Dr. Carla Thornton​

City Councilmember

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Dr. Carla Thornton is a City Councilmember in the city of Moreno Valley, CA. She also is an Assistant Professor at California Baptist University in Riverside, CA. In this position she teaches graduate social work students in topics that focus on social management and leadership and social work policy. Prior to her current position she served as the Veteran’s Coordinator/Counselor at  Crafton Hills College where she worked directly with veterans as they transitioned from the military to the academic environment.
Dr.Thornton  served in  the  United  States  Air  Force  for  twenty  years  and  retired  at  the  rank  of  Master  Sergeant.  During  her  military  service  she was a logistician and a sexual assault victim advocate and  deployed  twice  in  support  of  Operation  Enduring  Freedom.
Dr. Thornton was born in Culver City, Ca. and graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a Bachelors of Arts in Social Science. She also earned a Masters of Arts in Management from the University of Redlands and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California. Dr. Thornton received a Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Southern California and has focused her research on women veterans and economic development in the Inland Empire region.
Dr. Thornton dedicates her time to giving back to both her community.  She previously served as a Governor appointee and Chairwoman of the California Department of Veterans Affairs Board and previously served as Chairwoman of both the Moreno Valley Traffic Commission and the Environmental and Historical Preservation board. She also is a Board of Director for the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center and serves on the Athletics Board at UC Riverside.