President and CEO

Jed Wallace

President and Chief Executive Officer
916-448-0995, ext 301
jed@calcharters.org
Jed serves as the President and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association.

Executive Team

Allison Greenwood Bajracharya

Senior Vice President, Statewide Advocacy
213-244-1446, ext 215
abajracharya@calcharters.org
Allison manages the regional advocacy work across the state, working with teams in the Bay Area, Capitol Region, Los Angeles, and Southern California to maximize the impact of our policy and advocacy work at the local level.

Gary Borden

Senior Vice President, Civic Affairs
415-613-4022
gborden@calcharters.org
In this role, Gary works to develop strategic relationships with community organizations, elected and appointed officials, and others in the private and non-profit sectors to help advance the policy and advocacy work of CCSA.
Gary is also the Executive Director, CCSA Advocates.

Myrna Castrejón

Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
916-448-0995, ext 304 mcastrejon@calcharters.org
Myrna leads the team responsible for research and evaluation, academic accountability, and the Zoom! Data Source student data performance management program.

Danny Corwin

Chief Financial Officer
213-244-1446, ext 208
dcorwin@calcharters.org
As a member of the Association's Executive Team, Danny leads staff responsible for core financial and accounting systems, financial planning, and treasury. He is also responsible for securing financial support in the form of grants from private foundations, corporations and government agencies in order to sustain the programs and operations of the Association.

Kerry Flanagan

Chief of Staff
858-337-6117
kflanagan@calcharters.org

Sharon Hicks

Executive Assistant
916-448-0995, ext 305
shicks@calcharters.org
Sharon is the Executive Assistant to Jed Wallace and coordinates the work of the Association's Leadership Team.

Elizabeth Robitaille, Ed.D.

Senior Vice President, Achievement and Performance Management
213-244-1446, ext 209
erobitaille@calcharters.org
Elizabeth leads the team responsible for assessing the achievement of California charter schools, exploring key areas of strength and weakness for the charter school movement, and providing data analyses to support CCSA’s strategic initiatives.

Ricardo Soto, Esq.

Senior Vice President, Legal Advocacy, and General Counsel
619-807-1034
rsoto@calcharters.org
Ricardo oversees the Legal Team, provides general legal counsel to the Association and advises the Association in relation to legal strategies targeted to support the Association's statewide and regional advocacy efforts, the membership, the charter school community, and the Association's initiatives and strategic objectives.

Peri Lynn Turnbull, APR

Senior Vice President, Communications
619-521-0914, ext 510
plturnbull@calcharters.org
Peri Lynn leads the team responsible for internal, external and online communications, media relations, video, social media, and website as well as the team responsible for providing technical assistance and training to members and developers.

CCSA Staff

Fátima Cristerna Adame

Regional Director, Inland Empire
909-200-0533
fcadame@calcharters.org
Fátima leads charter school policy and member interest in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. She works closely with Charter School Operators, community organizations, and local elected officials to maximize the positive impact of charter schools in the region.

Phillipa L. Altmann, Esq.

Senior Litigation Counsel
213-244-1446, ext 245
paltmann@calcharters.org
Phillipa's key areas of responsibility include working on trial court litigation and appellate opportunities on behalf of CCSA and the charter school community.

Joni Angel

Senior Facilities Advisor
213-244-1446, ext 236
jangel@calcharters.org
Joni manages the cross-team collaboration on two major facilities initiatives at CCSA: Public School Choice and Prop. 39. She also works on the statewide Facilities team, managing special projects and writing the Facilities Strategic Execution Plan.

Leigh Arino de la Rubia

Director, Grants
213-244-1446, ext 217
larinoi@calcharters.org
Leigh is responsible for the management and coordination of CCSA's development and fundraising activities. Her major responsibilities include writing grant proposals and reports, conducting research on funding prospects, tracking progress of measurable outcomes and working collaboratively with CCSA staff across the state.

Daniel Assisi

Director, Operations and Information Technologies
213-244-1446, ext 211
dassisi@calcharters.org
As part of the Office of the President team, Daniel develops strategies and policies to support continuous improvement of the Association's internal operations, data management practices, and technology infrastructure, as well as related support services for the Association staff.

Melissa Barnhart, Ph.D.

Senior Research Analyst
213-244-1446, ext 250
mbarnhart@calcharters.org
Melissa is responsible for leading relevant and methodologically rigorous analyses and authoring original research to assess and support improved achievement of California charter schools.

