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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Parker's Board of Trustees are responsible for setting Parker's institutional mission, directing strategic planning, assuring the School’s financial stability, and appointing and evaluating the Head of School's performance and compensation.

The Board delegates responsibility for managing day-to-day operations to the Head of School.

Members of the Board of Trustees are volunteers, nominated by the Parker community and elected by the Board. There are eight committees of the Board of Trustees: Audit, Board Governance, Compensation, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging, Executive, Finance, Investment, and Philanthropy.

Board business is conducted in accordance with approved bylaws, last revised in June, 2022.

Meet Parker's Board of Trustees

Diana Strauss Casey
Board Chair
 
 

Diana Casey is Vice President of Danube Properties, Inc., a local real estate corporation. Diana is a real estate attorney who specializes in multi-family development and related transactions. Prior to joining Danube Properties, Diana was a partner at the San Diego office of Latham & Watkins, LLP, a global law firm. Diana received her bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Little Italy Association. Diana has three children: Courtney, Class of 2024; John, Class of 2029; and Hannah, Class of 2029.

Jeannette Aldous, MD
 
 
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Jeannette (“Nette”) Aldous, MD, is a practicing physician and the Clinical Director of Infectious Disease for San Ysidro Health. Her career focus is health equity for historically underserved populations, and she provides direct patient care and clinical leadership for programs in HIV, Infectious Disease, and Gender-Affirming Medicine and Sexual Health. Nette received her B.A. in Biology from Wesleyan University, attended medical school at UCSD, an Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Colorado, and an Infectious Disease Fellowship at UCSD. At Parker, she previously served on the Strategic Initiatives Committee and is currently a member of the Board Governance Committee. She and her husband, John Aldous, MD, MPA, have two children at Parker: Zora, Class of 2028 and Mina, Class of 2025.

Steve Bjorg
 
 
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Steve Bjorg was the Founder and Chief Technical Officer at MindTouch (acquired by NICE CXone in 2021), a San Diego-based enterprise software company that specializes in customer self-service software. He is a seasoned technologist and serial entrepreneur who is passionate about helping others. Prior to founding MindTouch, Steve worked in Advanced Strategies and the Developer Division at Microsoft, focusing on distributed computing.

 
Jing Bourgeois
 
 
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Jing Bourgeois works as a private real estate investor, overseeing commercial and residential projects. After graduating from the Sichuan Music Conservatory in China, she worked in the Public Relations department of the Nuclear Power Institute of China, the largest nuclear power company in China. Jing also taught music at the Normal School in the Si Chuan Province for two years. Since coming to the United States, she’s been involved in the San Diego community. She is a Board Director of the non-profit organization Mainly Mozart and serves on the leadership council for the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra, having chaired the 2018 MMYO Gala. At Parker, she has been a member of the Philanthropy Committee since 2016, co-chaired the 2019 Middle School Day of Giving, and chaired the 40th gala. Jing and her husband, Jim Freeman, have twin children: Mercy, Class of 2024; and York, Class of 2024.

Carin Canale-Theakston
 
 
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Carin Canale-Theakston is a senior life science executive with over 25 years of experience helping companies navigate a myriad of complex business strategies. As a seasoned life science executive, she has had a strategic seat at the table in over 500 life science companies, having helped shape countless strategies – and often business models – over the two plus decades she’s been working in the sector. Carin is the founder and CEO of Evoke Canale, one of the largest life science strategic communication firms in the US. Previously Canale Communications, Carin founded the company in 2010 after serving as president of the life sciences division of international public relations firm Porter Novelli. In addition to running Evoke Canale, Carin is actively involved in public and nonprofit boards. Carin is a director for Cidara Therapeutics; a director for Peel Therapeutics; vice chair of the board of directors for Biocom California and chair of its nominating-governance committee; a member of the executive committee of the board of directors for Connect/San Diego Venture Group; and is the chair of the Horizon’s at Francis Parker board of Trustees. Carin and her wife, Hillary, have two daughters at Parker: Piper, Class of 2028; and Ella, Class of 2031.

