2009-10 board of trustees
Joseph Di Prisco
Education: Ph.D., English, University of California at Berkeley
Employment: Author and educator. Worked as a teacher or administrator for twenty years in middle school, high school, college, in public, independent, and Catholic institutions. Author of six books: two novels, two books of poems, and two books (with co-author Mike Riera) about child development and family life. His essays, poems, and book reviews have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines. His third novel and a memoir appear in 2010.
Other RDS Involvement: Member of the RDS Board since 2001; Board Chair since 2003
Statement: RDS is rooted in inquiry and in imagination, in integrity, and in optimism. Here is where every child is truly engaged, prepared, and inspired. I wish I had known about RDS when my son was growing up, because this is a school that sings. That is why it has been an honor for me to do what I can to serve this School.
Michael Kass, 1st Vice Chair
RDS Parent
Education: A.B., Economics, University of Michigan; J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley
Employment: Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP
Other RDS Involvement: Chair, Advancement Committee; Pro Bono Counsel
Statement: I am pleased to serve on the Board of Trustees, working with a school that focuses on how kids learn; that strives to recognize and nurture the things that make each kid different and special; and that sees its mission as equipping kids to succeed in life, and not just a stepping stone to the next level of education.
Warren Hogg, Vice Chair
RDS Parent
Education: B.S., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California at Berkeley; M.B.A., Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley
Employment: Consultant. Former Senior Manager with Sun Microsystems and Oracle Corporation. While at Sun Microsystems, Warren was responsible for all products and business aspects of the Solaris Desktop product line. At Oracle, he was responsible for developing wireless services and successfully built strategic partnerships to support wireless database connectivity.
Other RDS Involvement: Marketing Committee, Building and Grounds Committee, Library Committee, classroom volunteer
Statement: For me a great educational institution will have high academic standards, a social and environmental conscience, diversity in faculty and students, and a sense for the greater community. I feel that RDS embodies the qualities of a great educational institution. I am honored to serve on the Board of Trustees and look forward to helping RDS reach its goals.
Daniel Whalen, Vice Chair
RDS Alumni Parent
Education: B.S., Government, Saint John’s University; M.A., Stanford University Food Research Institute; M.B.A., Stanford University
Employment: Interim president of Saint John’s University (October 2008 - June 30, 2009). Founder or co-founder of several telecommunications or related services companies. Volunteer and philanthropic activities include service to organizations in Minnesota, Northern California, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Robert Menicucci, Finance Chair
RDS Parent and Alumni Parent
Education: B.S., History, Pomona College; Pacific Coast Banking School
Employment: Retired Bank of America executive
Other RDS involvement: Board Member since 2005, Executive Committee
Statement: I've been involved with RDS for over eleven years. During this time, I have been impressed with the way the School has embraced my children as individuals. I've witnessed enormous growth in all aspects of the School: academics, faculty, facilities, and financial stability. I think RDS kids are incredibly well grounded and prepared to accomplish great things. I feel privileged to help RDS achieve its goals.
Deborah Sosebee, Secretary
RDS Parent and Alumni Parent
Education: B.A., Linguistics, Brandeis University
Employment: Operations Research/Database Design (retired)
Other RDS Involvement: Buildings and Grounds Committee, Finance Committee, Executive Committee; Faculty Appreciation, Library, Art Room, Room Parent, Parents’ Association
Statement: From the moment I stepped onto campus with my eldest child, I knew that RDS was a special place. Now, three children and numerous volunteer efforts later, I continue to believe that Redwood Day’s emphasis on respect for the individual and awareness of others strengthens children, families, and our community. I am honored to serve on the Board of an institution that makes a difference in the lives of so many people.
Kevin Brown
RDS Parent
Education: B.A., Business, Santa Clara University
Employment: Broker/Owner, Better Homes Realty & Brown Commercial Investment Real Estate Services
Other RDS Involvement: Trustees Committee
Statement: Several years ago, my wife and I realized the school that our children were attending was not a good fit, and with a great deal of anxiety we started the search for a new learning environment where they could thrive and experience true success. The minute we stepped foot on the RDS campus and met the teachers, staff, and parents, we knew there was something special about Redwood Day School. The transition was smooth, and our children are flourishing emotionally and academically. As a new member of the Board of Trustees, it is truly an honor to serve the RDS community and help chart the course of this unique educational institution.
Ces Butner
RDS Parent
Education: B.A., University of Missouri
Employment: President/CEO of Horizon Beverage Company
Other RDS Involvement: High School Site Committee
Statement: I believe that my charge, in service to the Board, is to be a constant reminder for the Board, staff, and RDS in general to stay vigilant to the “diversity” reference in our Mission Statement.
