Industry Advisory Board

Patty Striniste was born in Santa Rosa and earned her B.A. from Sonoma State University. She has spent most of her professional career working in Human Resources in the insurance and wine industries and is currently the Director of People and Culture at Redwood Empire Food Bank. Patty's extracurricular activities include watching her son play sports, working out at OrangeTheory, and during football season watching her beloved 49ers!

Patty's sense of fulfillment is at its best when she is part of an individual's professional development and growth in their careers. She is honored to be affiliated with the Magnolia Project and will use her professional experience to help with furthering the mission to create experiential learning pathways for middle and high school students to develop them for meaningful careers in our community.

Karen Hancock is the Community Outreach Specialist and Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Sonoma County Fire District, bringing a wealth of experience from a distinguished career in public safety and law enforcement. Her journey began in 2002 graduating Police Academy as a California State Park Peace Officer Ranger, where she developed a deep understanding of the importance of Crime Prevention programs, particularly for youth in the underserved communities of Imperial and Riverside counties where she was first assigned. Karen was born and raised in Sonoma County and has a bachelor’s degree from Sonoma State University in Biophysical Geography.  After a brief hiatus to focus on her family, Karen returned to law enforcement, joining the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. There, she held several critical roles, including as a 911 Dispatcher and Detention Specialist Supervisor in the jail, culminating in her work as a Community Services Officer within the Crime Prevention Unit and Field PIO on the Sheriff’s Crisis Communications Team. Karen's commitment to community engagement and public safety is further demonstrated by her role as the Sonoma County Fire District’s PIO, where she has been pivotal during emergencies and disasters providing information to the public in both English and Spanish. In her current role, Karen continues to leverage her extensive background in public safety, community service, and crisis communication to foster strong community relations and enhance public safety outreach initiatives through prevention programs promoting life safety risk reduction for the communities she serves in Sonoma County.

Dominic M. Rosales was born and raised in Sonoma County, and has supported underserved populations within the County for nearly a decade. Dominic worked in the Sonoma County Public Conservator/Guardian/Administrator’s office in the Adult & Aging Department of Sonoma County Human Services for seven years. While in that office, he worked with older adults with dementia, serious mental disorders, and developmental delays.

After graduating Valedictorian of his Law School and becoming a licensed attorney in 2022, Dominic began working with Dependency Legal Services, a non-profit organization that provides court-appointed representation to indigent parents navigating juvenile dependency cases. Dominic’s educational background in the Humanities and Sociology has fostered a passion for continuing to provide assistance and services to the underrepresented and marginalized populations in Sonoma County. Dominic is ingrained in the local legal community, being a member of the Diversity & Inclusion section of the local Bar Association and a member of the Association’s “Pipeline”, geared towards students with an interest in pursuing a legal career.