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mission / the need / schools / testimonials / board
Officers
Laura Roberts - President
Julie Mahowald - Vice President
Lydia Moran - Treasurer
Cindy Chin - Secretary
Board Members
Tasha Castañeda
Tasha came to the Bay Area from rural Washington state to attend Stanford University, where she earned both her BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering. After working as a logic design engineer, she taught bilingual classes in first, second, and third grades in the Ravenswood district for seven years. Currently in charge of Strategic Alliances at Cavium Networks, Tasha lives in
eastern Menlo Park. Tasha has served on the EPAK board since 1997, and was President of the organization from 2002 to August 2008.
Marco Chavez
Marco has served Ravenswood City School District families since 1993. He has worked in a variety of capacities including instructional aide, teacher, and principal. Currently he is the Director of Categorical Programs and Multilingual Services. Marco grew up in East Palo Alto and currently lives in eastern Menlo Park. He is passionate about offering the best resources to the children of the Ravenswood School District community.
Cindy Chin
Cindy is the Principal of Willow Oaks School in the Ravenswood City School District.
Prior to becoming principal, she was a classroom teacher and an administrative
manager at Willow Oaks. Cindy began her teaching career in the Pasadena
Unified School District as a member of Teach for America. Cindy received her BA
in Secondary Education from the University of Michigan and MA in Educational
Leadership from San Jose State.
Tami is currently the Principal of Brentwood Academy in the Ravenswood City School District. She was formerly the California Region Curriculum Specialist for Edison Learning, Inc., a private company that provides educational services to schools nationwide. Edison Learning managed a school in East Palo Alto where Tami taught for 2 years and a school in Fresno where she taught for 6 years. Tami received a BA in Sociology from Wesleyan University and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from CSU, Fresno. Tami has been working in education for over 10 years.
Ann Funn
Ann is a veteran teacher in the Ravenswood School District, having served our students for over 25 years. She is currently teaching second grade at Belle Haven. Ann has received numerous EPAK grants, and wants to give back by serving on the EPAK Board. Ann lives in the East Bay and has a daughter in college.
Martha Hanks
Martha has been a Ravenswood teacher since 1970, holds a Masters in education, and received Congressional recognition for Intergenerational Service Learning Program with the Veteran's Hospital and 4th graders at Willow Oaks School. She has served as a Packard Foundation Literacy Coach since 1997 and a CalServ Specialist Coach for the California State Department of Education since 1995.
Julie Mahowald
Julie has worked as a Corporate Treasurer, Controller and CFO for various technology companies and continues to consult in Corporate Finance. She is active in her childrens' schools and served as PTA President of Almond Elementary in Los Altos from 2002 to 2004. Julie is a Sustainer of the Junior League of Palo Alto, where she has served on the grant making committee and as an advisor to the VP of Projects. She holds an MBA from Wharton.
Lydia Moran
Lydia is a long-time EPAK supporter and education foundation veteran. She has volunteered as treasurer for Palo Alto PTAs, Palo Alto Foundation for Education, and during the PAFE transition to Partners in Education (PIE). She was a dedicated reading tutor in Tasha Castañeda's Willow Oaks classroom. Lydia lives in Palo Alto with her husband and has two daughters.
Lou Pelosi
Lou is a marketing and business development executive. He is the son of two public school educators and grew up understanding the incredible value a well-supported teacher and school system can make. He and his wife remain active supporting their two daughters and the local schools they attend. Lou holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and an undergraduate degree from Tufts University.
Laura Roberts
Laura also comes from a family of public school teachers. She and her husband, Bob Jones, have two daughters who attend public schools in Los Altos, where Laura has been an active volunteer for PTA and sports organizations. She holds a BA in Music, and an MBA from Santa Clara University, where she worked for many years in the networking industry as an Information Technology professional.
Lee Dinneen
Lee grew up in the south Bay Area. She is a Financial Executive having worked as a CFO for a variety of technology manufacturing companies. Lee has been involved in volunteer work most of her life especially enjoying the Junior League of Palo Alto, the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and work in her children’s Los Altos schools. She holds a BS from the University of the Pacific and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
Alisha Fitzhugh
Alisha is a product of the Ravenswood City School District. She has the unique experience of working with teachers who taught her as a youngster. Currently, Alisha is the Student Support Manager at Costano School - home of the Forty Niner Academy. She is responsible for working with students that require additional support around academics, social, and behavioral management. However, Alisha's ultimate passions lie with the Arts, and to this end she was a Music Teacher at Edison Brentwood and McNair schools for over 9 years where she produced, alongside other artists, a large number of memorable shows. She produced and directed a musical tribute by students to celebrate the reopening of the McNair library, made possible by EPAK donors and volunteers, in 2006.