Palisades Alumni Connect: Reflecting, Rebuilding, and Moving Forward Together

Evelyn founded Magellan College Counseling in 2011 after spending 15 years as a volunteer interviewer for Johns Hopkins University.  She has presented at dozens of regional and national college admission conferences, and has personally visited over 500 colleges.  

In addition to carrying a moderate caseload of students, Evelyn manages a talented team of independent educational consultants and serves as an instructor in UC Berkeley’s Certificate Program in College Admissions Consulting.  An LA native, Evelyn lives in the San Fernando Valley with her adopted shelter dogs, Brody and Artemis.

Randy has extensive experience leading successful offices and in the construction of high rise, mixed use/multi-family, institutional, education (DSA), healthcare (OSHPD), parking garages, industrial and civil projects.

With undergraduate studies in the field of Physics at CSUN, he is a licensed general contractor, a DBIA Design Build Professional and well respected amongst his peers. Previous executive positions include Principal/Sr. Vice President of Lend Lease (US) Construction Southern California Division where he exceeded expectations by securing contracts in excess of $1.4 billion including the Oceanwide Plaza, CIRCA, TEN50 and 1077 Wilshire projects. As founder and Director of PENTA Group’s Los Angeles office, he pierced the DSA and OSHPD markets through successful implementation of projects at UCLA, LAUSD and USC; as Project Executive/Sr. Project Manager for Bernards Builders, he provided key leadership in the construction of the Americana at Brand, LAUSD Panorama City High School and first phase of the Senior Sunrise Living Torrance project. Other notable projects in his career include the Disney ABC Office Building, UCLA Ackerman Union Seismic Life Safety Retrofit and Expansion, UCLA Kerckhoff Hall Base Isolation project, Rio Vista Water Treatment Plant, Rio Vista Water Treatment Plant Pump Station, CSUN Central Plant and Distribution project, CBS Studio Parking Structure, AMGEN Building 42 and Building 30.

As COO of Wilshire Construction LP, Randy oversees day to day operation of all aspects of the business.

Juan Silva is a licensed architect in California and Texas with over 25 years of experience in the building industry. His work spans commercial, educational, and residential sectors, with a particular focus on projects that engage community, resilience, and the built environment’s relationship to place.

A member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Pasadena & Foothill Chapter, Juan has long been committed to advancing thoughtful, equitable, and responsible design within both professional and civic contexts.

In addition to his private practice experience, Juan serves as a Design Manager for the Los Angeles Community College District, where he helps manage the District’s bond program—stewarding public taxpayer funding, supporting the development of vital campus facilities, and promoting access to higher education, particularly in communities of greatest need.

In the wake of recent California wildfires, Juan has been directly involved in residential reconstruction efforts, including current work on homes affected by the Woolsey Fire in the Santa Monica Mountains. This experience, along with his deep familiarity with the Pasadena area, informs his perspective on the 2025 Eaton Canyon Fire, its impacts on neighborhoods and landscapes, and the broader challenges of designing and rebuilding in fire-prone regions.