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Rochita's passion for telling the real-life stories of everyday Californians working to create the innovations that keep the state on the cutting-edge of possibility, can be traced back to hearing stories from her father-in-law, who has spent more than 40 years working as an engineer for various manufacturing companies.

"Manufacturing is part of our past, present, and our future, which is proven by the industry's keen and consistent focus on innovation," said Rochita. "This industry is part of my family's history. I've seen, first-hand, the agility and compassion of manufacturers, like my father-in-law, who are able to create a better life for their family, thanks to the economic mobility this industry creates. It's that generational story of exploration and resilience that I cannot wait to tell as a part of CMTA, and, hopefully, inspire the next generation of innovators and doers along the way."

Rochita brings more than a decade of communications expertise to the role. Prior to joining CMTA, Rochita served as an award-winning investigative reporter and weekend evening news anchor for ABC 10, which is where she shed light on issues that impact Californians across the state. Prior to that, Rochita worked as an investigative reporter for WSLS 10 NBC News in Roanoke, Virginia. She received a national Edward R. Murrow award in hard news for her investigation on Virginia's sterilization practices in the 1900s.

Raised in San Francisco, Rochita has a Master's in Journalism from Georgetown University. Rochita will start at CMTA on June 13 and will be based in Sacramento.