MEET CYNTHIA
EXPERIENCE FOR A PIVOTAL MOMENT
Cynthia Torres brings a rare combination of education experience, strategic leadership, and financial expertise to her campaign for the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education.
Today, she is the president of College Decisions LLC, a Pasadena-based educational consulting firm she founded in 2010. As a Certified Educational Planner, she advises students and families on academic planning, selective college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and the transition from high school to higher education. She also serves as a college access counselor for College Match Los Angeles, a Community Based Organization.
Cynthia’s commitment to public education includes years of hands-on service with school districts, including here in Pasadena. She served on PUSD's Citizens Oversight Committee, bringing her experience in financial oversight and accountability to our community and contributing to careful stewardship of taxpayer-supported investments in our schools.
From 2004 to 2015, Cynthia served on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s Financial Oversight Committee, including two years as its chair, overseeing a $220 million budget. She reviewed enrollment projections, financial audits, Special Education spending, and the district's budget process while working directly with the Chief Financial Officer. She assisted the District in educating the public about school finance issues.
She also chaired the committee's Revenue Generation group, researching new ways for school districts to strengthen their financial resources. Her work contributed to the adoption of centralized fundraising, bond measures, and parcel taxes.
Cynthia's professional career has given her an equally strong foundation in finance and strategy. She held leadership positions at Goldman Sachs, Fidelity Investments, and First Interstate Bank of California before turning her focus to education.
Her experience has given Cynthia a perspective that spans the full picture: how institutions manage resources and how students turn educational opportunity into their next chapter.
A LEADER WITH A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Cynthia is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School and has spent decades in leadership roles beyond Pasadena.
She served as President of the Harvard Alumni Association, chairing its 400-member global board, and as President of the Harvard Club of Southern California. She continues to serve on both boards.
Her leadership has been recognized with the Harvard Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Service, the Harvard Club of Southern California Award for Distinguished Service, and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Financial Oversight Committee's first Distinguished Service Award.
Cynthia is running for the Pasadena Unified School Board because she believes this moment calls for careful financial thinking, new approaches to revenue, and a stronger focus on preparing students for the opportunities ahead.
She is ready to put a lifetime of strategic experience to work for PUSD.