A Note From Galia Szurley, Board Chair

Happy New Year! As we begin the year, I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you a little about the Board of Trustees and our work. We are currently 23 members strong. We attended public schools, independent schools, and international schools. We come from urban cities, rural towns, and abroad. Professionally, we have backgrounds that run from the traditional (such as education, law, human resources, and finance) to the more specialized (such as food justice, artificial intelligence, and independent school architecture). Temperamentally, we also run the gamut: there are those of us who like to problem solve in real time and those who want time to reflect; those who contribute to every conversation and those who wait until they have something very important to share. The hope is that this diversity of backgrounds and experiences will yield the very best outcome for all of our students, families, faculty, staff, and administration.
 
The Board of Trustees is responsible for big-picture, forward-thinking strategic planning for Redwood Day, while day-to-day operations are handled by Mr. Loeser and his team. The Board creates and enacts the 5-year Strategic Plan and Diversity Strategic Plan, sets annual budgets that are both fiscally and philosophically sound, engages in long-term financial planning, and supports the Advancement office.
 
So, in addition to all of that, what are we focusing on this year?
  • Evaluating faculty, staff, and administration salaries to ensure that we attract and retain the very best, our most important asset.
  • Examining the experiences of our underrepresented students, this year with a focus on African American students, to assure that we deliver an equitable, inclusive education and experience for all students.
  • Working with traffic consultants and the City to develop creative solutions to our traffic and parking concerns.
I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a thoughtful and inclusive community. Our job as trustees is to make sure that Redwood Day delivers on its mission to all families, now and well into the future. Should you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, please feel free to stop me on campus or reach out to me at any time.
 
Wishing you a very happy New Year,
 
Galia
 
 
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