Alliant Foundation names executive committee

Alliant International University campus at twilight.

Alliant Foundation names executive committee

On July 18, Alliant International University held one of its Open Campus Days, hosting prospective students and family members who want to look around and visit with admission counselors. Although the university appears serene and can be overlooked by Scripps Ranch residents, there is plenty going on in the area of academics.

School representatives state that Alliant was built on a legacy of academic rigor paired with professional practice and training. Alliant is a private university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), offering graduate study in psychology, education, business management, law, forensic studies, and bachelor’s degree programs in several fields. In addition, Alliant offers programs in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Irvine, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico City and has online programs.

Furthermore, the university maintains an association with the Alliant Educational Foundation (AEF), a nonprofit organization that partners with Alliant and other institutions of higher education to provide funding and resources to support student scholarships and faculty research. With a mission to assist post-secondary students as they prepare for careers of service and leadership that improve lives in underserved communities, AEF has pledged $3 million over the next two years to help students pursue their educational goals.

The AEF recently announced a new board of directors executive committee. Gonzalo Garretón, M.D., partner emeritus, Kaiser Permanente – Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCMPG), will serve as chair. Natalie Porter, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Alliant International University (Alliant), will serve as secretary. Continuing committee members are Vice Chair Saul Rosenbaum, managing director, Praeger & Co., LLC; and Treasurer Ron Longinotti, retired president and general manager, CBS for San Francisco and Seattle.

Garretón’s new position continues his service to AEF and Alliant, as he has volunteered as a board director and secretary for AEF and has served as a board director for Alliant since 2009. He is also a consultant physician for his alma mater Catholic University of Chile Medical School in Santiago, Chile, his home country. Garretón is a diplomat for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a fellow for the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Before his work with Kaiser, Garretón worked at Ukiah OB/GYN Medical Group in Ukiah, California; Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio; and Hospital del Trabajador in Santiago, Chile, among others. He was elected to the SCPMG board of directors for 15 years and also completed several SCMPG leadership courses. Garretón resides with his wife Isabel in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and they have three grown children.

Secretary Porter has been heavily involved with Alliant for 22 years and is currently a professor in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Alliant’s California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco. Porter has also held academic appointments at the University of New Mexico and the University of Nebraska. She has diverse administrative experience with the university, including service as interim vice president for academic affairs and school-wide dean for the California School of Professional Psychology.

Nationally, Porter is a leader in the American Psychological Association, serving as president of the Society for the Psychology of Women and on the executive committees of other divisions. She is a frequent author and presenter, primarily focused on mental health service delivery, gender issues, psychotherapy ethics and supervision. She was awarded the APA Committee on Women’s Distinguished Leadership Award. Porter resides in Alameda, California.

The Alliant Educational Foundation (AEF) was established in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To learn more or make a donation to the Alliant Educational Foundation, visit allianteducationalfoundation.org.