Associate Professor, Default Chair-Computer Science, Graduate Advisor

Bio coming soon!

Jay Goldberg received his B.A. in religious studies from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.  Later he received his Master of Arts in Indian Philosophy and Religion from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India.  He has also studied in the Masters program in education with an emphasis on reading at Chico State University. 

Jay has taught at Butte College since 1990.  He has taught classes in Eastern religions and in English as a Second Language.  Since 2002 he has run the VESL (Vocational English as a Second Language) program for Butte College in Chico where he both teaches English and assists students in finding employment and career pathways.  In this capacity he has worked with students from many different cultural groups.

Kim Jaxon grew up in Chico and is a product of local schools. She attended Hooker Oak Elementary, Chico Junior, and Chico Senior High, where she was elected Student Body President in 1984. Kim received her BA and MA in English from Chico State and recently completed her PhD in Education from UC, Berkeley. She currently teaches in the English Department at Chico State where she runs the basic writing program and works with future teachers. Kim is also a member of the leadership team of the Northern California Writing Project. In her own teaching and professional development with teachers, she focuses on inquiry based learning and the role of technology in teaching and learning. Kim is married to Jeff Jaxon, also a Chico native, and has two grown children, Ashley (19) and Nick (18), who are "the coolest kids on the planet." Her work with Inspire High School gives her a chance to give back to a community that she loves dearly and to continue her commitment to public education.

Denver Latimer founded the non-profit Blue Room Theater in 1994.  He grew up in Chico attending Citrus Elementary, Chico Junior, and Chico Senior High.  He received his B.A. in Comparative History of Ideas from the University of Washington, an MFA in Theater Management from Yale University and a JD from City University of New York Law School where he served in the public defenders clinic representing indigent New Yorkers accused of crimes.  Most recently he produced the Butcher Shop Music and Theater Festival on Labor Day weekend in the almond orchards of southern Chico.  Denver recently passed the California Bar Exam and practices law in downtown Chico.  He has also begun sowing the seeds of the Slow Theater movement.

Jann Reed graduated from CSU, Chico with a degree in microbiology and worked in laboratory medicine and cytogenetics research before deciding to be a full time mom. Jann volunteered in a variety of ways in the Chico schools as her children were growing up, until she decided to campaign for a position on the CUSD Board of Education. She has been a member of the CUSD Board of Education since 2004. She is very excited to be a part of the Board of Directors for Inspire School of the Arts and Sciences. 

Deborah Travers has taught World History, Geography and US History at both Chico High and Pleasant Valley High Schools for 13 years which includes working closely with Stanford University and the World Affairs Council in San Francisco to pilot the Contemporary World History Project (a UN style approach to teaching World History) at Chico High.  She is also the Project Director for CUSD's federally funded Smaller Learning Communities Grant for both comprehensive high schools and an original member of the District Advisory Council.  She began her teaching career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in northern Thailand, teaching English and Agriculture in a rural community high school and has twice volunteered with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India.  Deborah returned to San Francisco to work for both the Institute of International Education and with the Peace Corps again as a Recruitment Specialist for all of northern California.  Wanderlust led to a return to Asia with her husband, teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal, and leading treks throughout the Nepalese and Indian Himalaya for three years.  With a profound desire to 'bring the world home', she received a full Social Studies Teaching Credential and M.A. in Education from Stanford University in 1996 and immediately moved to Chico.  She is an outdoor enthusiast and avid traveler who lives with her husband and three sons next to Bidwell Park.

Rose Krepelka is a fifth generation Chicoian and has  been married for 20 years to her husband Rick.  They have 3 great teenage boys.  Rose began her career in the insurance industry in 1982 in claims resolution and payment for a third party administrator. She rapidly advanced to corporate controller and served as a part of the management team responsible for supervising over 70 employees in all facets of healthcare claims processing and utilization review. She was also responsible for the incorporation and development of a marketing agency to promote the products of the local administrator. In addition to the development of the agency, she served as vice president and CFO of a local preferred provider organization and assisted in contract negotiations with insurance carriers as well as medical providers and hospitals. Concurrently, she served on the steering committee with the local Medical Society and local area hospitals to evaluate the feasibility of a Local Management Services Organization. In 1992, Rose purchased Northwood Insurance Services, Inc. from the third party administrator and has been quite successful in negotiations with many large reinsurance carriers on behalf of her clients. After spending ten years as a solo producer, Rose joined InterWest in September, 2002, bringing many years and a wide variety of experience in the healthcare industry. She attended California State University, Chico, and currently holds the designations of Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) and Registered Employee Benefit Consultant (REBC). She is a Leadership Chico Graduate and has served on several area boards and insurance committees for organizations throughout the community.