Board of Directors

Peninsula School is a 501c3 nonprofit entity governed by a Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors oversees the Head of School and assures that the long-term strategic interests for the school are being served. You can read more about this partnership and vision for Peninsula School in the 2019 Strategic Plan, Honoring our Past, Building our Future.

A full board includes five appointed members, two members elected by staff, and ten members elected by the school community for a total of seventeen dedicated individuals with three alternates. Elections are held yearly, with terms lasting one to four years.

The Board has adopted committee charters and governance guidelines that, in conjunction with Peninsula’s bylaws, form the governance framework. The governance structure is designed to foster principled actions and effective, collaborative decision making.

Interested in the long term health and well being of our beloved Peninsula School? Have ideas on how to maintain our mission and core values while also evolving with our changing world? Peninsula School Board of Trustees is looking for community members to join our ranks! If you, or someone you know, would be a good fit for the Board, please contact the Committee on Trustees at cot@peninsulaschool.org

Alethea Van Hiller, Board President, is a member of the Executive Committee, Support & Evaluation Committee, and co-chaired the 2023 Head of School Search Committee. During her time on the board, she has also served as Finance Committee Chair and Treasurer.  Alethea is a Bay Area native, and along with her husband Jesse, has been a part of the Peninsula community since her son started in Nursery Green in 2016. She received a degree in Ancient History from San Jose State University and an MBA from Santa Clara University. She has spent the last 25 years working in various finance and accounting positions at high tech companies, big and small.

Sana Mujahid, Vice President, is a member of the Executive Committee, and Chair of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Committee. Sana joined the vibrant Peninsula community in 2021. She and her husband immediately fell in love with the school’s educational philosophy and beautiful environment when choosing a school for their child. Sana was born in Pakistan and raised in the United Arab Emirates. She holds a BS in Biology from Christian Brothers Biology in Memphis and a PhD in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from Tufts School of Medicine. Subsequently, she moved to the Bay Area to pursue her postdoc at Stanford University. She has previously served on the board of Association of Women in Science – Massachusetts Chapter and actively participates in Women in Bio – SF Chapter. In her spare time, she likes to exercise and plan adventures with the family.

Nina Greenblatt, Secretary serves on the Executive Committee and Strategic Planning Committee, having previously been a member of the Committee on Trustees (CoT) and the 2023 Head of School Search Committee. Nina has extensive experience working with non-profits and consultancies in both professional and volunteer capacities, conducting community outreach, identifying opportunities to increase operational efficiencies, and overseeing learning and development initiatives to empower employee growth and to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities to enhance organizational performance. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech. As a Peninsula parent, Nina's contributions include co-chairing the Spring Fair in 2022 and 2023, serving on PoP as New Family Coordinator and as a Class Rep.

François Labonté, Treasurer, sits on the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee. François is a parent of a recent alumni and two children still going through Peninsula school. A native of Québec, he came to the Bay Area for his PhD in Electrical Engineering at Stanford where he met his wife, an educator, who introduced him to the benefits of progressive education. His wife, Jesse has been the 7th grade teacher at Peninsula since 2019. During the workdays he works on making networking gear that powers the internet. He has been a parent volunteer in the school investment working group since 2017.

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Buddy James is a life-long educator and believes passionately in the mission of Peninsula School and the power of a child-centered, diverse, and inclusive learning community. He holds a bachelor of music education degree, a master of fine arts, and a doctorate in choral music and has taught students at all levels, from kindergarten through graduate, in both public and private institutions. Buddy has served on many local and national boards, including a recent term on the school board of the Oakland School for the Arts, and is currently the Chair of the Department of Music at Cal State East Bay (formerly CSU Hayward) and conductor of the Schola Cantorum Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area Chamber Choir.

Casey Kellogg chairs the Development Committee and joined the board in 2023. A current Peninsula parent, her two children return home each day dirty and happy. Casey and her husband, Walker, were drawn to Peninsula for its child-centered pace and community values. Casey works in philanthropy, stewarding charitable gifts, facilitating global grantmaking, and managing high-performing teams. She grew up in San Francisco and made her way to East Palo Alto in 2013. Casey has an undergraduate degree in Creative Arts and a masters degree in Justice Studies, both from San Jose State University. 

David Quinn serves on the Finance Committee and works as a facilities and operations professional in the biotech industry. David is a twenty-year board member, serving the school community as an involved and active participant in a number of committees including the Finance Committee, Building & Grounds Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, and the Executive Committee. Since 2018 David has served as the board-elected trustee of the Peninsula School Endowment & Trust Fund.  David’s two children, Caroline and Cole, are Peninsula alumni.

Davion Fleming was appointed to the board in 2020 and serves on the Support and Evaluation Committee and the DEIB Committee, and previously co-chaired the Head of School Search Committee. Davion has first-hand experience in the power of education and how it can change lives. A first-generation college graduate, Davion began his work in education at Northwestern University in admissions for 4 years. Davion has worked in progressive education for 6 years and currently serves as the Director of Admissions at Lick-Wilmerding High School. Davion believes a successful education should serve as a catalyst to change a student’s life and change how they engage in the world around them. Peninsula School’s progressive approach aligns well with this sentiment as Davion aspires change within himself but also for all students. Davion holds a degree in Philosophy and Religion as well as an advanced degree in Integrated Marketing Communication from Northwestern University, where he also played DIV-I football. Davion and his wife, Chynna, consider themselves amateur foodies and are ice cream enthusiasts who frequent Salt & Straw. When he is not gushing about his wife, Davion is gushing about his four-legged companion, Sophie. Davion is excited to be on Peninsula School’s board to help trail-blaze pathways to incite change and growth within the community.

