Board Agendas & Minutes
All School Board Meetings, Foundation Board Meetings, and Finance/HR Meetings will be held in person. All meetings will still be broadcasted via Zoom for the public. The meeting Zoom link, and in person meeting location, can be found on the agenda for each meeting. All meeting dates will be announced via ParentSquare and reflected on our school website. The meeting agendas will be posted at each school office, prior to the meeting. Correspondence may be sent in care of:
Monterey Bay Charter School
Attention: Candace Villarta, Communications Manager
1004 David Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Email: communications@mbcharterschool.org
All correspondence will be delivered to Board members prior to the next scheduled meeting and is entered into the public record.
Finance-HR Meetings
2025-26 HR/Finance Meetings
All Finance/HR meetings will be held in person at the Pacific Grove Campus Library and broadcasted via Zoom for the public. The meeting Zoom link can be found on the agenda for each meeting. All meeting dates will be announced via ParentSquare and reflected on our school website. The meeting agendas will be posted at each school office, prior to the meeting.
The HR/Finance Meetings for the 2025-26 academic year will be added soon.
Board of Directors Meetings
2025-26 Board Meetings
Board meetings are open to the public, allowing three-minute comments per person at the beginning of the meeting. Dialogue and action are limited to agenda items. Meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month unless specified due to voting, financial reports, retreat, or LCAP hearings.
- Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting & Annual Meeting
- Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting
- Thursday, November 13, 2025, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting
- Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting
- Saturday, January 10, 2026, 9:00am, Board Retreat
- Monday, February 3, 2026, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting
- Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting
- Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting
- Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting & LCAP Public Hearing
- Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 5:15pm, Regular Board Meeting (Local Indicators, LCAP, & Budget Adoption)
School Board
Parent Circle
Foundation Board
School Board
Board of Directors
Lana Andrianova, Chair
Thomas Rogers, Vice Chair
Grace Casserly, Secretary
Rob Lasater, Treasurer
Rodrigo Nieto Gómez, Director
Chris Capozzi, Director
Max Troyer, Director
Yuriana Nunez, Director
Correspondence may be sent in care of:
Monterey Bay Charter School
1004 David Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Email: communications@mbcharterschool.org
Responsibilities of the Board:
- Uphold and revise (with permission of the granting agency) as needed the school charter. Adopt, amend and implement Board bylaws, internal Board policies and procedures.
- Ensure adequate resources for the school’s programs.
- Establish and work toward achieving long-term and short-term goals.
- Oversee the fiscal management of the school including:
- All audits and reports required by state or federal law.
- Approval of the annual school budget.
- Review and approval of quarterly budget reports.
- Secure and maintain the school site.
- Ensure the health and safety of the school.
- Hire, support, supervise and evaluate the school director.
- Approve hiring and termination of school faculty and staff.
- Oversee school parent participation structure.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of school programs.
- Act as an avenue of communication for the school community, including:
The resolution of grievances.
Conducting exit interviews for employees and families who leave the school. - Represent the school in the larger community.
- Prepare and publish an annual report including:
- The progress made towards achieving the long-term and short-term goals established by the Board.
- The fiscal health of the school.
- Significant events.
Lana Andrianova
Chair
Lana Andrianova, MD, MPH
Chair
Monterey, CA. Lana is foreign-trained physician-scientist with a focus on cancer research and early-stage clinical trials. She works as Medical Director in oncology drug development biotech (Exelixis, Inc.). She has spent the past 15 years in various leadership roles in clinical research across Eastern and Western Europe and US. She was a member of a school board for public schools previously and was involved in several social and environmental initiatives. Dr. Andrianova received her M.D. degree from Saint Petersburg Pavlov Medical School. She completed her Master of Public Health, Masters in Management and Economics at the postgraduate academy and University of Finance and Economics, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Lana joined the MBCS board in 2022. Both of her kids are MBCS students since 2021.
Thomas Rogers
Vice Chair
Thomas Rogers
Vice Chair
Thomas Rogers has been career advising for 20 years and working with college students for 15+ years. He earned a BA in Psychology from Sonoma State University and an MA in Human and Organizational Transformation from California Institute of Integral Studies. Thomas worked for AT&T for 7+ years, volunteered with the Peace Corps in China, and currently advises and teaches at CSU Monterey Bay. He keeps his students focused on professional development, equity and social justice, and self-care. Thomas is a practicing Buddhist, proud husband, and father to two young children.
Grace Casserly
Secretary
Grace Casserly
Secretary
Grace Casserly is honored to serve on the MBCS Board, as she and her family have been deeply inspired by the principles of Waldorf education. Her older son is a current student at the Foothill campus. She is also passionate about the importance of arts education in schools. She holds a bachelors of music in piano from USC as well as a masters of music from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. She attended medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and completed her internal medicine residency and chief residency at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. Grace is a primary care physician at Montage Medical Group in Carmel.
