Meet the Faculty

Peter von Bleichert
Title: Professor
Courses: Business and Management
Degrees: Ph.D., Walden University; M.Sc., Schiller International University, England; B.A, American College of Greece
Teaching Experience: Since 2001
Career Highlights: I have corporate experience (Franklin-Templeton Investments, Inc.) as a restricted stock/deferred compensation specialist, I started and operated a non-profit, currently manage my own small business, and am a creative and technical writer with several publications.
Hobbies: Fishing, reading, tabletop games
Quote: "Success is never found. Failure is never fatal. Courage is the only thing." – Winston Churchill

Lale Yurtseven
Title: Professor
Courses: Business and Management
Degrees: M.B.A., Monterey Institute of International Studies;  B.A., Monterey Institute of International Studies
Teaching Experience: Since 2006
Career Highlights: Have started and run two small businesses.
Hobbies: Hiking, Skiing, Swimming, Traveling
Quote: “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

Philip Tran
Title: Professor
Courses: Business
Degrees: M.B.A., Santa Clara University; B.S., UC Santa Barbara
Teaching Experience: Since 2018
Career Highlights: My professional career spans 19+ years with extensive experience leading finance as well as sales and information for technology initiatives for Silicon Valley Corporations. During that time, I also founded/co-founded companies in the automotive, waste management and technology industries.
Hobbies: Mountain biking, golf, racquet sports
Quote: "I see you. I hear you. And what you say matters to me. " – Oprah Winfrey

Guillermo D Cockrum
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business
Degrees: M.B.A., Stanford University; B.A., Southwestern University
Teaching Experience: Since 2019
Career Highlights: I have been working in, starting, running, and advising large and small companies in the Valley for the last 25 years.
Hobbies: Old roadsters, travel to my home country, Mexico.
Quote: "The market has its place and must be kept in its place." – Unknown.

Edward Comerford, Jr.
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business and Management
Degrees: M.B.A., Golden Gate Univeristy; B.S.E., Santa Clara University
Teaching Experience: Since 2010
Career Highlights: Small business owner/operator, Program Manager at Teledyne CME, Project Engineer at Raychem
Hobbies: Reading, Hiking, Skiing, Scuba Diving, Sailing
Quote: “We've got to protect our phoney-balony jobs.” – Mel Brooks

Cynthia Erickson
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business and Management
Degrees: B.A., University of San Francisco; Certificate, HRM the Society for HR Management; Certificate, College of San Mateo
Teaching Experience: Since 2005
Career Highlights: San Mateo Small Business Development Center - Interim Director; Oracle/Siebel – Dir. Global Services HR; Intershop Software - VP Human Resources; Wells Fargo/FICAL - VP HR and VP Line Manager; Baxter International - Western Area Dir. Human Resources
Hobbies: Volunteer at CSM's Veterans Center, Mentor/Advisor CSM's Project Change
Quote: “The only place success comes before work, is in the dictionary” – Vince Lombardi

Allan J. Graves
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business
Degrees: M.B.A., University of San Francisco; B.A., San Francisco State University
Teaching Experience: Since 2012
Career Highlights: Serial entrepreneur, sold one company (FinTech), operating a second company (tourism); another from start-up to IPO (FinTech). Over 10 years of non-for-profit work in creation and implementation of workforce development programs that are self-sustaining.
Hobbies: Sprint & Olympic Triathlons, open water swimming, riding motorcycles, and dancing salsa
Quote: "And then there is the most dangerous risk of all - the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later." – Randy Komisar

Christoph Heiss
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business
Degrees: M.B.A., University of Virginia; B.Sc. Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Grenoble, France
Teaching Experience: Since 2019
Career Highlights: Starting in the financial services industry, I advised German banks for The Boston Consulting Group, was in product development at GE Capital, and as the marketing executive for Volkswagen’s North American financial services subsidiary. Since, I have worked as an employee or founder of startups in the Bay Area, with a few successful exits: Open Lane (sold to Adesa), Syncata (Proquest/SnapOn), Q.Branch (Apple), and White Hot Security (Wired Business Media).
Hobbies: During a sabbatical, my wife and I hiked the Camino de Santiago through France and Spain. I remain an avid hiker and outdoors enthusiast.

Dave Reid
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business
Degrees: M.B.A., Santa Clara University; M.A., Stanford University; B.Sc, George Mason University
Teaching Experience: Since 2010
Hobbies: USA Water Polo Officiating
Quote: “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yates

Oduro 'Tach' Takyi
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business
Degrees: M.B.A., Long Island University; L.L.B. (Hons) University of Ghana
Teaching Experience: Since 2000
Career Highlights: Management consultant, learning consultant at Kaiser Permanente and regional credit manager at General Electric Credit Corporation
Hobbies: An avid soccer, basketball ball and football fan. An aficionado of John Grisham legal thrillers.
Quote: "A little learning is a dangerous thing." – Alexander Pope

Kirk Tramble
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business, Computer Information Systems
Degrees: M.B.A., Dartmouth College; B.Sc, UC Berkeley
Teaching Experience: Since 2016
Career Highlights: I have over 20 years of corporate experience at Chevron, having worked at Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle.

J. Gardner Trimble
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business
Degrees: J.D., University of San Francisco; B.A., UC Santa Cruz
Teaching Experience: Since 1996
Career Highlights: Working with donors and their advisers to complete charitable gifts totaling many millions of dollars over the course of nearly 20 years in gift planning at Stanford University, The Trust for Public Land and UCSF!
Quote: "A Verbal Contract Isn't Worth The Paper It's Written On." – Samuel Goldwyn

Linda Ma
Title: Instructional Aide II
Courses: Business Microcomputer Applications
Degrees: A.S., College of San Mateo
Teaching Experience: Since 2006
Hobbies: Reading, Swimming, Walking, and Eating

Christina Johnson
Title: Adjunct Faculty
Courses: Business Microcomputer Applications