BOARD

EB’s Board of Trustees is composed of over 20 members. The Consul General of France, the Chief of Chancellery, the Cultural Attaché, the Deputy Cultural Attaché, the Head of school and the two Faculty are non-trustee participants. The Co-Presidents of the Parent's Association are ex-officio members. The remaining trustees are chosen from among the community at large, the parent community, the alumni parents or the alumni to represent a broad range of perspectives and professional backgrounds. The Board usually meets monthly to discuss and determine long-term strategy for the school.

Respective Roles of the Board of Trustees and the Head of School

Click here for an overview

Committees

Executive committee: consist of five or more Trustees including the Chair of the Board, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary and the Treasurer. Its reponsibilities include appointing the other committees, the yearly agenda and the evaluation of the Head of School.
Organization and Governance: Its reponsibilities include filling the vacancies on the Board and recommanding changes to the bylaws.
Advancement: Plans programs for meeting the financial needs for the school’s long-term growth.
Buildings and Grounds: Supervises the construction and big projects of buildings and facilities.
Finance: Supervises the financial affairs of the school and makes recommendations to the Board with regards to operating and capital budgets, salaries, tuition and other financial affairs.

Trustees' biographies

Pierre François Mourier, Consul General of France, Honorary Chair

Clément Bertrand, Chef de Chancellerie

Denis Bisson, Attaché Culturel

Ivan Bertoux, Attaché Culturel Adjoint

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Lynn Van Housen, Chair of the Board, joined the Board in 2004 and has served on the Facilities, Advancement and Organization & Governance committees. Lynn holds an MBA from Yale University and a BA from the University of Notre Dame. Previously a high tech industry analyst based in Paris, Lynn now works on political campaigns in the Bay Area. Lynn and her husband Olivier have three children: Lucie, (EB Class of 2007), Nathalie (EB Class of 2009), and Sebastien (sixth grade).

Frédéric Canadas has been Head of School at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley since 2002. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in science, as well as a Master’s degree in Education, and a DESS (Post-Graduate Diploma) in Bilingualism and Multimedia Resources for Language. He has over twenty years of experience in both bilingual and French education, including seventeen years of practice in a multicultural and multilingual environment, in six different countries. His previous position was as Head of the French-Finnish School in Tampere, Finland. Frédéric and his wife Odile have two children at EB: Nathan (seventh grade) and Ociane (EB Class of 2009)

Tim Stokes, Vice Chair, joined the Board in 2001. Tim is a construction forensics expert and a principal of Avelar and Associates, a firm providing architectural and design-build services relating to construction defect litigation. He received a B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies at UC Berkeley and is a licensed general contractor. Tim and his wife, Anya, have two daughters: Madeleine (EB Class of 2003) and Katrina (EB Class of 2007).

Thomas Clydesdale, Treasurer, joined the Board in 2006. Thomas manages a Private Equity firm specializing in consumer products, and has had several years of financial experience working with General Electric in Europe. He was born and raised in Hong Kong and received his Bachelor of Science from Lehigh University. Thomas, and his wife Laura, are parents of Jack enrolled in Grade 3, and Raquel enrolled in K at EB.

Hélène Cahen, Secretary and Capital Campaign Committee Co-Chair, joined the Board in 2006. Helene has held executive and management positions in advertising, marketing research as well as HR, finance and sales for large packaged goods companies like Clorox, as well as smaller consulting firms. For the past eight years, Helene has been a consultant with her own consulting firm, Strategic Insights, where she has been doing Marketing Research and Innovation Consulting. Helene was born and raised in Paris, France and graduated with a business degree from one of the French ivy league schools, the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris. She recently obtained her Graduate Certificate in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State and is currently pursuing her Master’s in the same field. Helene and her husband Dean are parents of Adrien (fifth grade at EB), Morgane (first grade at EB) and Axel.

Panda Hershey, Endowment Committee Chair, joined the Board in 2004. Panda is a Director in the Alternative Investments unit of TIAA-CREF. With more than $380 billion in assets, TIAA-CREF is America’s leading retirement system for people who work in the academic, research, medical, and cultural fields. She has also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at UCSF, UC Berkeley, University of Tokyo, and Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in Paris. Panda earned her M.B.A. and Ph.D. from University of California, Davis and her B.A. from Mills College. She and her husband John have been EB parents since 1999 and have two children in the Middle School: Kalin (EB Class of 2009) and Emma (eighth grade at EB).

