Empowering Communities Enriching Lives

As CEO of Lifelong Learning, Pete Faragia leads all aspects of business operations and divisions: finance, education, IT, communications, marketing, public relations, leadership development, innovation, business affairs, legal, strategic planning and management. He manages and supports multiple division heads through coaching and mentoring to ensure the delivery of high-quality support services and products to staff, students, parents and community members for Lifelong Learning’s nationwide network of client schools. A servant leader, he has proven success in building organizational culture, decision-making, staff development, community partnerships, financial management and board relations/governance. Faragia is highly experienced in developing strategic and operational plans into coherent, consistent and effective programs. He builds high-performing teams, driving alignment and collaboration to achieve organizational results while earning stakeholder buy-in. He provides the leadership, management and vision necessary to ensure the organization has the proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to effectively grow, diversify, innovate and ensure organizational success. With nearly 25 years of experience at educational institutions throughout California, his expertise in community relations, organizational improvement and academic resource development has been instrumental in expanding the services offered by Lifelong Learning. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University and a master’s in special education from National University.

Hansen is the Co-Founder and President of Lifelong Learning. Previously he served two years as CEO where he was instrumental in guiding the operation and growth of Learn4Life’s network of nonprofit charter schools. Today, there are more than 80+ public charter schools serving more than 47,000+ Opportunity Youth each year throughout California, Ohio, Michigan, South Carolina and Texas.   His acumen in operational management, organizational design and technology established the forward-thinking mindset and strategic initiatives of Lifelong Learning.  His ability to forge relationships with business and community partners, nonprofit organizations, and local and federal elected officials has been a key factor in generating momentum for the personalized learning model as a choice in education.   Hansen has more than 30 years of experience at start-ups, mid-sized companies and Fortune 500 firms, holding management roles in sales, process improvement, information technology, human resource and finance.  He holds a bachelor’s in business from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.

As COO, Gray is responsible for overseeing technology services, facilities, human resources, risk management, benefits, talent acquisition, and training and development.   He has more than 20 years of experience working in the education industry. He started his career as a teacher, moved to director of early childhood education and then director of human resources at the Palmdale School District, and later served as the interim assistant superintendent of human resources. He believes in establishing and maintaining positive employee relations and is committed to shared leadership while cultivating trusting relationships. He believes in a hands on leadership style and building leadership capacity in others.   Gray earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, and a master’s degree in educational administration from California State University, Bakersfield.

Sharifi has been a CFO in the nonprofit sector for 16 years with extensive expertise in fiscal oversight and operations. Prior to her role at Lifelong Learning, she served as CFO at Radiant Health Centers and Western Youth Services – one of the largest mental health organizations in Orange County, Calif. that serves at-risk children youth and families. For the past 20 years, Sharifi has been a community activist having served on numerous charitable boards, school boards, co-chair of the CFO Leadership Council and as the 5th Supervisorial District Representative on Taxpayers Oversight for Measure M.  She has been nominated seven consecutive years for CFO of the Year awards by Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) and won the Outstanding Non-profit CFO of the Year Awards in 2019.  Sharifi was named to the 2019 OCBJ’s inaugural OC500, which is comprised of the most influential businesspeople and opinion shapers in the county. She earned her undergraduate degree at Eastern Michigan University, and an MBA and a certificate in management and leadership from the Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business. She earned her Ph.D in organizational leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Sharifi holds an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) license that allows her to practice anywhere in the world.

Hodge oversees the academic program for our school partners through Lifelong Learning’s proprietary model of personalized learning, one-on-one attention, flexibility and workforce training. For nearly 20 years, Hodge has worked in dropout recovery and reengagement programs in positions ranging from teacher to assistant superintendent.   Hodge has experience in all areas of charter school operations, particularly with organizational structure and improvement, school finance and accountability using data to systematically evaluate school strengths and growth areas.  He’s an expert at working with leadership to build a school-wide culture of accountability and innovative solutions to ensure high academic achievement and personal growth for every student.  Hodge believes every student deserves a school committed to their future, along with his “people’s first” leadership philosophy, and he commits to a “people before programs” leadership philosophy.   Hodge earned a master’s in education administration from Pepperdine University, a master’s in education from National University, and bachelor’s from The Masters University, along with certificates in charter school leadership and fiscal management from Harvard University and the Charter School Development Center.

As the Chief Human Resources Officer at Lifelong Learning Administration Corporation, Nicole Perkins is responsible for overseeing HR strategy, risk management, talent acquisition, benefits administration, employee relations, leadership development, and cultivating a positive organizational culture. With over 15 years of experience, she has successfully held roles such as Vice President and Senior Director of People Services, showcasing her expertise in strategic HR planning, compliance, and leadership.   Before her current role, Nicole gained valuable experience from Blue Shield of California where she held various HR positions. She holds an MBA from Purdue Global University and is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional, reflecting her commitment to professional growth and excellence. Her inclusive leadership approach has been instrumental in fostering a cohesive and supportive work environment, establishing her as a trusted confidante and advisor within the organization.   In addition to her professional achievements, Nicole is dedicated to giving back to the community. She actively volunteers for the local PIHRA Chapter and supports local elementary and secondary schools through roles such as school site council and PTA member. Her passion for education and community service underscores her belief in fostering growth and development both within and outside the workplace.

As Chief External Affairs Officer, Morales oversees Lifelong Learning’s federal, state and local government affairs efforts and manages the community relations consultants. Prior to joining Lifelong Learning, Morales was a founding partner of DePinto Morales Communications, Inc. (DMCI), a firm specializing in corporate communications, public affairs, brand and consumer marketing, and ethnic/community marketing and outreach. His deep knowledge and sensitivity to Latino and other diverse communities and cultures has enabled Bob to design and implement issues and communications campaigns to inform, educate and inspire Californians of diverse backgrounds. For nearly 13 years, he served as chief of staff to former Calif. State Senator Art Torres. During that time, he served as principal consultant to the California State Senate’s Committee on Toxics and Public Safety Management, the Joint Legislative Committee on Science and Technology and the Assembly Health Committee. Morales is a member of the Association of CA School Administrators (ACSA), California Association of Latino School Administrators (CALSA), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), and the board of directors of the San Gabriel Valley Public Affairs Network (SGV PAN). He earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Upon graduation, Bob received the President John R. Hubbard Award from the President of USC for being selected the Most Outstanding Mexican-American graduate.