Schuyler Coppedge
 
 
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Schuyler Coppedge is a Partner at ECP, an Energy Infrastructure private equity firm where he is involved in all areas of the firm’s investment activities with a particular emphasis on renewable generation and environmental infrastructure. Schuyler serves on the boards of Terra-Gen, LLC; US Development Group, LLC; USD Partners, LP; and Metrus Energy Inc. Prior to joining ECP in 2005, Schuyler spent over six years at JP Morgan in New York and London in the firm’s Energy Investment Banking Division. Schuyler graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Schuyler serves as co-chair of the Board’s Finance and Solar Committees. Schuyler and his wife, Irene, have two children: Phoebe and Luke, Class of 2033.

Estela de Llanos
 
 
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Estela de Llanos serves as Vice President of Energy Procurement and Sustainability at San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), a Sempra utility. In this role, Estela oversees energy supply and is the Chief Environmental Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer. Prior to joining Sempra in 2007, Estela was a Senior Associate in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins LLP. Estela holds a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a second major in international studies from Yale University. Estela currently serves on the board of the California Environmental Voters Education Fund and the Coalition for Clean Air. At Parker, Estela serves as chair of the Board’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee. Estela and her husband, Lars, have three children: Maia ’21; James ’23; and Nora, Class of 2026.

Kristie Diamond
 
 
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Kristie Diamond worked as a legislative correspondent and speechwriter for a United States Senator in Washington, D.C.; for the San Diego County Office of the Public Defender; and for the State of New Mexico Public Defenders Death Penalty Appellate Division. Kristie graduated with a B.A. in History and Political Science and a J.D. from the University of San Diego. At Parker, she has served on the Parker Board of Trustees for three years, serving on the Philanthropy, Development Review, Compensation, and Executive Committees. She has also as Vice Chair, Chair of the Board Governance Committee, and the Secretary of the Board. Kristie also served on the Parent’s Association for four years, including two years as president. Kristie and her husband, Earll Pott, have four Parker children: Henry ’18; Joseph ’21; Charlotte ’23; and Penelope, Class of 2026.

Peggy Duncan
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Peggy Duncan worked for many years as an attorney, specializing in health care law, at the law firm of Foley & Lardner. She subsequently served as a judge pro tem in San Diego County Juvenile Court, handling delinquency matters. Peggy attended the University of New Mexico on a full scholarship, graduating Magna Cum Laude with degrees in Journalism and Spanish. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law. Peggy currently works as co-owner of Terra Desert, LLC, a family-owned real estate investment group. She serves on the National Board of Teen Volunteers In Action (TVIA), after having served six years on the board of TVIA Chapter SD4. Peggy has volunteered in many capacities within the Francis Parker Parents Association, including several terms on the PA Executive Board, recently as PA President. Peggy and her husband John have four Parker children: Connor ’20; and triplets Emma, Tara, and Colin, Class of 2024.

Graeme Gabriel
 
 
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Graeme Gabriel is the Chairman of the Board of ColRich, a residential real estate development and investment company. Graeme joined ColRich in 2001 after relocating to San Diego from Washington, D.C. where he worked in the field of Commercial Real Estate for Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette Company and GE Capital Real Estate. Graeme is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in International Relations. He is currently President of Congregation Beth El and a Board Member of the Jewish Community Foundation, as well as a past Board Member of the Building Industry Association of San Diego. At Parker, Graeme currently serves as a member of the Campaign Steering Committee at Parker and was a volunteer coach on the Parker Squash Team. Graeme and his wife, Dr. Simone Kanter have three children: Naomi, Class of 2024; Julia, Class of 2025; and Aidan, Class of 2028.

Sarah Goth
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Sarah Goth is a retired certified public accountant with a bachelor’s degree from UCLA. She worked as an auditor in public accounting and then as a CFO in private industry. Sarah now spends her time volunteering at the lower school, as a CASA with Voices for Children, and shuttling her kids to and from their various extracurricular activities.

Sarah and her husband, Andrew, have two children at Parker: Sadie, Class of 2030; and Jack, Class of 2033.