Nicole Virga Bautista

Manager, Government Affairs
916-448-0995, ext 314
nbautista@calcharters.org
Nicole connects the work CCSA does in Sacramento with our members, including regular communications from the Government Affairs team and coordinating charter school visits with Legislators. She also works on legislative and regulatory issues.

Matt Bragman

Manager, School Development, Los Angeles
213-244-1446, ext 206
mbragman@calcharters.org
Matt manages the development process for new schools working toward authorization in the greater Los Angeles area. This includes outreach, technical support, project management, and petition development guidance.

Courtney Brown

Manager, Operations
213-244-1446, ext 256
cbrown@calcharters.org
Courtney provides operational support to various projects and programs within the Association. She also helps manage internal technology systems and operation processes while coordinating a number of teams of outside consultants.

Leilani Cannon

Research Analyst
213-244-1446, ext 251
lcannon@calcharters.org
Leilani analyzes data on the achievement and performance of California charter schools. Leilani contributes to the research body of knowledge on charter schools and provides data analyses to support CCSA's strategic initiatives.

David Castillo

Regional Director, Oakland
510-277-2356
dcastillo@calcharters.org
David advocates on behalf of the charter community in Oakland. As Regional Director, he supports member schools to ensure that students and families have access to high quality school options in Oakland.

Erica Castillo

Data Quality Specialist
213-244-1446, ext 203
ecastillo@calcharters.org
Erica verifies and processes accounts receivable, accounts payable, cash receipts and provides customer support relating to billing and payment inquiries from the Association's vendors and members.

Roy Cervantes

Regional Director, Los Angeles
213-244-1446, ext 207
rcervantes@calcharters.org
Roy works on all issues related to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) authorizing including school growth, charter renewals, Prop 39 and charter policy.

Tristan Clerihew

Data Technology Specialist
213-244-1446, ext 214
tclerihew@calcharters.org
Tristan provides customized technological , ZOOM! Data Source support to schools in the Los Angeles, Bay Area and Sacramento Regions, assisting them in meaningful implementation of the ZOOM! program to enhance their data-driven culture.

Misti Cole

Director, School Health Insurance Benefits
209-204-9212 or 888-392-EWBT
mcole@calcharters.org
Misti is responsible for developing strategic partnerships, programs, and initiatives with insurance providers, consultants, and charter leaders at the statewide and regional levels to ensure all charter school members have access to affordable quality health benefits without the administrative burden. Misti develops partnerships and initiatives critical to achieving sustainable membership growth and valuable insurance resources for charter schools/employees.

Tony Cuevas

Director, Community and Family Engagement, Oakland
916-448-0995, ext 409 tcuevas@calcharters.org
Tony, as a member of Families That Can, trains and mobilizes the charter community on important educational issues and works to build relationships with parents, school leaders, elected officials and a broad range of community leaders in Oakland.

Fiorella Del Carpio

Director, Strategic Community and Family Engagement
213-256-5912
fdelcarpio@familiesthatcan.org
Fiorella engages with the community around education issues, working to build relationships with parents, principals, local leaders and wide variety of community-based organizations throughout Los Angeles. The goal of Families That Can is to educate, empower and mobilize families to hold our leaders accountable for ensuring every child has access to a high-quality public education.

Kate Dove

Special Education Advisor
818 429-4091
kdove@calcharters.org
Kate works with the Special Education Statewide Advocacy team to provide charter schools with information and support on a variety of special education topics. She also leads special education data collection and analysis efforts to help strengthen the position of charter schools as well as identify and replicate successful special education models for improving academic outcomes of students with special needs in charter schools throughout the state.

Richard Driver

Coordinator, Compliance and Research
916-448-0995, ext 328
rdriver@calcharters.org
Richard maintains compliance with all lobbying reporting requirements for CCSA. In addition, he works with staff and outside consultants to provide research support for the Government Affairs team.

Miles Durfee

Managing Regional Director, Southern California
858-663-1587
mdurfee@calcharters.org
Miles manages the team responsible for charter school policy and member interests in San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and Imperial Counties. Additionally, he leads the information and advocacy program in San Diego County with nearly 100 charter schools in the County and over 40 authorized by San Diego Unified School District.

