List of 24 members.

• 

  Meghna Subramanian 

  Co-Chair

  Bio

  Meghna Subramanian, Co-Chair, is an attorney and mediator who has handled a wide range of corporate, litigation, and employment issues for technology and consulting companies. Meghna immigrated to the U.S. from India in middle school, and earned her B.A. in Political Economy from U.C. Berkeley and her J.D. from the University of Chicago. At CDS, Meghna enjoys volunteering as an admissions tour guide, a classroom liaison, and as the PTTA Faculty Appreciation Brunch Coordinator. She and her husband, Kareem Ghanem, are parents of Zaina (’27) and Sufyan (’31). She also serves on the board of directors of Jivox, a personalized advertising technology company.
• 

  Angela Alvarado 

  Treasurer

  Bio

  Angela Alvarado, Treasurer, is a partner at Deloitte, where she started as an audit intern in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2005, she moved to San Francisco where she has focused on advising private equity and corporate clients on acquisitions and investments, primarily in the technology, fintech and consumer sectors. Angela is a licensed CPA. At CDS, she and her husband Frank have volunteered as admission tour guides, parent panelists, and at various events including Country Fair, Faculty & Staff Appreciation, and co-chaired the 2019-2020 CDS Annual Fund campaign. Angela has recently served on the CDS Advancement and Finance Committees. She enjoys camping and traveling with Frank and their daughter Shelby (’26). Angela has also served as Treasurer on the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) board for 7 years.
• 

  Nicolas King 

  Co-Chair

  Bio

  Nicolas King, Secretary, is a native of New York City and is slowly transforming into a Californian. Nicolas is a lawyer who works in local government improving processes, implementing legislation and advising senior officials. Nicolas studied government at Yale and attended New York University School of Law. At CDS, he's a long-time family farmer, classroom liaison, admissions volunteer, and participant in JEDI work. Nicolas and his wife, Dawn Ogawa, are the parents of Elli (‘21) and Seiji (‘25).
• 

  Jed Borghei 

  Secretary

  Bio

  Jed Borghei is an environmental attorney who focuses on representing public water suppliers in groundwater contamination cases. In 2010, he took a pause from litigating to serve as Counsel to the Presidential Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, where he helped to investigate and evaluate the response of government and industry to the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill. Jed has a BA in Philosophy from the College of William and Mary, an MA in Philosophy from the City University of New York, and a JD from Georgetown University. As a CDS parent over the past five years, Jed has enjoyed volunteering as an Annual Fund Co-Chair and as a member of the Campaign Cabinet, which is helping to raise funds for the 333 Campus Expansion that will soon break ground. He also has enjoyed being a parent-coach for several CDS soccer teams – most recently the TK/K indoor futsal team, which played with passion.
• 

  Joe Connolly 

  Bio

  Joe Connolly is the co-founder of Connolly Educational Consulting, where he helps independent school leaders adapt the strategic tools and frameworks that guided him to and through success in his career. Joe is the former Chief Advancement and Enrollment Officer at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, CA, where he was responsible for advancement, enrollment, alumni affairs, communications and marketing, community involvement and support, transportation, and summer and after-school programs. Prior to that role, Joe was the Middle School Head at Hillbrook and also served several roles in independent schools, including Dean of Students, Wellness Director, Athletic Director, Coach, and Teacher. After a few years of teaching and coaching directly out of college, Joe enjoyed a 20-year career as a sales and marketing executive, including co-founding and being CEO of two companies. Joe and his wife Mary have three adult children and are proud grandparents of six grandchildren, two of whom are current independent school students in the South Bay.
• 

  Alexandra Conrad 

  Bio

  Alexandra “Alex” Conrad has more than 15 years’ experience managing manufacturing-support, distribution, and service operations with a focus on operations excellence. She worked most recently as VP of Operations for a San Francisco-based start-up in trucking and previously for Tesla, for Walmart, and as a management consultant. Alex received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. At CDS, Alex has enjoyed serving as a volunteer for Admissions and for the Come Together (333 Expansion and Endowment) campaign. She and her husband, Parker, are parents to Ellis (’29) and Win (‘32).
• 

