JP Hailer, Project Manager

Ms. Hailer has comprehensive workforce development experience, managing and coordinating programs in the education and non-profit sectors. Most recently, as the program coordinator for the LIFT program at urban university Ms. Hailer created and implemented program processes, worked collaboratively with program partners, identified key employer needs, created effective placement strategies, managed budgets,supported grant writing efforts and tracked outcomes.
Ms. Hailer also provided coaching and training to help participants obtain and retain employment.

Ms. Hailer joined Growth Sector in 2010 as a project manager to assist in the planning, coordination and implementation of our Bridge to Engineering programs. Ms. Hailer also provides assistance with Growth Sector’s operations.

Ms. Hailer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Arizona State University and a
Certificate in Economics from Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2010 she earned an M.B.A in Sustainable Enterprise from Dominican University with a focus on workforce development programs. She developed successful business models in several sectors, including construction, education and service.

Ms. Hailer actively participates in her community as a volunteer with the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals. (CCLP) is an independent all-volunteer association of legal professionals, students and other concerned community members committing time, skills and resources to provide access to justice for the growing number of Working Americans who otherwise cannot afford legal recourse and hence are denied due process.

Juan Salazar, Program Manager

Juan Salazar has a rich career background in education advocacy and public policy as he has extensive experience in providing direct education services to youth in underserved communities and in the policymaking process. Prior to joining Growth Sector Juan was a college advisor at Castlemont High School in East Oakland. In his capacity as a college advisor he connected many first generation underprivileged youth with career training and college opportunities. He supported students through the college application and financial aid process and also assisted them in finding part-time employment opportunities.

His experience at Castlemont High School helped shape his interest in education policy and in 2009 he was selected to participate in the California Senate Fellows Program. Through the highly prestigious and selective program he received the opportunity to complete a one-year fellowship with the Office of State Senator Carol Liu. As a Senate Fellow/Legislative Aide he supported Senator Liu on K-12 and Higher Education policy issues and took the lead on Teacher Development and Effectiveness initiatives. He coordinated a series of roundtable discussions with local education leaders in Senator Liu’s district to build consensus around teacher development and effectiveness reforms. The project functioned as a working group that would eventually lead to a set of comprehensive recommendations to be incorporated into legislation.

Juan currently assists Growth Sector in their Teacher Training Pathway and Bridge to Engineering initiatives. He works to connect dislocated workers and youth that are at risk of gang involvement in Oakland and San Francisco with education, job training, and employment opportunities in after school programs and eventually in the teaching profession.

Sandy Sanders, Consultant

For over 10 years, Sandy Sanders has been leading efforts in California to create pathways into education, STEM (science, technology, engineering, & math), and healthcare careers and to make education more accessible to the residents of local communities. Mr. Sanders has focused on creating initiatives enabling disadvantaged youth and adults to overcome traditional barriers to education and employment. To this end, he has led the development and implementation of major initiatives such as the nationally-recognized Renaissance Scholars Program that enables emancipated foster youth to successfully transition into higher education and the East Bay Teacher Pathway Program which provides a career pathway into K-12 teaching for gang-impacted youth.

As a founder and principal of Philanthropic IQ, Mr. Sanders has developed partnerships around complex initiatives writing successful regional and statewide grants to national, state, and private funders such as the Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Energy (DOE), and the Employment Development Division (EDD). He has served as a consultant on projects for organizations such as the City of Oakland, CSU East Bay, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Alameda County Workforce Investment Board, John Muir Health, Kaiser Permanente, and the San Francisco Public Library.

Prior to becoming a consultant with Growth Sector, Mr. Sanders was the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at CSU East Bay. During his five years at the University, he cultivated relationships with local, regional, and national institutions increasing development efforts and preparing the campus for its first comprehensive capital campaign.

Mr. Sanders began his career in development at UC Berkeley working to establish the East Asian Library and Study Center. Prior to his time at UC Berkeley, Mr. Sanders spent six years in the U.S. Navy as a Chinese Linguist and Cryptologist earning two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Mr. Sanders holds a B.A. in International Relations from Rollins College and a M.A. in Asian Studies and Chinese from the University of Hawaii.

Dana Zottola, Engineering Program Consultant

Dana Zottola, Engineering Advisor to Growth Sector, has a diverse and extensive engineering background.

Ms. Zottola is a registered Patent Practitioner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and represents high tech clients ranging from startups to large corporations in all areas of patent prosecution. Ms. Zottola also provides litigation support, as well as technical analysis in licensing and due diligence matters.

Prior to transitioning to Intellectual Property, Ms. Zottola designed system level microprocessor aging evaluations at Intel Corporation. She designed and supported labs in Hillsboro, OR, Austin, TX, and Penang, Malaysia, and Folsom, CA. Ms. Zottola also enjoyed 4 summer internships at Intel Corporation during her undergraduate and graduate studies.

Ms. Zottola is a member of the Oregon State University EECS Industrial Advisory Board and the Society of Women Engineers. Ms. Zottola previously served as a member of the Lake Travis High School Engineering Advisory Board in Austin, TX. She served as Chair of the Graduate Senate at Oregon State University. She also served as president of the Oregon State University chapters of Society of Women Engineers and IEEE throughout her undergraduate years.

Ms. Zottola holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering and an M.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, both from Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR. She was a Graduate Teaching Assistant and a Laurels Scholar.