It is with great pleasure that we write to introduce and welcome new trustees to the Mark Day School Board for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Each fall, the Board of Trustees undertakes a year-long process to assemble a diverse board with the appropriate skills and experiences to steward Mark Day School's long term health and advance strategic initiatives. Led by the Board's Governance Committee, this process involves great care and consideration and follows the National Association of Independent Schools' (NAIS) best practices for governance. 

As these new Trustees begin their terms on July 1, 2022, we thank them for generously offering their time and talent to the Board:

Chris Abate, parent to Ava (7th), Cora (4th), and Olivia (3rd), joins the Board with extensive business management and finance skills and experience, as well as community leadership. Chris is CEO of Redwood Trust, one of the largest publicly traded employers in Marin. He also oversees the Redwood Foundation, an affiliate of the Marin Community Foundation. Chris's passion for education comes from being part of a family of teachers and serving the community. Chris earned a BA in accounting and finance from Western Michigan University and an MBA from UC Berkeley and Columbia University. 

Paul Austin joins our Board as a trustee from our local community, bringing his experience as a youth advocate and education professional to the Board. As a 3rd generation native of Marin, Paul is a longtime Marin City community leader. He founded Play Marin, which provides opportunities for children of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to play, learn, and grow together through organized athletics. Paul cites character development, diversity, and inclusion as paramount to the success of the programs he has developed, including a successful summer collaboration with Mark Day School. Paul earned a BA in early childhood education and teaching at Texas Southern University and a BA in Psychology at Dominican University.

Mike Beck, parent to Cole (4th) and Caleesi (3rd), brings his skills in finance, investment strategies and planning to the Board, along with his experience as a small business owner.  Mike is Managing Director at Actuarial Business Solutions and previously spent 18 years with various hedge funds and asset managers. He also is very active in youth sports, having coached soccer, softball, lacrosse, and baseball.  Mike is a CFA and earned a BS in finance from Miami University (Ohio).

Dr. Christine Metzger, our faculty trustee, teaches 7th and 8th grade science at Mark Day School and is known for her passion for sparking curiosity in her students, her commitment to hands-on, inquiry-based learning, and her deep science knowledge. She began her career working with middle school and high school students through the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). At the college level, Christine taught geology, paleontology, and earth science as well as environmental science and the scientific method as a graduate fellow and assistant professor. Ms. Metzger earned her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Oregon.

Andrea Urda Rijo, parent to Devin (3rd) and Miya (1st), is an experienced broadcast journalist.  From spring fundraiser MC to room parent, from admissions tour guide to hot lunch server, Andrea has volunteered on campus in many capacities. Andrea is an Emmy Award winning sports reporter and a sports anchor for KPIX CBS. She is active in the Asian American Journalists Association. Andrea earned a BA in broadcast communications and electronic arts from San Francisco State University.  

Katie Shannon, parent to Oliver (2nd) and Finn (K), brings her extensive business management, executive recruiting, and community leadership skills to the Board. Katie is the global managing partner of the Digital practice and a partner of the Technology Officers practice at Heidrick & Struggles, one of the premier technology executive search firms in the world. Katie previously served on the board of Make-A-Wish foundation in Illinois. She earned her BS from Marquette University in international business, marketing, and French.  

Welcoming a new slate of trustees is always bittersweet, as we bid farewell to an outstanding group of outgoing trustees who have made significant contributions to Mark Day School. Completing their terms this year are: Lindsay Bartsh, Sharina Belani, faculty trustee Silvia Buckley, Alexander Fraser, Andrew Kawahara, and trustee emerita Ashley Ransom. 

Please join us in extending a sincere thank you to each of these trustees for their thoughtful and professional collaboration over the years and their unwavering commitment to Mark Day School and its mission.

Finally, as another successful school year comes to end, we thank you for your continued trust and confidence in the work of the Board.

Kind regards,

The Mark Day School Board of Trustees