Board of Trustees
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Berkeley School is governed by a volunteer board of directors who work together to ensure that the school has the resources necessary to achieve its strategic goals and fulfill its mission.
Melissa Anderson
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Melissa and her husband have two sons at The Berkeley School, both of whom began their journeys at the Early Childhood Campus before coming to the University Avenue Campus. She is an architect at Backen & Backen in Sausalito, where she designs wineries and residential estates across the Bay Area and beyond. She has been an active member of the school community, serving as a classroom coordinator at both the ECC and UAC, contributing to the Campus Stewardship Committee and supporting architectural permitting efforts for campus projects.
Originally from Nebraska, Melissa began her professional journey in education before transitioning to architecture, She earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis, where she focused on philosophy and the history of math and science. Through the New York City Teaching Fellows program, she taught high school math in Brooklyn and earned a Master of Science in Teaching, specializing in secondary math education. She later changed careers by completing a Master of Architecture degree at the University of Oregon, and a technical teaching certificate in architecture.
Jessica Boualavong
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Jessica Boualavong is a dedicated educator with over 15 years of experience in the classroom. She currently teaches Lower School Science, STEM, and Technology Integration at Town School for Boys in San Francisco, where she designed and leads a hands-on K–4 science curriculum that exceeds the Next Generation Science Standards by integrating engineering practices and technology benchmarks. She also mentors new teachers and co-leads professional development workshops to support innovative, student-centered teaching.
Jessica holds a B.S. in Neurobiology and Physiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Adams State University. She earned a STEM Leadership certificate through Teachers College at Columbia University, in partnership with NASA, where she further developed her work in equity-focused science education.
Jessica identifies as Lao with Chinese ancestry and is the daughter of refugees. She is dedicated to fostering inclusive communities and supporting the professional development of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) educators in independent schools. She has served as a host and convener for the AAPI Affinity Group at the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference. She contributes to equity initiatives in both formal and informal education spaces. At the California Academy of Sciences, she served on the Hive (donor) advisory council and the DEI training panel for docents and volunteers.
Jessica lives in downtown San Francisco with her husband, Adrian, founder of the legal aid nonprofit Open Door Legal, and their two cats, Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, knitting sweaters, testing new tech, traveling, and reading with her favorite boba drinks.
Kendall Bright
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As a proud parent of two boys currently attending TBS and a former Montessori teacher, Kendall brings both professional experience and a deeply personal commitment to the success of The Berkeley School’s community. Her passion for education is rooted in firsthand knowledge of what teachers need to thrive and what children require to grow — academically, socially, and emotionally.
Kendall is dedicated to fostering a school environment where educators feel supported, valued, and empowered. She believes in prioritizing social-emotional development as a foundation for lifelong learning, and recognizes the importance of strong school-community partnerships in developing and strengthening that foundation.
Kendall’s goal is to help shape a future in which every child is seen, heard, and given the opportunity to succeed, and she is honored to bring both her commitment to collaboration and heart for service to her work as a TBS trustee.
Ariel Craft
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Ariel Craft is Head of Development at UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science, where she leads individual and corporate philanthropy. Previously, Ariel served as Director of Alumni Relations at Marin Academy in San Rafael, emphasizing alumni community building and alumni family fundraising. She spent more than a decade working in Bay Area nonprofit theater, including serving as Executive Artistic Director at Cutting Ball Theater in San Francisco, running her own performance collective, and directing plays at neighborhood spots like Shotgun Players.
Ariel was born and raised in North Berkeley and attended Bay Area independent schools from preschool through high school, before a 4-year stint in New York City for college. She now lives in Berkeley, again, with her husband Brian, daughter Chava, and their two dogs, Chava is part of the Magnolia Classroom at the ECC and Ariel is a Magnolia Classroom Coordinator.
Juma Crawford
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Juma Crawford, Executive Director of the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation, has been a leader in the philanthropic, nonprofit, and education space for over twenty years. He previously served as President of the Lewis Family Foundation where he oversaw a $75.2M pledged dollar investment portfolio of both private and corporate giving, disseminating an average of $9.8M annually to high-performing nonprofits, schools, and institutions of higher education – in addition to launching significant initiatives designed to increase access to education, jobs, executive coaching, and funding for students, youth, and leaders of color nationwide.
A native of the Bay Area, Juma received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Amherst College, where he was a varsity athlete and the first Black varsity swimmer in the history of the college. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Education and Social Policy from Harvard University and a Juris Doctorate from Boston College. Juma has actively served on the Board of Directors for Codman Academy Charter School, Friends of the Children-Boston, Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, and SquashBusters.
Juma and his wife Emily Crawford are parents of two TBS students, both of whom began at the ECC and are currently enrolled at the UAC.
Free Gary
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Free began his career in education over 20 years ago in Richmond, Virginia, where he taught both math and English at multiple area public middle and high schools. After making the transition to independent schools, he has served in a number of roles, including Director of Student Activities, Assistant Athletic Director, and Director of Admissions, all of which led him to his current position as Director of Community, Culture & Engagement at San Francisco Day School.
