Cal-ISBOA News

May 28, 2025

The 2025 Cal-ISBOA Annual Conference began with our Welcome Reception where members mingled and enjoyed a drink together. Guests were then treated to an amazing dinner served by The Claremont Resort & Club.

Outgoing Cal-ISBOA Board President Manuel Pardo opened our evening together by welcoming us all to another year’s annual gathering of our diverse and engaging community (see left). Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi echoed this welcome, expressed gratitude to the many devoted members who contributed to Cal-ISBOA’s 2025 signature spring events, and led us all in a toast to the bridges we’ve already built and the new ones we will build together, honoring our conference theme: Bridge to the Future. From there, our evening unfurled in a progression of tasty courses and engaging conversations among our 150 guests.

Each year, this extended time of breaking bread together offers an unbeatable opportunity for attendees to reconnect with their friends, get to know the sponsors who support our events, and build community within the field of independent schools Business, HR, Facilities, and Operations Officers in California.

We hope you will join us next year for the 2026 Cal-ISBOA Welcome Reception and Kick-off Dinner in Southern California! Cal-ISBOA members can purchase tickets as part of registration for our spring events. Keep an eye out for details next February!

Please enjoy a selection of photos of our 2025 Welcome Reception and Kick-off Dinner below.

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May 21, 2025

Renowned Human Resources authority Paul Falcone keynoted both the Cal-ISBOA HR Workshop and Facilities Workshop on May 4, 2025. Paul is an expert on effective hiring, performance management, and leadership development, specializing in helping companies build higher performing leadership teams. Paul is also a bestselling author and dynamic presenter who offers years of HR leadership experience at prestigious organizations from the Fortune 500 to startups, with experience in union, nonprofit, and international environments. He spent three decades in HR executive roles at organizations such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, NBCUniversal, Time Warner,and City of Hope Cancer Center Hospital.

Left: Paul Falcone presents his keynote "Leadership Offense and Defense Strategies: Mastering Collaboration, Teambuilding, and Accountability" at the Cal-ISBOA HR Workshop on May 4, 2025 at The Claremont Resort & Club.

Paul led each of our groups through important lessons and strategies for driving higher employee performance in both HR and Facilities spaces. Balancing supportive leadership with expectations of employee accountability, Paul delivered actionable leadership insights, such as:

• Engaging in constructive conversations that build employee self-confidence or that require greater accountability
• Employing the leader-as-coach model to build your leadership bench 
• Building “team emotional intelligence” by creating and sustaining a culture based on trust, respect, and open communication
• Engaging in tough conversations or formal progressive disciplinary interventions

Workshop registrants received an email with links to Paul's presentations and more.

May 19, 2025

World-renowned futurist, game designer, and bestselling author Dr. Jane McGonigal keynoted our 2025 Annual Meeting & Conference on May 5. In her role as Director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future, Dr. McGonigal designs simulations and experiences that help people build mental resilience and rehearse for complex futures.

Dr. McGonigal holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was among the first to study the impact of games on human behavior. Her work has reached millions through her bestselling books Reality is Broken, SuperBetter, and Imaginable, and her TED Talks (viewed over 15 million times) have made her one of the leading voices on the psychology of transformation.

Jane shared insights on how to approach uncertainty with creativity, reframe challenges as opportunities, and strengthen our capacity to lead our schools through change. Jane challenged us to think boldly about what’s ahead and how we prepare for it.

She taught us several unique approaches and strategies to invoke our creativity and led us through some "mental time travel" where we imagined and inhabited specific futures and engaged our mental flexibility.

Jane also created a custom AI tool just for our conference, and registrants received an email with links to this tool and other materials from her presentation to help us continue to envision and build a Bridge to the Future.

Right: Jane McGonigal presents her keynote "Urgent Optimism" at the Cal-ISBOA Annual Conference on May 5, 2025 at The Claremont Resort & Club.

