California Leadership
Meet Our Team
FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION REGIONAL DIRECTORS
More About Dave
A native San Diegan, David Berggren graduated from the California Maritime Academy with a BS in Marine Engineering Technology and a USCG Engineering License. After six years of work as a shipboard engineer he started a new career teaching at High Tech High in Point Loma, San Diego. While at High Tech High, for 15 years, David found his passion for teaching and mentoring youth in engineering and robotics through project-based learning and hands on instruction. In 2004 he founded FIRST Robotics Team 1538 – The Holy Cows, which he helped build to be an elite team and one that has gained international recognition.
Seeing the amazing impact that the FIRST Robotics program had on his students, David decided to get more involved with the FIRST non-profit organization, in addition to teaching. He supported FIRST in the role of Senior Mentor, Asst. Regional Director and then Regional Director for 9 years.
Then in the Summer of 2017, David was asked to continue his dedication and commitment to growing FIRST in a full-time position as the Senior Regional Director for California, with oversight of all programs throughout the state. With this incredible opportunity he decided to leave the classroom and dedicate all his time to getting more students in the state involved in FIRST. David is passionate about inspiring our youth to not only explore the STEM fields but also strive to be positive members of the community and he feels very strongly that FIRST is one of the best programs to allow students to do this.
LUAN HEIMLICH
SENIOR REGIONAL DIRECTOR
DIRECTLY SUPPORTING:
Monterey Bay, San Francisco & Silicon Valley FRC Regionals
More About Luan
Luan graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship. She has worked as a software engineer at IBM, Siemens, and Cisco and has co-founded two US-based start-up companies.
Luan’s journey with FIRST started in NH by mentoring several of her daughters’ FRC and FLL teams before moving to Australia in 2009. Since then, she was instrumental in founding FIRST Australia, serving as its Director, and mentoring FRC Team 3132, Thunder Down Under (2017 Hall of Fame inductee). She has shared the FLL World Festival Coach of the Year (2009) and FRC Granite State Regional Volunteer of the Year (2010), and received the FRC Hawaiian Regional Woodie Flowers Award (2014). She has also served on the FIRST Executive Advisory Board.
In her spare time, you can find Luan quilting, hiking, or playing with the family dog.
VELMA LOMAX
REGIONAL DIRECTOR – Central Valley & N. Central California
DIRECTLY SUPPORTING:
Sacramento, Central Valley and Contra Costa Regionals
More About Velma
Velma comes to FIRST with a background as a Career and Technical Education Teacher, having taught Computer Repair and Maintenance, Cisco Networking, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Introduction to Engineering, Manufacturing technologies and, for six years, Robotics. Her students at Ventura High School in Ventura, California, talked her into starting an FRC Robotics team in 2011 and Team 3925, Circuit of Life was born. Since that time, she and her students have been instrumental in starting 10 FRC Teams, 2 FLL Teams in Ventura County as well as developing and hosting the Ventura Regional. The fundamentals of FIRST are a passion for Velma as she has seen, firsthand, the benefit FIRST has had on her students.
In 2016, Velma was hired as a FIRST Senior Mentor, mentoring and growing teams throughout Southern California and, after retiring from teaching, came onboard as a Southern California FIRST Regional Director in 2018. She loves everything about the FIRST program, especially the fact that it is not just about the robot, it’s corporate America and all team members are exposed to authentic skills that can be used in their future careers.
AIMEE BECK
REGIONAL DIRECTOR – Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Kern
DIRECTLY SUPPORTING:
Ventura, Aerospace Valley & Hueneme Port FRC Regionals
About
Aimee and her husband recently settled in Los Angeles, California, after spending nine years at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. They first met in high school on a FIRST Robotics Competition Team, where Aimee’s passion for community-building began. She recently earned her Master’s in Nonprofit and Association Management.
FIRST TECH CHALLENGE PARTNERS
FIRST LEGO LEAGUE CHALLENGE PARTNERS
CATHY SCHULZ
PROGRAM DELIVERY PARTNER – FLL, CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN
More About Cathy
Cathy became involved with FIRST programs when her son joined FRC Team 1538 for the 2010 season. Wanting to become involved with the team she took over mentoring the Business department and Community Outreach including becoming the FIRST LEGO League Tournament Director.
