MISSION VIEJO : Counselor Picked for Leadership Program

Saddleback College counselor Jo Ann Alford has been chosen to participate in the “Leaders” program, a yearlong national leadership training program for women in the educational field.

Alford, who is also an instructor and staff diversity officer at the college, said she will work toward creating a program that will improve the representation of women and minorities. She said she will also assist faculty, administrators and staff in their efforts to foster an academic environment free of racism, sexism and intolerance of any kind.

“In spite of the change in California’s demographics, it saddens me to discover that most Saddleback students have not had a lot of exposure to people from different ethnic backgrounds,” Alford said.” I want Saddleback to take the lead in changing the educational environment and in exposing students to professionals and leaders from all backgrounds.”

“The hope of the world is in the hands of the young,” she said. “It is essential that they realize that the real world is different from the one they see in the movies or on television.”

Alford said it is important to have positive role models with whom minority students can identify.

“All students should feel a sense of welcome when they step onto this campus,” she said. “They need to find people like themselves, and they need to come into close contact with non-stereotypical role models.”

Alford has been a faculty member at Saddleback since 1985 as a vocational counselor and coordinator of the college’s Vocational Assessment Center. She has also served as a general counselor and as staff diversity officer for the Saddleback Community College District, which includes Irvine Valley College.

Before coming to Saddleback, Alford was coordinator of the North Orange County Community College District’s Assessment Center for Education and Training. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and a master of education degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.

The leaders program is run by the National Institute for Leadership Development. Participants were chosen based upon their demonstrated interest in the advancement of higher education and by the quality of their proposed projects.

Saddleback College President Constance M. Carroll, who will serve as Alford’s mentor in the program, said: “I enjoy working with her not only because of her professional abilities, but also because of her deep commitment to serving all types of students. I think she has a very bright future as a leader.”