Trustees Serving 4^th Year or More

Tamara Daney, Organization and Governance Committee Chair, joined the Board in 2006 as the Parents' Association Co-President. She is an attorney in private practice serving corporate clients as well as providing legal counsel to agencies and families pursuing surrogate birth arrangements. She has also served as general counsel to French high tech companies in the Bay Area. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings Law School. Prior to practicing law, she lived in Italy for 3 years where she served as a research assistant to the Head of the law department at the European University in Florence, Italy. She and her husband, Ariel Cao, also lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan for a year. Their daughter Alessandra is attending her eighth year at EB and is currently in sixth Grade.

Gloria Polanski joined the Board in 2003. Gloria is a realtor living in Berkeley. She grew up in postwar Europe and Southern California. She attended UC Berkeley, and has been selling real estate in the East Bay for over twenty years. Gloria has chaired or co-chaired many fundraising events at EB in the past; she has also served on the Alumni, Development, and Buildings and Grounds Committees. Gloria is the mother of Ivan Szpakowski (EB Class of 2000), an active member of the EB Alumni Association, and a charter member of the Berkeley Chocolate Club.

John Rosenthal joined the Board in 2004. John is a partner at the law firm of Nixon Peabody where he co-chairs the business and finance practice. John holds a JD from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University, and a B.A. from Cornell. He and his wife, Sally Drach, are the parents of two children: Matthew (EB Class of 2004) and Hannah (EB Class of 2009).

Trustees Serving 2^nd Year OR MORE

Loy Sheflott, Advancement Committee Chair, joined the board in 2007. She is the founder and president of Consumer Financial Service Corporation, a full-service marketing consulting firm. Loy has also worked for Providian Financial, McKinsey & Company and Edgar, Dunn and Company. She received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA in economics and political science from San Diego State University. She is also active in a range of professional, political, and community activities. Loy and her husband, Stuart Russell, have four children: Gordon (fifth grade), Lucy (fourth grade), George (first grade), and Isaac (PK)

Michael Lukan joined the Board in 2007. Michael has worked in the investment management field for the past twelve years, most recently as a Principal with Catalyst Investment Management, LLC, in San Francisco. He and his wife, Laura Pantaleo, were both born and raised in Canada. Michael received his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Dalhousie University and his M.B.A. from the University of Western Ontario. Michael and Laura have four sons: Nicolas (fourth grade), Marcus (third grade), James (first grade) and Andreas.

Christine Chapon joined the Board in 2007 as the francophone Parents’ Association Co-President. She was a researcher for twenty years in Molecular Genetics and earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Pasteur Institute / Université Paris VII. She has worked at the Pasteur Institute, Harvard Medical School and the University of Colorado in Boulder. She was born and raised in France. Christine has experience in the non-profit world, and she is the Volunteer Coordinator of Students Run Oakland, a small non-profit that serves underprivileged high school students from Oakland. Christine and her husband Alan Korman are parents of Jules (eighth grade).

Jacqueline Van Lang joined the Board in 2008 as the anglophone Parents' Association Co-President. For the past six years at EB, Jacqueline has been an Annual Fund agent, Marche volunteer, and Auction committee leader. She was born in Vietnam and was enrolled in a French school there. She came to California in 2001 from New York City, where she obtained her BS at New York University and worked for 10 years in both Finance and Marketing. She has an MBA from Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management. Jacqueline and her husband Dan Sivolella have three children at EB: Kalin (first grade), Alix (third grade) and Maxim (fifth grade).

Tanu Sankalia, Buildings & Grounds Committee Chair, joined the Board in 2008. He is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and Community Design at the University of San Francisco. Prior to beginning his academic career, Tanu worked as an architect and urban designer in the United States and India, and has received several awards for his work. He holds a diploma in architecture from the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology in Ahmedabad, India, as well as a Masters in Urban Design from UC Berkeley. He and his wife, Devyani Jain, have been EB parents since 2005; their son Shiven is in second grade.

