State Leadership
Audrey Valles
Executive Director
Audrey Valles
Hailing from San Diego, Audrey Valles serves as one of two State Directors of Miss California Volunteer. Prior to directing Miss California Volunteer, Audrey served in various leadership capacities including state strategy and business development, national preparation, local program directorship and state adjudication within the Miss America Organization for fifteen years. Her experience also includes serving the state of Arizona as Miss Arizona 2005 and competing in the 2006 Miss America Pageant where she was named a finalist for the National Quality of Life Award honoring her work to prevent child abduction and exploitation. As Miss Arizona 2005 Audrey worked closely with several national organizations including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the AMBER Alert Program. Additionally, she traveled the state as a spokesperson for the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and educated thousands of school aged children with the NetSmartz Online Safety Education Program. Using the scholarship money she earned through competing, Audrey graduated debt-free from The University of Arizona with a degree in marketing and is an experienced business owner. She also maintains active real estate licenses in Arizona and California. Believing whole heartedly in the personal development and educational opportunities the Miss Miss Volunteer America Foundation provides to young women, Audrey feels privileged to lead Miss California Volunteer alongside her dear friend Erin Salwasser.
Erin Salwasser
Executive Director
Erin Salwasser
A Fresno native, Erin Salwasser serves as one of two State Directors of Miss California Volunteer. Prior to directing Miss California Volunteer, Erin served on the Board of Directors for the Miss California Organization and as the State Judges’ Chairperson for 13 years, a position that was quite literally “left on her doorstep” and one that enabled her to become a passionate advocate for advancing the educational opportunities of young women across the state. Erin is no stranger to nonprofits. She is a founding member of PINC: Philanthropy Inspired by the Needs of Our Community, a prominent Central Valley non-profit whose members have awarded more than $625,000 to deserving charitable organizations in Fresno and Madera Counties since 2008. Erin holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and works as a Critical Care Nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Valley Children’s Hospital, one of only 13 free-standing pediatric healthcare systems in the nation. She is both excited and honored to create opportunities for young women to pursue their aspirations and advance their personal development. She reminds all of us that sometimes opportunity is literally knocking on your door, all you have to do is answer
Katy Fowler
Katy Fowler
Contestant Coordinator
Katy is thrilled to be involved in the Miss California Volunteer pageant as the State Contestant Coordinator! Katy moved to Los Angeles in 2016 from Arizona, and currently practiced as a Prenatal, Pediatric and Family Chiropractor in Beverly Hills with Berlin Wellness Group.
Katy’s love of pageantry stems from her mother’s achievements as Miss Hawaii 1981. She grew up playing dress up with her mothers crowns and watching national pageant on television, all the while falling in love with the stage and dreaming of competing on it herself one day. She started her pageant experience as a teen competitor, holding local and state titles in various system. Once Katy was ready to compete for a Miss title, she was thrilled to win her first local pageant competition Miss Pima County 2009, which was run by none other than our amazing ED Audrey! With Audreys help and her mothers encouragement, she went on to win the title of Miss Arizona 2010, and place in the Top 10 at Miss America 2011! Katy is a classically trained vocalist and has performed on stage with various theater and production companies throughout Arizona, and even met her Husband while they performed at the Gaslight Theater together! She is very excited to share her experience and knowledge with the young women of California to help them SHINE onstage!
Sabrina Eastom
Sabrina Eastom is a Fresno native and graduate of Fresno State University with a degree in Liberal Studies. She spent seven years as an elementary school teacher for the Central Unified School District and now loves keeping up with her two children’s extracurricular activities! She is happily married and enjoys participating in various charitable endeavors in the Valley. Her favorite event is the annual “Light the Night Walk” to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where she and her family participate each year to honor the memory of her father. Sabrina is excited to lead our State Princess Program because children truly are her joy!
Sabrina Eastom
Princess Director
Caelin Nieto
Caelin is coming to us from sunny San Diego and is so excited to join the team at Miss California Volunteer as the Social Media and Media Relations Manager. She is a pageant veteran, placing in the Top 5 at Miss California America. Her dedication to service and unwavering belief in pageants and their ability to help young women grow into the best version of themselves possible has led her to this endeavor. Caelin holds a Bachelor or Arts in Communication Studies in Marketing and a Master of Education. She is currently embarking on her the adventure to her own kindergarten classroom. She is excited to bring her talents in social media, branding, and media outreach to Miss California Volunteer and cannot wait for the journey ahead.
Caelin Nieto
Social Media and Media Relations Manager
Jenny Pardini
Jenny Pardini
Judges Chair
Jenny grew up in the northern California town of Chico where she attended Chico High. Throughout high school, Jenny was committed to volunteer work and received the Outstanding Senior award which acknowledged service to the community, leadership, and academic achievement. After high school Jenny moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA and went on to graduate with a B.A. in Political Science. Jenny then attended graduate school at Pepperdine University where she would receive an M.A. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. Jenny would go on to live and work as a therapist in Los Angeles where she would eventually meet her husband Jimmy. Jenny and Jimmy moved to his hometown of Fresno, California where they would start a family and Jenny would enter into private practice as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. When she’s not working Jenny loves to cook, spend time with Jimmy and their 2 children Preston (6) and Chloe (4), and continue to serve the community through volunteer work, currently as an Ambassador of the Ronald McDonald House.
