Woodcraft Rangers taps Jocelyn Yow to lead Inland Empire expansion

Woodcraft Rangers has named Eastvale Mayor Jocelyn Yow executive director of its new Inland Empire office as the nonprofit expands its youth programs beyond Los Angeles. The move brings an established civic leader into a role aimed at growing access to STEM, arts, wellness, literacy and social-emotional learning for local families.

Why it matters: - Woodcraft Rangers is moving deeper into the Inland Empire, one of Southern California’s fastest-growing regions, with a new local office and a leader who already has strong ties there. - The expansion is meant to widen access to youth programming that includes STEM, arts, physical wellness, literacy support and social-emotional learning. - The new office adds to Woodcraft Rangers’ regional footprint beyond its existing West Covina satellite office.

What happened: - Woodcraft Rangers announced that Jocelyn Yow has joined the nonprofit as executive director of its newly established Inland Empire office. - Yow is the longtime mayor of Eastvale and a civic education advocate. - The appointment marks Woodcraft Rangers’ formal expansion into the Inland Empire. - Woodcraft Rangers is based in Los Angeles and has served Southern California for more than a century.

The details: - Yow moved to the Inland Empire in 2011. - She was elected to the Eastvale City Council in 2018 and currently serves as mayor. - Yow serves on the boards of the Riverside Transit Agency and the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority. - She is an adjunct faculty member at Norco College, part of the Riverside Community College District. - Yow earned a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and a master's degree from Harvard Extension School. - In 2025, Yow founded Civic Rising, which focuses on access to civics education for Inland Empire students. - Yow spent seven years at IGNITE from 2019 to 2026, where she oversaw legislative priorities and programming for young women in middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities. - Earlier in her career, Yow worked for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018. - Yow also served Congressman Gil Cisneros in 2019 and worked in the California State Senate in 2016. - Woodcraft Rangers serves more than 30,000 young people annually through before-school, after-school and summer learning programs in partnership with more than 150 schools across Southern California.

Between the lines: - The hire pairs nonprofit expansion with a local political figure who has credibility across education, civic engagement and regional government. - Woodcraft Rangers appears to be leaning on a community-connected executive to help build trust as it enters a new geographic market. - Yow’s background in youth advocacy and civics suggests the Inland Empire office may emphasize school partnerships and student engagement. - The move also signals continued competition among nonprofits for regional influence as families look for accessible youth enrichment programs.

What's next: - Woodcraft Rangers will begin building out its Inland Empire office under Yow’s leadership. - The nonprofit is likely to expand school-based partnerships and program availability in the region as the office develops. - Yow said she intends to help build something lasting for kids and families in the Inland Empire.

The bottom line: - Woodcraft Rangers is betting that a trusted Inland Empire leader can accelerate its next phase of regional growth.