Kili McGowan joined the board in 2008 and is the first EB alumna to serve on the Board of Trustees. A graduate of the class of 1993, Kili is currently Managing Director and CFO at Berkeley-based Next Adventure and Safari. During her time at EB, she visited off-the-beaten path destinations like Nepal, India, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, Botswana, Lesotho and the Seychelles, and she has explored many more areas since. As a result of her in-depth travel experience and knowledge, she has become among the youngest Africa specialists and travel entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. She holds a BA in anthropology and integrative biology from UC Berkeley, and she recently published her first collection of photography entitled Inheritance: Life on Safari.

Hannah Lê, English Faculty Representative, is serving her second year on the EB Board. She is teaching for her fourth year at EB, and her sixth year teaching elementary school. She received her BA in French and Human Development from UC Davis and then continued to get her California Multiple Teaching Credential with CLAD and her MA in Education from UC Davis. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, practicing Aikido and hiking with her dog. As a former student at EB, she finds teaching at her alma mater to be an extremely enriching experience.

TRUSTEES NEW ON BOARD THIS YEAR

Valérie Bishop, French Faculty Representative, joined the Board this year. She joined EB in 1998 to teach the French curriculum at the middle school. She graduated from the University of Lille III, receiving her Secondary School Teaching Diploma in Modern French language. Before coming to EB, Valérie taught over 15 years in different high schools in North of France. Valérie and her husband Dan are the parents of Adrien (EB Class of 2001) and Victoria (EB Class of 2004).

Nathalie Destandau joined the Board this year. She is a partner and strategist at Tomorrow Partners, a Berkeley-based branding and design firm. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School. She also has over 25 years of experience in academia, including many years as a lecturer in the English department at SFSU and nearly 20 years as the Program Coordinator for the tutoring center at SFSU. Her daughter Emma Kemble graduated from EB in June 2009.

Philippe Dietz joined the Board this year. He is Head of School at the International School of the Peninsula. He has over 20 years of experience as a teacher and administrator at the French bilingual schools in the Bay Area, and served as Curriculum Coordinator and teacher at EB in 1995 and 1996. He has also taught in France (Alsace). He holds a received a B.A. in Science of Education from the University of Alsace in Strasbourg as well as a French teaching credential (Diplôme d’instituteur).

James D. Levine joined the Board this year. He holds a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and has approximately 30 years of engineering, business, and government experience. He co-founded Levine-Fricke, Inc. (now LFR/Arcadis), a 450-person nationwide environmental and engineering consulting and contracting firm, and was president of the firm until 1998. He developed and is the managing partner of several prominent companies in the fields of real estate development, wetlands restoration, and sustainable fuels. Jim has served on many Boards and Committees, including Governor Schwarzenegger’s Delta Vision Stakeholder Coordination Committee, and is the Water Committee Co-Chair of the REAL Coalition. Jim is happily married to his wife Angie and they have two children. Together, they have been involved with a number of inner-city programs to improve opportunities for at-risk youth around the East Bay.