Chelle Hyde
Chelle Hyde tap-danced into the world of pageantry many years ago as a contestant in a local Miss America pageant in Phoenix, Arizona where she grew up. She competed for two years and although she never placed, the experience has lasted a lifetime. A few years later, and after a move to California, she volunteered for the Miss Anaheim Pageant and the rest is history. Like any volunteer organization, Chelle says “one thing leads to another” – from typing a local pageant’s script to a higher-ranking position with the state pageant.
Chelle has been on the road, up in the air, and out to sea in the name of her volunteerism. Traveling with her contestants has afforded her exotic experiences, but what she has appreciated most is the chance to watch them grow.
She attended Arizona State University majoring in Business. Her professional life has been successful working many years for a very large corporation as an administrator and manager. She is multi-faceted, reliable and a real team player who gets the job done.
Chelle is still dancing (hula), loves to play golf, bocce, and enjoying life. She resides in Southern California.
Chelle Hyde
Miss California Volunteer
Booking Agent
Jan Michel
Jan Michel has been involved in pageantry for over 40 years. She has served in Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and now California. Born in Texas, Jan began competing in pageants at the age of 16 where she held many titles at the local, regional, and state levels including Miss Idaho USA 1974.
Jan holds an undergraduate technical degree in Data Processing Technology, now known as Information Technology from Idaho State University. Her Career focus was as an Implementation Manager specializing in Healthcare Computer Software for Intermountain Health Care and GTE. An active community service volunteer, Jan has been recognized for her efforts. She worked as an unpaid lobbyist working on behalf of women and children living at or below the poverty line. She was part of a team that was instrumental in seeing key legislation such as the Utah School Breakfast Program Bill approved. Jan is currently a member of the Junior League of Las Cruces and of the Opera League of Southern Arizona. Jan and her husband, Steve are the parents of two sons and the proud grandparents of three grandsons. In addition, they are also the parents to one beautiful but ill-behaved little dog.
They currently reside in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Jan Michel
State Administrator
Director of National Prep
Advisory Board
Melanie Kopeikin
Born in San Francisco California and raised in the San Joaquin Valley, Melanie has degrees from Fresno State and UCLA. She has been a business development executive in the professional beauty industry for decades, working for major product companies including Nexxus, Sebastian, Wella, P&G, KAO (Salon Division), and Schwarzkopf. Most recently she served as President of Pivot Point International in
Chicago. Exercising her entrepreneurial spirit, Melanie founded the Lash & Brow Academy based in Encino, California. The academy has been the exclusive authorized independent Novalash Distributor-Trainer for over 12 years.
Melanie is a recognized leader in the professional beauty business as a key strategist, consultant, and coach. She currently hosts two beauty podcasts- Pro Beauty Talks, Love, Lash, Brow. In addition, she is
a journalist and contributor for The Stylist News, a digital business magazine for Beauty, Barber, and Wellness Professionals.
No stranger to the beauty pageant world, she has held titles including Miss Fresno County, Miss Kodak, Miss San Joaquin Valley-Universe, and Miss California Beauty (International). She has produced
pageants, coached contestants, and judged many local and state competitions. Melanie credits her involvement in these competitions as instrumental in her successful career in the business world.
Melanie Kopeikin
Advisory Board
Jessa Carmack
Jessa was born, raised and continues to reside in the heart of tech and innovation, Santa Clara, CA, with her fiancé Joseph and English Bulldog Nike.
Jessa earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication Studies from San Jose State University. She will be completing a Master of Sustainability Leadership (MSL) from Arizona State University this Summer. Apart from her education, Jessa is deep into her career as a Senior Producer for a highly respectable event and entertainment company headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Jessa manages, produces and directs an array of innovative events that create powerful experiences and magical moments. A few of her clients include The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Society, The National Football League, Conservation International, and Professional Business Women of California.
Jessa's experience as a brand advocate began over 10 years ago. She was a member of the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush Cheerleading Team for four seasons and has held two state titles with the Miss California Organization. She has had the honor to serve as Miss California’s Outstanding Teen 2011 and went on to become a Top 15 Finalist at the national competition. After her teen years, Jessa served as Miss California 2016 and was selected as a Top 10 Finalist to Miss America 2017. Jessa has also been awarded Top Interview, the Miss America Community Service Award, Lifestyle and Fitness, and Evening Wear Awards at the state level that each earned her additional scholarship. As Miss California 2016, Jessa travelled 75,000 miles that spanned across 10 states and 3 countries to support various global brands and partners.
Jessa Carmack
Advisory Board
Local Leadership
Tracy Mollo
Regional Recruiter
San Diego County
