Cal-ISBOA News

We thank Senior Admin. Officer & Chief of Staff Cozy Darby for sharing an impactful tour of Oaks Christian School with Cal-ISBOA! Located in Westlake Village and serving grades TK - 12 with a boarding component, Oaks Christian School is founded upon a non-denominational Biblical Worldview, preparing minds for leadership and hearts for service. The impressively large campus features beautiful sports fields, performance spaces, innovation labs for working with metal, wood, and other materials, gaming stations for game design, robotics labs, and highly specialized labs for studying medicine and anatomy. Known for its many famous alumni athletes, Oaks Christian provides pathways for students to pursue excellence in academics, arts, and athletics, prioritizing different tracks based on their interests. Thanks again to Cozy and the whole Oaks Christian Team for their generous hospitality!

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The Cal-ISBOA Bylaws identify an Executive Committee that can act in the place of the Board between Board meetings on urgent matters. The committee is composed of five officers and up to two Board members.

During the September 27-28, 2026 Board meeting, Incoming President Ken Parr (Carlthorp School) asked for the Board’s ratification of two Board members for appointment to the 2026-2027 Executive Committee. In addition to Incoming President Ken Parr (Carlthorp School), Vice President Erik Paxman (Silicon Valley International School), Incoming Vice President Natalie Morales (Chandler School), Incoming Treasurer Deepika Nabar (Archbishop Mitty High School), Incoming Secretary Rebecca Rowland (Campbell Hall), the committee will include two Board appointees, Keith Powell (The Athenian School) and Jennifer Macias (Sonoma Country Day School).

The Board is pleased to confirm the appointment of these esteemed colleagues to the committee!

Last week, our Board of Directors gathered for the annual Cal-ISBOA Board Retreat and Fall Meeting at the beautiful Westlake Village Inn & Spa in Westlake Village. President Ken Parr and Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi planned a productive and fun retreat agenda, balancing critical conversations and decision-making with enriching teambuilding activities. We discovered that we have 242.5 cumulative years of experience in indy schools and 423 years in our field(s). That's a lot of wisdom around our Board table!

We sped through a fast-paced itinerary that included addressing association business, strategic plan priorities for the year, and strengthening camaraderie over delicious meals and an adventurous team building activity, all in just 24 hours. This Board and staff are definitely revved up and ready for the fast lane to success!

We are looking forward to a wonderful year together serving the Cal-ISBOA membership!

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We thank Director of Facilities David Marcus for sharing a wonderful tour of de Toledo High School with us! This private Jewish high school in the West Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles provides its students with a tight-knit community rooted in kindness, joy, and Jewish values. From a beautiful library, to well-stocked science labs, an indoor pool, and a multi-use Makerspace, students are encouraged to develop an ethical grounding as they engage in ambitious learning across different subjects. Benches painted by students adorn outdoor common spaces. Known for their exemplary lockdown drills across the California indy school community, deToledo High School facilities have an emergency kit and fire extinguisher in each classroom as well as a high-security lock on every door. Thanks again to David Marcus for his generous hospitality!

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We thank Head of School Angela Taylor, Facilities Manager Jennifer Cooper, and Controller Tatiana Gazieva for a wonderful tour of Park Day School! Focusing on Progressive Education and nurturing the whole child, Park Day is a K-8 school in the Temescal neighborhood of North Oakland. Its sunny 4-acre campus features many deliberate play areas for kids to gather, including a nature-zone, a Yurt, and a fairy tree, as well as both historical and new classroom structures. Founded in 1976, Park Day cultivates a joyful and dynamic learning community, preparing students to be informed, courageous, and compassionate people. Thanks again to Angela, Jennifer, and Tatiana for their kind hospitality!

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We thank CFO Thanh Tran for an exciting tour of The College Preparatory School campus! Tucked into a glen in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland and surrounded by hills, College Prep is an academically rigorous high school that values community and kindness as much as intellectual discovery and deep learning. The campus offers a multitude of beautiful outdoor gathering spaces to support students connecting with each other in nature and enjoying the beautiful Bay Area weather. Balancing the introduction of new facilities with historical aesthetics, College Prep’s leadership has worked hard to seamlessly match original construction as they add new buildings through time. Thanks again to Thanh for her generous hospitality!

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OAKLAND & LOS ANGELES, CA — As our member schools prepare to begin another school year, we gathered on August 3 and 4 for the association’s annual "So Long, Summer Soirées." Hosted by Jerry Mullaney at Head-Royce School in Oakland and Lisa Turchan of The Buckley School in Los Angeles, regional networking events like this offer business officers a chance to reflect on summer operations, share best practices, and build peer connections before the back-to-school rush begins.

Both events featured informal networking, seasonal refreshments, and lively discussions about Summer highlights and Fall preparations. 

Regional gatherings serve as a core pillar of the Cal-ISBOA mission, providing business officers with a dedicated space to collaborate outside of formal events such as our Annual Conference and Workshops.

With the summer soirées concluded, Cal-ISBOA members turn their full focus to welcoming faculty, staff, and students back to campus for the new school year, equipped with fresh ideas and strengthened professional networks.

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June 29, 2026

Director of HR (and HR Subcommittee member) Beverly Christie gave Peggy an incredible tour of The Bentley School’s Lafayette Campus, where grades 9-12 are offered in a beautiful setting surrounded by rolling hills and featuring an open-air quad. The high school experience is a perfect continuation of the foundation that begins at The Bentley School’s lower campus (K-8) in Oakland, and Bentley’s highly competitive athletics program is a draw for many students. At the Lafayette Campus, the open layout and flexible class schedule prepares students well for the freedom and responsibilities of college life, and Bentley high schoolers come to own their daily routines and build their independence as learners.

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June 22, 2026

While in the area for the NorCal Facilities Workshop, Cal-ISBOA Membership Engagement Manager Peggy Marshall was hosted by COO (and Cal-ISBOA Board Member) Keith Powell and Operations Manager (and Facilities & Campus Operations Subcommittee member) Bridget Guerra for a wonderful tour of The Athenian School campus. Instilling an expansive, ongoing journey of knowledge seeking in its students, The Athenian School occupies a sprawling 42-acre campus in the beautiful foothills of Mount Diablo, where it offers grades 6 through 12, with a boarding option for high schoolers. During the visit, Peggy was excited to learn about how the school is preparing for their upcoming Reunion day held on campus every year for all Athenian Alumni.

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June 15, 2026

Thank You for helping to make our Northern California Facilities Workshop a success! We shared an invigorating day of professional learning and networking, topped off with a tour of the incomparable Head-Royce School in Oakland from Director of Alumni Relations Julie Kim-Beal. Your active participation, insightful discussions, and unwavering support truly made this event memorable.

Our small but mighty group had a blast together! Please enjoy some photos from the event below.

We are so grateful to our Facilities Subcommittee, chaired by Matt Riddle (Marlborough School) and Vice-Chaired by Pamela Connor (The Archer School for Girls). Your committed leadership throughout planning and hosting the workshop was essential, enabling Cal-ISBOA to deliver a high-quality experience in support of Facilities Directors, CFOs, and others who handle the unique work of Facilities at their independent schools.

Special thanks go out to our generous Sponsor Building Solutions for supporting the Northern California Facilities Workshop!

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