BOARD

Respective Roles of the Board of Trustees and the Head of School

Committees

Trustees' biographies

FAQs for new EB parents

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	EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
	Lynn Van Housen, Chair of the Board, joined the Board in 2004 and has served on the Facilities, Advancement and Organization & Governance committees. Lynn holds an MBA from Yale University and a BA from the University of Notre Dame. Previously a high tech industry analyst based in Paris, Lynn now works on political campaigns in the Bay Area. Lynn and her husband Olivier have three children: Lucie, (EB Class of 2007), Nathalie (EB Class of 2009), and Sebastien (sixth grade).
	Frédéric Canadas has been Head of School at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley since 2002. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in science, as well as a Master’s degree in Education, and a DESS (Post-Graduate Diploma) in Bilingualism and Multimedia Resources for Language. He has over twenty years of experience in both bilingual and French education, including seventeen years of practice in a multicultural and multilingual environment, in six different countries. His previous position was as Head of the French-Finnish School in Tampere, Finland. Frédéric and his wife Odile have two children at EB: Nathan (seventh grade) and Ociane (EB Class of 2009)
	Tim Stokes, Vice Chair, joined the Board in 2001. Tim is a construction forensics expert and a principal of Avelar and Associates, a firm providing architectural and design-build services relating to construction defect litigation. He received a B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies at UC Berkeley and is a licensed general contractor. Tim and his wife, Anya, have two daughters: Madeleine (EB Class of 2003) and Katrina (EB Class of 2007).
	Thomas Clydesdale, Treasurer, joined the Board in 2006. Thomas manages a Private Equity firm specializing in consumer products, and has had several years of financial experience working with General Electric in Europe. He was born and raised in Hong Kong and received his Bachelor of Science from Lehigh University. Thomas, and his wife Laura, are parents of Jack enrolled in Grade 3, and Raquel enrolled in K at EB.
	Hélène Cahen, Secretary and Capital Campaign Committee Co-Chair, joined the Board in 2006. Helene has held executive and management positions in advertising, marketing research as well as HR, finance and sales for large packaged goods companies like Clorox, as well as smaller consulting firms. For the past eight years, Helene has been a consultant with her own consulting firm, Strategic Insights, where she has been doing Marketing Research and Innovation Consulting. Helene was born and raised in Paris, France and graduated with a business degree from one of the French ivy league schools, the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris. She recently obtained her Graduate Certificate in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State and is currently pursuing her Master’s in the same field. Helene and her husband Dean are parents of Adrien (fifth grade at EB), Morgane (first grade at EB) and Axel.
	Panda Hershey, Endowment Committee Chair, joined the Board in 2004. Panda is a Director in the Alternative Investments unit of TIAA-CREF. With more than $380 billion in assets, TIAA-CREF is America’s leading retirement system for people who work in the academic, research, medical, and cultural fields. She has also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at UCSF, UC Berkeley, University of Tokyo, and Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in Paris. Panda earned her M.B.A. and Ph.D. from University of California, Davis and her B.A. from Mills College. She and her husband John have been EB parents since 1999 and have two children in the Middle School: Kalin (EB Class of 2009) and Emma (eighth grade at EB).
	Trustees Serving 4^th Year or More
	Tamara Daney, Organization and Governance Committee Chair, joined the Board in 2006 as the Parents' Association Co-President. She is an attorney in private practice serving corporate clients as well as providing legal counsel to agencies and families pursuing surrogate birth arrangements. She has also served as general counsel to French high tech companies in the Bay Area. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings Law School. Prior to practicing law, she lived in Italy for 3 years where she served as a research assistant to the Head of the law department at the European University in Florence, Italy. She and her husband, Ariel Cao, also lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan for a year. Their daughter Alessandra is attending her eighth year at EB and is currently in sixth Grade.
	Gloria Polanski joined the Board in 2003. Gloria is a realtor living in Berkeley. She grew up in postwar Europe and Southern California. She attended UC Berkeley, and has been selling real estate in the East Bay for over twenty years. Gloria has chaired or co-chaired many fundraising events at EB in the past; she has also served on the Alumni, Development, and Buildings and Grounds Committees. Gloria is the mother of Ivan Szpakowski (EB Class of 2000), an active member of the EB Alumni Association, and a charter member of the Berkeley Chocolate Club.
	John Rosenthal joined the Board in 2004. John is a partner at the law firm of Nixon Peabody where he co-chairs the business and finance practice. John holds a JD from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University, and a B.A. from Cornell. He and his wife, Sally Drach, are the parents of two children: Matthew (EB Class of 2004) and Hannah (EB Class of 2009).
	Trustees Serving 2^nd Year OR MORE
	Loy Sheflott, Advancement Committee Chair, joined the board in 2007. She is the founder and president of Consumer Financial Service Corporation, a full-service marketing consulting firm. Loy has also worked for Providian Financial, McKinsey & Company and Edgar, Dunn and Company. She received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA in economics and political science from San Diego State University. She is also active in a range of professional, political, and community activities. Loy and her husband, Stuart Russell, have four children: Gordon (fifth grade), Lucy (fourth grade), George (first grade), and Isaac (PK)