Gregory Call
RDS Parent
Education: A.B., Economics, Stanford University; M.A., Economics, University of California at Berkeley; J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley
Employment: Partner, Folger Levin & Kahn LLP
Other RDS Involvement: Our children have been at Redwood Day School since 1995. During that time, we have been happy to support and participate in the School in many ways from ripping out overgrown ivy to providing legal services, from participating in fundraising to working in a classroom.
Statement: Redwood Day School serves its community by providing children a special place to learn and grow. The thought, energy, and enthusiasm put into the effort to educate the children of Redwood Day School is what makes it special. I am excited to have the opportunity to participate in Redwood’s continued growth and evolution as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Robert Egan
RDS Alumni Parent
Education: B.A., Economics and Political Science, Yale University; M.B.A., Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University
Employment: Marketing consultant for consumer goods and consumer technology companies
Other RDS Involvement: Chair, Trustees Committee; Advancement Committee; Past President, Parents’ Association
Statement: I’ve been an active member of the RDS community for 15 years. I’m proud to have worked with the dedicated parents, students, faculty, administrators, and Board members who have shaped the growth of RDS into such a vibrant learning environment. I Iook forward to helping shape the continued growth of the School in years to come.
Francis Enderle
RDS Parent
Education: B.S., Computer Science, Loyola Marymount University
Employment: Director and Treasurer for WineInStyle. Private Investor. Former Managing Director at Barclays Global Investors (BGI) and Chief Investment Officer for the U.S. Global Index and Markets Group.
Other RDS Involvement: Finance Committee; Chair, Audit Sub-Committee
Statement: We have been part of the Redwood Day School community for over ten years, and it has been wonderful watching our children thrive and develop within this special environment that RDS creates. I am excited and honored to be of service to the School as a member of the Board of Trustees at this critical juncture in the history of the School.
Ike Eze
RDS Parent
Education: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, San Francisco State University; M.B.A., The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Employment: CEO of Centrro Inc. and Advisor to The African Network (TAN). Former consultant at The Boston Consulting Group, and CEO of various high-tech startups.
Other RDS Involvement: Member, Strategic Planning Committee; Member, Finance Committee
Statement: The first time we visited RDS, we recognized it as a special place. It is within this environment that we felt our daughter would be successful and thrive. I joined the Board to contribute where possible and to assist in realizing the vision of a high school, where we can continue to engage, prepare, and inspire children.
Darlene Fujii, Chair Emerita
RDS Alumni Parent
Education: B.S., Nutrition Science, University of California, Davis; M.Ed., Tufts University; R.D. (Registered Dietitian)
Employment: Program Manager, Alameda County Public Health Department, Nutrition Services
Other RDS Involvement: Former Chair, Board of Trustees; Executive Committee; Chair, Sempervirens Strategic Planning Committee; Former Chair, Trustees Committee; Chair, Diversity Strategic Planning Committee
Statement: I have been connected to Redwood Day School for 20 years and on the Board of Trustees for almost 15 years. During that time, I have been a part of tremendous growth and change. I am proud of the steps that we have taken to establish RDS as a leading educational institution, and my passion lies in continuing to strengthen the reach of the institution. I believe in the school’s future and hope to continue to make a meaningful contribution to its legacy.
Jane Green
Education: B.A., Business, University of Oregon; M.A., Art History, Mills College
Employment: Community leader who has served over the last 20 years in numerous non-profit organizations in the Bay Area focused on the arts and education, including the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive at the University of California at Berkeley, Mills College, and the Museum of Children’s Art (MoChA). Jane is an art historian, an independent art curator, Trustee of the Jay DeFeo Estate, and the director of the Jane Restaino-Green Endowment for Studies in Art History and Criticism at Mills College.
Other RDS Involvement: High School Advisory Committee, Advancement Committee
Statement: RDS is an exciting educational community with a compelling mission, great leadership and visionary thinkers. I look forward to advancing their commitment to expanding to a high school, which will serve as a leading model for education in the Bay Area.
Galen Hoskin
RDS Parent
Education: B.A., Middlebury College; M.B.A., Columbia University
Employment: The Capital Group
Other RDS Involvement: Finance Committee
Statement: RDS has cracked the code – the community has found a middle way which embraces both core human values and specific fields of inquiry. I think that our children are both living a rich life now at RDS and are being prepared in a broad and effective way to fully realize themselves in life. RDS has attracted and retained an excellent administration and teaching staff – they understand children and run an efficient institution. The Board is passionate and skilled. I thoroughly enjoy participating as a Trustee.
