Meet the Teams

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Meet the Teams

The Strategic Plan for Inclusion is structured around three initiatives. Each initiative aligns with the charge of one of the three Inclusion groups at Cate:

The Core Inclusion Team, which is responsible for strategy, planning, knowledge building, and accountability, The Inclusive Teaching Design Team (ITDT) which is responsible for DEI issues related to the residential, co-curricular, and community experiences, or The Inclusive Community Design Team (ICDT), which is responsible for DEI issues related to the classroom experience.

Each of the four strategies structure the work of each initiative so that there is consistent, organized effort toward the achievement of Cate’s Inclusion goals. Get to know the teams working on the initiatives below.


Director of People & Belonging — Yutopia Essex

805-684-4127 x247 / yutopia_essex@cate.org

BS, Ball State University
Appointed: 2021
(She/Her)

Yutopia Essex is excited to serve the Cate community as the Director of People & Belonging. Born in Northridge, Calif., and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Yutopia has over a decade of experience in the field of Human Resources & Benefits. Yutopia earned her Group Benefits Associate designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans & the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a BS from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Yutopia loves giving communities the tools they need to thrive by being an advocate for the community and moving the community forward through actionable steps that lead toward more equity, inclusion and sense of belonging. She has a passion for poetry and a knack for the performing arts. She thrives in embedding herself fully in an organization by being a culture carrier that elevates each community with her enthusiasm, joy, and expertise. She comes to Cate from Harvard-Westlake, where she thrived in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Human Resources & Benefits departments. Yutopia is a thought leader whose goal is to champion positive change and to be an amplifier for humanity. Her mission in life is to inspire.


Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — Elana Stone

805-684-4127 x288
Elana_Stone@cate.org

BA, Whitman College
MPA, University of Washington
Appointed: 2018
(They/Them)

Elana Stone arrived at Cate with more than 10 years of experience in program management and youth organizing, with an emphasis on education as well as LGBT, racial, and economic equity. Elana is a recent transplant to Ventura after completing their master’s in public administration at the University of Washington in Seattle. Having had the experience working for their alma mater, Whitman College, Elana was eager to join a place like Cate, where students, staff, and faculty create an exceptional student-centered community. When not on the Mesa, Elana can be found renovating their warehouse in Ventura, experimenting with gardening, and exploring the outdoors with their partner, Amy.


Multicultural Programming Coordinator — Kadeine Peterson

805-684-4127 x136
kadeine_peterson@cate.org

BS, Marist College
MS, Cornell University
Appointed: 2021
(She/Her)

Kadeine Peterson joins the Cate community as a Biology Instructor following a wealth of independent school experience, most recently at Phillips Exeter Academy. Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn, Kadeine earned her bachelor’s in biology from Marist College and holds a research master’s in genetics, genomics, and development from Cornell University.

Prior to Exeter, Kadeine also taught biology at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., and at Packer Collegiate in Brooklyn, N.Y.

In addition to teaching biology, Kadeine is an advisor, volleyball coach, and dorm parent. She is also the Multicultural Programming Coordinator, helping to diversify programming on campus and organizing the annual MLK Jr. Day of Celebration. She resides in Cook House East/CHLL with her husband, Josh, their two sons Jack Maverick and Kingston, and their ornery Shih Tzu, Rocco. In her free time, she enjoys small space/urban garden design, and creating biology-themed digital art.

The CORE Inclusion Team


The CORE Team is responsible for strategy, planning, knowledge building, and accountability. The team’s goal is to transition Cate’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts from aspirational goals into structured, accountable processes that set the standard for belonging, well-being, and success for the entire community.

  • Elana Stone (They/Them)
    Chair, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Oz Arconian (She/Her)
    Mathematics Instructor
  • Maude Bond (She/Her)
    Director of College Counseling
  • Jay Dorion (He/Him)
    Assistant Head of School for Students/History Instructor
  • Yutopia Essex (She/Her)
    Director of People and Belonging
  • Song Ge (She/Her)
    Chinese Instructor
  • Nicole Sintetos (She/Her)
    English Department Chair
  • Troy Shapiro (He/Him)
    Dean for Faculty/Science Instructor
  • Oscar Urizar (He/Him)
    Spanish Instructor

Inclusive Community Design Team


The Inclusive Community Design Team is responsible for DEI issues related to the residential, co-curricular, and community experiences. The team’s goal is to foster a transformative student and community experience by creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive campus environment so that all members of the Cate community are able to bring their whole selves, feel a genuine sense of belonging, and are able to achieve their greatest growth.

  • Elana Stone (They/Them)
    Chair, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Evan Akers (He/Him)
    Advancement Database Manager
  • Vanessa Cruz Santana ’06 (She/Her)
    Director of Financial Assistance
  • Shannon Drew (She/Her)
    Head Athletic Trainer/Director of Residential Life
  • Yutopia Essex (She/Her)
    Director of People and Belonging
  • Erin Hansen (She/Her)
    Dean of Campus Life/English Instructor
  • Nadine Maxwell (She/Her)
    School Counselor
  • Kadeine Peterson (She/Her)
    Biology Instructor/Multicultural Programming Coordinator
  • Sandi Pierce (She/Her)
    Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations
  • Bryan Rodriguez (He/Him)
    Dean of Students
  • Emily Sosrodjojo ’13 (She/Her)
    Alumni Engagement Manager
  • Cara Terlep (She/Her)
    Associate Director of Health Services

Inclusive Teaching Design Team (ITDT)


The Inclusive Teaching Design Team (ICDT) is responsible for developing inclusive curricula and implementing culturally responsive teaching practices. The team’s goal is to support and develop teaching practices and diverse curricula that will enable all teaching faculty to achieve the mission, goals, and model for inclusive teaching at Cate.

  • Dr. Laura Moore (She/Her)
    Chair, History Instructor
  • Rebekah Barry (She/Her)
    History Department Chair
  • Tracey Calhoun (She/Her)
    English Instructor
  • Annalee Salcedo (She/Her)
    Dean of Academics/Mathematics Instructor
  • Hannah Solis-Cohen (She/Her)
    History Instructor
  • Elana Stone (They/Them)
    Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Oscar Urizar (He/Him)
    Spanish Instructor
  • Christina Weir (She/Her)
    Director of Academic Services

Student Inclusion Representatives

Student Inclusion Representatives (SIR) are appointed by the Student Body President from each class and work closely with the Student Senate. Representatives are elected per year and may continue if re-elected. At the beginning of the second trimester, SIR from the freshman class will be elected or appointed. They are a vital channel of communication between the Core team and student body. It is a fundamental responsibility to ensure that the student body is aware of who the SIRs are and that they are available for students to share concerns, complaints, opinions, experiences, and suggestions.

Student Inclusion Representatives

  • Yeidy Salmerón ’24
  • Sophie Alijani ’24
  • Stephanie Akinfolarin ’25
  • Zoë Flint ’25
  • Andrew Peng ’26
  • Oyin Opawumi ’26