Carla Thornton, Ph.D., a city of Moreno Valley councilmember and an assistant professor at California Baptist University, will speak at Moreno Valley College’s fifth annual Veterans Scholarship Breakfast.
Proceeds from the breakfast, which is scheduled for Friday, November 1, at 7:30 am in the Student Academic Services Building, benefit the Veterans scholarship fund. Tickets for the breakfast are $30 and can be purchased by visiting the Admissions & Records office during regular college hours. For questions, call (951) 571-6101.
A 20-year Veteran of the United States Air Force, Thornton retired with a rank of master sergeant. During her military service, she was a logistician and a sexual assault victim advocate. Twice she was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Born in Culver City, she graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a bachelor’s degree in Social Science. She earned a master’s degree in Management from the University of Redlands and a master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California. Thornton went on to earn a doctorate in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She focused her research on women Veterans and the economic development in the Inland Empire.
At CBU, Thornton teaches graduate students in topics that focus on social management and leadership and social work policy. Prior to accepting a position with CBU, she served as the Veterans coordinator/counselor at Crafton Hills College, working directly with Veterans as they transitioned from the military to their academic studies.
She has dedicated her time to giving back to the community. At one time, she served as a Governor appointee and chair of the California Department of Veterans Affairs Board and as chairwoman of both the Moreno Valley Traffic Commission and the Environmental and Historical Preservation Board. Currently, she is a board member for the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center and serves on the Athletics Board at UC Riverside.