  Abigail Davisson 

  Bio

  Abby Davisson has dedicated her career to helping others achieve their goals — first as a leader in organizations focused on making the world better and now as an author and entrepreneur focused on making people’s lives better. She is the co-author of Money and Love: An Intelligent Roadmap for Life’s Biggest Decisions and the founder and CEO of the Money and Love Institute, which helps people make better decisions that lead to happiness, prosperity, and purpose. Prior to launching the Institute, she spent nearly a decade driving social impact at global retailer Gap Inc., where she served as president of the Gap Foundation and co-founded the company’s employee resource group for parents and caregivers. Abby grew up in New Jersey and earned a BA from Yale University and an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University. At CDS, Abby enjoys volunteering as an admissions tour guide and a classroom liaison and cheering for the Bulldogs at cross-country meets. She and her husband Ross are parents of Sam (’27) and Max (’29).
• 

  Jules Greene 

  Bio

  Jules Greene is currently the Head of Middle School at Park Day School in Oakland California and has spent her entire career in independent schools in a variety of roles, including 8th-grade history teacher and Director of Diversity at multiple schools throughout the greater Bay Area. Jules also attended independent schools in the Sacramento area. She is a very proud Banana Slug with B.A. degrees in History and Theater Arts from UC Santa Cruz, and earned an M.A. in History Education from San Jose State University. Jules enjoys coffee, travel, costume design, dancing with her two-year-old daughter Blake and husband Cord, and coffee.
• 

  Angelique Huerta 

  Bio

  Angelique Huerta has been a community worker for over twenty years, serving in a range of capacities such as union organizing in the Salinas Valley, advocating immigration and legal cases for domestic violence victims in San Jose, coordinating employment opportunities for at-risk populations in South Central Los Angeles, coordinating services for homeless families in the Tenderloin, and most recently, doing social work in the government sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree from U.C. Davis in Chicana/o Studies and Communications. At CDS, she has served on the JEDI committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for CUAV (Community United Against Violence), an organization that works to build the power of LGBTQ communities to transform violence and oppression.
• 

  David ibnAle 

  Bio

  David ibnAle is the Founding and Managing Partner of Advance Venture Partners, an evergreen venture capital firm designed to make concentrated, long-duration investments in technology and tech-enabled services businesses. He has thirty years of experience as an active investor and board member of both private and publicly-traded companies. David grew up in San Jose, CA and received an AB in Public Policy, an AM in International Development Policy, and an MBA from Stanford University. He is the Vice Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the San Francisco Foundation and is on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee of the Black Economic Alliance (“BEA”) Venture Fund.  At CDS, he has been a member of the Finance and Investment Committees. David and his wife Mollie Ricker are the parents of Tallulah Ricker (’29) and a Bernedoodle named Ozzie who believes he is her sibling.
• 

  Patricia Kao 

  Bio

  Patricia Kao has spent most of her career in financial services - spanning public finance, fixed income trading, asset management, investment product development, sustainable investing, and commodities risk management. She and her family joined the CDS community in 2016 when they moved to San Francisco from Washington D.C., where she had served as a policy director at the U.S. Treasury Department in the Obama Administration. Patty graduated from U.C. Berkeley and holds an MBA from MIT Sloan. At CDS, Patty has participated as a member of the Finance Committee, donations chair for Bid & Bash, and a one-off volunteer as needed. She and her husband Seth are the parents of Malia (‘23) and Kaia (‘25).
• 

  Brian Kreischer 

  Bio

  Brian Kreischer and his wife Sarah Maxwell are parents to Odessa ('25) and Ben ('30). In his day job Brian serves as Managing Partner and Chairman at Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP, a CPA firm of approximately 600 people, where Brian has worked his entire 30-year career. In that capacity, Brian’s primary focus is leadership development and coaching, strategy, risk management and organizational development. Brian also serves on the Board of Directors of Baker Tilly International, a global network of accountancy firms representing 145 countries.
  
  

  Brian has served on the CDS finance committee since 2017. In past philanthropic board service, Brian has co-chaired the Syracuse University San Francisco Regional Advisory Council, supporting the University in development, engagement and admissions. Brian also served for almost ten years on the board of the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation, where he chaired the finance committee and formed the first development committee.
  
