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PRESS RELEASE: Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) Amplifies Women’s Leadership and Equity at Annual CORO Luncheon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) Amplifies Women’s Leadership and Equity at Annual CORO Luncheon

LOS ANGELES, CA — May 22, 2026 — Advancing its mission to build powerful community connections, leaders from the Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) joined 450 changemakers at the Skirball Cultural Center on Friday, May 15, 2026, for Coro California’s annual Women in Leadership Luncheon. As a women-led organization guided by CEO Dr. Dawn A. Kurtz, LAEP prioritized being in the room to engage in vital cross-sector dialogues focused on building trust, navigating complex political landscapes, and sustaining human-centered leadership within an increasingly strained climate.

From left to right: LaCora Stephens, Kristy Eddy, Melissa Peña, Natalie Samarjian, Sara Noji, Calvin Chan

The gathering held deep personal significance for the organization, as two attending LAEP team members are distinguished alumni of the prestigious CORO program: Calvin Chan, Director of Development, and Sara Noji, Special Projects Manager & Board Liaison. Representing LAEP alongside them were Chief Program Officer Melissa Peña, Director of Marketing & Communications LaCora Stephens, and Grants Specialist Kristi Eddy. LAEP collaborated closely with local civic icons throughout the day, including fellow CORO alumna Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who attended the luncheon in support of California’s growing network of women leaders.

Melissa Peña, LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, LaCora Stephens, Senator Laphonza Butler

Guided gracefully by emcee LaMonica Peters, the event featured a powerful fireside keynote conversation with former U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, interviewed by Coro President and CEO Natalie Samarjian. A subsequent panel moderated by Jennifer Keith featured prominent changemakers Brenda Shockley, Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, Jennifer Ferro, and Jill Uhrman, who shared candidly about navigating systemic sector challenges and what it means to lead as mothers and community advocates.

“LAEP understands that systemic transformation and true educational equity do not happen in isolation,” said CPO Melissa Peña. “Being in this room alongside powerful advocates like Senator Butler and Supervisor Mitchell allows us to deepen our community connections and align our leadership practices to better serve families across the entire diapers to diplomas℠ continuum. By uniting community-rooted experience with powerful civic networks, we continue to foster the vibrant environments necessary for Los Angeles’ Black and brown communities to thrive.”

Media Contact: LaCora Stephens, lstephens@laep.org, (213) 622-5237 ext. 233

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About Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education nonprofit that advances educational equity by facilitating access to quality educational and wellness practices so children thrive from diapers to diplomas℠. Working alongside schools, families, and communities, LAEP utilizes an asset-based framework and deep data insights to remove systemic barriers, empower educators, and cultivate nurturing environments where every student can achieve long-term success. Learn more at laep.org.

About Coro California Coro California is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating diverse leaders with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to effectively collaborate and navigate complex challenges across sectors. Through its rigorous fellowship programs, collaborative leadership training, and signature civic events, Coro empowers changemakers to strengthen democratic institutions, foster community trust, and drive systemic impact throughout California. Learn more at coroca.org.

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Melissa Peña

Chief Program Officer

Melissa Peña serves as the Chief Program Officer at the Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP), bringing more than two decades of experience advancing educational equity, youth development, and community-centered systems change. A mission-driven and strategic leader, she has dedicated her career to eliminating barriers to learning and seeking equitable outcomes for historically underserved youth. Prior to joining LAEP, Melissa spent over 14 years at Green Dot Public Schools where she launched and scaled high-impact initiatives that reduced chronic absenteeism by 27%, expanded access to wellness services, and built network-wide support systems for more than 600 homeless and foster youth across 18 schools. Her leadership is rooted in both entrepreneurial vision and disciplined execution—designing programs, teams, and infrastructure that strengthen outcomes for students while supporting the adults who serve them. 

Melissa’s commitment to equity has shaped her work across roles in education, youth development, and human services, including senior leadership positions at The Door in New York City and national diversity recruitment efforts at Teach For America. She began her career as a fourth-grade teacher in Newark, New Jersey, a formative experience that continues to ground her belief that the key to ensuring every young person meets their full potential lies in the power of family–school–community partnerships. At LAEP, Melissa leads program strategy with empathy, clarity, and a deep belief that children thrive when systems work together from “diapers to diplomas.” She holds a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara. Outside of work, she enjoys researching her family history, exploring nature, and family movie nights with her husband and two children. 

LaCora Stephens

Marketing and Communications

LaCora is a seasoned communications professional with a passion for using multimedia storytelling to empower movements for social justice and equality. For over 13 years, she has honed her skills as a versatile multimedia director, overseeing media operations across diverse organizations, including the NAACP Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch and The Shirley Chisholm Education Foundation. Her deep understanding of the education and equity landscape fuels her creative vision, allowing her to craft impactful narratives that resonate with audiences.

With strategic communication​ and collaboration, LaCora excels in developing and executing compelling​ multimedia campaigns that not only raise​ awareness of critical issues but also​ inspire action and drive meaningful change. Her proficiency in concept​ development, production execution, and​ team leadership ensures projects are​ delivered with exceptional quality. Furthermore, LaCora fosters strong​ relationships with internal and external​ stakeholders, cultivating partnerships​ that maximize campaign reach and impact.

LaCora's educational foundation began with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Education from Florida A&M University. She then pursued a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Alliant University of San Diego. This passion for storytelling, fueled by her background in education, translates to her belief in the power of shared narratives. Her work in this area was recognized through her selection as a Women in Film Mentee and film director for Viola Davis’ sponsored film showcase, Diversity in Cannes. Now, LaCora leverages her love of storytelling and commitment to educational equity in her role leading marketing and communications for Los Angeles Education Partnership, while also serving on the board of the Pasadena African American Film Foundation.

Eric Barela, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant, Raya Cooper Impact Consulting

Dr. Eric Barela has worked as a measurement & evaluation professional for over 2 decades, helping organizations to better understand and act on their social impact. He’s currently a Senior Consultant with Raya Cooper Impact Consulting and previously worked at Salesforce, where he led efforts to measure the social impact of the company’s work with nonprofits and educational institutions across the globe. He began his career working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and with the nonprofit, Partners in School Innovation. Eric previously served on the Board of the American Evaluation Association and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Eric grew up in East LA and was educated in the Montebello Unified School District. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. He loves a good road trip, with his husband serving as trusty navigator.