May 13, 2025

We are grateful that so many of you attended our Annual Conference, HR Workshop, and Facilities Workshop last week in the Berkeley Hills! We shared two days of professional learning and networking at The Claremont Resort & Club. Your active participation, insightful discussions, and unwavering support truly made this event memorable.

We hope you had as much fun as we did! Enjoy some photo evidence below. 

We are so grateful to our Annual Conference Committee, chaired by Natalie Morales (Chandler School), HR Subcommittee, chaired by Marya Davis (Head-Royce School), and Facilities Subcommittee, chaired by Matt Riddle (Marlborough School) and Vice-Chaired by Pamela Connor (Campbell Hall). Your tireless and visionary leadership fuels our organization and enables Cal-ISBOA to deliver high-quality professional development and networking opportunities to our unique community.

Special thanks go out to our Annual Corporate Sponsors for providing members with affordable access to these events.

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May 5, 2025

We are thrilled to announce that Lisa Turchan, CFOO at The Buckley School, has received the 2025 MACI Award!

Named after Cal-ISBOA’s founding Executive Director, The Martha Ambros Community Impact (MACI) Award is given to a member of the California independent school community who has distinguished themself through their engagement in professional development activities, their connection with fellow members, and their impact within the Cal-ISBOA community. Consistent with Martha’s leadership, recipients will have transcended their role as an employee of an independent school by furthering the hallmarks of our association: collegiality, connectedness, integrity, and friendship within and across school communities.

Inaugurated in 2024, the Martha Ambros Community Impact Award is presented annually at the Cal-ISBOA annual meeting. Lisa received her award, presented by Cal-ISBOA Board President Manuel Pardo (Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences) and Board Members Rebecca Rowland (Campbell Hall) and Nicole Pennington (Los Encinos School) during the 2025 Annual Meeting in Berkeley.

Left: Cal-ISBOA President Manuel Pardo and Board Members Rebecca Rowland and Nicole Pennington present the 2025 MACI award to Lisa Turchan at the Claremont Resort & Club in the Berkeley Hills.

Lisa Turchan started her Independent School journey as a Chief Financial Officer in 2004 at The Buckley School, and she is still serving at the same school today. Lisa served on the Cal-ISBOA Board from 2012 to 2016, and she continues to serve as a regional liaison and participates in the Cal-ISBOA mentor program. She also currently serves on the NBOA board, representing California on the national level.

Lisa is the embodiment of the spirit of Cal-ISBOA. She believes in the missions of our schools, and she believes in ensuring that the business operations of independent schools remain strong and unimpeachable. Having transitioned into the independent school world from the entertainment industry, Lisa understands the need for mentorship and peer support in our professions. Lisa has been a long-time "connector" within the Cal-ISBOA community for many years. She reaches out to new Business Officers in a quiet and unassuming way, just to let them know that she's available, should they need advice or guidance regarding the unique nature of independent schools. We are so fortunate to have Lisa as a leader in our community!

About winning this year’s MACI Award, Lisa says,

It’s truly an honor to be recognized by my peers for something I love doing. I’ve always believed that as you give to the world, the world gives back to you—and over the past 20 years, I’ve received far more in return through the deep friendships, meaningful connections, and spirit of collegiality within this community.

I was fortunate to have worked closely with Martha Ambros during her leadership at Cal-ISBOA, and I carry forward the high standards she set. Her example is an inspiration and I’m deeply grateful for the long-standing relationships I’ve built within this community. I thank each of you for your collaboration, support, and camaraderie.

Alona Scott, Head of School of The Buckley School, adds her congratulations and says,

We are thrilled that Lisa is being honored by Cal-ISBOA as the recipient of the Martha Ambros Community Impact Award. Lisa has a brilliant mind, and an ever-expanding heart. This award is a tribute to her consistent efforts to welcome, embrace, and connect independent school professionals.

