​Samuel Herod concluded a remarkable 35-year career in the Entertainment Industry and Art museums in Los Angeles when he retired from the J. Paul Getty Trust in 2012. Notably, his journey took a meaningful turn in 2003, when he became a valued volunteer at CASA of Los Angeles. Through his dedicated service, Samuel garnered numerous accolades for his exceptional contributions to the welfare of youth in care communities. In 2014, Samuel received the prestigious Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation HALO Award, recognizing his steadfast and enduring commitment to volunteerism. A year later, in 2015, he was honored with the National CASA Association G.F. Bettineski Child Advocate of the Year Award for his outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication. Notably, his impact extended beyond his role as an advocate, as evidenced by his receipt of the 2015 Los Angeles Business Journal Nonprofit Corporate Citizenship award. This award recognized his innovative efforts to engage the business community in supporting the aspirations of young individuals through job opportunities. Samuel's influence is perhaps most profoundly seen in the realm of education, where he addressed the sobering statistic of only 50 percent of young people graduating from high school. His involvement allowed him to witness the joy of 15 high school graduations and one college graduation among the youths in the CASA program, a testament to his transformative influence. Beyond his philanthropic commitments, Samuel also served as a Board member of the RightWay Foundation and Urban Scholars, further amplifying his impact on various fronts. In his leisure moments, he indulges his passion for coaching and playing tennis, enjoys the tranquility of fishing, and cherishes quality time spent with his granddaughter and great-grandson.

John Simmons, ASC, was nurtured in cinematography by film director, writer and historian, Carlton Moss. After attending Fisk University in Chicago, IL, he received a scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC) where he studied cinematography. After USC he worked as a camera technician, shot documentaries, commercials, features and music videos. John Simmons has served as and is currently serving as Vice President of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). He’s presently a Governor of the Cinematographers Peer Group at The Television Academy of Arts and Sciences. Simmons carries a still camera every day. He is Co-Founder and Co-Chair, along with Cynthia Pusheck, ASC, of the ASC Vision Committee, whose purpose is to help underrepresented cinematographers reach their goals, and to expand diversity and inclusiveness of those hired in the work force on television and film sets. Simmons believes it is important to take responsibility in hiring and to give opportunities to talented individuals who might not otherwise have them. His photographs are in the permanent collections at the Harvard Art Museum, High Museum of Fine Art, Houston Museum of Fine Art, David C. Driskell Center, University of Maryland and the Wesley and Missy Cochran Foundation, and the soon to be, J. Paul Getty Museum. He has been honored with the ASC Cinematography Mentor Award for his commitment to advising many young talented cinematographers. John Simmons won the Best Cinematography Primetime Emmy Award® for the Nickelodeon multi-camera series, “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn” in 2016, and he has an additional three Primetime Emmy Award® nominations (“Family Reunion” (2020), and “Pair of Kings” (2011) and (2012)). In 2019, Simmons was awarded a Los Angeles Emmy Award in the Crime/Social Issues Category for the PBS/SoCal documentary, “Finding Home: A Foster Youth Story.”

Psychologist and professor Dr. Gregory Canillas, known to friends and colleagues as “Doc”, takes a “keep it real” approach to his work both with clients and in training the next generation of therapists. His easy-going attitude, coupled with a sharp insight that misses nothing, has made him popular with students and clients alike. Dr. Canillas serves as President & CEO of Soul 2 Soul Global, a mission-driven company that provides “simple relationship solutions for busy people. S2S offers the premarital workshops: the Love Wins! LGBTQ+ Weekend Couples Retreats and the SYMBIS Assessment (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts), which is offered to all couples. As one of the eight co-authors of the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Sexual Minority Persons, he wrote Guidelines 9 (Diverse Relationships) and Guidelines 11(Families of Origin & Choice). His clinical work, research and teaching have focused on the entire range of relationship issues from trauma, abuse and infidelity to conflict resolution, spirituality, and self-esteem. He has worked with children, adolescents, adults, couples, students, foster parents, and anyone who needed help to better understand themselves, their relationships, and their place in the world. Dr. Canillas’s goal is to use his considerable education and experience to help people to live their best lives. With a double major in Psychology and American History from the University of California, Santa Cruz and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology, Dr. Canillas is currently an Associate Professor of Forensic-Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (Los Angeles campus). He is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences on children/adolescents, community violence & trauma, culture & health, dating/relationship issues, ethnicity & mental health, family issues, foster care, pedagogy, and substance abuse. Previously, he served as a Program Director at several nonprofit organizations, overseeing the child and adult therapy programs and pregnant/parenting teen programs. Dr. Canillas has also served as a Children's Social Worker with the Department of Children and Family Services, as a Clinical Psychologist with the Department of Mental Health, and later as the Clinical Director of a family preservation program. Dr. Canillas also currently serves on the adjunct faculties of Pepperdine University and National University and previously at Loyola Marymount University, Antioch University-Los Angeles and the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Canillas also previously served as the Co-Chair of the Commission for Youth and Children (Long Beach, California), a body that advises the Mayor, and city council on issues of importance to children, adolescents and families in the city. He has also served on the Alumni Council of the University of California, Santa Cruz. A published poet, his writing has been featured in publications ranging from the American Psychologist to Ebony Magazine. An avid traveler, Dr. Canillas has visited thirty-three of the fifty states and abroad to Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.