Board Agendas & Minutes
Governing Board Schedule for the 2021-2022 school year:
- Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, December 15, 2021 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 5:30 pm
- Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 5:30 pm
2022 Board Retreats:
- Governing Board Retreat: Saturday, January 22
- Faculty / School Board Retreat: Thursday, March 24
Finance-HR Meetings
As of August 2021, all Finance/HR meetings will be held in person. All meetings will still be broadcasted via Zoom for the public. The Zoom link can be found in the Finance/HR meeting agenda. Dates will be announced via ParentSquare and reflected on our website. Correspondence may be sent in care of:
Monterey Bay Charter School
1004 David Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Email: office@mbcharterschool.org
The MBCS Finance/HR monthly meeting will take place on August 2021 (Date TBD).
Board of Directors Meetings
As of August 2021, all Governing Board meetings will be held in person on the first Tuesday of every month at 5:30pm (PST). All meetings will still be broadcasted via Zoom for the public. The Zoom link can be found in the board packet and on ParentSquare. Board meeting dates will be announced via ParentSquare and are reflected on our website. 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.
School Board
Parent Circle
Foundation Board
School Board
Board of Directors
Kenneth Turgen, Chair
Tomi Burgess, Vice Chair
Carmel York, Treasurer
Ryan Commons, Secretary
Ashley Reyes, Director
Yhashika Lee, 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.
Kenneth Turgen
Chair
Kenneth Turgen
Chair
Monterey, California. Associate with Wald, Ruhnke & Dost Architects L.L.P.
Kenneth Turgen has been an MBCS board member since 2011 and chair since 2016. He has two alumni daughters who both attend Monterey High School and another daughter in third grade at MBCS. Mr. Turgen was a member of the Design Review Board and Chair of the Planning Commission for the City of Marina from 2007 through 2015. Kenneth is a staunch booster of MBCS and his booming voice can be heard at May Faire every year as our Town Crier. His love
for this community can be seen throughout the region in his designs including hospitality, adaptive reuse, historic preservation, multi-family housing, medical and civic projects. Kenneth is an associate at Wald, Ruhnke & Dost Architects and holds both a Bachelor and a Master’s degree in architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.
Tomasina Burgess
Vice Chair
Tomasina Burgess
Vice Chair
Prunedale, California.
Tomi Burgess joined the Monterey Bay Charter School School Board in the fall of 2011. She has been a non-profit volunteer for the past 28 years. Tomi has enjoyed different roles in event planning, park restoration, and child advocacy. Tomi has also served on the Monterey Bay Charter School Foundation Board, played a critical role in establishing and managing the donor database, has chaired multiple fundraisers, community events, and Parent Circle. Tomi currently lives in Prunedale with her husband and two children. Tomi’s oldest son attended Monterey Bay Charter School from kindergarten through eighth grade and is currently attending Monterey High School. Tomi’s second child is currently enrolled at Monterey Bay Charter School. Tomi is also pursuing a career in Early Childhood Education.
Carmel York
Treasurer
Carmel York
Treasurer
Marina, California. Risk Manager, Mortgage Banking, Entrepreneur.
Carmel York is a risk manager, entrepreneur, philanthropist and mentor, working 27 years in banking and finance. She has 20 years of experience serving and managing volunteer and non-profit boards focused on education, personal finance, and community outreach. Ms. York lives with her husband and two teen-aged sons on the Monterey Bay Peninsula and believes strongly and works hard supporting high-quality, public education.
Ryan Commons
Secretary
Ryan Commons
Secretary
Monterey, California. Lawyer for Driscoll’s Berries
Ryan Commons joined the board in October 2019 when his son Luke started transitional kindergarten at MBCS. His son George will start at MBCS in 2022. Prior to serving on the MBCS board, Ryan served on the boards for the San Joaquin River Parkway & Conservation Trust and the Fresno Economic Development Corporation. In addition to prior board experience, Ryan brings to the board a deep passion for Waldorf education, a love for all things outdoors, and a background in corporate governance and transactional law. Ryan currently works as corporate counsel at Driscoll’s, Inc. and he received a B.S. from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a J.D. from Santa Clara Law.
