Debra Farar was a Senior Advisor on Education Policy in the Office of then Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis. Dr. Farar taught elementary school, made community service contributions to public schools in the Los Angeles area and continues to provide services as an educational consultant.

She has served as a board member of the Association of Governing Boards (AGB), the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project, the CSU Channel Islands Site Authority, and the CSU Northridge Performing Arts Center. Her past professional appointments include board membership on the Funds for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), the Grant Advisory Committee of the California Student Aid Commission and the “College Making It Happen” committee of the California Intersegmental Coordinating Committee.

Dr. Farar earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Master of Arts Degree in Education from California State University, Northridge as well as a doctoral degree in Education from Pepperdine. She is committed to social justice and quality public education and is especially dedicated to increasing postsecondary options for disadvantaged students. Dr. Farar is very active in community affairs and national and state politics. A lifetime California resident, she and her husband, Sim, have two sons, and four grandchildren.