After several years of volunteering Cathy became the Head Project Judge for Southern California Roboitics League as well as helping to organize FLL Championships and other events held at LEGOLAND California. Cathy works full time teaching kindergarten planting that seed of curiosity.
PAUL KASS
PROGRAM DELIVERY PARTNER – FLL, CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN
More About Paul
Paul is a middle school math teacher that fell into the world of FIRST in 2003 when some former students asked him to be the adviser for a new LEGO Robotics club. After agreeing, Paul found himself getting more and more involved with FIRST LEGO League.
Paul started running different tournaments, volunteering as a judge and referee, presenting at coach trainings, running summer programs, creating and organizing Spring Showdown and finally becoming the Head Referee for So Cal.
When the opportunity presented itself to become a Program Delivery Partner, it was an obvious choice to accept and give back to this amazing organization.
SARAH RODRIGUEZ
PROGRAM DELIVERY PARTNER – FLL, CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN
More About Sarah
Sarah is a FIRST Alumni from Mira Mesa High’s FIRST Team 1372 Lambda Cubed, who returned to the team as a alternate head coach in 2009. She then obtained her Bachelor’s of Science and Applied Arts in Computer Science degree at SDSU in 2010.
After 3 seasons with Lambda Cubed, Sarah joined Poway High’s FIRST Team 1622 Spyder in 2012 as a Programming Mentor and helping other parts of the team when needed. Also in 2012, she began pursuing her programming dream at TechFlow, Inc. and now is a Senior Application Developer and heads their employee event committee.
Sarah began volunteering for FIRST LEGO League as a Robot Design Judge amd over the years, she’s supported many additional roles since, including Core Values Judge, Head Judge for Poway’s Qualifying Tournament and a Head Robot Design Judge.
In 2018, she moved up to Judge Advisor for Southern Californian FIRST LEGO League Robotics. In 2020, Sarah stepped up to become a FIRST LEGO League Partner for Southern California. Sarah has always advocates for more women in STEM and leads by example to show future STEM women it can be done.
LAYNE KIRK
PROGRAM DELIVERY PARTNER – FLL, CENTRAL VALLEY
More About Layne
Layne has been involved with FIRST since 2013. She coached multiple teams, alongside her husband, through 8 seasons of FIRST LEGO League Challenge (for their 3 children) before becoming a Program Delivery Partner in 2021.
She also brought FIRST LEGO League Explore to her school site in 2016 and coached for 2 seasons. In 2018 she and a team of FIRST LEGO League Challenge coaches started a local junior high’s first FIRST Tech Challenge team (FTC 14323 Half-Wit Hatchlings); she and the coaching team now coach 2 FTC teams at the school (adding FTC 17094 E.G.G. in 2019).
Layne coordinates FIRST programs at two school sites and finds great joy in giving as many students as possible a FIRST experience. All three of her children are still on FIRST teams (FTC and FRC) and have gained invaluable life experience through their time in FIRST; it is truly a big part of the entire family. When not “doing robotics,” Layne enjoys being a longtime leader for Boy Scouts of America, photography, graphic design, and time with family (including Twinkie, the pug).
CALLIE CARBAJAL
PROGRAM DELIVERY PARTNER – FLL, CENTRAL VALLEY
More About Callie
We are excited to announce that after a 4-year Program Delivery Partner hiatus, Callie Carbajal is returning to become a Program Delivery Partner for both FIRST LEGO League Explore and FIRST LEGO League Challenge for Central Valley. Although she remained as the Regional Judge Advisor during her hiatus, we are grateful for her becoming a partner again. Welcome back Callie!
SENIOR MENTORS
Senior Mentors support teams, mentors, and coaches within their geographic area. They also recruit and expand FIRST program through outreach events, expositions, and demonstrations.
FIONA MCGINNIS
SENIOR MENTOR – Tri-Coastal
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Fiona is an Electrical Engineering student and FIRST Alum, having been on FRC Team 3512, Spartatronics out of Orcutt, CA which is on the coast above Santa Barbara. After graduation, she became a mentor for the team and also works with FIRST LEGO League in her area. She has a passion for FIRST that is contagious and served as the FIRST Robotics Competition MC for the Hueneme Port, Ventura and Aerospace Valley Regionals last season, trained by our own Blair.
DAN GLENN
SENIOR MENTOR – Southern California
More About Dan
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