Dr. Angelo Farooq is proudly born and raised in Inland Southern California. He grew up attending local public schools in Riverside County within Jurupa Valley. Angelo and his two younger sisters were raised by a single low-income mother who instilled the value of education to transcend their challenging economic circumstances. These experiences shaped him to prioritize the advancement of equity and access to opportunities for diverse students.

Angelo serves as the Chairman of the California Workforce Development Board and he was selected by his peers throughout the country as the Chair of the National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs also.

Angelo earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley and both an Executive Master’s degree and Doctorate of Policy, Planning and Development degree from the University of Southern California. His local roots ensured he would return back to our community upon completion of his education. Angelo's lifelong commitment to education continued as he is the Director of Economic Development for the University of California Riverside.

angelo

Angelo is passionate about promoting an innovation ecosystem for quality jobs in our region. He is a Founding Board of Director for a technology incubator/accelerator in downtown Riverside called ExCITE. Angelo is active in the community and has previously served as an appointee for the Mayor of Riverside's Innovation District Working Group and on the Board of Directors for the Latino Network among other organizations. He is a graduate of the Leadership Riverside Class of 2015. Angelo has been an appointee of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on the Workforce Development Board since 2007. In 2019, Angelo was appointed to co-chair California Treasurer Fiona Ma's Housing, Economic Development, Job Creation & Opportunity Zone Advisory Committee.

Angelo is the inaugural recipient of the NAACP Riverside Branch Waudieur Rucker-Hughes Legacy Service Award and an inaugural recipient of the Legacy Builders Award recognized by the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California.

Angelo is married to Vessy and they have a daughter named Maya. Angelo and Vessy have previously served together as a "Big Couple" for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Inland Empire; that focuses on empowering children facing adversity.

Angelo can be reached by email at afarooq@riversideunified.org or by phone at 951-788-7135, ext. 80417.

Riverside Unified School District

Angelo Farooq

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