Candidate for Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees
Trustee Area 5 (Palo Alto/Stanford), November 2024
- Former Palo Alto Unified School Board President and 20-year advocate for students and education
- 25-year resident and community leader of Palo Alto
- CFO with 30+ years of business and financial management experience
- First generation college student educated in California’s public schools, kindergarten through MBA
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An excellent public education system is one of society’s most important duties. When done well, it graduates citizens who become learners, parents, teachers, stewards of subsequent generations, and great leaders. I passionately believe in creating and nurturing an education system that supports all learners, equitably and healthily, to meet their learning and career goals. Community colleges are a critical part of delivering an excellent public education, and Foothill and De Anza are jewels in the crown of California’s community college system. I welcome the opportunity to support our students and our workforce needs. California’s community colleges sit at the important intersection of providing opportunities for our students and their aspirations, and supporting California’s need for a talented, educated, engaged workforce. My desire to serve our community college district in this role is part of the continuum of my commitment to students and public education through: |
| Public Service: I served on the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Trustees 2014-2018 (VP in 2016, President in 2017). At that time, PAUSD had 12,000+ students, 2000+ staff members, 18 school sites and a budget of more than $250M. My focus was on equity and the social/emotional/mental health of students. During my PAUSD service, we addressed issues and opportunities related to academics, personnel, leadership, campus life, finances, and community relations. In my term I managed us through a tough superintendent transition and some serious issues of student health and safety that attracted national media coverage. Through it all, my goal was to be drama-free, collaborative, transparent and focused on what was best for our students and staff. |  |
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Professional Commitment: For the last four years, I have devoted my professional life to an organization that aligns with my personal passion for education. I am the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Learning Policy Institute, a research organization dedicated to providing high-quality research to improve education policy and practice for all students. I will bring to the role of Trustee a can-do attitude, a straightforward yet collaborative style, and decision-making skills honed during 35 years of corporate and non-profit work experience at Intel, Xerox, Stanford, and Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Community Leadership: I currently serve as a Trustee of the UC Irvine Foundation Board with a focus on first generation and under-resourced students. Prior to my UC Irvine and PAUSD Board work, I was an advocate for students’ social/emotional/mental health as a founding member of Project Safety Net. I also supported the district’s students and families as president of the foundation (Partners in Education) raising $5M+ annually for the district and president of the PAUSD district-wide PTA. |
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On a personal note, I attended public schools in southern California earning a BS (Math) from UC Irvine and an MBA (Finance) from UCLA. I live in Palo Alto (since 1999) with my husband, Steve. My children, who both went through Palo Alto public schools, live in Washington and Virginia. |
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I would love to hear about your experiences with and ideas about our community colleges. Please reach out to me at 650.387.3210 or [email protected]. My best,
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