We the Future Fellows Mentor and Expert

Dr. Byron Reaves is a Director at the Career Ladders Project and associate faculty in the Social Work/Human Services program at Santa Rosa Junior College. With over a decade of experience in student services, faculty leadership, and educational equity, he leads statewide redesign work focused on equitable counseling, dual enrollment, and Guided Pathways.

At SRJC, Dr. Reaves previously served as Interim Senior Dean of Students, where he oversaw student life, housing, conduct, and intercultural programs. His leadership emphasized restorative approaches, basic needs integration, and cross-sector partnerships to holistically support student success. As faculty, he has counseled students in EOPS and UMOJA and continues to teach using culturally responsive practices rooted in care and justice.

Dr. Reaves facilitates professional development for faculty and practitioners across California and regularly supports colleges in redesigning structures and policies to better serve Black, first-generation, and historically marginalized students. He holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University, where his research focused on anti-Blackness in community college leadership and its impact on Black student success.