Dr. Crystal Nasio has twenty years of progressive administrative experience in higher education. She has a total of nine years’ experience as a university faculty member in behavioral sciences and education. In addition, she has thirteen years of Dean experience at the associate degree level with career education program management spanning all sixteen federally defined career clusters including nursing. Her leadership style is suited to executing innovative ideas and building systems to train and support at a larger scale. Dr. Nasio has an outstanding track record of successful leadership, team building, transparent communication and problem solving. She has been active in pursuing k12 initiatives to support solid pipelines in k-12 pathways to the community college, university partnerships, and apprenticeships. She is skilled in identifying and implementing plans to improve processes, policies, and programming to support student growth and experience. Dr. Nasio is passionate about grant management, marketing, celebrating outcomes through communication to stakeholders, and advocating for the benefit of Region IX schools. Her expanse of experience gives her the ability to understand and translate the needs of faculty, administrators, staff and students to clearly define reasonable goals, provide innovative solutions in times of limited resources and measure outcomes that highlight the outstanding work of the IEDRC. Dr. Nasio is pleased to start her new role as Executive Director of the IEDRC and is grateful to Lori Sanchez and Stephanie Murrillo for the outstanding work they did to manage the IEDRC during these last six months.

Diann Thursby is the administrative support professional for the IEDRC. She provides a wide range of clerical services to the IEDRC, including coordinating meetings and event logistics. She is the point of contact for the region’s website and regional endorsement of new CTE programs, including the regionalcte.org submission website. She also provides administrative support to IEDRC governance councils and committees. Diann is the Occupational Education Assistant at RCCD, where she has worked since 1998. She began her career with the district as a student worker in the mail room. Diann received her associate’s degree from Riverside Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Chapman University. During her leisure time,  she enjoys adventures with her husband, honing culinary creations to perfection, and immersing herself in the great outdoors, particularly when it's in proximity to a body of water. 

Torri McGarity serves as Administrative Supprot at IEDRC, bringing a wealth of experience and a strong educational background to her role. With a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s in Higher Education, Torri’s journey in higher education began as a work-study student in the Disability Services office at Georgia Perimeter College, where she offered vital support to students facing diverse learning and physical challenges. This early experience laid the foundation for her compassionate and empathetic approach to helping and supporting others.

Torri has held positions at numerous higher education institutions, most notably, Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, and the University of St. Augustine in San Marcos, California. In her roles, she excelled in performing high-level administrative tasks, fostering positive relationships with faculty, staff, and students, and contributing to the overall success of the departments/offices she represented.

Torri’s commitment to education extends beyond her professional life. She also volunteers to teach English as a Second Language to students around the world, embracing the opportunity to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Outside of her professional life, Torri finds joy in travel, road trips, and hikes. Her love for dogs and a good book cannot be broken, nor can her appreciation of the classic English tradition of “proper” afternoon tea. In her quieter moments, you will find Torri typing away on her laptop, writing bone-chilling tales that transport readers into the realm of the unexplained and supernatural.