Click name to see biography.

Lawrence Cane is a Senior Vice President and Certified Investment Management Analyst for high net worth investors, foundations and endowments at UBS. He received his undergraduate degree from UCLA after attending The Branson School, an independent high school located north of San Francisco in Marin County. Lawrence enjoys coaching his daughter's soccer team and is involved in a local charity called "Here for Good" which donates to families in need on a monthly basis. He is a native Californian and has resided in Manhattan Beach since 1985.

Originally from Vancouver, Canada - Margot Farris had focused her career on the hospitality and tourism industry working in sales and management for hotels in Canada and LosAngeles as well as owning and operating Conference Consultants - an independent meeting planning firm until 2003. She is extremely interested in education as the foundation of her family’s philanthropic efforts and volunteers in her sons’ school on a regular basis.

Margot graduated from BCIT in 1986 in the Hospitality and Tourism field and is currently attending TPW West - a philanthropy workshop affiliated with The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Margot enjoys athletic activities, photography, travel, art, wine, reading and spending time with her family.

Originally from Guadalajara Mexico, Heriberto Gomez came to the United States at the age of twelve. He has been living in the South Bay since his family settled here in 1977. He attended a local college where he completed courses in Business. In 1989, he obtained his real estate license and has been actively engaged in the real estate profession ever since.

Heriberto has had the pleasure of being heavily involved in various school and sports organizations with all three of his children. While participating in his children’s’ extracurricular activities, he has also kept a watchful eye on their scholastic involvement as he feels this is the key in their future and life long success.

David Hoag is a Financial Analyst/Portfolio Manager for Capital Research Company. Prior to that, he was a Financial Analyst for Van Kampen Merritt Investment Advisory, Oakbrook, IL. He received his BA in Economics from Wheaton College and his MBA from University of Chicago. David is a Trustee at Judson College, Elgin IL.

David attended Monticello High School in Minnesota. He enjoys spending time with his family, hockey, wine, cooking and gardening. David has lived in Manhattan Beach since 1993.

Dan Jansen is a Vice President and Director at the Boston Consulting Group, a global strategy firm. At BCG, Dan is the global leader of the media and entertainment practice contemplating issues and actions in the media space. Prior to BCG, Dan worked at Arthur Young & Company helping privately held start-ups achieve operating improvements. He is the Co-Founder of a federally chartered credit union and spent several years working on the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Dan graduated from UCLA with honors in Economics in 1985; subsequent to that, he earned his MBA in Marketing and Finance at The Wharton School in 1991. Dan grew up initially in Wisconsin, moved to Los Angeles, lived and worked on the east coast and in Australia, before returning to California. Outside activities include positions on the non-profit boards of the LA Sports Council and the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games; for-profit board positions include the direct recruiter AfterCollege and advertising service provider Breadcrumbs. He enjoys skiing, surfing, golf, tennis and traveling. The Jansen family has lived in the South Bay since 1993.

Mr. Katerndahl is a Managing Director of Nuveen Investments. He manages the Institutional Services Group dedicated to Broker Dealer Consultants and Private Banks both domestically and Internationally for Nuveen and all of its affiliates. Prior to transitioning into his role in Institutional Services he was a Managing Director of NWQ that was subsequently sold to Nuveen in 2002. Prior to joining NWQ Mr. Katerndahl was the Senior Managing Director of Webster Investment Management and the Executive Vice President of the Forward Funds reporting to Gordon Getty in San Francisco. Mr. Katerndahl has previous experience with Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, Prudential and Merrill Lynch and is a Graduate of the University of the Pacific. He is a committee member of the Investment Management Consultant Association and is on the advisory board of the Money Management Institute.

Carl is involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors mostly surrounding education and cancer research. Carl and his wife Sheila moved to Manhattan Beach 4 years ago with their four children from Tiburon California.

Since 1984, Gregg Kirkpatrick has worked for CB Richard Ellis, one of the world's largest, commercial real estate firms. As team captain of the South Bay Corporate Services group, Gregg represents many nationwide tenants and enjoys strong relationships with other brokers, developers, and clients around the world. In addition, he has been involved on the investment and development side of many types of real estate from single-family homes, shopping centers, mini-storage and mobile home parks.

Gregg received a BS at USC in Business Administration with an emphasis on real estate and investments. Gregg is a long time supporter of the YMCA and is very active with Y Guides. He also enjoys coaching children's athletic teams. Gregg is a South Bay native and has lived in Manhattan Beach with his wife since 1984.

