ARLEEN PELSTER - CHAIRMAN
I am a resident of the Lompoc Valley for 36 years. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University - Pomona. I have worked for city
municipalities as a land use planner for 33 years, including 24 years with the City of Lompoc and 5 years with the City of Solvang. My job responsibilities included review of proposals for new development, environmental review, redevelopment, and long-range land use planning. I also worked with building department staff to ensure construction complied with applicable regulations. My work included provision of staff support to various boards and commissions.

I have served on the Governance Board since January 2018. I strive to work with fellow Board members and staff to ensure Manzanita Public Charter School accomplishes its mission of excellence in education. I also draw upon my work experience to support the staff with projects involving physical improvements to the campus.

 KRISHNA FLORES-  VICE CHAIRMAN
I have been a member of the Manzanita Public Charter School Governance Board since October 2018 and currently serves as Vice Chair.

As a proud parent of a Manzanita graduate, I witnessed firsthand the dedication and commitment of the entire Manzanita staff to ensure that scholars grow and thrive in a supportive learning environment.

My focus is on deep and sustained equitable and inclusive public education for all. I am committed to fostering a school environment that balances academic achievement with social and emotional learning. I work in collaboration with the Board to ensure fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. The fiscal health of Manzanita facilitates its ability to offer and expand dedicated academic programs such as visual and performing arts, outdoor education, and physical education.

I have a Master’s Degree in Psychology and previously held Human Resources Director positions for mass communications companies. In addition to serving on the MPCS Board, I volunteer as a member of the School Advisory Council at OAHS and volunteered at various VSFB organizations to support its military community.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the scholars and staff at MPCS.

 ELI VILLANUEVA-  SECRETARY
After growing up in Lompoc and attending Lompoc schools (LHS class of 1995), I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University followed by a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Trident University. I also hold a pharmacy technician license from the State of California. The majority of my career has been in the health care and health insurance industry. I have held various roles in both public and private settings. I currently have 2 scholars attending Manzanita Public Charter School. Fun fact: I also enjoy and am currently learning how to prepare taxes. In my free time I enjoy being outside in nature such as hiking, mountain biking, and camping. I also enjoy volunteering in my local community when time permits. Feel free to reach out to me if there’s anything I can help you with. I also speak Spanish if that is your preferred language (se habla español).

 MONIQUE MANGINO- TREASURER
I have served on the Manzanita Governance Board for 6 years. I was raised in Lompoc and graduated from Lompoc High School in 1983. I began my college education at Allan Hancock Community College and transferred to Cal State University, Northridge where I earned a B.S. Degree in Business Management. After graduation, I worked in Human Resources for California Federal Bank and then for Lockheed Martin Technical Operations. In 1997, my family left Lompoc and moved to Connecticut (5 years), Illinois (2 Years) and Redlands, CA (11 Years). We moved back to Lompoc in 2015.

I have been married to my husband Mike for 32 years and we have two adult daughters. When our children were in grade school I began to work as an Instructional Assistant in their Catholic school. All told I have worked in elementary schools for nearly 20 years. I have been employed as a certificated Substitute Teacher in the Lompoc Unified School District for the past 4 years.

I enjoy working with elementary students, learning new curriculum, and teaching methods and collaborating with dedicated teaching professionals.

Alfonso Gonzalez- MEMBER
I have lived in Lompoc, CA for the last 36 years with my beautiful wife, Yolanda.  We have two adult children and three grandchildren. I am a retired teacher and guidance counselor from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District for 38 years.

I hold a bachelor degree from Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt). In addition, I received a master’s degree from La Verne University in 2003 in Guidance Counseling.

I’m the newest member of the Governance Board of Manzanita Public Charter School.  The education of our scholars is my primary focus. I have an 11-year experience as a board member from The Santa Ynez Valley Foundation.  Finally, I am totally bilingual (Spanish and English).