David Simmons
Owner, Simmons Capital

With a distinguished 40-year career spanning media, communications, and travel management, David Simmons has built and led transformative organizations that have reshaped their industries. Currently, he oversees his private investment firm, leveraging his expertise to drive strategic growth and innovation.

David served for 18 years on the Western Governors University Board of Trustees (2006–2024), where he played a key role in advancing the institution’s mission of accessible, high-quality education. He is also the co-chairman of M-Plus Global Events, a premier travel management company.

Previously, as CEO of Simmons Media Group, he expanded the company’s influence in radio broadcasting and outdoor 

Antonio Romayor Jr.
Chief Operations Officer at the Imperial County Office of Education

Antonio Romayor, Jr. is the Chief Operations Officer at the Imperial County Office of Education, where he oversees Technology, Facilities, Maintenance, and Operations. A proud first-generation high school and college graduate, Antonio has earned two degrees from WGU — a B.S. in Information Technology Management in 2019 and an M.Ed. in Learning and Technology in 2020. In 2022, he was honored as a Distinguished Graduate by WGU. None of which would be possible without the loving support of his wife Yolanda and two energetic and intelligent boys, Samuel and Emmanuel. Antonio enjoys working on cars, woodworking, cooking, and spending time outdoors with friends and family. Antonio loves finding new challenges – which include learning to play guitar and golf.  

With over 25 years of experience in public education, Antonio has led major regional and state initiatives to expand digital access, design and implement digital systems, including Artificial Intelligence and Distance Learning. He is a California IT in Education Certified Chief Technology Officer, an EIA Certified Chief Innovation Officer and was named the Association of California School Administrators Administrator of the Year for Imperial and San Diego Counties. He currently serves on several boards, including as Past-President for California IT in Education and President of the Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation.

Karl Ngoye

Karl is a kind soul who radiates compassion and an unwavering commitment to helping others, a passion rooted deeply in his childhood by his parents. He grew up with cousins who came to live with him and his family after they lost their own parents. This dynamic ultimately led him to sponsor Jardin De Los Ninos, an organization that helps homeless and abandoned children. He is immensely proud and grateful to his wonderful parents who, with no education, taught him the importance of hope, kindness, humility and family. Despite being kicked out of school multiple times for lack of paying tuition on time, his parents never gave up on him. They sacrificed everything and worked hard to give him the dream of an education. Karl has strived to live a life that honors his parents and family.   

Karl has a supportive fiancé, Isabel, who has encouraged and motivated him to continue his educational goals. He is a proud father of three kids, Serenity, Genesis, and Noah. Karl earned his associate degree in nursing from Dona Ana Community College, a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of New Mexico, and his MBA in 2023, as well as his MHA in 2024 from WGU. Karl is currently enrolled in his third WGU master's program in Nursing.

Throughout his ten years as a Critical Care Unit Registered Nurse at Memorial Medical Center, Karl has been recognized on numerous occasions for his contributions to delivering high quality patient care and teamwork. He has won many awards including the National Mercy award. He received official Proclamation from Doña Ana County that Feb 8, 2022, would be Karl Ngoye Day. Through it all, Karl continues to challenge himself to be better; to push himself to make a positive impact on more people’s lives.

Karl shares his passion for serving others through his work as a nursing instructor at DACC. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karl was part of the COVID Pods, where he participated with his nursing students to administer more than 8,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Doña Ana residents. For eleven years, while being busy as a nursing student, he has worked tirelessly to support Jardin de Los Ninos. His passion in life is to give homeless and vulnerable children a chance to live up to their dreams. He strives to empower homeless children and give them the tools they need to have a full and successful life. To make a lifelong lasting impact on these organizations, he created an endowment fund with the 

Treavor Maddux

From an early age, Treavor Maddux developed a deep sense of empathy. Treavor’s journey has been shaped by both triumph and hardship, leading him to a passion for helping those struggling with mental health challenges. One of his proudest contributions is hosting a haunted house for San Bernardino County, where 100% of the proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Treavor’s dedication to service is rooted in personal experience, driving him to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

