The Conejo Schools Foundation Board is comprised of volunteers from our community including parents, teachers, PTA & PFA presidents, business & civic leaders and school administrators.

Their biographical information is below:
 

MIKE SOULES  -  President

Mike Soules is the General Manager of Teachscape Higher Education.  Teachscape is a for-profit, private educational Professional Services company that measures success the way schools do, through improved professional learning, increased capacity of instructional leaders, effectiveness of practice, and ultimately in student achievement.  Having served in senior executive positions at Laureate Online Education and the Channel One Network, Mike has focused his career on marrying innovative technology with practical applications for educators nationwide.  He received B.A.’s in History and Political Science from UCLA, is a life member of the UCLA Alumni Association, serves on the CVUSD District Advisory Council, member of the Lang Ranch School Site Council, served on the USC Rossier School of Education Board of Councilors, is active at St. Maximillian Kolbe and the Conjeo Valley YMCA Indian Guides.  Mike and his wife, Michelle, have three sons in the CVUSD.
 

Dr. Sheila Carlson, principal at Aspen Elementary School, earned her doctorate at UCLA in administration, curriculum, and teaching studies. A published author in research-based journals and texts, she has served as a national consultant in the areas of research, curriculum writing, grants, standards, assessments, and program development for many agencies, including the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the American College Testing Program. She has created programs for the national dissemination of research-based curricula and conducted staff development with the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to her current CVUSD post, Dr. Carlson was director of staff development and grants and is credited with being the primary grant writer for the Conejo Valley Neighborhood for Learning program to the district. She and her husband, Brent, are the parents of two sons, both graduates of Thousand Oaks High School.
 

LAURIE LAM -  Secretary
 

Neil Jurgens currently is Vice President, Design and Delivery for The Walt Disney Co.  Formerly a Vice President of Real Estate for The Macerich Company, Neil was responsible for redevelopment projects performed throughout the country.   He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University Of Delaware and has over 17 years of experience in construction and development.  Neil also serves on the Property Committee for Ascension Lutheran Church and has coached youth lacrosse for the Conejo Valley Lacrosse League.  Neil has been a resident of the Conejo Valley since 1997 and has two children currently enrolled in the Conejo Valley Unified School District.  His business sense and passion for education has led him to serve on the Foundation Board. 
 

After earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing, Dianne Badoud McKay joined her father, the late Gary Badoud, in the satellite television industry. They founded Strategic Television in 1986 as a small, high-end consulting company.  After successfully turning the company into an internationally recognized team of experts in broadcasting events around the globe, Dianne sold the company in 2004.  Dianne has been very involved in local PTA leadership, with school site councils, on the Bond District Advisory Committee, past chair of the District Advisory Council, and on the advisory board of the College of Business at CSU Chico, her alma mater. She is the 2005 recipient of the Gold Award, Outstanding Citizen from the California Teachers Association and the Ed Masry Integrity in Community Service Award, and is serving a four-year term on the Thousand Oaks Traffic and Transportation Commission.  Dianne herself is a graduate of the CVUSD.  Her four children carry on this tradition: one is a graduate of UC Davis, one is a student at UCLA, and her two younger children are currently enrolled in the district.

A prominent tax attorney in the Conejo Valley, Pamela Garvin has been practicing law for more than a quarter century.   She started her own Westlake Village-based firm more than 20 years ago and is a specialist in pension benefits (ERISA), business, corporate, and partnership law, as well as estate planning.  Pam is a popular speaker and presenter for many professional organizations.   She received her bachelor’s degree from USC, her law degree from Southwestern University School of Law, and her master’s in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.   Balancing career and family, Pam is an active and involved parent within the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

Jacqui V. Irwin, Mayor of Thousand Oaks, earned her Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering with a Minor, in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.  She was Academic All-American in swimming, water polo, and crew.  During her career, Jacqui worked as a Systems Engineer for Applied Physics Lab and Teledyne Systems.  She was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2003, and elected to the Thousand Oaks City Council in 2004.  She served on several City Council Committees including the Crime Prevention Task Force, Lynn/Olsen Road Traffic and Pedestrian Committee, California State University, Channel Islands Dean’s Leadership Advisory Committee, Conejo Coalition for Youth and Family Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Ventura Council of Governments.

Jacqui Irwin has played an integral part in community activities by serving as President of the Thousand Oaks Titans Football Association, Vice President of Membership of the Thousand Oaks High School and Redwood Middle School Fundraising, Chair of the American Diabetes Association Bike Ride. Jacqui has worked tirelessly with the Conejo Schools Foundation, PTAs and Site Councils for Madrona Elementary and Redwood Middle Schools, and the Conejo Council PTA.  Jacqui and her husband, Jon Irwin, have three children.
 

David Kreinces is the founder and portfolio manager for ETF Portfolio Management, a client-centric investment advisory firm. His diverse investment background includes retail portfolio management with Merrill Lynch in Westlake Village, institutional fixed income research for Bear Stearns in Manhattan and commercial real estate consulting with CB Commercial in Atlanta. David received his bachelor’s degree from Emory University in accounting and his master’s degree from Georgia State University in real estate finance. David and his wife, Elesia, moved to California from New York in 1999 and they are the parents of two young children in the the Conejo Valley Unified School District.
 