Ellen Jaffe
RDS Parent and Alumni Parent
Education: A.B, Psychology, Stanford University; M.B.A., University of Southern California
Employment: Retired in October 2005 from Deloitte after 24 years as: a CPA (4 years), Recruiter (10+), HR Manager and Director (12+), and Tax Administrative Director (3+) in the San Francisco/Northern California practice and spent the 5 years prior to retirement as Senior HR manager working for the national Tax practice from the San Francisco office
Other RDS Involvement: RDSPA President 2006-7, Vice President 2005-6, Treasurer 2003-5. Former Library Committee Chairpersons and room parent. Admissions tour guide. Crab Feed chair. Member of Trustees and Diversity committees of the Board of Trustees.
Statement: RDS has been an important part of my family's life for over nine years, as my three sons have learned, grown, and thrived on its campus. Needless to say, RDS has changed and grown tremendously during this time. As past PA President, I had the wonderful opportunity as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees to gain more perspective about RDS and to glimpse its future. It's a special place with special people and an exciting future. I am very fortunate to be a part of the RDS community.
Katy Keim
RDS Parent
Education: B.A., History, University of Virginia; M.B.A., Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University
Employment: Former Executive Vice President of Marketing for ServiceSource and Vice President of E-commerce at Intraware. Previous experience working in corporate finance at Bank of America, in a technology group focused on funding emerging companies.
Other RDS Involvement: Chair, Strategic Planning Committee
Statement: I am motivated to grow things that I believe in. And RDS is something that I strongly believe in. It’s the right school for my kids and it’s the right school for my family, but more importantly, it has an inspiring vision for how to take a step forward in education. Because of these things, I want to help in strategically growing RDS—its vision, its influence, its reach, its physical footprint, and its overall success.
Pat Scott
Education: M.F.A., Theater Art: Film and Curriculum Development, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
Employment: Executive Director, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center; Public Broadcasting Consultant
Other RDS Involvement: Trustees Committee; High School Advisory Committee
Statement: I serve as a trustee because RDS is the brightest light in education that I have seen in my three decades as an educator and parent. The children in my family have attended parochial, public, and private schools – none quite measuring up to the RDS standards of providing an education reflective of the need for the social and cultural exploration much needed in our complex and interactive world society.
Leah Aguilera, Faculty Trustee
RDS Alumni Parent
Education: B.A., Mills College; Multiple Subject Credential, CLAD Credential, University of California at Berkeley
Employment: RDS 3rd-Grade Teacher
Other RDS Involvement: Former RDS Intern Coordinator
Statement: Prior to joining RDS, I taught in the public school system for eight years. I have a deep commitment to educating all our community’s children. Within the East Bay, I have taught in schools that were low income and low performing, as well as high performing schools with much financial and community support. During my tenure in the public school system, I was on several curriculum communities and those to address the specific needs of English Language Learners. I served as a Support Provider for five beginning teachers and as a member of the school site council. I came to Redwood Day with a deep appreciation for the School's mission and to broaden my experience in education. To create an intimate and diverse community takes commitment and tenacity. This is my motivation for the work required as a member of the Board.
Adele Madelo, Faculty Trustee
Education: B.A., University of California at Berkeley; M.A. and M.P.S., New York University
Employment: RDS 7th- and 8th-Grade History Teacher
Statement: I have enjoyed my tenure at RDS, which manifests itself as a community where adults and students learn alongside each other. Members of this community know the intrinsic value of risk-taking in personal and academic development and take steps every day to meet this goal. I have also learned much from witnessing the Board in action as it deftly steers the course of institutional growth.
Ex Officio:
Mike Riera, Head of School
RDS Parent
Education: B.A., Economics, Wesleyan University; Masters in Counseling Psychology, Antioch University; Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies
Employment: Mike has worked in schools since 1980 as a counselor, teacher, and administrator. He is a best-selling author or co-author of five books, an award-winning columnist, and a national speaker on issues of children, adolescents, families, and parenting. Mike was also the Family and Adolescent Counselor for the CBS Saturday Early Show and has been a frequent guest on “Oprah!” and National Public Radio. Previously he was the dean of students at Marin Academy and counselor at University High School.
Margaret Gee, Parents’ Association President
RDS Alumna and Parent
Education: B.S., Business Administration, University of California at Berkeley
Employment: Director of Neighborhood Development & Communications, Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Former Assistant Director for East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation with primary oversight for Real Estate Development and Asset Management, and Managing Director for Chinatown Community Development Center.