Ann Diederich, President
Ann has three decades of experience as a global educator in the primary to tertiary levels. She has served as Director of Global Partnerships and Programs at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, Master Teacher and advisor at the Rassias Center for Global Languages and Cultures at Dartmouth College, World Languages Department Chair at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, and as a French, Spanish and history teacher throughout her career.
Her mission is to promote the SDGs, empathy, perspective-taking and global citizenship in her community. She has served as a board member of the Global Education Benchmark Group, e² education & environment and Acción: Education in Action, where she has contributed to more than a dozen publication projects and bilingual college counseling workshops for LA Unified School District students.
During the pandemic, Ann trained in story exchange facilitation with Narrative 4, and has collaborated with numerous global educators and students to promote deep listening and connections worldwide. She has also worked to reshape the Passport to the Future program and co-chair the COIR (Career Opportunities in International Relations) Symposium at AWIU (American Women at International Understanding) and has found great inspiration working with courageous women around the world. Ann majored in French, Spanish and Western European Studies at Georgetown, researched feminist policy in post-Franco Spain as a Fulbright Scholar, and earned a master’s degree in French from Middlebury.
Cindy Montoya, Advocacy Chair
An accomplished dancer, educator, activist, and so much more, Cindy Montoya brings a diverse set of skills and a deep love for her community to the UNA-Pasadena board.
After graduating from UCLA with a BA in Dance, Cindy joined the world-famous Laker Girls as a cheerleader. Throughout her career as a dancer and choreographer, Cindy has worked with many talents, including fellow Laker Girl Paula Abdul, Mel Brooks, David Fincher, and George Michael.
Cindy has also spent nearly three decades as an educator, teaching dance at schools including OC High School of the Arts, Glendale Community College, Polytechnic School, and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.
Beyond dance and education, Cindy advocates for gun violence prevention through her work with Moms Demand Action, and she also serves as a delegate for Assembly District 41 in the California Democratic Party.
We are beyond lucky to have Cindy as a part of our board.
Jennifer Hall Lee, Board MemberJennifer Hall Lee is a filmmaker, writer and women’s rights activist.
Women’s Rights: Jennifer Hall Lee traveled in late 2023 through three provinces of Pakistan. From the mountains of Chitral to the deserts of Umerkot Lee conducted interviews on film and video about feminism, patriarchy, the women’s movement and the future. The show opened at the Pakistan National Council for the Arts in Islamabad and the opening at PCC in the Boone and V Galleries will be the second opening of this exhibit.
Community and public education: In 2020 Jennifer was elected to the Pasadena Unified School District board of trustees. Jennifer and Lori, together, created the Women’s History Month assembly for PUSD. Keynote speakers have included congress members Judy Chu and Maxine Waters, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Labor leader Dolores Huerta, Pakistan Women’s March organizers and Pakistan feminists.
Filmmaking: She worked on many films in the film industry including Forrest Gump, Ghost, Back to the Future 2, Hook, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more.
Judith Harris, Membership Chair
Currently the membership chair for UNA-USA Pasadena, Judith has also served as President of the UNA-USA Southern California Division and is a past Secretary of the UNA-USA National Council.
She joined the UNA-USA Pasadena Chapter in 2001 and has faithfully served as a Board Member as well as Co-President twice. Judith has advocated for the UN Sustainable Development Goals on Capitol Hill and locally, at Model UN Conferences, UNA-USA Chapter and UNA-USA So. California Division events as well as with students attending kindergarten through college, including Pasadena City College, Occidental College, Cal. State Fullerton, USC and various community groups.
Judith has retired from her professional life working with children who are partially sighted, blind and deaf-blind for 30 years, with the Foundation for the Junior Blind and Partners for Pediatric Vision. She is a Lifetime member of UNA-USA.
Charlotte “Char” Bland, VP
Char Bland is the Past Chair of the City of Pasadena Commission on the Status of Women in this role collaborated with fellow commissioners and Mt Saint Mary’s University to produce the Report for the Status of Women. Currently, Char serves as Vice President of the Association for California Commissions for Women and as a Board Member of the UNA Pasadena, Pasadena Police Foundation, LACC, LA CARES Mentoring Movement, Haven House, YWCA Pasadena, Peace Over Violence, and as a National Women’s Political Caucus California Board Representative.
Char has over 20 years of working in both the public and private sectors, working both as an account manager and corporate trainer.
Char’s commitment to community led her to be a candidate for the City of Pasadena City Council and earned the endorsement of then-U.S. Senator and current Vice President Harris and many organizations and unions.
Jaqueline Garrity, Secretary
Jacqueline Garrity, a recent UC Berkeley graduate, utilizes her ability to converse in five languages to support language development and humanitarian causes.
Jacqueline taught English in France and Nicaragua through the Global Initiatives Association (GIA) at Polytechnic High School. Jacqueline has co-led a global speakers series and presented topics such as the effects of homelessness in the outskirts of Paris and an overview of modern China in light of her studies abroad in both France and China. Jacqueline also co-wrote a grant in collaboration with the founder of iThuba, a STEM school in South Africa, resulting in $10,997 awarded for teachers’ salaries and educational supplies.
Jacqueline consequently hosted a virtual workshop focusing on the grant-writing process and believes this process is invaluable because it demonstrates how entities can work together to utilize resources and promote worthy causes.