Eloise Gomez Reyes, J.D.
I was born and raised in Colton, California. The daughter of a Mexican immigrant family, I learned the value of hard work and determination at an early age. I was one of six children who grew up in a modest home next to the train tracks on the south side of town. At the age of twelve, I began working the onion fields of the Inland Empire alongside my brothers and sisters in order to help pay for school clothes.
When I was a young girl, I saw my parents taken advantage of by an attorney, and I committed myself to getting the education that I would need to become a voice for struggling families. I spent my first two years at San Bernardino Valley College and worked up to three jobs so that I could eventually transfer to and graduate from the University of Southern California. I continued my education at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and was hired after graduation to represent unions, including the United Auto Workers and the California Teacher’s Association, in workers compensation cases.
My goal was always to serve my neighbors and give back to the community that gave me so much. I soon returned home and became the first Latina to open and manage her own law firm in the Inland Empire. For the last 30 years, I have been proud to serve as a tireless advocate for working families, representing union members and injured workers across our district as an attorney, small business owner and community activist.
I have spent my entire life helping others because it has always been the right thing to do. When there were efforts to put a toxic waste dump near a low-income housing project in Colton, I joined with residents to help navigate the red tape and defeat the proposal. When the health needs of our community were going unmet, I worked with a group of local activists to open the Inland Empire Community Health Center. And when I realized just how many area families were in need of legal counsel because they were unable to afford it, I began volunteering with Inland Empire Latino Lawyer Legal Aid to provide pro bono legal services in our community – and I have done so for the last 25 years ago.
The pride that I feel for my community runs deep. My husband, Frank, and I have raised our son, Kristofer, here in the Inland Empire, just miles away from the house I grew up in. This district is my home, and I plan to always do my part to make this great place even greater.
When I was a young girl, I saw my parents taken advantage of by an attorney, and I committed myself to getting the education that I would need to become a voice for struggling families. I spent my first two years at San Bernardino Valley College and worked up to three jobs so that I could eventually transfer to and graduate from the University of Southern California. I continued my education at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and was hired after graduation to represent unions, including the United Auto Workers and the California Teacher’s Association, in workers compensation cases.
My goal was always to serve my neighbors and give back to the community that gave me so much. I soon returned home and became the first Latina to open and manage her own law firm in the Inland Empire. For the last 30 years, I have been proud to serve as a tireless advocate for working families, representing union members and injured workers across our district as an attorney, small business owner and community activist.
I have spent my entire life helping others because it has always been the right thing to do. When there were efforts to put a toxic waste dump near a low-income housing project in Colton, I joined with residents to help navigate the red tape and defeat the proposal. When the health needs of our community were going unmet, I worked with a group of local activists to open the Inland Empire Community Health Center. And when I realized just how many area families were in need of legal counsel because they were unable to afford it, I began volunteering with Inland Empire Latino Lawyer Legal Aid to provide pro bono legal services in our community – and I have done so for the last 25 years ago.
The pride that I feel for my community runs deep. My husband, Frank, and I have raised our son, Kristofer, here in the Inland Empire, just miles away from the house I grew up in. This district is my home, and I plan to always do my part to make this great place even greater.
Astrid Sheil, Ph.D.
California State University, San Bernardino
Dr. Astrid Sheil is an associate professor of communication at CSUSB and is currently serving as the Interim Chair of the Department of Accounting & Finance in the College of Business and Public Administration. She is the author of Dynamic Public Relations: The 24/7 PR Cycle.
But it’s her life before academia that brings her to us as an expert with great advice for women.
Dr. Sheil began her professional career in communication management for two Fortune 500 companies—Georgia Pacific and Bowater. At both companies, Dr. Sheil was intimately involved with recruiting, labor relations, government affairs, public relations, and community affairs. She became an expert in crisis communications and reputation management, and was the chief spokesperson during a couple of major crises.
After a decade in the paper industry, Dr. Sheil was recruited to become the global director of communication and human resources for an international chemical company based in Helsinki, Finland. At Kemira, Dr. Sheil managed an HR staff of ten, oversaw Safety, Training and Development, Communications and Marketing
But it’s her life before academia that brings her to us as an expert with great advice for women.
Dr. Sheil began her professional career in communication management for two Fortune 500 companies—Georgia Pacific and Bowater. At both companies, Dr. Sheil was intimately involved with recruiting, labor relations, government affairs, public relations, and community affairs. She became an expert in crisis communications and reputation management, and was the chief spokesperson during a couple of major crises.
After a decade in the paper industry, Dr. Sheil was recruited to become the global director of communication and human resources for an international chemical company based in Helsinki, Finland. At Kemira, Dr. Sheil managed an HR staff of ten, oversaw Safety, Training and Development, Communications and Marketing
Thriving in the Professional Workplace
Panel of Professional women sharing their experiences being in the workforce.