Kermit Cuff

Chair

Kermit is a transit planning supervisor and former Employee of the Year for the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). He is also an ultramarathon runner and a team captain for the 500 Mile American Indian Spiritual Marathon team. Many Sunrise students have participated in the team training runs, and he is passionate about helping the students believe in themselves and search for greatness. His greatest satisfaction comes from being a mentor to young people.

Eddie Rocha

Vice Chair

Mr. Rocha is a vice president at Coretelligent, a tech company based in Boston, Massachusetts. “As someone who has been in the technology space since 2007 and now serves as a VP in the tech industry, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand how alternative pathways can lead to success,” he says. “When I was in school, the traditional education system didn’t resonate with me. It was through alternative education that I found my footing, and it’s this experience that inspired me to become a board member at Sunrise Middle School.

 “Joining the board was a way for me to give back and ensure students who, like me, might struggle in conventional settings, have access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive. I believe in the power of diverse educational approaches, and I’m committed to contributing to a system that recognizes and nurtures every student’s unique potential.”

Sandy Camacho

Board member, Parent Representative

Sandy Camacho was born and raised in San Jose and is the proud mother of Alisa, an 8th grader at Sunrise. She has worked for the County of Santa Clara for the past 12 years as an Eligibility Worker, helping individuals and families navigate essential services and supports. Sandy is deeply committed to serving the community she lives in and feels grateful for work that keeps her grounded and connected. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling with her daughter, reading, and making meaningful memories together.

Jorge Sosa

Treasurer

Jorge is a former Sunrise student who went on to graduate from Bellarmine College Prep. He currently attends Foothill College, preparing to transfer to a university to major in Kinesiology. He is an avid soccer player and runner and is a captain on the 500 Mile American Indian Spiritual Marathon team. A born leader, his passion is to motivate Sunrise students to be the best that they can be.

Rosa Maritza Ontiveros

Board member

Rosa Maritza Ontiveros is a highly accomplished nonprofit leader with over 15 years of experience advancing equity-driven programs and strengthening organizational effectiveness. She currently serves as Chief of Staff at the Center for Employment Training, where she partners closely with executive leadership and the board to guide strategy, operations, and large-scale organizational initiatives. Rosa brings deep expertise in compliance, strategic planning, project management, and team leadership, having successfully led organizations through audits, complex transitions, and periods of growth. Her background also includes many years in early childhood mental health and restorative justice programs, where she supported children, families, and communities with care and accountability. Bilingual and trained in trauma-informed practices, Rosa is known for her collaborative leadership style, strong organizational skills, and commitment to positive social impact. She is passionate about serving communities and helping mission-driven organizations thrive.

Advisory Board

Dr. David Johnson

David Johnson is a social psychologist who holds a Ph.D. from Stanford. His research had to do with how girls and members of minority groups are affected in their academic performance by adverse factors not under their control. He served as chief of staff to Congressman Mervyn M. Dymally (D-CA) for six years and worked on public policy in science and education. During his time on Capitol Hill, he was responsible for developing the legislation that paid reparations to Japanese Americans and Aleutian Islanders for their time in concentration camps during World War II, for revisions to the Higher Education Act that defined minority-serving institutions in a way that provided funds to colleges in the West and Southwest serving large number of Latino students, and for working with other legislative aides to allow previously classified satellite photos to be made available to the public, a change that eventually led to public access to satellite imagery. He went on to direct for 14 years a nonprofit called the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences which represented the public policy interests of 20 scientific societies and 150 graduate departments of psychology, cognitive science and education. While director, he was one of a group of scientists and educators asked by President Clinton and Vice President Gore to develop their administration’s policy on the use of scientific research to enhance economic development. He returned to the Bay Area in 2003 to become development director for science initiatives at National Hispanic University. While there, he founded and chaired the Department of Mathematics, Science and Computer Science. In retirement, he writes grants for several nonprofit organizations including Sunrise. He also manages Sunrise’s academic performance assessment called Measures of Academic Progress.