Meet the Team
Region XII Mission
Region XII, in accordance with the governing documents of NAFSA and, until properly amended, consists of California, Hawaii, Nevada and the U.S. Pacific Islands. The mission of Region XII is to advance NAFSA's mission and Strategic Plan within Region XII while responding to the needs of its members. Region XII leadership strives to reach these goals by: providing a robust calendar of professional development activities across the different NAFSA Knowledge Communities; fostering a leadership pipeline within the Region; administering various grants to encourage professional development; supporting the activities of the Districts within the Region; planning, developing, and hosting the annual Region XII Conference; and ensuring the Region’s financial health through fiscally-responsible decision making at all times.
Region XII Team
Anna McCreedy
Image
Berkeley International Office
Chair, Region XII
Anna McCreedy works at the Berkeley International Office at UC Berkeley, where she is the Communications Coordinator and an International Student Adviser. She completed her undergraduate degree at Colorado College with a BA in international political economy, and later pursued a master's degree in...
Keri Toma Loehrer, Ed.D.
Image
San Jose State University
Chair-Elect, Region XII
Keri Toma Loehrer, Ed.D. is the International Programs Manager and Communications Specialist at San José State University, where she develops co-curricular programs that help international students connect, engage, explore, and thrive. Having worked in higher education for two decades in both...
Sharon Ericsson
Image
University of California, Davis
Past Chair, Region XII
Sharon Ericsson is an International Student Advisor (DSO/ARO) at University of California Davis Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS). In addition to advising students on maintaining their status and work authorization, she builds successful collaborations and assists with the...
Lena Zadorozhna
Image
University of California Davis
Treasurer, Region XII
Lena Zadorozhna (she/her/hers) is an International Student Advisor (DSO/ARO) at the Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS), University of California, Davis. Lena has been working in the field of international education for over nine years now, following five years working in a...
Mary Alurwar
Image
University of California, Davis
Conference Planner, Region XII
Mary has been in the field of International Education for over 10 years and hold an MA in TESOL/ Linguistics from SIUE. Since 2014, she has been working for the University of California, Davis initially as an international student advisor focusing on F-1 and J-1 student employment and other student...
Katie McClure
Image
UC Berkeley
Communications Coordinator, Region XII
Katie McClure serves as an International Scholar Advisor at UC Berkeley where she supports academic departments, international scholars, and their families navigate the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. She has a MS in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University and previously has held...
Nusha Shishegar
Image
Glendale Community College
Conference Apprentice, Region XII
Nusha Shishegar began her international student services career at UC Irvine Extension in 2001. She has previously held positions as P/DSO and/or A/RO at Claremont Graduate University, CSU San Bernardino’s College of Extended Learning, and Keck Graduate Institute. In 2019, she assumed her present...
Raelyn Alvarez
Image
Mt. San Antonio College
2025 Regional Treasurers Cohort Coach; Development Coordinator, Region XII
Raelyn Alvarez works on the Administrative side of International Education at Mt. San Antonio College. Raelyn has been involved with NAFSA and international education for over 5 years. Raelyn has worked in community college for over 10 years and has experience in budget management, recruitment, and...
Liz King
Image
University of Southern California
Education and Training Coordinator, Region XII
Liz is the Senior Visa Specialist with USC’s Faculty/Staff Visa Services where she supports hiring units with employment sponsorship and permanent residency processing. Prior to joining USC in 2017, Liz spent three years as an employment-based immigration paralegal, and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA...
Lauren Lewis
Image
Institute of International Education (IIE)
Northern District Chair, Region XII
Lauren joined the Institute of International Education (IIE) in 2017. She is an Advising Manager based in San Francisco, CA, where she supervises Pre-College Advisors and KGSP Undergraduate Advisors and their students across the US and Saudi Arabia. She graduated from Wellesley College and has an M...
Kathy Guillen Quispe
Image
Pomona College
Southern District Chair, Region XII
Kathy has worked with international students since 2016. She is currently the Assistant Director of International Student & Scholar Services at Pomona College in Claremont, California, where she has worked since 2021 where she serves as their PDSO and RO. Kathy gives back to her colleagues in...
Virág Nikolics
Image
Truckee Meadows Community College
Nevada State Representative, Region XII
Virág Nikolics was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. She holds a BA in English: Creative Writing and an MA in Education: Special Emphasis in International/Intercultural Education. Based on her experience as an international student, Virág has devoted her interest to international education and...
Sunhee Kim Fujii
Image
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Hawaii & Pacific Islands District Chair, Region XII; EA Representative, HIPAC District
Sunhee Kim Fujii is an Assistant Faculty Specialist for the Study Abroad Center and College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She is the lead advisor for the London, Mendoza, Seville, Shanghai, and Yongin programs on campus. She received her BA in Korean and Japanese and an...
Kerry Gonzales
Image
Cal Poly Humboldt
KC Education Abroad, Region XII
Kerry Gonzales is the Study Abroad Coordinator at Cal Poly Humboldt. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of the Office of International Programs at Whittier College where she was responsible for International Student Services and Faculty-Led programs. She holds a Master’s degree in Education...
Hiromi Mei Cooley
Image
UC Law San Francisco
KC Rep ISSS, Region XII
Hiromi “Mei” Cooley is the Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (UC Law SF), formerly known as UC Hastings. She handles all visa-related matters for international scholars and students as the PDSO and the RO of UC Law SF, and she...
Sarah Brockmeyer
Image
Santa Clara University
KC Representative IEM, Region XII
Sarah Brockmeyer is the Director of International Programs at Santa Clara University School of Law. In this role, she oversees the law school’s global initiatives, including the top ranked ABA-approved summer abroad program. She manages international admissions and the LLM programs and provides...
Matthew Williams
Image
University of Southern California
Advocacy Rep, Region XII
Matthew serves as a senior international student advisor (DSO/ARO) at the University of Southern California. His journey in international education began while he was still a student at Loyola Marymount University, where in 2016 he was hired into the role of student manger at the Office for...
Jaimie Hsu
Image
Soka University of America
Advocacy Apprentice, Region XII
Jaimie is an Admission and International Student Advisor at Soka University of America, where she supports students throughout the admissions process and serves as a DSO. She is passionate about connecting with her community, reducing educational disparities, and cultivating a diverse campus...
Bernie Wolfsdorf
Image
WR Immigration
Postdoc Representative, Region XII
Bernie Wolfsdorf is a state bar of California Board Certified Specialist in immigration law and the managing partner of WR Immigration with ten offices throughout the U.S. The firm specializes in providing high touch services to universities, research institutions, multinational companies, as well...
Xin Chen
Image
UC Davis
KC Rep TLS/IEL, Region XII
Xin Chen, PhD, is a strategic leader in international higher education. She currently serves as the Director of International Access Programs at the University of California, Davis, where she designs and oversees innovative enrollment pathways and manages a global portfolio of partnerships. Her work...