A CPA who owned and ran her own accounting business after leaving public accounting, Liz McLaughlin brings professional skills and a strong commitment to local schools to her foundation board assignment.  Liz, husband Keith, and their three sons moved to the Conejo Valley in the late 1990s and became involved in school and community activities.  Liz was the PTA treasurer and an art docent at Madroña School, a library volunteer at Redwood Middle School, and was on the “Every 15 Minutes Committee at Thousand Oaks School, which organizes a massive two-day reality drama for juniors and seniors on the consequences of drinking and driving.    She served a two-year term on the board of her neighborhood homeowner’s association.
 

Cheryl is the executive director of Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County.  Prior to her work at the county, she was an organization and employee development executive in entertainment, food manufacturing, and managed healthcare businesses.  She also held administrative and teaching positions in California public education at the school, district, and county levels.  Cheryl served on the Board of Regents of the University of California and in leadership positions for the All-UC Alumni Association and the UC Irvine Foundation.  Currently, she is a member of the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County.  She received a B.A. in Spanish, an M.S. in Education, and a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship in Education.  Residents of Thousand Oaks since 1999, Cheryl and her husband, Steve, are the parents of two sons.  Both are graduates of Thousand Oaks High school.  Her younger son currently attends UC Irvine.
 

Patti Yomantas, senior advancement writer at Pepperdine University, has been a volunteer leader in Conejo Valley schools since 1990.  She is past president of the Weathersfield School, Thousand Oaks High School, and Conejo Council PTAs, and currently serves as vice president, programs for both Conejo Council and 12^th District PTA.  She co-chaired the 1997-98 school bond campaigns and was a founding member of the Bond-DAC executive board.  Patti’s entire professional career has been in educational advancement.  She was director of public information at Pepperdine University from 1979-85, director of foundation communications from 1985-90, and now is the principal fund-raising writer for Pepperdine’s advancement division.  A journalism graduate of CSU Long Beach, Patti resides in Thousand Oaks with her husband, Gary, and high school senior son, Eric.  Daughter Megan, a TOHS honors graduate, is a Pepperdine senior. 

Mario Contini began serving as the superintendent of the Conejo Valley Unified School District in July 2006 after nearly thirty-five years in private and public education.  He and his family have been residents of Thousand Oaks since 1977 and all of his three children attended and graduated from CVUSD.  His wife of 30 years, Patty, is the Director of Health and Early Childhood Development for the Ventura County Office of Education. Prior to moving to California, Mario served as a teacher, school principal, and a county government efficiency analyst in Michigan.  After moving to California, he served as a teacher, principal assistant superintendent, and for eleven years as superintendent of the Fillmore Unified School District.  He earned his B.A. in Mathematics and his M.A. in Economics from the University of Detroit and a second Masters in Urban Planning from Wayne State University in Michigan.

Individuals may become a part of the Advisory Committee at any time by committing to a gift of $5,000. Tax-deductible gifts may be made in one of four ways:

• Donate a lump sum of $5,000
• Pledge $2,500 a year over the next two years
• Donate stock with a market value of $5,000

As an Advisory Committee member, you will be recognized publicly (with your permission), and invited to the fun and interesting programs planned for Advisory Committee members throughout the year. You will have opportunities to meet other community leaders who are committed to Conejo Valley's standards for a world class education.

Specifically, Advisory Committee, receive many forms of public recognition for their leadership and commitment to Conejo's public schools.
 

Twice the mayor of Thousand Oaks and a councilwoman from 1990 to 1998, Judy Lazar has embraced many Conejo civic organizations with service and leadership since settling here in 1971 with her husband, Roger. An economics/political science graduate of Albertus Magnus College, Judy is a past chair of the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission, past president of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA, and a board member for the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club. She was executive director of Conejo Valley Senior Concerns from 1983 to 1989 and is a board member of the Conejo Future Foundation.  While their three sons were growing up, Judy served on the CVUSD District Advisory Council and chaired the Thousand Oaks High School site council.  Today she owns Community Consulting Services, providing land use and non-profit expertise.
 

Jamey Power is Senior Vice President and Strategic Advisor at J.D. Power and Associates.   As the son of J. David Power III, founder of J.D. Power and Associates, Jamey literally grew up with the business. He, like the other Power children, worked at the company in a variety of jobs throughout their early school years and into college. For a period of time, he served as Chairman of J.D. Power Asia Pacific.  In the mid 1990s, Mr. Power directed the J.D. Power and Associates regional office in Troy, MI.  He also managed the Canadian operations and established the first office in Toronto in 1996.   Mr. Power launched his career at the advertising agency Foote, Cone and Belding.  He fulfilled a dream to work directly for an automobile company when he joined the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Corporation as Geo marketing development manager for the region covering Southern California, Arizona, southern Nevada and New Mexico.  Mr. Power received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of San Diego. The university honored him with an alumni achievement award in 2006.

Mr. Power also manages several of the Power family’s community and philanthropic activities that focus on education and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In particular he serves as Vice-chairman of the Board of Regents of California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA.  He was recently elected to the University of San Diego Alumni Board.
 

revised 1/12/10