Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology's Education Division Graduation

The graduation takes place at Pepperdine's Alumni Park. The commencement speaker is Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education. Randy E. Clark, president and CEO of Border Foods, will be honored as a Distinguished Alumnus. Their biographies from Pepperdine are provided below.

Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana
Meléndez is the assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education. Confirmed in this position by the U.S. Senate on July 24, 2009, she directs, coordinates, and recommends national policy for programs designed to assist state and local education agencies with improving the achievement of elementary and secondary school students. She helps ensure equal access to services leading to improvements for all children, particularly children who are economically disadvantaged. She also serves as principal adviser to the U.S. secretary of education on all matters related to pre-K, elementary, and secondary education.

Prior to her appointment as assistant secretary, Meléndez had served as superintendent of the Pomona Unified School District since 2006. During her tenure, Pomona saw district-wide gains in student achievement among African American students and English-language learners. She designed and launched many programming innovations, including a math-science magnet school, an academy, a charter school for at-risk students, and partnerships with universities to create health-career pathways for students. Prior to her work at Pomona Unified, Meléndez held leadership positions at the nonprofit Stupski Foundation, the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project, and the Montebello and Pasadena Unified School Districts.

Recognized for her leadership in her profession, she was named the 2010 Hispanic Business Magazine’s Woman of the Year and a Latina of Excellence by Hispanic Magazine. She is a Fellow in the Broad Superintendents Academy, the Los Angeles County Bilingual Directors Association’s Outstanding Educator of the Year, and the American Association of School Administrators’ California Superintendent of the Year.

Meléndez earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her Ph.D. from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.

Randy E. Clark
Clark is the chief executive officer of Border Foods, Inc. Located in Deming, New Mexico, Border Foods is the “largest green chili company in the world,” also processing jalapeno peppers, tomatillos, enchilada sauces, and salsa for individual, food service, and bulk applications. During his tenure at Border Foods, which he assumed during its bankruptcy, he has transformed the enterprise into a highly successful company.

Clark began his agricultural career as vice president of marketing and production for Bolthouse Farms. In 1993 he developed the then-new baby carrot product, which has become one of the produce industry’s recent successes. He has gone on to serve as CEO at several produce companies, including Mike Yarosek and Sons; Golden Valley Produce; and Fruit Patch, Inc., the largest tree-fruit supplier in the United States.

Clark currently teaches at Wilberforce University in Ohio, one of the oldest historically African American colleges in the United States. He has served as professor of accounting at Master’s College and has held a variety of teaching positions in leadership, marketing, and accounting. He also serves as a consultant, advising client firms on capital resource options and mergers and acquisitions.

Clark was a board member and project manager for the nonprofit organization Athletes in Action from 2003 to 2006, where he managed capital improvements and building of athletic fields. He has also been a board member and one of the three founding members of The Refuge Center, a nonprofit counseling center for underprivileged children and young adults.

Clark received his bachelor’s degree from Cedarville College; his master’s degree in accounting in 1977 from Kent State University, attaining CPA in 1978; and his Ed.D. in organizational leadership from the Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology in 2005. He is also a GSEP Board of Visitors member.