California Western Welcomes New Leadership

Cindy Bertrand joined California Western as the Chief Financial Officer in January of 2021. Cindy previously spent almost nine years with the YMCA of San Diego County as the Vice President of Finance. Cindy is focused on bringing excellence and renewed energy to the Business Office and supporting Dean Scott’s vision of modernizing our school to best serve our students and faculty. Her Business Office team is concentrating on identifying technology tools to strengthen our processes and streamline operations. Cindy has lived in San Diego with her family since 1994 and enjoys spending time with her new granddaughter.

Dani Dawson joined California Western as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement in February after spending seven years in planned giving at UC San Diego. Creating a culture of philanthropy to support Dean Scott’s vision has been her primary focus and she has hit the ground running. By outlining strategic fundraising initiatives and articulating the importance of community engagement, Dani is focused on a philanthropy first model for the IA team. When Dani is not raising money for California Western, she can be found at the high school stadium where her son, Dawson, is on the football team and her daughter, Riley, is on the cheer team.

Lisa Ferreira joins California Western on September 1, 2021, as the Dean of Students. She has spent 30 years in legal education in academic administration and student affairs. Creating community and providing opportunities for student development and growth have been hallmarks of her career. Dean Scott and the law school’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion are important to Lisa as together we educate and nourish the future leaders of the legal profession. When Lisa is not at school, she is reading, hiking, cooking, and spending time with family.

This past July, Jorge Garcia joined California Western School of Law as Assistant Dean of Admissions, Financial Aid & Campus Diversity. Jorge has 18 years of law school admissions experience. Included in his responsibilities at California Western are leading the recruitment, admission and scholarship awarding of the entering class; providing leadership and support to the Financial Aid Office; and leading the Law School in its diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and efforts. In his free time, Jorge enjoys spending time with his wife, kids, and 3 dogs. Jorge is a rabid Padres fan so during baseball season, there’s a good chance you will see him at Petco Park.

Chris Van Nostrand brings 20 years of higher education marketing experience to the California Western School of Law. He previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for UC Berkeley Extension after joining the university to lead the development of its online education initiatives. He started his career at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he held roles in the Dean’s Office, Academic Technologies, Marketing, and Admissions. He also earned his MBA from Kellogg, and his BA from Kenyon College.