Board of Directors
Elijah Adams
Elijah is President and CEO of Faith Electric, a Southern California-based Electrical Construction Contractor providing high, medium, and low voltage construction services to utility, municipal, commercial, and industrial customers. Prior to Faith, Elijah was a Principal in the Industrial and Private Equity practices at Bain and Company and was Vice President in BNY Mellon’s corporate strategy group. Elijah also worked at the Chapman Company, the first publicly traded African American-owned investment bank, and Comerica Bank. Elijah received a BS in Finance and a minor in communications from Santa Clara University. He has a joint Master’s Degree from the School of Computer Science and the Tepper Graduate School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
Being on the board is the best way I have found to help kids that are living the life I lived as a kid. The impact on these kids’ lives is immeasurable.
Abdiel Garcia
Abdiel Garcia works within the College Greenlight division of EAB, an education research and consulting firm, where he leads engagement efforts with a nationwide network of college access organizations committed to closing equity gaps in higher education. Prior to EAB, Abdiel worked as a college counselor at UCLA’s Geffen Academy and as admissions officer and assistant director of the Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program at Harvard University. A proud Angeleno and first-generation-to-college graduate, Abdiel holds a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a master’s degree in education from Harvard University. He enjoys hiking, triathlons, learning languages, photography, and traveling.
When a program demonstrates tremendous results and also brings out the best of humanity in everybody, how can you not want to get involved? I was a low-income and first-generation-to-college student, and the life-changing impact of a program like DTS resonates deeply for me.
Ashley Glacel
Ashley Glacel is a screenwriter based in Los Angeles. A political junkie at heart, she served as a press secretary and speechwriter in both the U.S. House and Senate. Prior to that, she worked for publications including the Village Voice, Ms. Magazine, and The American Prospect, as well as organizations such as the Feminist Majority, Scholastic Publishing, and America Online, holding fast to her AOL email address all these years later. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, where her research centered on narrative structure and storytelling, an M.A. from the New School, and a B.A. from William & Mary. Still incredibly active with her alma mater, she served as Chair of William & Mary’s Annual Giving Board and currently sits on the steering committee for the Society of 1918, which harnesses and directs the power of women’s philanthropy. She loves making playlists, recording dance tutorials, and teaching her two boys to be raging feminists.
DTS evens the odds for the students it supports – and these students are incredible. The comprehensiveness and effectiveness of DTS programming are the result of the deeply thoughtful and responsive staff. When you see all they accomplish for the kids, the natural response is to want to be involved with what DTS does.
Kim A. Goldstein
Kim earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She began her professional career in Marketing and Community Fund Raising at Ascent Sports in Denver, CO. In 1998, Kim left her corporate position to start an Event Planning and Marketing company that specialized in Non Profit Organizations. From 2001 to the present, Ms. Goldstein has been a stay-at-home mom with three children. She has served as an advisor and volunteer for national organizations such as The Special Olympics, Reach Out And Read, and Teach For America. She served as a member of a giving trust that proactively donated to local organizations. Kim recently completed two terms as a Board Trustee at Westmark School, serving as the Chair of the Board for the Arts. In 2022, Kim received a certificate in College Counseling from UCLA Extension and is using this certificate as a community volunteer with various organizations in Los Angeles. She is married to Todd D. Goldstein, living in Los Angeles with their three children.
I am honored to be part of Determined to Succeed because of the unique and individual approach given to each and every student so that they can accomplish their goals, reach their potential, and be part of a community that supports and believes in them. I am continually inspired by each person – staff and students – who are part of Determined to Succeed.
Kyle Harimoto
Kyle began his career in the Agent Training Program at United Talent Agency after receiving his M.B.A. from the University of Illinois. He made the move to writing with a pilot for USA and was subsequently hired as a writer on LAS VEGAS and HAWAII FIVE-0. Kyle has sold pilots to Amazon, Peacock, CBS, The CW, SPIKE TV and wrote on the ESPN mini-series THE BRONX IS BURNING. He has also written a video game for Midway and sold a feature screenplay. Kyle co-created the WGA Staff Writer Bootcamp which has educated over 800 recently hired TV writers and taught a master class at the University of Hawai’i West O’ahu. He currently works on NCIS: LOS ANGELES where he is an Executive Producer. Kyle lives in Redondo Beach with his wife and son and credits the time he spends surfing and at Kron Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for allowing him to deal with Hollywood.