Marvin Gunn
 
 
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Marvin Gunn is a Director at Limekiln Real Estate, a nationwide multifamily bridge lender based in New York. With over 20 years of commercial real estate experience, Marvin has held similar roles at Arbor Realty Trust, CalPrivate Bank (formerly San Diego Private Bank), Axos Bank (formerly BOFI Federal Bank), GE Capital Real Estate, and RLJ Lodging Trust (formerly RLJ Development). Marvin graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Penn State University and an MBA from George Washington University. At Parker, Marvin has been on the Board of Trustees for two years and currently serves on the Compensation Committee, the Investment Committee, and is Chair of the Audit Committee. Formerly, he was a member of the Diversity Committee and Co-Chair of the Parent’s Association Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee. Marvin and his wife, Nicole Baham-Gunn, have four children at Parker: Matthew, Class of 2028; Tristan, Class of 2030; Nathan, Class of 2033; and Isabella, Class of 2037.
Robert Howard
 
 
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Robert Howard is a partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins. As a trial lawyer, he has tried cases nationally in federal and state court, representing clients in the oil and gas industry, power industry, and aerospace, defense, and clean tech industries. He earned his law degree and MBA from Duke University. He also holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and in Applied Physics from Tufts University. After serving for 21 years in the United States Marine Corps, he retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Robert and Jacqueline Gaussen-Howard have two children at Parker: Ryder, Class of 2025; and Riley, Class of 2030.
Erik Keskinen
 
 
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Erik Keskinen worked as a financial analyst for SAIC before becoming a small business owner. He attended the University of Arizona, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in History. He now focuses on volunteering. For six years, Erik was an active and founding member of Teen Volunteers in Action’s (TVIA) SD4 Chapter. A proud member of San Diego’s LGBTQ community, Erik has actively participated in “America’s Finest City Softball League” for 22 years. During his 16 years in the Parker community, he has served four years on the Parents Association’s (PA) Executive Board, including as Lower School VP and PA President. He chaired two record-setting galas and co-chaired three record-setting Days of Giving. Erik also enjoyed a one-year term on the Parker Board of Trustees Philanthropy Committee. He and his husband, Bob Keskinen, have a son, Parker ’20, and a daughter, Presley ’22.
Carter Meiselman
 
 
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Carter Meiselman is President of Eastern Federal Corporation, a family investment office based in San Diego and Charlotte, NC. Before founding the family office in 2005, Mr. Meiselman ran EFC’s movie theater company, doubling its cash flow, before selling it to Regal Entertainment Group after 70+ years of continuous operation. Prior to EFC, Mr. Meiselman was an Associate at Quadrangle Group, a private equity fund focused on media and telecom; an Associate in the mergers and acquisitions department at Citigroup; and a Financial Analyst at J.P. Morgan & Co. Inc. Mr. Meiselman has an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in Del Mar, CA with his wife, Dana, and two daughters: Avery, Class of 2025; and Ellis.

John Owens
 
 
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The Honorable John B. Owens serves on the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to becoming a federal judge in 2014, he was a partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (where he focused on white-collar investigations and appellate matters), and a federal prosecutor for more than 11 years in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and San Diego. He served as the Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and received two Director’s Awards for his work there. The television show American Greed featured two of his prosecutions.

Judge Owens graduated first in his class from Stanford Law School in 1996 and served as a law clerk for the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and for the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States.

His wife Marjorie actively volunteers for Parker, and his daughters Jaclyn ’23 and Audrey, Class of 2027, are proud Parker students. He has served as Trustee for the Harker School since 2014.

Jackie Reed
 
 
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Jackie Reed is CEO of TS Restaurants, a family-owned, privately held company with 13 restaurants in Hawaii and California, the most popular brand being Duke’s. Jackie is on the board of directors for Sports San Diego, San Diego’s sports commission; an Executive Board member of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association (HLTA); a mentor for the Fowler Scholars at San Diego State University and a member of Young President’s Association (YPO) where she serves on the board for the Pacific West chapter. Her most cherished board service is for Just Remember Corporation, a non-profit started in honor of her late grandson that provides support for families who have lost young children and resources for youth athletes in underserved communities. Jackie splits her time between California and Hawaii, which allows her the opportunity to regularly connect with her many family members who reside in Hawaii. Proud of her Samoan heritage, she is a former Polynesian dancer and instructor. Jackie and her husband, John, are parents to four sons, including their youngest, Zane, Class of 2025.

