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Leslie Walker Burlock:

Leslie, a San Francisco Native, has spent 20 years living on the East Coast and abroad returning to the Bay Area in fall of 2000. She worked for 10 years at ABC News in New York on a variety of shows, the last position being an associate producer on 20/20. Before joining ABC News, Leslie spent a year teaching English in China. She has served on the Board of Bowdoin College and the San Francisco Zoological Society. Leslie and her husband, Buzz, have two grade school age children.

Cecily Cameron:
Cecily graduated from Princeton University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She has 15 years of business experience in the financial services, high tech, non-profit and retail industries. She worked as a consultant with McKinsey and Company for 5 years, and her last position was Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Old Navy. She serves on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Zoo and Destination - U, a high tech start-up that works with schools and guidance counselors to match kids with appropriate college choices. Cecily and her husband Derek Schrier have 3 small children.

Eve Collard:

Eve Collard, a career consultant and leadership coach, has 20 years of business and sales experience in the technology, financial services, real estate and consumer product industries. Eve holds a BA in French and Education and an MA in Career Development, She is the co-author of an assessment workbook for high school students and their parents. Eve serves as chair of the Gateway Family Annual Fund. She and her husband, Bruce, have a daughter who is a Gateway graduate.

David deWilde:
David founded Chartwell Partners International, a San Francisco-based executive search firm recruiting senior executives primarily for private investment and financial services firms. Earlier, after graduating from Dartmouth College, he served in the Navy. He then received a JD from The University of Virginia School of Law and began his career as a Wall Street lawyer. He subsequently served in the Nixon and Ford Administrations, becoming President of Ginnie Mae. He moved to investment banking and later joined a new team at Fannie Mae where he participated in the turnaround of that company. In 1983, he moved to the Bay Area and became a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. After receiving his degree, he entered the search business. David has served as a director of five companies, both public and private. He also chaired the board of St. Luke's School. After selling Chartwell Partners, he retired in 2004. David and his wife, Katherine, have four children.

Catherine Cockrum Dean:
Cathy graduated from Brown University and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. She has 15 years of experience in financial services, industrial manufacturing, and high technology businesses. During the last 15 years in San Francisco, she has taken leadership roles with the Brown Club of Northern California and the Junior League of San Francisco. Since 2005, Cathy has served as the Chair of Gateway’s Board of Trustees. Cathy and her husband, Sandy, have three young children.

Robin Richards Donohoe:
Robin Richards Donohoe is a Founder and Managing Director of the Draper International and Draper Richards Venture Funds. The Draper International India Fund was the first western venture capital fund in India. Over the past 12 years, she has served on the boards of many portfolio companies. Robin is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina and holds a MBA from Stanford University. She currently serves on the boards of the Stanford Business School Trust, University of North Carolina College of Arts and Sciences, Bay Area Discovery Museum, the Advisory Council of Room to Read, and the Gladstone Institute at UCSF. Robin and her husband, Chris, have four young children.

Mark K. Felton, Ph.D:

Mark is an Associate Professor of Education at San José State University. As a teacher educator and research psychologist, he has focused his work on bringing effective literacy practices to struggling readers and writers, particularly through the use of classroom debate and discourse. He is currently Associate Chair in the Department of Secondary Education at San José State University and has published articles in Cognitive Development, Discourse Processes and The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Development from Columbia University.

Erika Gonçalves:
Erika is a member of Gateway High School's first graduating class of 2002, and is the youngest Trustee. While at Gateway, Erika became the student representative to the California Board of Education for the 2001-2002 term, representing the first charter school on the Board. Immediately after graduating from Gateway, Erika attended the University of San Francisco on a full scholarship, earning her B.A. in both Politics and Latin American Studies with high honors. While at USF, Erika participated in service immersion programs abroad in El Salvador, India, and Peru. During her Junior year, Erika studied at American University in Washington D.C. in an intense Politics program and interned at the Office of the Attorney General for D.C., in the Child Services Department. Erika now attends UC Hastings College of the Law and hopes to pursue a legal career. Outside of school Erika is also very active helping her mother run their restaurant in San Francisco, Canto do Brazil, and participates in an all-women's Salsa dance group, ¡Timbea!

Scott Gutterman:
Scott works for UBS Private Wealth Management providing investment management services to private investors, single-family offices, investment partnerships and foundations. Prior to joining UBS, Scott worked for Credit Suisse Securities from 2003-2008. Previously, Scott worked as an investment banker for 10 years, most recently for Merrill Lynch & Co. in the Leveraged Finance Group and Financial Sponsors Group. Scott earned a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an M.B.A from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia. Over the years, Scott has contributed his time and energy to local organizations including Glide Memorial Church and the San Francisco Food Bank. Scott and his wife, Cristina, live in San Francisco with their two children.