Lynne Lear spent 14 years in advertising sales and sales management at News Corporation and Valassis Corporation, and was Disney's Southwest Internet Sales Director for GO.com. Subsequently, she became Chairman of Fundraising for Sand Tots Pre-School, where she also served on the Board. She is currently active in her children's elementary school as a Young-at-Art Docent volunteer as she pursues a career in residential Real Estate. Lynne graduated from The Kimberton Waldorf School in Pennsylvania (the second oldest Waldorf School in North America), before earning her AB at Dartmouth College in 1986.

Lynne interviews prospective students for Dartmouth, as a member of their Alumnae Association. She enjoys a local tennis league, book club, photography, and family art projects. Lynne is an east coast native, but has lived in Los Angeles since 1989, and in Manhattan Beach since 1998.

Romayne Levee is a career marketing and advertising professional, currently serving as Vice President of Marketing for the US consumer segments of Aon, the world’s largest insurance brokerage. Before taking this position, Romayne founded Nice Move, an executive search consultancy specializing in the fields of marketing and advertising. Romayne previously was Partner, Account Director at Chiat/Day Advertising where she managed the career of the infamous Energizer Bunny, and before that, Account Supervisor at BBDO Advertising where she directed the launch of Apple Computer’s first lap-top computer. She attended UCLA earning her BA in Political Science in 1986, after graduating from the University School, an independent K-12 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Romayne lived abroad on a sailboat as a youth visiting 12 countries in six years. When not sailing, she and her brother attended British Embassy Schools.

Romayne has served on the Board of Directors for AYSO, is the Founder of a local charitable group and actively volunteers at her children's schools. She is a black-belt in Tae Kwon Do, enjoys volleyball, music, writing, photography and family. She is a native Northern Californian and has been living in Manhattan Beach with her husband since 1989.

Rob Lovelace is a portfolio counselor for three mutual funds at the American Funds, a subsidiary of The Capital Group of Companies. He is Chairman and Principal Executive Officer of Capital Research Company, another affiliated company. Rob joined Capital in 1985 after receiving a bachelor's degree in mineral economics from Princeton University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

After being a student and a teaching intern at Laguna Blanca School, an independent K-12 in Santa Barbara, he returned to become a Trustee from 1986-90. In 1995, Rob joined the Board of Visitors of the Claremont Graduate School of Educational Studies, where he is now Vice Chairman. Claremont is recognized for its teacher training and education leadership programs. In 2000 Rob also became a Trustee of Claremont Graduate University. He is a Director of ValueSchools, an organization that has recently started one of three planned charter schools for "at risk" students in urban Los Angeles. He and his family have lived in Hermosa and Manhattan Beach since 1986.

Rosette Manio is a practicing Pediatrician at Talbert Medical Group in Long Beach. She held the position of Head of the Pediatrics Department at her medical group before having children of her own.

Rosette attended an all-girls catholic high school in a suburb of Chicago, before receiving her BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. From there she went on to earn her M.D. from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

An active fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics, Rosette also volunteers at both of her son's schools. She and her husband have lived in the Los Angeles area since 1996, and in addition to spending time with family and friends, she enjoys running, scuba diving and hiking

Sonia Mercado, was raised in Long Island, New York, and came to California for graduate school at U.C.L.A., staying and raising her family in Ladera Heights. She is an attorney specializing in the area of Civil Rights. Her frequent lectures in this area have taken her to lecture abroad on issue of enforcing constitutional rights as a fundamental pillar of social and economic justice. This experience demonstrates the need for our youth to learn about principles of justice and economic growth at home and with our international neighbors.

Sonia remains active in the community and has received an award from the State Bar of California Board of Governors for her contributions to pro bono work, she has been active with the State Bar Litigation Section Board of Directors, has volunteered on the Inglewood School District Bond Oversight Committee, is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, and is on the advisory board of “Learning Rights Project” of the Western Center of Law and Poverty at Loyola Law School, which assist indigent children obtain indicated educational assistance. Through these educational projects for at risk youth, she hopes to enhance their rights to a better quality education and life.

Brenda A. Parker, has over thirty years of experience as an educator. She recently retired from Westside Neighborhood School, a private independent school, in Los Angeles, CA where she served for thirteen years as Head of School. Prior to that, she was a Director of the elementary division K-6^th grade at Chadwick School, a private independent school located in Palos Verdes, CA. During her teaching and administrative career, Brenda has held various teaching and administrative positions in both public and private schools.

Brenda received her bachelor’s degree, with distinction, in education from the University of Michigan, and after moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania received her Master’s in Fine Arts from Carnegie-Mellon University.

Recognized as a leader in the field of education, Brenda is viewed as a visionary, an effective leader and a child advocate. She has held a number of significant posts in professional associations. She has served as a Board of Trustees member for Peninsula Heritage Elementary School, a Board of Director for the LINKS Incorporated, a community service organization, a member of the Los Angeles International Visitors Council, and a member of the Community Association for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Multicultural Division.

