In early September, the NCAN Board of Directors voted to appoint Mrs. Catalina Cifuentes and Dr. Sujuan W. Boutté to its ranks. NCAN members
then voted to approve the appointments during the 2020 membership meeting.
NCAN is delighted to welcome Mrs. Cifuentes and Dr. Boutté to its board.
"Given our strategic focus on systemic change, we look forward to the voices of Catalina and Sujuan to add the perspective of a school district and a state agency respectively," said Kim Cook, executive director of NCAN. "Both are deeply committed to
the NCAN mission and to our students."
Catalina Cifuentes
Mrs. Cifuentes is the executive director of College and Career Readiness for the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) and is a California governor-appointed commissioner chair for the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), a trusted NCAN member. Mrs. Cifuentes envisioned and implemented the Race to Submit initiative that increased FAFSA and California Dream Act submissions by over 7,000 in Riverside County by 2018, and was adopted as the statewide financial
aid initiative by CSAC and the California Department of Education. In 2019 Riverside County also earned the highest high graduation rate and lowest dropout rate in California for large counties that serve over 10,000 students and has seen an increase
in college enrollment rates from 51% in 61%.
Prior to her current roles, Mrs. Cifuentes served as a middle and high school teacher for over ten years and the lead counselor at Santiago High School in Corona, California. There, she and her team designed a successful school counseling program that
was commended for exemplary counseling practices. It helped transform the school by raising the academic rigor and expectations from students, which resulted in the highest graduation rate in Riverside, Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino County.
Through her work, Mrs. Cifuentes has earned recognition such as the Visionary Award from the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI); the 2018 Joe Allen Human Relations Award; the 2018 National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
Inclusion, Access, and Success Award; and 2019 Riverside County Office of Education Certificated Administrator of the Year.
Mrs. Cifuentes is a proud first-generation college graduate. She earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University—San Bernardino, a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University, and a California Teaching Credential from the University of California,
Riverside.
Dr. Sujuan Boutté
Dr. Boutté is the executive director of the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), an NCAN member and program of the Louisiana Board of Regents that administers state scholarship and grant programs
and aims to promote, prepare for, and provide equity in college access. For over 12 years, Dr. Boutté and her LOSFA team collaborated with NCAN on numerous initiatives such as the Benchmarking Project,
NCAN conference planning and presentations, the Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery Committee, increasing FAFSA completion with their FAFSA Now campaign, and more. LOSFA is best known for its line-by-line
outreach support and communication campaigns which resulted in FAFSA completion rates as high as 82.6%; including
being ranked number one in the nation for two years in a row in 2018 and 2019.
Under Dr. Boutte’s leadership and amid COVID-19, LOSFA Programs has also continued to 1.) effectively deliver services to students and their families by utilizing virtual assistance, informational videos and campaigns, 2.) strategize with postsecondary
partners to provide students with technology in order to bridge the digital divide through their virtual summer learning camps, and 3.) ensure Louisiana students are prepared for postsecondary education through their Financial Literacy for You (FLY) Tour and their 5-point match tool through Unlock my Future.
Dr. Boutté’s career journey spans across elementary education, pre-service teacher training, postsecondary training, private industry training, and workforce development. Before being named executive director of LOSFA, she worked as a classroom teacher
for 13 years; an education instruction specialist trainer for IBM and NSU Pre-Service Education Majors; director of conferences and customized training for Northwestern State University; assistant secretary of workforce development for the Louisiana
Department of Labor; chief research and planning officer for LOSFA; workforce planning executive consultant for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and deputy executive director of LOSFA.
She has earned various honors and awards throughout her 40-year career in the field of training and development, including Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Young Educator, Turner Broadcasting National Faculty Member, IBM Education Specialist, and was
most recently inducted into Northwestern State University’s Alumni Hall of Distinction, the Long Purple Line.
Dr. Boutté earned a Bachelor of Arts in early childhood education, a master’s degree in school administration, as well as specialist’s and doctoral degrees in education technology and leadership.
Outgoing Board Members
NCAN would also like to thank the three outgoing members of its board of directors: Marlene Ibsen, president and CEO of the Travelers Foundation; Stephen Smith, CEO of Intellispark; and Herb Tillery, executive director of the College Success Foundation
– District of Columbia. Each of them will be missed.
Ms. Ibsen, a past board president, and Mr. Tillery each served on the board for nine years – the maximum amount of time allowed for an NCAN board member. NCAN thanks them both for nearly a decade of service and guidance.
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