When Lisa arrived at Buckley 20+ years ago, the school was running an annual operating deficit. Working strategically, Lisa has not only led the school to financial health, including the development of a $55M+ endowment, but she has also overseen the successful expansion of the CUP and campus master planning, including the construction of six buildings, the most recent of which will open this summer. In addition, Lisa has shepherded the school through a number of challenging times, ranging from the markets of 2008 to the pandemic to the impact of Hollywood Strikes and, just this year, the fires in Los Angeles.

Working side by side with her has been a gift. All of us in the independent school world are lucky to have her as a colleague and those of us who are really lucky, also get to call her a friend.

Lisa joins the Cal-ISBOA Board of Directors and staff in encouraging our community to start thinking NOW about who you’d like to recognize with the 2026 award! Speaking to why 2026 nominations are important, Lisa says,

The role of the business officer and the business office is often behind the scenes. While our contributions may not always be visible to the broader school community, they are deeply understood by our peers. We cannot do our jobs if it is not for the continual support we get from each other, whether it’s answering a question on the listserv, sharing school data for benchmarking, talking through a complex situation only another business officer would grasp, or simply exchanging a laugh over lunch—we are stronger because of each other.

We know the value of these relationships and the importance of recognizing and thanking each other. This nomination is a sign of gratitude, a thank you for being there, and an acknowledgment of the impact it had on your journey. Most of all, it is a continuation of the tradition of mutual support that defines our community.

Although we will not announce 2026 award nominations until after the first of the year, you may submit nominations for next year’s award at any time through this form:

NOMINATE YOUR COLLEAGUES

To be eligible for this award, individuals must demonstrate active involvement in our community through engagement in the Listserv, conferences, and other programming offered by Cal-ISBOA. Current Board members are not eligible.

In the spirit of celebrating service in our community, the Board invites all Cal-ISBOA members to nominate members worthy of this prestigious recognition.

Our nomination form will collect some basic information to facilitate our award administration as well as a simple statement about why you believe the nominee deserves this recognition based on the award description.

Please send any questions about this award to Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi at scarlett.vanyi@isboa.org.

We are pleased to announce that the 2025 Election of the Cal-ISBOA Board of Directors has been completed. Thanks to our member schools for taking part in this important governance process!

We welcome the following newly elected Board members for their first term, 2025-2028: 

• John Amussen, Chaminade College Preparatory, Chatsworth

• Terry Lee, The Nueva School, Hillsborough

• Jennifer Macias, Sonoma Country Day School, Santa Rosa

• Eleazar Madrid, Redwood Day School, Oakland

The Following Board Members were reelected to continue serving for a second term, 2025-2028: 

• Sheba McCoy, The College Preparatory School, Oakland

• Deepika Nabar, Archbishop Mitty High School, San Jose

• Erik Paxman, Silicon Valley International School, Palo Alto

• Rebecca Rowland, Campbell Hall, North Hollywood

For 2025-2026, our Board Officers will be:

• President: Nicole Pennington, Los Encinos School, Encino

• Vice President: Ken Parr, Carlthorp School, Santa Monica

• Vice President: Erik Paxman, Silicon Valley International School, Palo Alto

• Treasurer: Steve Bajc, Chinese American International School, San Francisco

• Secretary: Jane Davis, The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles

Congratulations to all new and returning Board members! Thank you for your service to our community.

April 2, 2025

There’s still time to nominate your colleagues for the 2025 Martha Ambros Community Impact Award!

**Deadline extended**: Nominations must be submitted by midnight on April 9.

Named after Cal-ISBOA’s founding Executive Director, the Martha Ambros Community Impact (MACI) Award is given to a member of the California independent school community who has distinguished themselves through their engagement in professional development activities, their connection with fellow members, and their impact within the Cal-ISBOA community. Consistent with Martha’s leadership, recipients will have transcended their role as an employee of an independent school by furthering the hallmarks of our association: collegiality, connectedness, integrity, and friendship within and across school communities.

