Board of Trustees 2008-2009
St. Paul's Episcopal School
Carrie Avery, Co-Chair, joined the St. Paul’s Board in 2005. She is President of the Durfee Foundation, a nonprofit organization that makes grants in arts, education and nonprofit leadership development. Prior to that, Carrie was a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. She has chaired the boards of Northern California Grantmakers and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, and has served on the boards of the Berkeley Community Fund, the Boalt Hall Alumni Association and Pitzer College. Carrie received her B.A. from Stanford University and her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, and was a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow at Georgetown University. She is the mother of a St. Paul’s graduate and a current 7th grader.
Pam Johann, Co-Chair, joined the board in 2004. She is an attorney and a former partner at Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk & Rabkin in San Francisco. She was a member of the Board of Directors of Habitot Children’s Museum from 2000 to 2005, serving as the Board’s President from 2003-2004. She graduated with a B.A. in Political Economy from Williams College and earned her J.D. at Harvard Law School. Pam is the parent of two St. Paul’s students, in 7th and 5th grades.
Regina Shields, Vice Chair, joined the board in 2004. She is a psychotherapist, working with children, adolescents and adults in her private practice in Oakland. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, her M.S. in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute, Berkeley. She teaches and supervises psychology interns at the Access Institute in San Francisco and is on the faculty of the Wright Institute and the Women's Therapy Center in El Cerrito. Regina has two children in 5th grade at St. Paul’s.
George Sauter, Treasurer, joined the board in 2003. He is a partner with The Chartis Group, a management consulting firm that serves healthcare clients domestically and internationally. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and MBA from the University of Chicago. George also serves on the board of the Alameda Food Bank. He is the parent of a current St. Paul’s 7th grader and a St. Paul’s alum who is now in 12th grade.
Azar Bolandgray, Secretary, joined the board in 2005. She practices real estate law with the SSL Law Firm in San Francisco. Previously, Azar was a Deputy Attorney General with the California Attorney General for 12 years practicing environmental law. She earned her B.A. from the University of Southern California and her law degree from U.C. Hastings College of the Law. Azar and her husband Anders have three children at St. Paul's in kindergarten, 5th and 6th grades.
Robert Davenport, Ex Officio, joined the board in 2003 and was elected President in 2005. He is President of RD Partners, LLC, where he advises, develops, and invests in technology-related companies. Prior to founding RD Partners, LLC, he was President and CEO of Covad International; SVP and General Manager of TCI.NET, the broadband access subsidiary of Tele-Communications, Inc. (now Comcast); and a merchant banker at First Boston, Goldman Sachs, and Lehman Brothers in private equity investing. He served on the board of MCI prior to its acquisition by Verizon in 2006, and serves on the board of OneCalifornia Bank, FSB. Rob earned a BA and MBA from Harvard University and completed postgraduate work in political economy at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Rob is the father of a St. Paul’s alum.
Rick Benson joined the Board in 2004. He is CFO and Director of North American Operations for Lazo TPC Global, Inc, an agricultural technology start-up company that uses its patented non-toxic treatment process to replace conventional pesticide use in commercial fruit and vegetable production. Previously, he was a partner in Navigo Group, Inc, an international consulting company. Prior to consulting, Rick spent six years working in hedge funds. He helped found KingsGate Capital Management, was Senior Analyst at Lawndale Capital Management, and Assistant Portfolio Manager for Pacific Asset Management. Rick earned a B.A. in International Relations from Colgate University, an M.B.A. from Arizona State University and a Masters in International Management from Thunderbird–The Garvin School of International Management. He has two children attending SPES, in 8th and 4th grades. Rick has been involved as a head soccer coach for both girls’ teams and is an assistant teacher at Hoa Sen Dojo, where he and his kids study Cuong Nhu.
Jeanette Dong joined the board in 2008. She is the Director of Development for the Peralta Community Colleges in the East Bay, directing workforce development and public/private funding opportunities for all 4 colleges in the Peralta system. She has also consulted with the public, philanthropic and corporate sectors. Most recently she consulted with civil rights groups to diversify judicial and other gubernatorial appointments. Speaker Fabian Nunez also appointed her to the California Public Health Advisory Committee. Jeanette received her Masters in Public Policy from Columbia University, was a fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. She is the mother of a St. Paul’s 3rd grader.
Jim Dorskind joined the board in 2008 in his role as the Parent Association Vice President. Currently an at-home-dad, Jim has extensive non-profit experience, having served on the boards of the Berkeley Law Foundation, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Bar Association of San Francisco, and the Northern California Unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, where he continues as a member of the board. Professionally, Jim served from 1993 to 2001 in the Administration of President Bill Clinton in several positions, including as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Correspondence, General Counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and General Counsel of the Department of Commerce. Previously, he practiced commercial civil litigation and white collar criminal defense, first with Morrison & Foerster, LLP, and then with the firm eventually known as Friedman, Ross & Dorskind, P.C. He was also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Jim received his A.B. in psychology from Cornell University and his J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He and his wife, Mary, have a 4th grader at St. Paul’s.
Dick Drew joined the St. Paul’s board in 2008 after completing a one-year interim appointment as Head of Marin Academy in San Rafael. Formerly, he was Head of Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, retiring in 2004 after fifteen years. For twenty-five years, Dick has led independent schools and is a former Chair of the Board of the National Association of Independent Schools, succeeding Karan Merry in that post. For twelve years he served on the San Francisco University High School Board and now is a member of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation supporting public schools in his community. He received his B.A. from Amherst College, his M.A. from Stanford, and his EdS. from the University of Colorado. His wife, Sandy, is a former St. Paul’s School trustee.