Treavor’s career path has taken many turns, each leading to valuable lessons. After graduating from Yucaipa High School, he pursued horticulture, becoming a master nursery professional. He even lived out his dream of working in the music industry. After a life-altering medical issue, he lost everything and had to rebuild from the ground up. Finding purpose in education and school safety, Treavor became a security guard for his local school district. Through resilience and dedication, he was honored as School Employee of the Year at the district, county, and state levels. Continuing his education, he earned an associate degree in teacher education (Summa Cum Laude) and a bachelor's degree in earth and space science, receiving multiple academic awards and joining prestigious honor societies such as Phi Theta Kappa, the National Colegate Scholars, and Sigma Alpha Pi.  

Beyond his professional and academic achievements, Treavor finds solace in motorcycle rides, home renovation, and gardening. These passions keep him grounded as he works on his latest endeavor—writing a book to share his struggles and offer guidance to those facing mental health challenges. 

“My hope is that my story will inspire others to find strength in adversity and pursue a better quality of life, no matter the obstacles they face.” 

Carrie Gilbert

Carrie Gilbert is an Executive Account Manager for a rapidly growing IT firm located in Houston, Texas. After her absence while completing her Cybersecurity and Information Assurance degree, Carrie has returned to creating comprehensive security solutions for clients from small businesses to large-scale housing authorities and school campuses. Carries is currently continuing her education in WGU’s Master’s in Data Analytics program. 

In her free time, Carrie is a partner to Daniel, mother to her amazing grown daughters, a painter, and a world traveler. Her passion for helping people drives her advocacy on behalf of vulnerable communities whose voices deserve to be amplified. Carrie believes that each one of us can make the world a little bit better for someone else.

Jade Mathis

Jade Mathis is a first-generation college graduate who worked full-time throughout her education while overcoming significant obstacles. After experiencing financial insecurity and supporting herself from the age of 16, she persevered to earn her bachelor’s degree, becoming the first person in her immediate and extended family to do so. Neither of her parents even graduated high school.

Jade began her college journey at a community college before transferring to Western Governors University, where the flexibility of an online education allowed her to continue working while earning her degree. In the last six years she has gone from working in fast food, to tech support, coordinating new construction work for a power company, to currently working as a budget analyst at the same company, a role she worked her way up to after completing her degree. 

Passionate about financial analysis and planning, Jade has leveraged her education and experience to advance professionally while continuing to challenge herself. This fall, she will begin pursuing her MBA with a concentration in finance at a state school, further solidifying her commitment to growth and lifelong learning.

Judy May Ulloa

Judy May Ulloa is a dedicated Registered Nurse with over 21 years of experience in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. A passionate advocate for patient care, she recently earned her Master’s in Nursing Education, furthering her commitment to mentoring and educating future healthcare professionals.

Beyond her career, she is a devoted wife and mother of two, balancing family life with her love for music. An accomplished singer, she has performed at various events and finds joy in bringing comfort to patients through song, especially during the holidays. Residing in sunny Southern California, she embraces her professional and personal passions with unwavering dedication.

Chalina Sibley

Hailing from Stockton, California, Chalina Sibley has always had a passion to help and assist people in times of need. Since the age of nineteen, she has been in a variety of leadership and management roles for over 15 years. In 2012, she graduated with her A.S. in Business from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. In February 2021, she felt inclined to continue her education and pursue her B.S. in Business Administration - Human Resources Management at WGU. Chalina currently works in an economic development capacity, helping educate and support fellow Californians.

Throughout her collegiate journey, Chalina faced a number of challenges. The most significant was in July of 2024 when she lost her father, William, at the age of 90. One of the many attributes that Chalina’s father has instilled to her was his resilience and determination. While simultaneously navigating full time employment, losing her father, and attending school, all proved difficult for her to get through, but wasn’t enough to keep her from achieving her goals. 

Chalina is married to her loving husband of three years, Franshat. She enjoys traveling, singing karaoke, cooking vegan/vegetarian dishes, and spending quality time with the people she loves, especially hosting games nights. 

“I am extremely proud of myself and I’m looking forward to embarking on this new chapter in life now that I have finished my degree here at WGU.”