Erik Beans is a dedicated member of the Committee on Trustees (CoT) and a proud parent to two Peninsula students.  He and his wife sought out Peninsula School because of its progressive and independent education philosophy with an open play environment.  Erik's educational background includes a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and an M.B.A. from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.  For over 23 years, Erik has excelled in the tech industry, serving as an engineering leader, most recently at Google. He has previous Board of Directors experience for the Italian American Heritage Foundation of San Jose and is interested in finance, software, real estate investing, and entrepreneurship. During his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family, watching movies, and gaming.

Izumi Ueno joined the Board in 2024 and serves on the Committee on Trustees (COT).  Originally from Japan, she graduated from Sophia University in Tokyo. She has gained extensive experience working in legal departments across Japanese, French, and American investment banks. She also dedicated several years to working as a fundraising officer for UNICEF. Izumi has been with the Peninsula Community since 2007 when her first kid started Nursery, and was a parent at the school until June 2023 when her youngest graduated. Izumi currently works as Office Manager at the school.

Jason Pressman was appointed to the board in 2023, and re-appointed for a 3-year term in 2024. He currently serves as the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and recently served on the Committee on Trustees (CoT). He is married to Jessica and their son Jack is currently in Kai's class. This is their fourth year at Peninsula and the entire family loves the ethos of the school and is especially fond of the children-driven dynamics and deep commitment to progressive education. Jason attended a progressive school, The Park School in Brooklandville, MD, for middle and high schools and holds a strong belief that this type of education sets children up to have wonderful lives as adults and to be good stewards of the world. Jason earned his M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business and his B.S. in Finance from the University of Maryland, and is currently a managing director at Shasta Ventures and AZ-VC. In his free time, Jason is an avid scuba diver and a passionate supporter of ocean and shark conservation. 

Justin McCarthy has been a member of the Peninsula Community since his son Kehau first rolled in the sand and mud of Nursery Green in 2011. Joining the board in 2023, Justin currently serves on the Strategic Planning Committee. Originally from Massachusetts, Justin attended Touchstone Community School, a progressive school founded by a passionate group of parents and educators who sought to create a learning experience that favored woodcrafts over worksheets. Professionally, Justin has always been a builder of products, teams, and businesses, most recently as the co-founder and CTO of StrongDM, creators of enterprise security software.

Kathy Koo was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2023 and serves on the Support & Evaluation Committee. She is a proud parent of five Peninsula School alums, and has supported the school in a myriad of ways including as Interim Head of School (2012-2014), Business Director (2005-2012), Parent Board Member, Staff Representative to the Board, and on several committees including the Personnel Committee, Executive Committee of the Board, Facilities, Strategic Planning, and Development.
Kathy is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at MedicAlert Foundation, and for the last 20 years has held leadership positions as CEO and/or CFO at both for profit and nonprofit organizations. She recently served as the Executive Director of Challenge Success, a nonprofit focused on research-based strategies supporting student well-being and academic engagement. Kathy holds a BA from University of California, San Diego, an MBA and Public Management Certificate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a CPA from the California State Board of Accountancy.

Keith Weng sits on the Finance Committee after serving on the Development Committee during his first year on the Board. Keith is a veteran of startups and corporate innovation, and grew up in British schools in Hong Kong with kids from 40 nations, and public schools outside Dayton, OH. He holds a B.S.E. in Computer Science from Princeton University. He co-founded two startups with exits, and has also survived startup failures and acquisitions, which fruitfully led to corporate innovation at Palm, LG and Silicon Valley Bank. Today he consults with startups and corporations, both directly and through venture studios.  He has worked as a professional photographer and sits on the board of his wife Philein's non-profit Ziru in the dance/arts world. Keith has volunteered previously with the Community Party and coordinating the Spring Fair Book Booth, and is grateful his son loves coming to school every day.

Lydia James "Jamie" Meraz is a Bay Area native and Peninsula School alumna (Class of ‘98). She currently serves on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee and cares profoundly about Peninsula School, taking seriously the role of stewardship and bringing Peninsula forward into the next 100 years and beyond. She earned a BA from UCSC in American Studies with a minor in Education and Teaching and an MA from California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Somatics. She has been working at Peninsula School as an Assistant Teacher in the Upper School since 2020 and her eldest daughter is a current Upper School student. Before coming back to the Peninsula she lived in Mexico for 10+ years, the last 7 of which were spent teaching English and volunteering with migrants and deported folks on the US/Mexico border. Since returning to the Bay Area, Jamie has volunteered at the Sequoia adult school in ESL classes, taken continuing education classes at the UCSC extension and welcomed a second child into her family in 2022. Jamie enjoys teaching sewing during Summer at Peninsula and spends time reading, crafting and traveling whenever she gets the chance. 

Maya Perkins has been a part of the Peninsula school community since starting Maida’s class (kindergarten), many years ago. She’s happy to see her child thriving in the same progressive educational environment she enjoyed as a child. Maya has professional background is in public policy, communications, and stakeholder engagement with an expertise in fostering understanding among diverse groups of people. Through her career, Maya’s worked in tech, nonprofits, and government. She is most fulfilled when addressing complex challenges, regardless of the sector. Maya, a native of both East Palo Alto and Palo Alto, holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and a JD from Santa Clara University School of Law. She currently sits on the Committee on Trustees.