Rob Lasater
Treasurer
Rob Lasater
Treasurer
Rob serves as an Operations Research Analyst for the United States Army and is currently a Data Scientist for NETCOM at the Naval Postgraduate School. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Rob has also held various roles as a Financial Management Officer within the Army.
He holds a Master of Arts in Applied Economics from San Diego State University, an MBA in Finance from American Public University, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management from Grantham University.
Rob’s two youngest children are students at Monterey Bay Charter School, while his eldest son is studying at CSU Sacramento.
Rodrigo Nieto Gómez
Director
Rodrigo Nieto Gómez
Director
Dr. Rodrigo Nieto-Gomez is a geostrategist and defense futurist focused on the consequences of the accelerating pace of change in homeland security, defense, and policing environments. He is a research professor at the National Security Affairs Department and at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School and has also worked as a certified facilitator and instructor for the Command College for the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and a former instructor at the Executive Academy of the Emergency Management Institute. He is also a faculty member of Singularity University and currently assists the Common Mission Project as an academic advisor, supporting mission-driven entrepreneurship.
Dr. Nieto has a Ph.D. in Geopolitics from the French Institute of Geopolitics of the University of Paris. He holds a J.D. from the State University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. His native language is Spanish, and he has bilingual proficiency in English, full professional proficiency in French and intermediate knowledge of German. As an aviation enthusiast, he holds a private pilot certificate.
Chris Capozzi
Director
Chris Capozzi
Director
Chris Capozzi is the father of two MBCS students and his family lives in Monterey. He retired from the Army in 2018, after serving first as an infantry officer and then as a JAG officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Ithaca College, a master’s degree in entomology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University. He currently works as a Legal Assistance Attorney at the Presidio of Monterey.
Max Troyer
Director
Max Troyer
Director
Max Troyer is a Professor and endowed chair at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), where he teaches in the Translation and Localization Management (TLM) program. The TLM program prepares students for a career working at the intersection of language, culture, business, and technology. His courses include Media and Audio-Visual Localization, Programming for Internationalization and Localization, Games Localization, and Advanced Media and Audio-Visual Localization. Max has implemented a project-based teaching approach in the classroom and appreciates how this overlaps with Waldorf education to emphasize experiential, hands-on learning that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and holistic development by engaging students in meaningful, real-world projects.
Max has a M.A. in French Translation from MIIS, and has a dual B.A. in French and Computer Science from Indiana University. Max Troyer is the father of four MBCS students and his family lives in downtown Monterey. In his free time, Max enjoys roller skating, 3D printing, karaoke, and spending time with his family.
Yuriana Nunez
Director
Yuriana Nunez
Director
TBA
Parent Circle
It is the mission of the Parent Council to unify the collective efforts of the teachers, parents and administration for the betterment and health of the school.
The Parent Council is dedicated to cultivating an active and diverse community that nourishes the vision of the Monterey Bay Charter School. The Parent Council champions volunteerism that comes from the head, heart and hands of its community members, and in turn promotes student achievement.
The Parent Circle strives to:
- Advocate for students’ health, safety and academic success;
- Inspire and support individuals to share their unique and valuable gifts through volunteerism;
- Contribute to the fiscal stability of school programs and initiatives
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Contact
Candace Villarta, Communications & Development Manager
Email: communications@mbcharterschool.org
Foundation Board
The Foundation’s mission is to support the work and programs of the Monterey Bay Charter School and to build a new school facility.
A detailed Memorandum of Understanding exists between the Foundation and the School, outlining the roles, responsibilities, and accountability for each entity. The Memorandum of Understanding ensures that the Foundation and School maintain separate fiscal identities while at the same time working toward the common goal of supporting the School and its curriculum.
Foundation Members
Shannon Conner, Board Chair
Simona Mossbacher, Vice Chair
Germaine NG, Director
Marty Momdjian, Director
Janelle Nunez, Director
Christina Davis, Director
Rebecca Hardt, Director
The Foundation’s services include:
- Researching and outlining a fundraising structure for the School; planning and conducting fundraising and donor acquisition programs for the School;
- Preparing and submitting private and government grant applications on behalf of and in cooperation with the School;
- Identifying and nurturing relationships with potential donors;
- Engaging in development and solicitation of funding and other resources to support the educational purposes of the School;
- Building a new school facility in a location that is central to all Monterey County students.
2025-26 Board Meetings
Foundation Board meetings are the 4th Thursday of each month.
- Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 at 11am
- Thursday, Sep 18, 2025 at 11am
- Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 11am
- Thursday, Nov 20, 2025 at 11am
- Thursday, Dec 18, 2025 at 11am
- Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11am
- Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 11am
- Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 11am
- Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 11am
- Wednesday, May 21, 2026 at 11am
Shannon Conner
Board Chair
Shannon Conner
Board Chair
Shannon Conner, MA is a passionate conservation educator. Currently working for the Bird School Project as an outdoor education instructor in the Salinas Union High School District, teaching students and staff the value of being outdoors. She is the founder of the up-and-coming Dudleya Nature Center in Seaside, California and also worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in various capacities over the last decade. When she isn’t hiking around Monterey County with her dog, Shannon can be found working in her garden or crafting various projects around her house.
Simona Mossbacher
Vice Chair
Simona Mossbacher
Vice Chair
Bio TBA
Germaine Ng
Director
Germaine Ng
Director
Germaine Ng has been a Monterey Bay Charter School parent since her now fifth grade son, has been in kindergarten. Germaine was born and raised in Malaysia and Singapore. Professionally, she is an Account Executive for Williams Sonoma Inc. for their B2b division. Germaine is also an interior designer for residential and commercial buildings.
Personally, Germaine loves to host dinner parties, camps in the summer and snowboards in the winter. Germaine and her son love to travel around to the far ends of the earth, exploring different terrains and cultures. They are adventurous eaters who love different types of foods.
Germaine is also the Fundraising Coordinator for the MBCS Parent Circle team.
Marty Momdjian
Director
Marty Momdjian
Director
Bio TBA
Janelle Nunez
Director
Janelle Nunez
Director
Janelle Nuñez is a dedicated nonprofit professional with more than a decade of experience in fundraising and community development. At LifeMoves – one of Silicon Valley’s largest providers of interim housing and supportive services – she plays a key role in building partnerships and securing resources that help advance the organization’s mission to end homelessness. Throughout her career, Janelle has focused on creating meaningful collaborations, strengthening community programs, and driving philanthropic investment to create lasting impact for those most in need.
Janelle has called Monterey County home since 2009, when she moved to the area to attend CSU Monterey Bay. She met her husband here, and together they are raising three children – all of whom have attended Monterey Bay Charter School. She loves hiking along the coast, practicing yoga, traveling, and discovering new music, and treasures Monterey County as the place her family calls home.
Christina Davis
Director
Christina Davis
Director
Christina Davis is an author, entrepreneur, and kinder mom at Monterey Bay Charter School. She was born and raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and she graduated at the top of her class from San Jose State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications before enjoying a career in news media. When she’s not spending time with her family or writing her next book, she enjoys baking, kayaking, and fundraising for the Gnomes.
Rebecca Hardt
Director
Rebecca Hardt
Director
Rebecca Hardt, LMFT, PMH-C, is a compassionate psychotherapist specializing in trauma and perinatal mental health for individuals, couples, and families. Guided by values of harmony, creativity, and unity, her advocacy for social justice began early when she co-founded “Racial Harmony” at her high school to address racial discrimination.
Rebecca’s passion for maternal mental health emerged from her own postpartum struggles as a mother parenting in isolation during the pandemic. This experience inspired her commitment to supporting others facing parental mental health challenges. She serves on the boards of the Birth Network of Monterey County and Postpartum Support International’s California chapter. A proud single mother of two boys attending Monterey Bay Charter School, Rebecca enjoys dancing, hosting gatherings, and exploring local eateries with live music.
Student Council
The Student Council is an exciting opportunity for middle school students to develop leadership skills and use their voices to make a positive impact on our school community. Each year, we encourage students to run for office and take on meaningful roles that help shape student life.
Elected representatives will serve for the entire school year. Available positions include:
- President
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Ocean Guardian Representative
- Kindness Ambassador Representative
- Publicity Coordinator
- Class Representatives (two per grade: 6th, 7th, and 8th)
What does the Student Council do?
Student Council members take on leadership roles in organizing school events, fostering school spirit, and supporting important causes. Responsibilities include:
- Planning school dances
- Hosting bake sale fundraisers
- Leading philanthropic efforts (e.g., food drives, toy drives, warm jacket collections, and donations to relief efforts)
- Collaborating with Kindness Ambassadors on community-building initiatives
- Managing lost and found (organizing, displaying items, and donating unclaimed belongings)
- Overseeing safety patrol and school beautification projects
- Organizing the annual school talent show
- Supporting school-wide events
- Providing updates to the Faculty Council and School Board
- Creating and promoting theme days
- Publishing a school newspaper
Community Service
Community service should primarily involve volunteer work for organizations outside the school community, with a portion of the hours dedicated to on-campus volunteer work. The school will occasionally share suggestions for on-campus opportunities, but students are also encouraged to seek out service projects in the broader community.
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Special Event Notices
Subscribe to MBCS special event notices (5-6 flyers per school year). Each flyer contains an unsubscribe link so you may opt out easily at any time.