  

  Brian’s social life revolves largely around Odessa’s soccer schedule. Ben will vouch for Brian’s passable Lego skills and creativity.
• 

  Diane Larrabee 

  Bio

  If anyone knows the Children’s Day School community, it’s Diane Larrabee who helped create it. Diane has 16 years of experience in admission and enrollment management, including serving for twelve years as the Director of Admission at CDS. Diane led all aspects of the admission process, including the review of all applications, while also managing multiple admission events and projects. During her tenure, the racial/ethnic diversity at the school increased from 16% to 49%.
  
  Prior to her work in admission and enrollment management, Diane was a practicing attorney for 11 years, specializing in commercial and securities litigation. Diane has served on a variety of non-profit and school boards, including Town School for Boys and Compass Family Services, for which she was President of the Board for five years. She also served for six years on the Board of Laurel Hill Nursery School in San Francisco, including three years as President of the Board. Diane earned a B.A. in English Literature from University of California, Berkeley (with honors) and a J.D. from the University of California School of Law, San Francisco (Order of the Coif).
• 

  Carolyn Laub 

  At Large Member

  Bio

  Carolyn Laub is a social entrepreneur and strategy consultant working with nonprofits and foundations focused on equity, justice, and social change. Carolyn currently serves as a senior communications strategist with Wonder: Strategies for Good and a senior strategist with Public Equity Group. She currently serves on the board of Majority Action, which empowers shareholders to hold corporations accountable to high standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, and long-term value creation. In 1998, she founded and led GSA Network, which organizes LGBTQ youth to advocate for safety, equity, and restorative justice through a national network of over 4000+ Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in high schools and middle schools. Carolyn is an Echoing Green Fellow, Ashoka Fellow, and Pahara Fellow. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University. At CDS, Carolyn has been a classroom liaison, family farmer, and admissions volunteer. She and her wife, Heather, are parents to Zuri (’26) and Kira (’30). Carolyn has served on the following boards: Majority Action (2018-current); Transgender Law Center (2001-2011); California Safe Schools Coalition (2001-2011); Bay Area Young Positives (1997-2002).
• 

  Timothy Lugo 

  Bio

  Tim is a partner at William Blair and has spent most of his career as a financial analyst specializing in the biotechnology industry. He is a California native and has lived in the state his whole life outside of five chilly years in Chicago. He joined the CDS community in the fall of 2020. When he’s not working he enjoys snowboarding, surfing, live music, eating spicy food, and watching his children Simone (‘28) and Solomon (‘31) play soccer with his wife Kristina Shih.
  
  Tim is the co-head of the 333 Campus Expansion capital campaign and looks forward to seeing his children play in the newly designed school yard. Outside of the CDS community he is involved with CAL NERDS, an organization looking to increase diversity in STEM industries, as well as the Undocumented Student Program both based at UC Berkeley. Tim graduated with a double major in molecular and cellular biology (with an emphasis in genetics) and economics from UC Berkeley.
• 

  John Nguyen 

  Bio

  John Nguyen is a nonprofit and strategic partnerships professional who has worked with mission-driven, high-impact organizations, scaling global health innovations at PATH and supporting entrepreneurial scientists advancing early stage deep-tech and climate technologies at Activate. He is a founding member of the Bay Area Global Health Alliance (2017-2019). A Bay Area native, John enjoys serving as a CDS admissions volunteer, parent panelist, member of the Advancement Committee, and Annual Fund Leadership Class Captain. He and his wife, Ria Fresnoza, are parents to Elias (’28).
• 

  Laura Sims 

  Bio

  Laura Sims has spent her career in private equity investing, at TPG Capital, as a partner at Sageview Capital, and currently as the Chief Investment Officer of a family office. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and government from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Laura moved to the Bay Area in 2001, and her family joined the CDS community in 2017. At CDS, she has been a member of the Bid & Bash committee, an Annual Fund captain, and a member of the Advancement Committee. Laura and her husband Hunter are parents to two CDS Bulldogs, Rhett (‘28) and Willie (‘30), and one real-life bulldog, Macho.
• 

  Alka Singal 

  Vice Chair

  Bio

  Alka Singal is a Client Portfolio Manager at Dodge & Cox and has spent most of her career in asset management and strategy with a focus on fixed income. She has been involved in different aspects of CDS life, serving on the JEDI committee, the finance committee, and the retirement committee for the school’s 403(b) plan and helping as a classroom liaison and sports team coordinator. She grew up in Michigan and earned a BA in economics from Dartmouth College and MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She is passionate about DEI and mentorship and serves as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters Bay Area. She and her husband Brad are the parents of Neeraj (’28) and Sameera (’30).
• 

