Meet the Team

Ben Garcia

Program Director

Ben Garcia is responsible for assisting Apprenticeship Readiness Program partners with curriculum implementation, instructor training, NABTU Coordination and apprenticeship placement assistance in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. In this role, he also engages and maintains partnerships with key stakeholders and partners, including local, county, state and federal governments; workforce development boards; community based organizations; high school districts; community colleges and youth programs.

Ben has been in the construction industry for more than 20 years as a journey-level carpenter, contractor and building consultant. He spent the past decade developing, coordinating, instructing and managing pre-apprenticeship programs for young adults based in Southern California, while also serving as a consultant to programs across the country. He is certified by the North America’s Building Trades Unions in implementing the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum through a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania and also is a trained OSHA Outreach Instructor through OSHA’s Rocky Mountain Outreach Training Institute, in partnership with the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Isaac Lopez

Case Manager

As the Case Manager for the Apprenticeship Readiness Fund, Isaac Lopez works directly with MC3 students enrolled in apprenticeship readiness programs (ARPs) throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Using a trauma informed approach, he helps prepare MC3 students for apprenticeship in the building and construction trades by assisting students overcome barriers to employment. Isaac works closely with diverse communities, including the formerly incarcerated, those experiencing homlessness and other marginalized communities. Isaac’s ultimate goal is to ensure that MC3 graduates that enter into apprenticeship have long sustainable careers in the building trades.

Isaac is in the business of building people up. He has spent the last 15 years creating and developing innovative, robust and sustainable programs that assist community members with postsecondary  advancement and quality careers. Isaac successfully developed and directed an apprenticeship readiness program that graduated over 140 formerly incarcerated men and women, that placed them in quality union careers in the building and construction trades. Isaac is a former school teacher and adjunct professor. He received his J.D. from Loyola Law School and his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Sheila McFarland

Grants Administrator

As Grants Administrator for the Apprenticeship Readiness Fund, Sheila McFarland manages a portfolio of grants supportingthe apprenticeship readiness programs (ARPs) throughout the counties of Los Angeles and Orange. In this role, she provides oversight, technical assistance, and aggregates reporting on behalf of the local, state, and federal grants allocated to ARF to further their workplace goals. She is appreciative for the opportunity to work in support of motivated individuals that seek high-quality, highly skilled, life-long sustainable building and construction trades careers that are critically important to the health, well-being, and infrastructure of California. 

Sheila joins the Fund with years of experienceas a Program Analyst at the California Workforce Development  Board. In this position, she worked in collaboration with LA/OC region, and a number of other regions, in furtherance of the collective shared climate and equity goals and ongoing infrastructure efforts. Sheila also joins our team following eight peviousyears of experience working in policy analysis and communications with both the California State Assembly and California State Senate. In addition to staffing the Senate Transportation Committee member during and through the passage of SB1, her policy focuses pertained to workforce, local governance and finance, educaiton, women/equality issues, and affordable housing. She graduated from CSU Sacramento, receiving her B.A. in Political Sciences.