	Michael Lukan joined the Board in 2007. Michael has worked in the investment management field for the past twelve years, most recently as a Principal with Catalyst Investment Management, LLC, in San Francisco. He and his wife, Laura Pantaleo, were both born and raised in Canada. Michael received his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Dalhousie University and his M.B.A. from the University of Western Ontario. Michael and Laura have four sons: Nicolas (fourth grade), Marcus (third grade), James (first grade) and Andreas.
	Christine Chapon joined the Board in 2007 as the francophone Parents’ Association Co-President. She was a researcher for twenty years in Molecular Genetics and earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Pasteur Institute / Université Paris VII. She has worked at the Pasteur Institute, Harvard Medical School and the University of Colorado in Boulder. She was born and raised in France. Christine has experience in the non-profit world, and she is the Volunteer Coordinator of Students Run Oakland, a small non-profit that serves underprivileged high school students from Oakland. Christine and her husband Alan Korman are parents of Jules (eighth grade).
	Jacqueline Van Lang joined the Board in 2008 as the anglophone Parents' Association Co-President. For the past six years at EB, Jacqueline has been an Annual Fund agent, Marche volunteer, and Auction committee leader. She was born in Vietnam and was enrolled in a French school there. She came to California in 2001 from New York City, where she obtained her BS at New York University and worked for 10 years in both Finance and Marketing. She has an MBA from Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management. Jacqueline and her husband Dan Sivolella have three children at EB: Kalin (first grade), Alix (third grade) and Maxim (fifth grade).
	Tanu Sankalia, Buildings & Grounds Committee Chair, joined the Board in 2008. He is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and Community Design at the University of San Francisco. Prior to beginning his academic career, Tanu worked as an architect and urban designer in the United States and India, and has received several awards for his work. He holds a diploma in architecture from the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology in Ahmedabad, India, as well as a Masters in Urban Design from UC Berkeley. He and his wife, Devyani Jain, have been EB parents since 2005; their son Shiven is in second grade.
	Kili McGowan joined the board in 2008 and is the first EB alumna to serve on the Board of Trustees. A graduate of the class of 1993, Kili is currently Managing Director and CFO at Berkeley-based Next Adventure and Safari. During her time at EB, she visited off-the-beaten path destinations like Nepal, India, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, Botswana, Lesotho and the Seychelles, and she has explored many more areas since. As a result of her in-depth travel experience and knowledge, she has become among the youngest Africa specialists and travel entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. She holds a BA in anthropology and integrative biology from UC Berkeley, and she recently published her first collection of photography entitled Inheritance: Life on Safari.
	Hannah Lê, English Faculty Representative, is serving her second year on the EB Board. She is teaching for her fourth year at EB, and her sixth year teaching elementary school. She received her BA in French and Human Development from UC Davis and then continued to get her California Multiple Teaching Credential with CLAD and her MA in Education from UC Davis. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, practicing Aikido and hiking with her dog. As a former student at EB, she finds teaching at her alma mater to be an extremely enriching experience.
	TRUSTEES NEW ON BOARD THIS YEAR
	Valérie Bishop, French Faculty Representative, joined the Board this year. She joined EB in 1998 to teach the French curriculum at the middle school. She graduated from the University of Lille III, receiving her Secondary School Teaching Diploma in Modern French language. Before coming to EB, Valérie taught over 15 years in different high schools in North of France. Valérie and her husband Dan are the parents of Adrien (EB Class of 2001) and Victoria (EB Class of 2004).
	Nathalie Destandau joined the Board this year. She is a partner and strategist at Tomorrow Partners, a Berkeley-based branding and design firm. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School. She also has over 25 years of experience in academia, including many years as a lecturer in the English department at SFSU and nearly 20 years as the Program Coordinator for the tutoring center at SFSU. Her daughter Emma Kemble graduated from EB in June 2009.
	Philippe Dietz joined the Board this year. He is Head of School at the International School of the Peninsula. He has over 20 years of experience as a teacher and administrator at the French bilingual schools in the Bay Area, and served as Curriculum Coordinator and teacher at EB in 1995 and 1996. He has also taught in France (Alsace). He holds a received a B.A. in Science of Education from the University of Alsace in Strasbourg as well as a French teaching credential (Diplôme d’instituteur).
	James D. Levine joined the Board this year. He holds a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and has approximately 30 years of engineering, business, and government experience. He co-founded Levine-Fricke, Inc. (now LFR/Arcadis), a 450-person nationwide environmental and engineering consulting and contracting firm, and was president of the firm until 1998. He developed and is the managing partner of several prominent companies in the fields of real estate development, wetlands restoration, and sustainable fuels. Jim has served on many Boards and Committees, including Governor Schwarzenegger’s Delta Vision Stakeholder Coordination Committee, and is the Water Committee Co-Chair of the REAL Coalition. Jim is happily married to his wife Angie and they have two children. Together, they have been involved with a number of inner-city programs to improve opportunities for at-risk youth around the East Bay.