Becoming involved with Determined to Succeed was an easy decision for me. I gravitate towards organizations that strive to make a definable difference in people’s lives. Due to nationwide funding guidelines and parameters, many organizations today work to “impact” the highest numbers of people that they can. To me, this isn’t the goal. Sometimes, to do great work and truly change the course of students’ lives, you need to focus your energies on a smaller group. This is what DTS does so well, it’s not everything for everybody but it is life-changing for the students that are a part of DTS Los Angeles.
Board Chair
Jordana Jaffe
Jordana is a television writer and producer for NCIS: Los Angeles, who has also developed projects with CBS Studios, Warner Brothers, and Universal. Before segueing into entertainment, she was a journalist for The New York Times and Newsweek. Jordana earned her Bachelors degree from Harvard University, where she studied History and Literature and was Editorial Chair of The Harvard Crimson. She also holds a JD from UCLA School of Law. Originally from Orange County, California and a product of the public school system, Jordana has a keen interest in the educational landscape of Los Angeles. Jordana served on the DTS Board for three years before becoming Chair in 2020, and is also a member of UCLA’s Food Allergy Advisory Counsel. She and her husband Mark have two children.
I love watching our incredible students grow, mature, and evolve through the years – from the summer before 8th grade through college graduation and beyond. Each one of them makes a commitment to DTS and DTS, in turn, does its part to support their dreams and change their futures.
Anette Padilla
As AEG’s Sr. Director of Community Foundation and Social Impact, she oversees the company’s charitable investments, employee volunteer programs, partnerships with nonprofit organizations, and support for local government relations efforts. Anette began her career in sales and marketing within the sports and live entertainment industry, eventually joining AEG as Premium Sales Manager at what is now Crypto.com Arena. She later transitioned into community affairs, managing key philanthropic and social impact initiatives before advancing into her current leadership role. Anette is a mother of two, an Ironman Triathlete and an adventure enthusiast who brings authenticity and a commitment to service to every aspect of her life.
As the child of educators, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative support and opportunity can be, and I want to serve on the Determined to Succeed board to help ensure more youth have access to programs that empower their future.
Jamie Phillips
Jamie is a third-generation Los Angeleno and a graduate of LAUSD schools. She received her Master’s in Education from Harvard in Teaching and Learning and then taught at Timilty Middle School in Boston. She returned to Los Angeles and taught Special Education at Beulah Payne School in Inglewood. She eventually left the classroom to start a private educational consulting practice. Outside of her work, Jamie has been an active member of many nonprofit boards, including the Culver Palms YMCA. Through her service at the Y, she has worked extensively to cultivate and promote camping as well as parent/ child programming, fundraising, and teen programs. Additionally, she serves as a board member for multiple schools, actively participating in fundraising, program development, and curriculum advancement. Jamie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and four children.
I want to give my time and resources to this organization because of the transformative effect of the work- it truly alters the course of the students’ lives. From on-site tutoring and mentoring to DTS outdoors summer camp to career awareness and development; DTS’ fulsome programming addresses the needs of their students thoughtfully and from every angle. There is no greater way for me to give back than to help further the mission of Determined to Succeed.
Mike Prensky
Michael is a Director at ROI Training, Inc, an IT consulting, and training company that partners with some of the world’s leading organizations to design, develop and implement enterprise-level training solutions. Prior to joining ROI Training in 2005, Michael worked in varies roles in private equity at State Street Corporation and Credit Suisse in New York City. A Boston native, Michael received his undergraduate degree from the University of Mary Washington and an MBA from Boston Colleges Carroll School of Management. Beyond his professional commitments, Michael is deeply committed to the idea that a community’s greatest asset is its people. He actively supports organizations focused on creating equitable access to resources, believing that true social impact is achieved when every individual has the opportunity to thrive and contribute.
When I first began volunteering with DTS, I was amazed by the sheer depth and range of resources available to every student in the program. DTS is unique because it provides continuous, year-round support from eighth grade through career placement, ensuring students never have to navigate their educational journey alone. A comprehensive support model that addresses every aspect of a student’s personal and academic growth is what attracted me to DTS.
Ross Saly
Ross has over 25 years as a seasoned IT sales executive, with the last five years at Amazon Web Services. He has spent his career at the forefront of leading-edge technology, always in the mix as advancements evolve. Ross also holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication and a Master of Science in Management of Technology. Ross moved to Southern CA when he was just 5, and has lived in the San Fernando Valley for over 20 years. He has two teenage children, Mason and Kendall. This is Ross’s first board experience, and he is very determined to succeed.