Inaugurated last year, the Martha Ambros Community Impact Award will be presented annually at the Cal-ISBOA annual meeting. Angela Oliver, HR Director of Sage Hill School, received the 2024 MACI Award in recognition of her distinguished service to her school, to Cal-ISBOA, and to the independent school community.

Angela Oliver is the founding Director of Human Resources at Sage Hill School, where she is in her 24th year of service. Becoming a member of Cal-ISBOA in 2012, Angela was the very first non-financial officer to serve on our Board of Directors from 2013 to 2018. She was a key member of the planning committee for the first statewide Cal-ISBOA conference held in 2013 in LA after the North and South branches of our organization merged. She was instrumental in developing the HR programming and awareness at Cal-ISBOA and helped to launch the HR Workshop and Roundtable gatherings, where she remains a frequent presenter and valued participant.

Opposite: Cal-ISBOA Past President Nick Hernandez and Current President Manuel Pardo present the 2024 MACI award to Angela Oliver at the Garland Hotel in North Hollywood.

About winning last year’s MACI Award, Angela says, “When I received the 2024 Award, I felt so lucky. To me, this award is not only about the work I do, but about everyone else in our community and how I get so much more than I give. There is no better honor than to be recognized by your peers! They are in the trenches with you, and they truly understand what you do, so this is such a special honor. Thank you!”

Angela joins the Board of Directors and Cal-ISBOA staff in encouraging nominations for the 2025 Martha Ambros Community Impact Award. She says, “All of us in the business office work behind the scenes, and many don’t know what we do, but we’re actually the backbone of why independent schools function. We aren’t the reason students or their parents select our schools—-but we are an important part of how independent schools survive and thrive to serve their students. This important service deserves recognition! Nominate your colleagues to honor our community’s service to each other and to our schools.”

Angela joins the Board of Directors and Cal-ISBOA staff in encouraging nominations for the 2025 Martha Ambros Community Impact Award!

To be eligible for this award, individuals must demonstrate active involvement in our community through engagement in the Listserv, conferences, and other programming offered by Cal-ISBOA. Current Board members are not eligible.

In the spirit of celebrating service in our community, the Board invites all Cal-ISBOA members to nominate members worthy of this prestigious recognition. 

NOMINATE

Our nomination form will collect some basic information to facilitate our award administration as well as a simple statement about why you believe the nominee deserves this recognition based on the award description.

We will announce the recipient of this year’s Martha Ambros Community Impact Award at the Annual Meeting on Monday, May 5, 2025. We hope to see you there!

Please send any questions about this award to Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi at scarlett.vanyi@isboa.org.

March 28, 2025

The Cal-ISBOA Board of Directors has announced the 2025 slate for new and returning Board members, and the election is now underway. The primary contact at each member school has received emails with instructions about how to cast a vote on behalf of their school. Electronic voting will close on April 30, and all member schools yet to cast a ballot will have a final opportunity to vote in person just prior to the Annual Meeting on Monday, May 5. Please contact Executive Director Scarlett Vanyi if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you to the following candidates for their willingness to serve our community:

Board Officers:

• President: Nicole Pennington, Los Encinos School, Encino
• Vice President: Ken Parr, Carlthorp School, Santa Monica
• Vice President: Erik Paxman, Silicon Valley International School, Palo Alto
• Treasurer: Steve Bajc, Chinese American International School, San Francisco
• Secretary: Jane Davis, The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles

Second Term Board Members:

• Sheba McCoy, The College Preparatory School, Oakland
• Deepika Nabar, Archbishop Mitty High School, San Jose
• Erik Paxman, Silicon Valley International School, Palo Alto
• Rebecca Rowland, Campbell Hall, North Hollywood
  

New Board Members:

• John Amussen, Chaminade College Preparatory, Chatsworth
• Terry Lee, The Nueva School, Hillsborough
• Jennifer Macias, Sonoma Country Day School, Santa Rosa
• Eleazar Madrid, Redwood Day School, Oakland

Election results will be announced during the Annual Meeting, Monday, May 5.