Susan Hoffman:

Susan is the founding director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at SFSU. For the past 10+ years, she has created new university and corporate programs in the arts, technology, and civic engagement. For a decade she represented California artists and arts organizations in Sacramento and Washington. Hoffman is a published writer, award-winning poet and independent filmmaker. She is the parent of a Gateway freshman.

William Johnston:
William teaches Humanities 9 and AP U.S. History in addition to serving as the co-Chair of the Humanities Department. Originally from Columbus, OH, he taught in Philadelphia for five years before moving to San Francisco in 2005. He has earned a BA in English from The Ohio State University and a MSEd from the University of Pennsylvania, and enjoys overbooking his free-time with cycling, traveling, and music.

Amy Joseph:

Amy is an attorney in San Francisco who has specialized in Immigration law for the past 25 years. Having graduated McGill University in Montreal with a degree in Romance Languages – emphasizing Spanish, French and Italian – she then earned her J.D. from USF School of Law. Amy has always been a strong advocate for immigrants’ rights and legal reform, not just in private practice but also in the non-profit world of Jewish family and Children’s Services and the Bar Association of San Francisco. She has been a classroom volunteer at Gateway and has been active in numerous community projects. Amy is strongly committed to making Gateway an exemplary school, providing the best education and educational environment for its diverse student body. Amy and her husband Herb have a daughter Anna who will graduate with the class of 2009, and a son Ari who graduated in the class of 2006 and now attends UC Davis.

Omar Khalif:

Omar a resident of San Francisco for the past19 years, has four daughters ranging in ages from 11 to19. He and his wife Carla of 21 years have a child attending Gateway. Omar has spent his entire professional career working with at-risk youth and families. Omar founded Kiss Her Music Publishing LLC and is a consultant to the Juvenile Probation Department. He is a graduate of New College of California with a BA in Humanities, holds a Mediation Certificate from Dominican College, San Rafael, CA and also holds a Peace Officer Certificate from Ever Green College, San Jose, CA. Omar has served as the chairperson of the (PAC) Parent Advisory Council to SFUSD.

Donna Liu:

Donna's career has focused on public policy in the government, banking and non-profit sectors.  She is experienced in land use planning, transportation planning, facility planning and architecture.  She most recently spent six years working on environmental issues at the national and state levels with the Natural Resources Defense Council.  She holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Columbia.

Joyce McMinn:

Joyce is an elementary school teacher who has been tutoring children of all ages since 1982. Her community service has included several volunteer organizations and boards, including the Diversity Task force of the Junior League of San Francisco and Youth Advocates. She is married with three children. Her daughter graduated from Gateway in June 2002. For several years Joyce and her husband chaired the Gateway parent's annual fund.

Judith McRae:

Judith McRae is currently the Deputy CIO for the Charles Schwab Bank, a subsidiary of Charles Schwab & Co., located here in San Francisco. Judith has over 20+ years experience in information technology in multiple industries, including financial services, transportation and insurance. She holds a BA in Economics and a BA in Music Theory from Colby College in Waterville, Me. Judith is an active advocate for those with learning differences and is currently on the advisory board for the Learning Institute at CPMC. Judith is a mother of twin boys, one of whom is a sophomore at Gateway.

Gale Mondry:
Gale, one of Gateway’s founders and a past Board Chair. practiced law for twenty years -- eleven of them as the Vice President for Legal Services at California Pacific Medical Center. More recently, she served as Chief Program Officer at the Koret Foundation. She is a past President of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, and has also served on the Board of the Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Museum. Gale and her husband, a high school teacher, have four children.

Toye Moses:
A San Francisco resident since 1974, Toye originally hails from Nigeria, and arrived in the United States in 1965. Toye attended the University of Colorado, Fisk University, San Jose State University, University of San Francisco, and California College of Podiatry Medicine. He holds a Ph.D. and a professional Master Degree in Public Health Education. Toye has been commended for his outstanding work as the Executive Director of the Southeast Community Facility Commission; a commission dedicated to improving the economy and quality of healthcare in the Bayview Hunter’s Point area. He has volunteered his time and energy to many non-profit boards. He is married and has four young adult children.

Erin Plunkett Niehaus:

Erin brings a strong background in finance and a passion for academic excellence to the board. She earned her B.A. at Georgetown University, an MBA in Finance from New York University and a graduate certificate in Financial Planning from Golden Gate University. She currently serves as the President of the Advisory Board at St. Vincent de Paul School, and is also a representative of its Finance Committee. She is a founding board member of the Serra Preschool where she remains actively involved. Erin lives in San Francisco with her husband, Matthew, and their four children.

