Board of Directors

Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers has a Bachelor of Science degree in social work from California Baptist University, a master’s in human resource management and management, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. She spent over 20 years in finance management with American General Financial Corporation and is now a Community Development Specialist for Pacific Clinics, formerly known as Uplift Family Services. She advocates for mental health services and resources on behalf of foster youth and their families and is also the president of Arrowhead United Way.

 

Almost two decades ago, her passion for empowering young women led her to create the Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation (YWE), a social, emotional, and academic enrichment program. Its mission is to empower young women 12-21 to reach their highest aspirations while mentoring them from middle school to their first year of college, while also providing scholarships. YWE has served over 4000 young women, established an annual spring “Girl Talk” conference for young girls on human trafficking awareness along with an annual Fall “Healthy Me” Wellness Conference for women and “My Sisters Keeper” to address sexual assault and domestic violence among teens and college students throughout the inland empire. After the passing of her mentor, Dr. Margaret B. Hill, she was named the president of the Maggie Kids Foundation, which provides scholarships to students with various life challenges.

 

As a committed and respected leader of the 21st century, Dr. Dowdy-Rodgers was elected to the San Bernardino City Unified Board of Education in 2015 and is the former president and vice president. She is a California School Board Association delegate, served on the legislative committee, and was recently elected as the first Black woman to the San Bernardino County Board of Education, serving 33 school districts and over four hundred thousand scholars. 

 

Dr. Dowdy-Rodgers is a champion of the people and fights daily to ensure equity for all students, parents, staff, and community members. She continues to work on social justice issues to close the equity gap while providing advocacy to ensure all school sites have wellness centers to address the social, emotional, and mental health needs of everyone. She continues to serve on numerous boards and has received recognitions and awards for her service.