The Californer - Five New Members Join Ventura College Foundation Board

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The Ventura College Foundation Board of Directors has added five new members.

VENTURA, Calif. - Californer -- The Ventura College Foundation Board of Directors has added five new members.

Joining the board are Debe Bylo, Mark Dufresne, Liz Kraus and Dr. Jill Muraoka Lim. All have a strong connection with Ventura College. As the current president of the Associated Students of Ventura College (ASVC), Jessica Flores Esquibel will also serve on the board during her term.

Now retired, Debe Bylo was a middle school teacher for 23 years with the Ventura Unified School District. She took classes at Ventura College to satisfy her teaching credential requirements. Both her daughters worked as summer lifeguards and swim instructors at the college.

Mark Dufresne was a standout tight end for the Ventura College Pirates which then led to a full scholarship to the University of Nebraska where he played for the legendary coach Tom Osborne. Dufresne is one of nine siblings. All went to Ventura College. He's now a banker at Wells Fargo in Westlake Village.

Liz Kraus is an adjunct professor of English, Emirita at Ventura College. After a 20-year career, she recently retired from her teaching position and just published a humorous, non-fiction travel book, "3 Sisters, 3 Weeks, 3 Countries (Still Talking). Kraus began her studies at Ventura College when she was 42 and used scholarships to fund further schooling at Cal State Northridge. The gift of scholarship then came full circle for Kraus as she and her husband created the Liz and Dave Kraus Scholarship for returning students who focus on humanities studies.

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Dr. Jill Muraoka Lim is a cofounder of Ohana Pet Hospital, a veterinary hospital with locations in Ventura and Santa Paula. Lim joined Ventura College's faculty in 2020 to assist in launching a new Associate's degree program in Veterinary Technology at the college's East Campus in Santa Paula.

ASVC President Jessica Flores Esquibel attended college in Mexico where she received her degree as a dental surgeon. The Piru resident is currently studying early childhood education but wants to also get minors in psychology and sociology.

"All of our new members bring a variety of experience to the board and a passion for student success," says Anne Paul King, executive director of the VC Foundation. "We look forward to their input and ideas to enhance the foundation's ability to provide resources and financial support to the students at Ventura College."

For more about the foundation, go to https://venturacollegefoundation.org.