Advisory Board - Making Waves Foundation

Ronald A. Cohan

Consulting Counsel, IGT

“Ronald Cohan serves on the College & Alumni Program Advisory Board, as well as the Making Waves Foundation Board's Executive Committee and Endowment Investment Committee, and as Chair of the Board's Audit Committee. A board member since 2010, Mr. Cohan is consulting counsel to IGT, a NYSE-listed, end-to-end gaming company. Mr. Cohan has specialized in government procurement law, representing institutional clients such as Honeywell, 3M, Mitsui, Centex, Equifax and GTECH, and has served on the boards of International Display Works, Solar Power, Inc., and Isopedix Corporation. Mr. Cohan received his B.A. from Occidental College and J.D. from UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall) Law School.”

Suzanne Duca

Board of Directors, La Centra Sumerlin Foundation

“Suzanne is a CAP Advisory Board member, youth mentor, and an advisor to the Field Institute of Taos, the Taos Winter Sports Teams, and the La Centra-Sumerlin Family Trust. Previously, she volunteered for Carpinteria and Santa Barbara schools, the Santa Barbara Planning Commission, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Music Academy of the West, the UCSB Museum of Art, Planned Parenthood, and the Junior League. Suzanne’s past work experience includes the Los Angeles Unified Public School District, the art history department at Moorpark College, and the Making Waves Education Program. She has a BA in art history from UCLA, an MA in art history from UCSB, and a teaching credential from USC.”

Melissa Fries

Executive Director, CAP

“Melissa Fries is a leading expert in college access, preparation, and success for low-income and historically-underrepresented students. As the Executive Director of CAP—a program of Making Waves Foundation—Ms. Fries empowers more than 650 students to complete their college degrees in a timely manner with minimal debt. Ms. Fries has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and program development, including leadership roles at Stanford University, Menlo College, and San Francisco State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Black Studies from UCSB and a master’s degree in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University.”

Dr. Esther Hugo

Education specialist

“A lifelong educator, Esther currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in the graduate counseling department at San Jose State University College of Education. She is also one of the first online instructors in the UCLA College Counseling Certificate Program and serves as Academic Coordinator of the program. A nationally-recognized leader, Esther received NACAC's highest honor (the Gayle C. Wilson Award for Excellence in College Counseling) in 2011 and NACAC's Rising Star Award in 2012. In addition to serving on the CAP Advisory Board, Esther is on the Board of Directors for both Making Waves Academy. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA and a master's in counseling from Loyola Marymount University (CA). ”

Ron Nahas

Partner, Rafanelli and Nahas LLP

“Ronald C. Nahas is a partner in the real estate development firm of Rafanelli and Nahas, located in Lafayette, California.  The partnership was formed in 1983 and is a portfolio-based development company that builds and owns rental apartments, self-storage, downtown office, suburban office and office/warehouse with offices in the East Bay and in Boise Idaho. Mr. Nahas is also President of the R. T. Nahas Company of Nevada, a family development corporation. Mr. Nahas is a former Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and Chair of the Residential Council. He Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bridge Housing Corporation and president of the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Foundation. Mr. Nahas is a graduate of Stanford University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. ”

Cindi Nicolas

Managing Director, Slalom Consulting

“Cindi became a member of the CAP Advisory Board after her company, Slalom Consulting, developed the CAP Student Portal connecting CAP Wave Makers with their academic and financial coaches. As a first-generation college student herself, she knows the importance of a strong college support system. She values the opportunity to bring her years of business and consulting experience to help CAP. At Slalom, Cindi specializes in providing technology, strategy, and transformation services to global and local companies and NGOs in the Bay Area. Her 30-year business career includes 21 years at Accenture, leaving as a managing director, and three years at WestEd focused on enabling the Common Core throughout the U.S. She is a graduate of Oregon State University where she received degrees in Mathematical Sciences (math, statistics, and computer science) and Math Education. She's lived in the Bay Area for the last 20 years, growing a family with her husband and two teenage children.”