Sharon Olken:

Sharon is the Principal of Gateway. Sharon earned a B.A. from Harvard University where she played varsity soccer and coordinated a community-service program at a local elementary school. Before coming to Gateway Sharon spent two years working for Senator Feinstein and earned her M.A. in education at Stanford University where she also taught a course titled "Educating for Equity and Democracy." Sharon taught humanities for five years at Homestead High School in Cupertino. She spent three years teaching in the Gateway Humanities program and served as Dean of Faculty.

Mayer Riff:

Mayer is the Assistant Head for Finance & Operations at Marin Country Day School in Corte Madera and was previously in a similar role at Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Francisco. Prior to this, Mayer spent 20 years in industry in a variety of finance and accounting roles, working mostly in the telecom and electronics manufacturing industries. Mayer currently serves on the Board of ISBOA (the Bay Area Independent Schools Business Officer Association). Mayer has an MBA from the Walter A. Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, and is a CPA. Mayer’s wife Linda is the Director of Finance & Operations at Drew School in San Francisco, his daughter is a teacher at Crestview Preparatory in La Canada and his son-in-law is a teacher at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles.

Leon Schmidt:

Leon is the Program Director of 350 Golden Gate Adult Day Health Center, in San Francisco. Previous to this, Leon was an Admissions Officer in the Office of Undergraduate Admission at U.C. Berkeley. Leon is married, and his son is a student at Gateway.

Suzanne Schutte:
Suzanne is one of Gateway’s founders and a past Board Chair. She is currently the Associate Director of College Counseling at the Urban School. Before returning to her native San Francisco, she worked as a lead teacher and program director for special education programs at Evanston Township High School in Illinois and taught at Denby High School in Detroit. She has also served on the Board of Trustees at The Urban School and Marin Country Day School and the Advisory Boards of Aim High and the Parent Education Network. Suzanne and her husband, Will, have three children.

Ellice Sperber:
Ellice, a native of Los Angeles and thirty-year San Francisco resident, is a retired American Sign Language Interpreter and Deaf-Blind Specialist. She most recently has been focusing her attentions on advocating for students with learning disabilities, serving on the Northern California boards of The International Dyslexia Association and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. Ellice lives with her partner, Dale Van Fossan, and her two daughters, one of whom is a Gateway graduate

Laura Spivy:

Laura received her MBA from Stanford University and Economics/East Asian

studies BA from Wesleyan University. Laura has a diverse business background

with experience in corporate finance, private equity investing, and general business management and operations. Laura previously ran operations for a division of health clubs for 24 Hour Fitness and most recently did general business consulting to start-ups in the health and wellness industries. Laura and her husband, Greg, have three children.

Peter Thorp:
Peter was the founding Principal of Gateway and served as its Executive Director until 2007. Peter is currently the Interim CEO and Chief of Staff of the California Charter Schools Association, the statewide member association whose mission is to increase student achievement through the growth of high quality charter schools. Prior to becoming Gateway's principal in 1998, Peter was the headmaster of Cate School in Santa Barbara, and he taught history for eighteen years at Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs. Peter graduated from Williams College with a degree in art history, has an M.Ed. from Boston State College and has done advanced study at the University of Colorado and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Gregory L. Toler:
Gregory L. Toler is a native San Franciscan. He holds a BA in Social Sciences from University of California, Berkeley and MA in Sports Management from the University of San Francisco. He is the Human Resources Manager for the San Francisco Federal Credit Union. He also officiates Division 1-AA, Division II, Division III and Junior College football. Gregory and his wife, Delana, have one young child.

Aaron Watson:

Aaron teaches 11th grade Humanities and is the Boom House mentor. Prior to coming to Gateway in 2005, he taught at a non-public school in Oakland, CA and worked for 5 years with youth and families involved in the Alameda County foster care system. He received his BA in History from Brown University and his M.Ed. at the University of California at Berkeley. Beyond teaching and reading, Aaron enjoys traveling, gardening and exploring the outdoors.

Katherine Welch:

Katherine received her MBA from Harvard University and a BA in Public Policy Studies from Duke University. Katherine has a diverse business background with experience in corporate finance, venture capital, non-profit education and general business management and operations. She has been actively involved as a volunteer in the non-profit sector for over 20 years. Most recently, Katherine worked with several start ups in the medical and technology sectors. Katherine and her partner, Clement, have two grade school age children.