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
- Tuesday, November 4, 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
Tomi Burgess, Chair
Yhashika Lee, Vice Chair
Grace Casserly, Secretary
Rob Lasater, Treasurer
Rodrigo Nieto Gómez, Director
Lana Andrianova, Director
Thomas Rogers, Director
Chris Capozzi, Director
Max Troyer, 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.
Tomasina Burgess
Chair
Tomasina Burgess
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
Vice Chair
Yhashika Lee
Vice Chair
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.
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.
Lana Andrianova
Director
Lana Andrianova, MD, MPH
Director
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
Director
Thomas Rogers
Director
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.
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.
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
Shelly Prebula, Vice Chair
Germaine NG, Director
Marty Momdjian, Director
Simona Mossbacher, 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.
Shelly Prebula
Director
Shelly Prebula
Director
Shelly has two children at MBCS and has been apart of the school for 5 years. She puts in hundreds of volunteer hours each school year because she loves what MBCS stands for. Shelly is currently a stay at home mom, but has a degree in marketing and product development. She has worked in that field for many years, including owning her own business. Shelly has volunteered in many different youth programs for the past 20 years. Has worn many hats such as director, advisor, councilor, event coordinator, teacher, coach etc.
Shelly’s other passion is traveling. Making multiple trips a year all over the country/world with her husband and children. When she’s not traveling you can find her watching soccer, driving her kids to sports/activities, spending time with friends and family, or just snuggling on the coach with her two dogs.
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
Simona Mossbacher
Director
Simona Mossbacher
Director
Bio TBA
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.
Subscribe Section
Subscribe to
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.