Meagan Fox

Director, Interactive Technology
916-448-0995, ext 406
mfox@calcharters.org
Meagan manages the Association's online presence in order to provide valuable information and high quality service experiences to our members and other website visitors.

Alicia Gallegos Fambrini

Director, San Jose Charter Schools Consortium
408-375-2928
agallegos@calcharters.org
Alicia facilitates the work of the Consortium where she brings together charter leaders who are focused on closing the achievement gap and ensuring that every student in San Jose has a seat at an excellent school. She supports the development of high-performing charters and works to engage community leaders in the charter movement in order to increase college success in low income San Jose communities.

Sam Gelinas

Manager, Special Projects, School Development
213-244-1446, ext 220
sgelinas@calcharters.org
Sam manages the High Quality Grant Program and other key school development support systems for the School Development and Support team.

Vicki Grenz

Director, Media Relations
916-448-0995, ext 302
vgrenz@calcharters.org
Vicki is responsible for media relations, social media, translation and video programs in support of CCSA's advocacy work, in addition to providing support to the Northeastern and Central Valley regional teams.

Alice Gualpa

Research Analyst
213-244-1446 ext. 223
agualpa@calcharters.org
Alice analyzes data on the achievement and performance of California charter schools. Alice contributes to the research body of knowledge on charter schools and provides data analyses to support CCSA's strategic initiatives.

Hilary Harmssen

Managing Regional Director, San Francisco Bay Area
650-796-2483
hharmssen@calcharters.org
Hilary manages the team responsible for charter school policy and member advocacy efforts across 17 counties in Northwestern California. In this role, Hilary provides an array of services for existing charter schools and supports teams developing new charter schools.

Joe Harrington

Director, Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects
916-448-0995, ext 410
jharrington@calcharters.org
Joe is responsible for leading CCSA's group purchasing programs and related efforts to increase member schools' access to cost effective, relevant products and services. As a member of the Office of the President team, Joe also manages cross-collaborative initiatives in support of CCSA's strategic priorities.

Willow Harrington

Managing Director, School Development
916-448-0995, ext 412
wharrington@calcharters.org
Willow leads the School Development and Support Team to provide developing schools with the technical and strategy support as they prepare for authorization and opening.

Tanya Hoffman

Director, Legislative Affairs
916-448-0995, ext 300
thoffman@calcharters.org
Tanya oversees all of CCSA's legislative efforts, in addition to our federal work on ESEA reauthorization. She also directs legislative strategy discussions and recommends positions on charter school legislation.

Cassandra (Cassy) Horton

Manager, Membership
213-244-1446 ext 257
chorton@calcharters.org
As a member of the Office of the President, Cassy coordinates and manages the day-to-day operations of CCSA's membership operations and customer service. She works with prospective and current members to ensure they are maximizing and satisfied with their member benefits.

Sierra Jenkins

Director, Communications
213-256-9489
sjenkins@calcharters.org
Sierra is responsible for planning and executing strategic communications efforts to support CCSA's advocacy work, including developing key collateral for parents and the public, email communications, media outreach and social media.

Tracey Katz

Deputy Director, ZOOM! Data Source
213-244-1446, ext 222
tkatz@calcharters.org
Tracey guides the support and technology work of the ZOOM! Data Source program, CCSA's student achievement data program, and ensures that participating schools receive customized technological support and targeted professional development to enhance their data-driven culture. Tracey also works with the Accountability team in support of CCSA's various school accountability initiatives.

Laura Kerr

Managing Regional Director, Northeast and Central Valley
916-230-7496
lkerr@calcharters.org
Laura provides an array of services for existing charter schools and supports charter developers who are interested in opening up new charter schools in the Sacramento region, which includes Vacaville, Redding, Stockton, Grass Valley, Placerville, Chico, Elk Grove and all points in between.

Andrew King

Senior Accountability Analyst
213-244-1446, ext 232
aking@calcharters.org
Andrew is responsible for leading relevant and methodologically rigorous analyses and authoring original research to assess and support improved achievement of California charter schools. He also leads Geographic Information Systems (GIS) regional mapping analyses to support CCSA initiatives and to assess student achievement in California's charter schools.

Valieria Koss

Director of Family and Community Engagement, Southern California
vkoss@calcharters.org
213-244-1446, ext 255
Valieria, as a member of Families That Can, trains and mobilizes parents of charter school students while also developing relationships with principals, elected officials, area leaders and a wide variety of community-based organizations throughout San Diego County and the Inland Empire.