Samir Singh '96
 
 
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Samir Singh '96 is an attorney and Principal at Triton Bridge, PC, a San Diego-based technology licensing law firm and Founder and President of MakeYou, Inc., a mobile health software company. He was previously Innovation Officer for ProQuest, LLC a leading global library information services company. Samir graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Claremont McKenna College and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. A Parker lifer, Samir now sits on the Board of Directors of Accel Robotics Corporation and serves on the Francis Parker Audit Committee. He and his wife, Priya, have three children at Parker: Akash, Class of 2026; Arya, Class of 2028; and Aditi, Class of 2032.

Kate Deely Smith
 
 
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Kate Deely Smith spent over a decade working in media and communications, including a stint as a writer and researcher for Parenting magazine. She also served as a Public Affairs Representative for UCSD Health Sciences and School of Medicine. Kate graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Communications. Kate's community involvement includes Rady Children’s Hospital and UCSD Health Sciences Auxiliaries. Active with the Parker Parent’s Association since 2007, she served as PA president from 2015 to 2016 and Lower School PA VP from 2011 to 2013. She has served as a room parent and Upper School grade level rep and has co-chaired the Lower School Halloween Carnival. Currently, Kate serves on the Board Governance Committee. Kate has four children who currently attend, or have attended, Parker: Avalon ’20; Jesse ’22; Eden, Class of 2024; and Cambria, Class of 2027.

Kirsten Solberg ’97
 
 
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Kirsten Solberg is in-house counsel with J.F Shea Co., Inc., one of the nation’s largest and oldest privately owned construction companies. Kirsten holds a law degree from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University. After attending school and working on the east coast, Kirsten returned to San Diego where she began her legal career in the real estate practice of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps. She has served as a committee member and chair of the San Diego Foundation’s Scholarship Committee and a board member for the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. Kirsten is a proud Francis Parker School alumna from the Class of 1997, having started at the Lower School in Grade 5.

Meghan Spieker
 
 
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Meghan Spieker represented public companies and business leaders for over 15 years in private practice as a litigator at the law firms of Cooley LLP and Shearman & Sterling. Meghan received her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and her law degree with honors from Georgetown University. She formerly chaired and currently serves on the board of Free to Thrive, which provides direct legal services to survivors of human trafficking. She also serves on the board of the California Wildlife Officers Foundation. Previously, she co-chaired the San Diego Lawyers Club Human Trafficking Task Force, an organization committed to combating domestic trafficking, particularly of minors. At Parker, Meghan chairs the Board Governance Committee. Meghan and her husband, Warren, have four sons: Wes; Quinn ’23; Liam, Class of 2025; and Rogan, Class of 2027.

Voltaire Sterling
 
 
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Voltaire Sterling is a Director of Communications and Strategy at EBONY Media. A gifted storyteller, Voltaire has also worked professionally as an actor, attorney, writer, political strategist, PR consultant, and non-profit executive. He worked at Overbrook Entertainment for Jada Pinkett Smith’s Creative & Producing Partner and was cast by Denzel Washington to play a role in “The Great Debaters”. Voltaire formerly served as the Chairman of the Board of Hill Harper’s Manifest Your Destiny Foundation and as the Strategic Advisor to the President of a nationally renowned San Diego-based non-profit for underserved youth called Reality Changers. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Morehouse College and was the first black Head Class Marshal and Commencement Speaker at Harvard Law School. He is a proud Parker Dad and enjoys spending time with his wife, Meagan, and children Jude, Class of 2030, and Felicity-Rose, Class of 2036.

Kevin Yaley, PhD
 
 
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Kevin Yaley was named Head of Francis Parker School in 2010. He is the 12th person to fill the position since the school’s founding in 1912 and is now leading Parker into its second century with great energy and vision. Prior to stepping into the top leadership role, Kevin enjoyed 13 years of teaching history, ethics, and philosophy, first at the University of San Diego High School and later at Parker. He also coached cross country, track and field, and soccer during that time. Kevin served as Parker’s Director of Admissions for a year before serving as Associate Head of School for five years. He earned a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree from San Diego State University. Kevin is the parent of three Parker graduates—Solia ’13, Indiana ’16, and Ansel ’17.

Francis Parker School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 from across San Diego County. Parker's mission is to inspire a diverse community of independent thinkers whose academic excellence, global perspective and strength of character prepare them to make a meaningful difference in the world.

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Non-Discrimination Statement

Francis Parker School values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds. All employment decisions are made without regard to unlawful considerations of race, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, creed, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.  

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