Ashley Reyes
Director
Ashley Reyes
Director
Monterey, California. Director of Teddy Bear Preschool LLC. Ashley has been working with youth of all ages in both academic and in childcare settings for almost 15 years. Her experience includes being an Academic Intern for Monterey High School, an After-School Aide for the International School of Monterey, a Lead Preschool Teacher for Early Development Services as well as a Parent Educator for Parenting Connections of Monterey.
She currently has two Associate’s Degrees: one in Anthropology and one in Child Development. She has a Bachelors Degree and a Masters Degree both in Early Childhood Education from Brandman University and she has just been admitted into the PhD program in Infant and Early Childhood Development through Fielding Graduate University in which she will start Fall of 2021.
Ashley lives with her husband Ronald, her daughter Ashlyn and their bearded dragon “Luno Dinosaur”. She loves reading, knitting, hula dancing and going to the movies with her family.
Yhashika Lee
Director
Yhashika Lee
Director
Yhashika Lee is an instructor and a faculty associate in Teaching and Learning Assessment at CSUMB. She has a B.A. from UC Berkeley and J.D. from UCLA Law with a concentration in Critical Race Theory. Yhashika is passionate about helping faculty create culturally inclusive classrooms. She uses her background in Critical Race Theory to re-imagine solutions to the structural inequality that shapes our education system and continues to create barriers for students of color. She is also trainer of trainers in racial justice work and is currently in the process of being a certified diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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
Mark Cohan, Board Chair
Susan Breen, Vice Chair
Karyn Lee-Garcia, Treasurer
Ben Bence, Secretary
Jacob Shafer, Director
Shannon Conner, 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.
The next MBCS Foundation Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at 5:00 pm in the Resource Room, Pacific Grove Campus. As of August 2021, all Foundation Board meetings will be held in person. All meetings will still be broadcasted via Zoom for the public. Dates will be announced via ParentSquare and reflected on our website.
Mark Cohan
Board Chair
Mark Cohan
Board Chair
Bio TBA
Susan Breen
Vice Chair
Susan Breen
Vice Chair
Susan Breen has been President/Owner of Breen Consulting (BC) for 25 years and is licensed in California as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB). She has been successfully providing service as a marketing and public relations professional to a variety of businesses and nonprofit organizations. In a recent expansion, a full team of experts can now offer additional expertise to clients. The range of consulting services include graphic design, web development, grant writing and Internet consulting. HR and legal assistance can be made available when
requested.
Her qualifications as a board director for numerous non-profit organizations provides her with the efficiency, decision making, strategic planning, fundraising, community relations experience activities needed to serve on the Foundation Board of the Monterey Bay Charter School. Susan and her husband Bill have lived in Monterey County for the last dozen years and have 3 adult children.
Ben Bence
Secretary
Ben Bence
Secretary
Ben Bence is the founding director of Outside The Box Consulting LLC, a local outdoor education organization that focuses on getting students and classes out in nature. Ben studied Liberial Studies with a linguistics emphasis at CSU Monterey Bay and is currently working on his multiple subject elementary teaching credential. He was the 2017 Paul Walker Ocean Leadership Award Recipient for his 2,000+ volunteer hours and work experience in Monterey’s environmental education community. The Monterey native spends his free time on a paddle board or hiking a trail.
Jacob Shafer
Director
Jacob Shafer
Director
Jacob Shafer is the development director at Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula. He spent seven years in Mongolia as a Peace Corps volunteer and working in community outreach with Rio Tinto Global. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. If you see Jacob, his wife Natalie, son Tenuun, and daughter Indira on campus or in the community, be sure to say hello.
Shannon Conner
Director
Shannon Conner
Director
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.
Student Council
Some of the activities include:
- Middle school dances and other fun activities;
- School ‘spirit days’ such as Pajama Day and Crazy Hat Day;
- Betterment of the school campus.
Community Service
Community Service must consist of volunteer service for organizations outside of our school community, and a few hours of volunteer work on the school campus. Suggestions for Community Service opportunities at the school will be provided from time to time during the school year. Students are encouraged to find opportunities in the wider community as well.
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