Dr. Charles Friedrichs is the now retired Associate Professor and Director of the School of Music and Dance at San Diego State University (SDSU). During his tenure at SDSU, he taught a wide variety of classes including music theory, brass methods, conducting, music education practicum, music for classroom teachers, brass and band literature, ear training, general education music courses, as well as serving as a Music Supervisor for cadet teachers in SDSU’s School of Education. Dr. Friedrichs has had vast experience teaching school instrumental music at all levels and continues to remain extremely active in the public schools.
Dr. Friedrichs has written numerous arrangements spanning grade levels from elementary to university level. Many of his arrangements are for concert bands and marching bands. His compositions have been published by Alfred Music Publishers, Matrix Marching Band Publishers, Hal Leonard Music Corporation and MESA Music Publishers. Dr. Friedrichs is also an accomplished bass trombonist, having participated in numerous musical productions through the Vista Moonlight Amphitheater.
Dr. Friedrichs has served as a consultant for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, evaluating teacher credentialing programs offered by universities.
John Ing
Board Treasurer
John Ing is a finance and operations executive who has previously served on the Board of Directors for Scholarship Prep. Mr. Ing also served as Senior Director of Finance for a California-based charter school network.
John currently serves as Chief Financial Officer and Senior VP of Corporate Strategy at Beacon Capital Management, a $3 billion asset management firm. He is also the Chief Financial Officer for Illumination Foundation, the largest non-profit of its kind in the nation dedicated to disrupting the cycle of homelessness.
Mr. Ing received his Bachelors Degree in English with a Minor in History from the University of California, Irvine. He later earned his MBA in Corporate Finance and Marketing at the Gordon F. Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.
Crystal Madaule
Board Member
Crystal Madaule has over 15 years of experience in higher education administration. She is currently the Director of Financial Aid at Vanguard University, a private, non-profit, Hispanic Serving Institution in Costa Mesa. Prior to Vanguard University, she worked in the Financial Aid Office at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She believes in making data driven decisions to ensure that every student is supported from matriculation to graduation, and that a comprehensive financial literacy program should be a required component of every student’s curriculum.
She brings extensive knowledge of federal and state financial aid policy and enrollment management strategy to the Board, as well as a background in public speaking, student advocacy and community outreach.
She is a member of the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and the California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (CASFAA), where she served on the CASFAA Graduate and Professional Issues Committee, and she is a Cash for College Program Volunteer.
Taryn Burgess
Secretary
Taryn Burgess has been a successful, long-time educator, administrator, and community leader. She began her administrative career as a preschool program director, and later became principal of an elementary school. As an educator, Mrs. Burgess has worked as an ELD Coordinator, elementary classroom teacher, and high school reading specialist. The recipient of a college scholarship, she attended California State University, Long Beach, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. Ms. Burgess received a Masters degree in Educational Administration from Vanguard University, and also has a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential.
Mrs. Burgess and her husband devote their time to their local community of Lomita-Harbor City, hosting annual summer camps for disadvantaged, inner-city youth.
Carrie Birchler
Board Member
Carrie Birchler currently oversees outreach, marketing, and digital strategy for Damien High School in LaVerne. She brings over two decades of organizational leadership to the Board including sales, marketing, and management of community development projects. Ms. Birchler is a trained mediator, experienced in small group negotiation, facilitation, and training. Carrie has previously served as a lead petitioner and founding member of a charter school organization. As a parent, she has seen the advantages of advocating for high quality school choice options for families, with her children attending successful private, charter, and district schools.
With a deep commitment to education, Carrie has served as a School Site Council President, was a primary author of an award winning application for the California Distinguished School Award, and has been trained in Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools by the Federal Emergency Management Institute (FEMA).
Ms. Birchler earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with an emphasis in law and public policy, from the University of Arizona. She served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Ecuador from 1993-1995 managing community development projects.
Dr. Bianca Guźman
Board Member
In 1987, Dr. Guzmán founded a non-profit organization called Choices and the main goal of the Choices Program is to promote health and education in Latino communities. Choices is an active program on the campus of Cal State LA and students participate as research assistants, interns, and community engagement volunteers. Dr. Bianca L. Guzmán is currently the Director of Go East LA, a presidential campus initiative at California State University Los Angeles, that promotes college and career success throughout Los Angeles. She received her Ph.D. in Ecological Community Psychology at Michigan State University, East Lansing.
