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Shawn Ragan began working with California Indian Nations College as an academic consultant in July 2019 before joining the team in Spring 2020. Drawing on over two decades of non-profit and higher education experience, VP Ragan oversaw Academics, Accreditation, Admissions, Enrollment Management, Institutional Effectiveness, IT, and Student Affairs through January 2025. VP Ragan worked with faculty, students, and administration to build academic and student programs that addressed the specific needs of tribal students and ensured successful transfer to four-year institutions, which led to successful accreditation Peer Review Team site visits. In his current role, EVP Ragan works with students, alumni, and staff to focus on much-needed federal and state relations that are vital to keeping CINC funded, which included successfully advocating for $10M in the 2025-2026 California State Budget. The Government Relations Team goes beyond budget asks and is working to change the California higher education landscape to include Tribal Colleges and Universities.

He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of the West in Rosemead, CA and the President of the Riverside and Inland Empire local society of the Archaeological Institute of America.

VP Ragan has a B.A. in History from Boise State University, an M.A. in History from the University of California, Riverside, and is currently completing the final chapter of his Ph.D. dissertation, “Inter Divos Referri : Roman Imperial Cult in the Third Century C.E.,” which examines the intersection of politics and religion in periods of crisis.

Outside of the academy, he enjoys spending time with family, friends, and his dog and he is an avid Nebraska Cornhuskers football and Sevens Rugby fan.

760-530-3895

Born in Mexico, she immigrated to the Coachella Valley at a young age. She comes from a long bloodline of Mexica (Aztec) dancers and advocates. Her passion towards the Eastern Coachella Valley and Social Justice is the reason she became a community organizer at the age of 16.

She holds a certification in Entrepreneurship and Non-Profit Management from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and a certification in Mental Health Aid from the Riverside University Health System. She obtained two associate degrees in political science from College of the Desert and Social & Behavior Science from California Indian Nations College in 2023.

Armenta served as an officer in Alas Con Futuro at COD and Student Government at CINC. She has worked in the non-profits, government, and education sectors. Currently, Armenta is working towards her accreditation with the Department of Justice to file USCIS forms and continuing her studies in Public Policies and Behavior Science at UCR. She plans to obtain her Masters and Juris Doctor to become a Lawyer and Public Policy Advocate in effort to teach youth about policies and helping the community.

Armenta has been working at CINC since 2022 and has assisted in several departments such as Academic Advising, Social Media, Development, Government and Tribal Affairs.

On the personal side, she co-founded a Mexican Indigenous non-profit organization with her sister Gabriela Armenta (CINC Alumni, UCR Student, City of Indio Commissioner.) Armenta has been with her partner, Erick Lemus Nadurille (Political Campaign Consultant, Community Organizer, Event Producer, School Board Member) for six years and both reside in the City of Indio along with Claudia’s Service Animal.

Josh Lyda (Chickasaw) graduated high school in Spring of 2014 and enrolled in Palomar College for the following Fall. He spent 3 years at Palomar College before transferring in the Fall of 2017 to begin his 8-year sentence at UCLA. Josh attended UCLA in undergrad to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in German in hopes of becoming a translator. During his 2 years of undergrad, he became involved in the American Indian Student Association (AISA) at UCLA. In his first year, he became the Outreach Coordinator for AISA and supported their outreach project, American Indian Recruitment (AIR). In his second year, he continued as Outreach Coordinator while also becoming Co-President and the Coordinator for their annual Youth Conference and Basketball Tournament. After graduating, Josh became the Project Coordinator for Retention of American Indians Now! (RAIN!) at UCLA, which provided academic counseling and events for Native students at UCLA. He continued to support the Native community at UCLA both through his job and in his free time. During his 4 years as Project Coordinator, he eventually became the Co-President for the American Indian Alumni of UCLA and assisted in the creation of the Bruins Rising Initiative at UCLA, which acquired commitment from the university to create more resources for Native and Pacific Islander communities on campus.

Josh ended his time at UCLA spending 2 years in the Master of Public Policy program. While continuing to support the Native community at UCLA, he worked on completing his MPP in hopes of utilizing it to support his tribal government in the future. Now free from UCLA, Josh is excited to bring his knowledge and expertise in academic advising to CINC. He is excited to bring his commitment to this community and support his students in pursuing degrees to support their professional growth.