Additionally, working in partnership with her husband, Dr. Warrington Parker, she has experience in consulting in educational institutions such as the Detroit Public Schools, the International Conference on Curriculum for the 21^st Century in the United States and in Europe. Her concentration in consulting is on staff development, strategic planning, developing strategies to assist teachers, administrators and parents in articulating student learning outcomes required for the 21^th century, designing child-centered developmentally appropriate teaching methodology, and planning and implementing effective parenting workshops.

Brenda and her husband own The Warrington Group, a consultant firm which specializes in consulting with private industry, schools and educational systems.

Jon Ralph is a General Partner at Freeman Spogli & Co., a private equity investment firm based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining FS&Co. in 1989, Jon spent three years as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York and Los Angeles. Jon graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Amherst College in 1986.

Originally from Amherst, Massachusetts, Jon moved to the Los Angeles-area in 1988. Currently, he lives in Manhattan Beach with his wife and two children. In addition to spending time with his family and friends, Jon enjoys travel, books, movies, basketball and beach volleyball.

Beverly Shane recently retired from the computer industry after 20 years of Marketing and Major Account Management for Compaq and Dell Computers. As a long time resident of the Washington D.C. area, much of her sales and marketing activity was focused on Government agencies, including The Department of Justice, World Bank, and the Veteran’s Administration. Beverly is a native of Arlington, Virginia where she received a BS in Business Administration/Marketing from George Mason University.

In addition to spending quality time with her family, Beverly is very active in her church community as well as volunteering time at her children’s school. She, husband John, and their sons, Ryan and Ian, made the move to Manhattan Beach in 2000 to be closer to family. In her spare time, Bev enjoys theater and movies, chasing her sons down the ski hills of Mammoth, and traveling with family.

Richard Simon is a partner in the Los Angeles office of McDermott, Will & Emery, an international law firm with over 1,100 lawyers. He has Practiced as a trial lawyer in Los Angeles since 1970, representing a wide range of business and governmental clients, and is a nationally-recognized expert in the field of airport law.

In addition to his practice, Richard has served or is serving as a member of his firm's management committee, executive committee and new business committee, as head of the Southern California trial department and as president of the McDermott, Will & Emery Charitable Foundation. Richard has also served on, and as Chair of, the Board of Trustees of Westchester Neighborhood School. Richard graduated from Claremont Men's College in 1966 and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1969.

Richard resides in Playa Del Rey with his two children, Lara and Evan. An avid spectator of his children's unending sports activities, Richard also tries to ski as often as time permits, but Richard admits to being otherwise slothful in his spare time.

Cindy Smet has held various positions in commercial and investment banking. She started her career in corporate lending with the Citizens and Southern National Bank in Georgia. Cindy then earned an MBA from UCLA and worked for Citicorp's Investment Bank in fixed income institutional sales. After three years of sales, she transferred to PaineWebber where she worked in corporate finance.

Cindy graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Economics, after attending The Madeira School, an independent, all-girls boarding and day high school in Virginia.

Cindy currently serves on the boards of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles and has served on the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation. Additionally, she is the Treasurer for the Hermosa Valley View Parent Teacher Organization. Cindy's interests include volunteering at church and at her children's schools as a Young-at-Art Docent and Scrip Chairman. She enjoys travel, history and her family's recreational activities. Cindy and her husband have lived in Los Angeles since 1982 and in the South Bay since 1989.

Bob Werle is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Capital Advisors, LLC where he leads FTI's investment banking efforts in the western U.S. Bob has spent 20 years in the investment banking field, previously holding positions at Jefferies & Company, Inc., Robertson Stephens & Co., PaineWebber, Inc., and Drexel Burnham Lambert. He provides capital raising and advisory services to a variety of businesses, including many in the area of education and training. Prior to entering the investment banking field, Bob held positions at Wells Fargo Bank in the corporate banking and workout areas, and at Exxon as a reservoir engineer. He earned a BA in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, where he pursued both engineering and pre-medical studies. He later received an MBA from UCLA.

Bob and his wife reside in Manhattan Beach. They enjoy the arts, theatre, music and travel. Bob participates in many sports, is an avid cyclist and likes to surf. The family supports a number of organizations assisting underprivileged families, as well as The Concern Foundation, aiding cancer research, and The UCLA Center For Cerebral Palsy. He is co-chair of the board of EverybodyWins! Los Angeles, a national children's literacy mentoring organization. Bob is a California native and has lived in Manhattan Beach since 1988.