Candice Lamarche

Producer, 20th Annual California Charter Schools Conference
415-845-6017
clamarche@calcharters.org
Candice leads the planning and execution of CCSA's Annual Conference. The event annually attracts over 3,200 charter school teachers, leaders and supporters from across the state and is the premiere networking and professional development event for education reform professionals.

Michelle Low

Director, Regulatory Affairs
916-448-0995, ext 321
mlow@calcharters.org
Michelle works on the Association's statewide and federal advocacy efforts regarding regulatory actions through coordination with state agencies, boards and commissions.

Allison Magill

Legal Counsel
619-252-9222
amagill@calcharters.org
Allison provides general legal support related to the Association's advocacy efforts, membership needs, and strategic objectives. Allison's specific focus areas include charter school authorization and oversight issues, special education, facilities and general counsel support.

Sara Mattingly

Managing Director, Finance and Development
213-244-1446, ext 234
smattingly@calcharters.org
Sara sustains the Association's programs and operations by securing grant commitments to meet annual fundraising goals. Sara also ensures that grant reporting requirements are fulfilled.

Kristen McCaw

Manager, School Development, Northern California
213-244-1446, ext 419
kmccaw@calcharters.org
Kristen manages the development process for new schools working toward authorization for Northern California, including the Sacramento Valley and Greater Bay Area. This includes outreach, technical support, project management, and petition development guidance.

Alice Miller

Director, Knowledge Management
916-448-0995, ext 407
amiller@calcharters.org
Alice provides charter school leaders with information and training on all charter school issues, including finance, board governance, petition writing, curriculum and facilities.

Colin Miller

Vice President, Policy
916-448-0995, ext 303
cmiller@calcharters.org
Colin works to ensure charter schools have a favorable legislative, budget and regulatory environment at the state level through liaison with state agencies, boards and commissions and as a partner with our legislative advocates. Colin also works with Association staff and membership to interpret and implement legislative and regulatory actions of the state and to represent members concerns in Sacramento.

Rachel Minnick

Director of Family and Community Engagement, Northeast and Central Valley Region
916-529-3435
rminnick@familiesthatcan.org
Rachel coordinates Families That Can in the Northeast and Central Valley Region. FTC builds grassroots advocacy among charter school parents and key community members to positively influence charter school-related decisions and policy.

Del Nakhi

Manager, Strategic Partnerships
213-244-1446. ext 219
dnakhi@calcharters.org
Del helps member schools to not only access high-quality, charter friendly products/services, but also to save money, through Charter Advantage, CCSA's group purchasing program.

Carlyn Obringer

Manager, Technical Assistance
916-448-0995, ext 416
cobringer@calcharters.org
Carlyn provides technical assistance by responding to inquiries and by creating web-based resources for schools, the general public and Association members.

Gina Plate

Senior Advisor, Special Education
619-212-9918
gplate@calcharters.org
Gina leads the Association's Special Education team, which provides information and guidance to charter schools surrounding a variety of special education issues. The team works to strengthen the charter school movement by focusing on state and SELPA-level special education policy issues and doing in-depth advocacy work with groups of charter schools.

Marisa Quintanar

Regional Director, Policy and Advocacy, LA
213-244-1446, ext 241
mquintanar@calcharters.org
Marisa provides advocacy for and counsel to charter schools throughout Los Angeles ( but outside of Los Angeles Unified School Disrict), Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. She acts as a liaison and works closely with school district leaders and elected officials, including county offices of education, school board members, and county officials. Marisa also manages the Prop. 39 process in Los Angeles Unified School District, which allows charter schools to access district facilities.

Corri Tate Ravare

Executive Director, Families That Can
Managing Regional Director, Los Angeles
213-840-3033
cravare@calcharters.org
Corri is the Executive Director of Families That Can, the charter school parent organizing and outreach group for the California charter schools community. In this role, Corri manages efforts across the state to organize parent and stakeholder constituency efforts aligned with the charter school community's advocacy priorities. This work includes the development of a grassroots network of parents and other family members throughout California who engage on both local and statewide matters.

Joey Roane

Manager, School Development, Southern California
213-244-1446, ext 503
jroane@calcharters.org
Joey manages the development process for new schools working toward authorization for Southern California, including the Inland Empire and Greater San Diego area. This includes outreach, technical support, project management, and petition development guidance.

