge took on the role of coordinator at a local community college. Most recently, Jorge worked as CTE adjunct faculty and coordinator at Santiago Canyon College (SCC) and San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC). In these position, he worked tirelessly to develop and implement CTE and adult education programs that provided students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their chosen career paths. He emphasized creating partnerships with local businesses and industry leaders to provide students with real world experience and knowledge to promote students’ success.

Jorge's unwavering dedication to education and his leadership skills led to his appointment as the Director of the Orange County Regional Consortium, Talent Development and Retention. In this role, he oversees the development and implementation of regional strategies to strengthen and expand pathways for students in Orange County. Jorge's vision for the future of Strong Workforce emphasizes the importance of collaboration between educators, industry professionals, and community members to create meaningful opportunities for students and to meet the evolving needs of the workforce.

Philanthropy, Community Involvement, and Familia

Throughout his career, Jorge has demonstrated a deep commitment to giving back to the community. He has served on the boards of non-profit organizations focused on providing educational opportunities for minoritized students, including Orange County CUE and the providing assistance to ACCE. Additionally, Jorge has presented at various state and national conferences such as the CAEP Summit and COABE. In his free time, Jorge enjoys going on adventures with his wife and son, riding his mountain and road bike, traveling with friends/family, and constantly learning by reading and visiting museums and science centers.

Phone: 714-392-7279
Email: saucedo-daniel_jorge@rsccd.edu
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Maria Lepe, a Los Angeles native, earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside, in 2012, becoming a proud first generation college graduate. She began her career in 2015 with the Rancho Santiago Community College District, where she focused on workforce development within the Orange County Information and Communications Technology/Digital Media sector. In 2017, Maria joined the Los Angeles and Orange County Regional Consortium, where she collaborated with 28 community colleges under the Doing What Matters initiative, later transitioned into the Strong Workforce Program, managing grants and building strategic partnerships to strengthen regional workforce efforts. Following a consortium restructuring in 2022, Maria shifted her focus exclusively to Orange County, continuing her leadership in strategic planning, grant management, and partnership development to support workforce innovation and growth. Maria’s dedication to education extends beyond her professional role. For more than nine years, she has volunteered with Listo America, tutoring students in math and science while leading workshops in emerging technologies. Her ability to foster relationships, coupled with her extensive expertise in workforce development, has been central to her success. Currently, Maria is pursuing further education to expand her skills and knowledge. In her free time, she enjoys reading scientific literature, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Email: lepe_maria@rsccd.edu

Lorena Gonzalez has effectively represented the Orange County Regional Consortium throughout the last year, with exceptional attention to detail. Working closely with six directors and regional partners has proven invaluable in terms of organizing, scheduling, coordinating, budgeting, and managing schedules and resources, as well as developing innovative techniques to increase office support. Lorena's contributions to the OCRC, as well as her continuous commitment to her work, have made her a pillar of the organization.

Lorena has over 20 years of expertise in the administrative field. She attended Santa Ana College. She was offered a position as an administrative clerk at OCRC due to her expertise in office administration and accounting. Lorena worked several years to arrange documents, generate financial reports, and handle appropriate correspondence.

Furthermore, Lorena has created a harmonious and efficient work environment in the administrative field, allowing her to graciously represent our OCRC in a regional capacity. Lorena enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family.

Ms. Santoyo currently provides administrative oversight for a number of state programs and initiatives, overseeing distribution of funds and compliance and providing technical assistance to grantees. Additionally, she has worked for over twenty years in grant writing, grant management, program development, grant administration and fiscal agent administration. Developing competitive proposals that capture the intent and aspirations of teams and institutions is my specialty, substantiated by having secured over $100 million in competitive grant funding since 2009. Having managed the grants office at a public institution for over 20 years, she is deeply versed in federal uniform grant guidelines, A-133 audit standards, internal controls standards, and a variety of state and foundation terms and conditions. Ms. Santoyo has developed processes and procedures to support grant management for 100-200 grant budgets annually, which prepared me to serve as the fiscal agent administrator since 2016 for over $20 million each year on behalf of the region, and for over $300 million on behalf of the state since 2018.  

Phone: 714-480-7466
Email: Santoyo_Sarah@rsccd.edu
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Dr. Crete is the Orange County Regional Chair/Director for the Orange County subregion of the Los Angeles Orange County Regional Consortium (LAOCRC) hosted by the Educational Services division of Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD). As such, she is responsible for providing leadership and long-range economic and workforce planning in consultation with the nine Orange County community colleges and one noncredit institution career education deans, faculty, and regional workforce partners.

With almost 30 years of industry, nonprofit, and education experience, Dr. Crete keenly understands the importance of the relationship between workforce and education. As OC’s regional director, her work includes convening the region in order to foster collaborative partnerships for the development and execution of strategies designed to improve career opportunities for Orange County’s community college career education students. Dr. Crete’s strengths include utilizing data and labor market information to drive the regional decision-making process.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Crete was the OC Center of Excellence Director where she worked alongside the previous OC Regional Chair in authoring Orange County’s Regional Strong Workforce Program 3-Year Plan and other strategic initiatives. Along with her OC COE team, she provided the research and labor market information required for the recommendation of new, existing, and exploratory Career Education programs, collaborated with educational and industry entities to connect community colleges and workforce partners, and authored the year-long mixed methods research study, the Orange County Sector Analysis Project, Orange County’s Resilient Jobs report, and led the research arm of the county-wide Orange County Economic Recovery Strategy which included CSUF’s Woods Center of Economic Development, California’s EDD, local economists, as well as regional workforce development boards and other key partners.

Dr. Crete earned her doctorate in educational leadership with a higher education concentration from the University of Southern California. She earned her M.S. in educational guidance counseling from National University, a California Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential, and a B.A. from Chapman University in organizational leadership.

Phone: 714-564-5521
Email: crete_jesse@rsccd.edu
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