Debra Farb joined the St. Paul's Board in 2002; she currently chairs the Development Committee. Debra received her A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley and has an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University. Currently a stay-at-home mom, she has extensive work experience in the private and not-for-profit sectors including Bank of America, BASS Tickets, and San Francisco Ballet. Debra is the parent of two St. Paul’s students, in 7th and 4th grades.
Susan Grossberg joined the board in 2006 as the faculty representative. She has been a teacher at St. Paul’s for the last eleven years. Prior to working at the school, Susan worked as a banker for over 20 years. She was a Vice President in the Retail Banking Support Services, and prior to that, she served as the liaison between the Business Banking Services and the Retail Bank. She earned her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her teaching credential from Cal State, Hayward.
Leah Simone Hall joined the board in 2007. She is a designer at Solomon E.T.C. Architects, a design firm that provides architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture design services. Prior to Solomon E.T.C., Leah was a designer and team coordinator for the execution of the Los Altos School District Master Plan and a number of related construction projects. She earned her Masters in Architecture at Yale University and was awarded the William Wirt Winchester Traveling Fellowship. She serves on the Vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, which elected her for a seat on this board. Leah lives with her family in San Leandro, and is the parent of a St. Paul’s 3rd grader.
Michael Haas joined the board in 2008. He is founder and President of Orion Energy Group LLC, and co-founder and Managing Director of Renewable Development Company Ltd – companies dedicated to the development of utility scale renewable energy projects in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Mike is also founder of Alliance for Climate Education, a non-profit group whose mission is to educate students on the science and consequences of global warming. Prior to this, Mike served as Vice President of world-wide Development for KENETECH Corporation, as well as General Manager for the 56-100 Wind Turbine Division. Mike received his Bachelor Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla, and his Masters Degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Stanford University. Mike and his wife Rocio have three children; the oldest is a 2nd grader at St. Paul’s.
Anne Jensen joined the St. Paul’s Board in 2007 in her role as Interim Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. She has been serving churches in transition for the last eleven years and was most recently at Trinity in Menlo Park, which is also affiliated with the Trinity School. She moved to California from Connecticut three years ago where she served on the board of Mercy Learning Center, a non-profit literacy program for women. In addition to her parish work, Anne was a teaching assistant at Yale Divinity School for three years. One of her interim positions was at the Episcopal Church at Yale, a chaplaincy to the college and graduate schools. Anne has a B.A. in history and an M.A. in education from Stanford and a Masters in Divinity from Yale Divinity School. She is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of four.
Ann Ludwig Lester joined the St. Paul’s Board in 2007 as Vice President of the Parent Association. She currently serves as President. She has more than 20 years of Construction Project and Program Management experience in the private and public sector. In her current position as Medical Facilities Program Manager at the Alameda County General Services Agency in Oakland, California, she is responsible for managing the planning, design, and construction of the Highland Hospital Acute Tower Replacement Project. Other recent projects in Marin County and Oakland have incorporated high standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Ann has a Masters Degree in Public Policy, with an emphasis in Finance, from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is the mother of a St. Paul's 4th grader.
Robert A. Marcial is Director of the PG&E Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco. Robert joined the Energy Center in 1991, and has worked on energy consultation, course development, fieldwork & data acquisition and website development. He has served as President of the Golden Gate Chapter of ASHRAE and is an active member of the Society of Building Science Educators. He received a B.A. in Architecture in 1991, and an M. Arch. in 1998, from UC Berkeley. Robert is also an Adjunct Professor at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco where he teaches courses on green building design, energy efficiency and integrated building systems. Robert has also been a lecturer at UC Berkeley, and has taught in Valparaiso, Chile, at the Pacific Energy Center, and the University of Oregon. Robert and his wife Tracy are proud residents of Oakland's Lake Merritt neighborhood and live a stone's throw from St. Paul's.
Karan Merry is the Head of St. Paul’s Episcopal School. Karan previously held this position at Kent Place in New Jersey and Chestnut Hill in Massachusetts. She earned her B.A. at Salem State College, Salem, MA and her Master of Arts in Elementary Education at Lesley College, Cambridge, MA. At the national level, Karan currently serves on the Boards of the National Association of Episcopal Schools and the California Association of Independent Schools, and is a past chair of the National Association of Independent Schools. Locally, she serves on the Boards of College Preparatory School, Aim High and Facing History and Ourselves. She enjoys spending time with her family, and particularly her grandsons.
Trina Thompson Stanley joined the Board in 2008. She is the first African American woman elected to the Superior Court in Alameda County. Prior to serving as a Superior Court Judge, she served as the Supervising Judge of the Wiley Manuel Courthouse, Alameda County Superior Court and Juvenile Court Commissioner, Alameda County Superior Court. Before becoming a judge, Trina managed a private criminal defense practice, worked in the Alameda County Public Defender's Office as an Assistant Public Defender and held positions with Judge Henry Ramsey, Alameda County Superior Court, the Law Offices of Hanson, Bridgett, Marcus & Vlahos, the National Center for Youth Law, and the Law Offices of Howard Moore and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. Trina has lectured nationally, has served as legal commentator for the media and is a member of a variety of boards and legal associations. She received an A.B. in Legal Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and graduated from UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law in 1986. She is the parent of a St. Paul’s 4th grader.
