Candidate for
Board Member; Kentfield School District; 4 Year Term

The Kentfield School District currently has a very high-functioning governance team with a school board that is truly focused on the best interests of all students at every grade level. The hard work, competence and dedication of the current board enabled the district to weather the financial crisis of the past five years better than almost every other school district in Marin. I have decided to run for re-election for two primary reasons:

1. My education and professional background is in finance. I have an economics degree from Princeton, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and I've worked at Goldman Sachs and the World Bank. My financial expertise was critical to the board as the district navigated the budget crisis of the past several years. During the 2014-15 school year, the district will likely be transitioning from its current "basic aid" funding status (under which the district relies primarily on local property taxes) to the newly enacted local control funding formula for California public school districts. I believe my continuing service on the board would be invaluable to the district during this time.

2. The current board recently hired new district superintendent, Liz Schott, who began in July 2013. Liz is an amazing educator, and our district is lucky to have her. Because Liz is new to our district, the current board is committed to helping her transition into her new leadership role and understand the norms and values of our high-functioning governance team. I am committed to working with Liz and the rest of the board to ensure this leadership transition is a smooth one.