California Society of Extraordinary Women, a non-profit organization, is a group of dedicated professionals committed to making a difference in the lives of students, and making a positive impact in our community.
Shirley Coates
President & Founder of CSOEW
Shirley Coates is the founder and president of California Society of Extraordinary Women Inc. (a non-profit organization), whose mission is to empower women and girls to discover their extraordinary selves through education, and mentorship for a lifetime. She is a seasoned leader, corporate executive, and real estate consultant who is dedicated to empowering the lives of women and young girls, and making a significant impact for change.
Shirley’s life work is exemplified in her current role as founder and Executive Director of the Ignite Leadership Academy for Girls. In response to studies showing that 30% of minority teens in the Inland Empire were failing to graduate from high school, and finding that a rising number of teenage girls were also falling through this achievement gap, The California Society of Extraordinary Women developed a curriculum designed to improve this outcome.
Shirley has received national, state, and local awards for her work in the community, and the impact she has made in the lives of women and girls. Shirley is a member of the Riverside Chamber of Commerce where she has been honored Ambassador of the Year, and currently serves on the Magnolia Center Business Council. She is a past graduate of Leadership Riverside.
Shirley has served as a National Director for the Board of Realtors, and President of the National Women’s Board of Realtors. In 2015 she was nominated Woman of the Year by the Inland Empire Commission on Women. She was also selected to attend the United State of Women Summit that was hosted by First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama in Washington DC in March of 2015.
Shirley’s focus, drive, and ability to achieve exceptional results have served her well, both stateside and abroad. She is often called upon to speak at business conferences and provide customer service training to local business and organizations.
Trina Schneider
Director of Programs
Trina serves as our Chief Financial Officer.
With more than 18 years of experience in the mortgage lending industry, Trina uses all her knowledge and experience to help us find avenues to keep expanding and growing our own events and scholarship opportunities. As a member of our board of directors, Trina Schneider is responsible for overseeing the educational events we organize as well as the scholarships we grant.
Rosemarie Hickman,Ed.D
Leadership Coordinator
Rosemarie is responsible for our Leadership programs.
Rosemarie is a Hopeful Leader Coordinator for the Human Resources Department at Corona-Norco Unified School District. She has a strong background in implementing highly effective systems and practices to help optimize student success. Through a collaborative process, Rosemarie guides, develops, implements, monitors and supports personalized pathways for each student to bridge middle through high school and creates a roadmap for college aspirations and career goals. She is a valuable member of our board.
Joyce Ashley
Board Secretary
Joyce oversees all administrative activities.
Joyce is a seasoned professional with experience in the banking industry and non-profit arena. Throughout her career, Joyce was recognized for her professional accomplishments as well as her contribution to society. Joyce is multi-talented and has an incredible multi-tasking ability, which maker her the perfect choice to keep us on track and on time.
Shyri McCally
Event Coordinator
Shyri is responsible for all event related matters for CSOEW.
Shyri is responsible for overseeing particular tasks throughout the event planning process. She assists with all event matters including meeting with vendors at the venue location to help with set-up, running errands for supplies and decorations and working with staff to ensure the completion of a successful event.
Kennedy Schneider
Executive Director
Kennedy ensures our plans are executed smoothly and on time.
Kennedy is a senior at the University of California Riverside, where she is majoring in Psychology. Besides her involvement with the California Society of Extraordinary Women (CSOEW), Kennedy also participates in other non-profit initiatives in different capacities. Kennedy believes that understanding the behavioral processes of people and integrating that knowledge with human rights and social justice will be a great benefit to the CSOEW program.
Gwen Abott
Board Member
Gwen is responsible for our Scholarship and Fundraising activities.
Gwen Abbott is a Senior Project Manager Consultant for the Western area at a privately held insurance brokerage firm recognized as the leading global authority on professional liability and complex risk. She has been in the industry for 25 years. In 2023, under Gwen’s leadership the Los Angeles Business Journal recognized her and her team who won the DEI Team of the Year award. She is a member of the Finance Committee for U.S. Senator, Cory Booker. She is also a member of National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA). Gwen is a dedicated and strong advocate in the community. She is also an active member of several social and service volunteer organizations.
Alan E. Cummings, PhD
Director of Education
Alan is responsible for the Aviation Program.
Alan is a former professor of psychology in and outside of the United States who passionately volunteers his time mentoring youth while he continues to work as a job placement specialist, life coach, expert witness, and business development consultant. As our Director of Education, Alan helps ensure our curriculum and approach to each topic reflects the current needs of our students.
Thomas Coates Jr.,MBA
Program Director
Thomas helps plan, develop and implement our programs.
As a Program Director, Thomas makes sure that all the different pieces of the program fit together and work in harmony. Thomas is a dynamic entrepreneur and accomplished environmental program manager with over 15 years of experience. His passion and unconditional support have led us to great success.