Free completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Maine, Orono, where he played wide receiver and was a founding member of the Student Heritage Alliance Center. He earned a Masters Degree in Independent School and Nonprofit Leadership from the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College at Columbia University. In addition to serving as the co-chair of the Vanguard Conference for young Black men and their families in independent schools in the Bay Area,
Free lives with his partner in Oakland, where they are enjoying raising their first child. When time permits, Free enjoys channeling his love for basketball into playing at San Quentin State Prison, where he has used the game to build lifelong relationships and make a greater impact in the community.
Lisa Haney
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Lisa Haney currently serves as Executive Director of the California Teacher Development Collaborative (CATDC), a position she began in July 2017. Lisa’s leadership of CATDC is the latest iteration in a lifelong education career that began in Japan, Mexico, and Martinique before taking her to the Athenian School in Danville, California, where she served for 25 years in a variety of roles, including international program director, literature teacher, humanities department chair, and dean of faculty development.
Lisa holds a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.A.T. from the School for International Training, Vermont; in fall 2022, she began a PhD program in Depth Psychology (with a focus on Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies) at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, and that ongoing work informs her efforts on behalf of CATDC and TBS.
Jason Kalogiros
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Jason Kalogiros, is a Bay Area artist and homemaker. After earning his B.F.A. from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Jason moved to the Bay Area in 2006 from the East Coast to pursue his MFA at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. He taught at CCA in the fields of photography, sculpture, and interdisciplinary studies and exhibited his artwork nationally and internationally before pivoting to the world of viticulture and winemaking and co-founding a small wine label with his wife, fellow artist Maggie Preston: they live in Berkeley with their child, who is a student at TBS.
As the first person on either side of his family to attend college, Jason is a true believer in the transformative aspect of education and the lifelong impact that great teachers can have on an individual. Raising a neurodivergent child has provided a significant opportunity for learning and growing, and Jason has become a passionate advocate for inclusive, supportive practices that meet a wide range of learning needs. Jason was eager to join the board to support fundraising and governance efforts that will allow TBS to maintain an outstanding, supportive educational community for a neurodiverse student body.
Mark Linton
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Mark’s career in public affairs and strategic communications has focused on issue campaigns that marry brand positioning, third-party engagement, and influence building. At Hummingbird, and in his prior role as Principal at the Raben Group, Mark has worked with purpose-driven leaders in Fortune 500s, national, state, and local politics, and leading advocacy movements to help them succeed.
Prior to his work in the private sector, Mark served as the first Executive Director of the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities, which helped spark sustainable economic turnarounds in some of America’s most iconic cities, better leveraging over $360 million in public funds and leading to dramatic community improvements in the areas of climate adaptation, economic growth, public safety, and public transportation. Mark also served in various senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including acting chief of staff and general deputy assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations.
A proud native of Kentucky, Mark enjoys living in Oakland with his wife Margaret, three children (two of whom are current TBS students), and two very bad dogs.
Bhumi Shah
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Bhumi is a leader in governance/ risk/compliance (GRC) and information security. She currently serves as global head of security compliance, risk & IT at Ridecell, a technology company she helped start which accelerates digital transformation for global leaders in mobility. Bhumi and her husband are proud parents of a TBS alum.
Bhumi has held leadership roles in audit and compliance at health-tech leaders nThrive and MedAssets and advised business leaders across various industries at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Bhumi has a master’s degree from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Gujarat University’s Nirma Institute of Technology, and several GRC and security certifications. She also co-founded and directed the Omkar Dance Academy in India.
Bhumi started her career tutoring kids on weekends during college. Transformative education helped Bhumi access a career that led to roles leading compliance for large public and private companies. Bhumi and her husband became best friends in high school while leading a successful strike against archaic militaristic treatment of students and eventually started a startup that helps global leaders in mobility accelerate both profitability and sustainability. These experiences taught Bhumi that positive change in society can be achieved through constructive, persistent, and creative engagement of different kinds.
Carol Starks
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Originally from the Chicago Area, Carol has been living and working in the Bay Area since 2008. She completed her undergraduate studies at Indiana University in Clinical Laboratory Studies and completed graduate studies from Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine and Science in both Healthcare Management and Clinical Laboratory Sciences with a focus in Transfusion Medicine. She has 35 years experience in laboratory medicine, and 20 years in medical education holding positions as department director, clinical rotation coordinator, and part time lecturer. Carol has worked as an evaluator and application review committee member for the Accreditation Bureau of Health Education Schools for 20 years, and was named a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in 2019.
Carol recently retired from a position as a laboratory director with Kaiser Permanente and is looking forward to spending more time supporting various community initiatives, including her work in support of The Berkeley School, where she and her husband are proud “VIP’s” to a current student.
Charlotte Worsley
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Charlotte Worsley is Assistant Head of School for Student Life at The Urban School of San Francisco, where she has worked since 1989. She has experience managing all aspects of student life (which includes athletics, college counseling, learning strategies, mental health counseling, and student activities) as well as stewarding the school’s diversity, inclusion, and equity program and working with various Urban board committees, including DEI, admissions and enrollment, finance, and strategic planning. Charlotte has also served on various BUSD committees and as a trustee of The Oxbow School for seven years.
Charlotte was born and raised near Washington, DC. After attending independent schools through twelfth grade, she attended and graduated from Harvard, subsequently earning a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Charlotte lives in Berkeley with her husband and daughter; she enjoys walking and hiking, reading, and all kinds of puzzles.
