The Board

Jen Irene García

Founder & CEO

Jen García is a social entrepreneur, certified Microsoft AI Engineer, and AI education strategist with nearly 20 years of experience in workforce development and education.

As the founder of Employ California, Jen has designed and teaches all its courses, empowering government employees and job seekers to excel in government employment exams and interviews. Her innovative curriculum reflects her commitment to bridging skill gaps and fostering career success.

Jen also serves as an AI instructor for Caltech and UCLA Extension and as an AI Executive in Residence for the Goldhirsh Foundation, where she simplifies complex AI concepts, promotes digital equity, and drives transformational outcomes for organizations.

A sought-after speaker with a distinguished background as an English professor, Jen has taught at leading institutions such as UCLA Extension, USC, and UCI Extension.

Inspired by her late mother, Debbie T. García, whose legacy of hard work and altruism continues to guide her, Jen dedicates her work to creating meaningful and lasting impact.

Justin Meservey

Supporting Founder & Advisory Board Member

Justin is known amongst his friends and family for his kind heart and business savvy. He began his career by selling printing to marketing companies; most of his early sales came by way of cold calling. At the young age of 19, he sold $1 million in printing in his first year of sales. He has since co-founded LAPrinting.com in 2004 and a text message marketing firm. He also freelances as a business consultant to a number of successful business owners. Justin understands that in order for our nation to flourish, education must be equitable. To accomplish this, he employs his passion for developing relationships in the community to acquire the resources needed for change.

Penny Arroyo

Treasurer

Having recently retired as the General Manager of the Los Angeles County Chicano Employees Association (LACCEA), Penny brings years of experience and insights that will undoubtedly drive our mission to create meaningful change for job seekers and employees.

Penny’s spirit of volunteerism and community service is truly remarkable. She has held a number of significant positions, including Executive Director of the San Gabriel Valley Volunteer Center, President of the Monrovia Coordinating Council, and as a Board Director for the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce and Pasadena Showcase House, among others. Her dedication aligns perfectly with the heart of Employ California.

Outside of her professional and volunteer roles, Penny loves spending quality time with her family, including her two sons, Shane Albert and Johnathan Albert, and her granddaughter, Gwen, a competitive dancer.

Donna Cox Wells, Esq.

Secretary

Donna Wells has been an attorney with the Los Angeles County Chicano Employees Association (LACCEA) since 2010. The legal services she provides include representation in disciplinary actions and discrimination matters leading to hearings before the Civil Service Commission.

Prior to joining LACCEA, Wells was in private practice, handling labor, employment and civil rights law litigation, as well as representing and counseling municipalities and public employees on labor issues. She also counsels nonprofit corporations on the state and federal law that applies to them.

Previously, she was General Counsel at FilmLA, the nonprofit that coordinates permitting and monitoring of on-location filming for the City and County of Los Angeles. Before that, as Director of Government Relations for the Motion Picture Association of America, she analyzed proposed legislation for its impact on the production industry and advocated for film production studios. Prior to practicing law, she worked in TV production, and translated Spanish and French for the CIA.

Wells is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and serves on the UCLA Law School Alumni Board. She is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, and the Labor & Employment Law sections of the California and L.A. County bar associations.