Board Agendas & Minutes
Board meetings are the first Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noted by *
- September 6, 2022
- October 4, 2022
- November 15, 2022*
- December 13, 2022*
- January 21, 2023 (Board Retreat)*
- February 7, 2023
- March 7, 2023
- April 4, 2023
- May 2, 2023
- May 30, 2023*
- June 20, 2023*
*Dates are not on the first Tuesday due to various reasons, such as voting, financial reports, retreat, and public hearing for LCAP.
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
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
Yhashika Lee, Director
Evan Heath, 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.
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.
Evan Heath
Director
Evan Heath
Director
Monterey, California. Senior Treasury Analyst for Granite Construction, Inc.
Evan Heath has 16 years of corporate accounting and finance experience, primarily as an analyst and auditor. He has been involved with the MBCS community since 2011 when his son Elliott began kindergarten. Elliott graduated from MBCS in 2021 and now attends Monterey High School. Evan has been a member of MBCS’s Finance-HR Committee since 2019 and serves as the committee’s vice chair. Having attended California public schools from kindergarten through graduate school, he strongly supports public education. Evan currently lives in Monterey with his wife, son, stepdaughter, and stepson. He is a CPA and received a B.A. in political science from UCLA and master’s in criminology from UC Irvine.
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
Ben Bence, Secretary
Jacob Shafer, Director
Shannon Conner, Director
Zurine De Miguel, 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 be announced soon. 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
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.
Zurine De Miguel
Director
Zurine De Miguel
Director
Zurine De Miguel, Ph.D. I am an assistant professor of neuroscience in the Psychology Department at California State University Monterey Bay. I set up the first behavioral neuroscience laboratory at CSUMB. I study the biology of the brain and I am interested on the effects of physical exercise on neurobiology and mental health. I have three kids and I am learning how to play piano.
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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