Elizabeth Robitaille, Ed.D.

*Senior Vice President, Achievement and Performance Management *
213-244-1446, ext 209
erobitaille@calcharters.org
Elizabeth leads the team responsible for assessing the achievement of California charter schools, exploring key areas of strength and weakness for the charter school movement, and providing data analyses to support CCSA’s strategic initiatives.

Amy Sandoz

Director, Special Projects and Staff Relations
213-244-1446, ext 246
asandoz@calcharters.org
Amy manages internal staff communication and bolsters various cross-team efforts with her skills as a project manager.

Jeff Sands

Director, School Development, Central Valley Region
916-448-0995, ext 325
jsands@calcharters.org
As a member of the School Development and Support Team, Jeff leads new school development in the Central Valley, providing technical and strategy support for teams as they prepare for petition submission.

Alison Schoenbeck

Director, Legal and Facilities Data Development
619-521-0914, ext 502
aschoenbeck@calcharters.org
Alison is responsible for the identification, procurement, review, synthesis and analysis of data for CCSA's Legal and Facilities Teams. She manages the Association's legal and facilities databases, and provides advocacy and litigation support. Alison also coordinates development of the Legal Library, and publications and presentations for the Legal Defense Fund and the Legal Advisory Committee.

Brianna Swartz

Director, Membership Services
916-448-0995, ext 405
bswartz@calcharters.org
Brianna develops systems and strategies to ensure the Association is providing the membership infrastructure and services to enroll, retain and support its members.

Dannie Tillman

Director, Strategic Communications
213-244-1446, ext 509
dtillman@calcharters.org
Dannie is responsible for planning and executing strategic communications efforts to support CCSA's Government Affairs efforts and advocacy work including developing key collateral for members and the public, email communications, media outreach and social media.

Rosaline Top

Director, Special Projects
916-448-0995, ext 311
rtop@calcharters.org
Rosaline works to assess the efficacy and impact of Association programs and overall progress toward completion of the organization-wide strategic objectives.

Kisheen (KW) Tulloss

Organizer, Parent and Community Engagement, Families That Can
213-271-0153
ktulloss@familiesthatcan.org
KW engages with the community around education issues, working to build relationships with parents, principals, local leaders and wide variety of community-based organizations throughout Los Angeles. The goal of Families That Can is to educate, empower and mobilize families to hold our leaders accountable for ensuring every child has access to a high-quality public education.

Julie Ashby Umansky, Esq.

Vice President, Legal Advocacy, and Executive Director, Charter Schools Legal Defense Fund
619-521-0914, ext 501
jumansky@calcharters.org
Julie monitors litigation affecting California charter schools and advises the Association on how certain court decisions impact the California charter school movement. She manages the appellate advocacy agenda and the Association's Legal Services Loan Program which allows schools to fund legal challenges to unfair and illegal district practices. In coordination with the other members of the Association's Legal Advocacy Team, Julie also develops legal advocacy strategies to help resolve collective issues facing charter schools, including charter authorizing issues and Prop. 39 facilities issues.

Cindy Uribe

Coordinator, Accounting
213-244-1446, ext 231
curibe@calcharters.org
Cindy verifies and processes accounts receivable, accounts payable, cash receipts and provides customer support relating to billing and payment inquiries from the Association's vendors and members.

Liliana Uribe

Manager, Accounting and Finance
213-244-1446, ext 216
luribe@calcharters.org
Liliana manages Accounting and Finance staff responsible for accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, benefits, and preparing period end financial statements and reports.

Heather Wellong

Conference Director
858-668-8466
hwellong@calcharters.org
Heather will plan and execute all areas of the Annual Conference in March 2013. She will handle the pre-planning logistics, registration, housing, hospitality events, exhibits, VIP's plus all other areas that are necessary for a successful program as well as all onsite programs.

Judy Wilson

Director, Special Projects, Statewide Advocacy
866-411-2272, ext 414
jwilson@calcharters.org
Judy facilitates project management and strategic planning for the Statewide Advocacy team -- from supporting team-wide strategic planning across our four geographic regions, to creating the systems, infrastructure, and vision to make key initiatives run smoothly, including quarterly regional meetings, policy campaigns, major events, and data and goal tracking.