  Brad Terrell 

  Bio

  Brad Terrell is a designer in San Francisco, providing architectural services and related consulting to the construction and real estate development community. Brad holds a Master's in Architecture from Virginia Tech and earned his undergraduate degree in Interior Design from Radford University. Brad volunteers his time coaching youth sports and serves on the CDS Facilities Committee. Brad and his wife, Melody Hsu, are parents to Owen ('27) and Reese ('23).
• 

  Susan Haley Varat 

  Bio

  Susan Haley Varat has spent her career working with non-profit agencies providing health care advocacy, working with seniors and those with limited incomes to access health care. She is currently a Senior Policy Analyst for the University of California Health System focused on how University of California hospitals are publicly financed as well as reviewing state legislative health bills and assessing their impact on UC hospitals. Susan received a BA in Psychology and Spanish at Colorado College and a Masters in Public Policy with a focus on Health Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.  At CDS, Susan has served as a member of JEDI for the last year and a half and enjoys volunteering as a room parent, tour guide, and co-leader of the Black/African-American Affinity Group. She is originally from Chicago but has lived in San Francisco for the last 21 years, and in her free time enjoys cooking, eating, and with her husband, Adam, chasing around her energetic children, Isaiah (‘30) and Audrey (‘32).
• 

  Shelly Luke Wille 

  Head of School

  Bio

  Shelly Luke Wille joined CDS as Head of School in 2018. A Bay Area native, she possesses a deep knowledge of and commitment to progressive education. Shelly holds a master's degree in special education and a bachelor's degree in diversified liberal arts (with an emphasis on math and science) from St. Mary’s College, California, as well as credentials in Multiple Subject Teaching and Special Education. Before coming to CDS, Shelly served as the Head of School at Chadwick International in South Korea, a K-12 school with 1,200 students. She was previously the Assistant Head and Elementary School Head at Chadwick before ascending to the Head position. She also served as Assistant Head and Lower School Head at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, California.

  
  Shelly and her husband, Michael, are passionate believers in our child-centered, constructivist approach, so they were thrilled to find a mission-aligned school for their own children. Their two younger sons, Séamus and Braden, attended CDS and their eldest, Kaffie, recently graduated from college.
• 

  Todd Wandell 

  Bio

  Todd Wandell is a 23-year retail executive who is currently serving as the Chief Product Officer of The Citizenry, a home furnishings e-commerce brand that designs and develops artisan-made World Fair Trade-certified home furnishings and furniture. He previously spent 17 years with the Williams Sonoma brands, most recently as Senior Vice President and General Manager at Pottery Barn Teen. Originally from Minneapolis,  Todd attended an independent school with similar values to CDS and later earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Vassar College. Todd and his partner, Jamie Wieferman, are parents to Hunter (’29). Since joining the CDS community, Todd has been a class liaison, a member of the Bid and Bash the Annual Fund committees, and is currently on the Capital Cabinet to help fundraise for the 333 Campus Expansion.
• 

  Cyndi Wong 

  Bio

  Cyndi Wong is an attorney who manages her own firm and represents clients in the healthcare industry throughout the country. She counsels her clients on all matters, including business development, human resource issues, and litigation disputes. Cyndi received a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Information Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School. Cyndi is a dedicated CDS admission volunteer and family farmer, parent to her two children, Orestes (’28) and Daphne (’25), and traveler and foodie with her partner Thanos.
• 

  Tracy Kirkham 

  Bio

  Tracy Kirkham, Counsel Emeritus, was Chair of the Board from 2002 to 2008 and is a lawyer specializing in business litigation, with an emphasis on complex multiparty cases and class actions. She is a partner in the San Francisco firm Cooper & Kirkham, P.C. Her eldest daughter Gillian ('07) started preschool at CDS in 1994 at the age of two. Daughters Sydney and Greer Cooper (both '12) joined their sister at CDS in 2000. Along with her husband, Tracy was instrumental in converting CDS from a privately-owned preschool to a non-profit elementary school. In 2001, she negotiated and documented the purchase of the school site from the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. In her free time, Tracy enjoys photography, skiing, and scuba diving.