Alex Castaneda

Program Manager, Total Rewards & HR Systems

Alex is the Lead Manager of People Benefits and Compensation at CALSTART.  He supports People Operations Shared Services and brings subject matter level expertise and leadership in the areas of Total Rewards, Compliance, Policy and Procedures, and Staff Engagement.  Bringing a wealth of knowledge, his experience spans 20+ years working with organizations like Jiffy Lube, Forever21, St John Knits International, Del Taco, In-N-Out Burger, Taco Bell, and Amazon.

Prior to CALSTART, Alex held the Benefits and Compensation Manager role at action sports apparel retailer Tillys where he rolled out innovative plan concepts including an Employee Discount Program and low-admin consumer products purchasing program called Purchasing Power, Nationwide Pet Insurance, Legal and Identity Theft programs, Education Support/Student Loan Payback programs, company-wide and leveled gym discount program, and Fertility/Pregnancy Support Programs targeting the a wider spectrum of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts.

Alex is a certified Senior Human Resources Professional (SPHR) and has an MBA from the University of La Verne and a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University.  He also has a Bachelor of Psychology Degree with a minor concentration in Criminal Justice and Corrections from the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, where while attending the program, he conducted a social experiment on the Moderators of Trait Shyness and published his research at the annual Western Psychological Association Conference in Hawaii.  He also served as a Behavioral Paraprofessional and supported the Eastern Los Angeles Regional Office providing Applied Behavioral Analysis techniques and coaching to assist families of children with developmental disorders.

While launching his career at CALSTART, he will be pursuing a Certificated Compensation Professional (CCP) Designation to better support the organization.