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Biographies of the Board of Directors

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Rob Gailey

Rob joined the Aurora Board in 2008. He currently serves as Board President, provides support to the Facilities and Insurance committees. He runs a small practice that focuses on development and execution of projects involving environmental contamination and water supply issues. His education includes a Sc.B. in Geology/Biology from Brown University, an M.S. in Applied Hydrogeology from Stanford University, and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley. He and his wife Sara Brody are the parents of Aurora students Alex, fourth grade and Elle, second grade.

Tom Borst

Tom joined the Aurora Board in 2007. He is serving his second term as President-Elect and is also a member of the Trustee Committee. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and received his law degree from Golden Gate University. Tom is a partner with the Weiler & Borst law firm in San Ramon, practicing exclusively in the area of family law, and is a former president of the Eastern Alameda County Bar Association. His daughter, Hannah Rose, is an Aurora fifth grader.

Tom Li

Tom joined the Aurora Board in 2009. He is the current treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. Tom is a founder of Bravosoft, LLC, a mid-range ERP software company. He currently works as the CFO at several small/medium size companies. He is an adjunct professor of accounting in the Mills College MBA program. He and his wife Sophia are the parents of Brian who is an Aurora fourth grader.

Lori Schack

Lori joined the Aurora Board in 2006 and currently serves as Secretary. Lori received a B.A. in Women's Studies and Psychology from Brown University, and an M.A. in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. She was a policy analyst at the White House Office of Management and Budget from 1994 to 2000, focusing on labor and poverty issues. She is an at-home parent of Aurora fifth grader, Molly and second grader, Kate.

Joel Baum

Joel joined the Aurora Board in 2008 and is co-chair of the Aurora Diversity Committee. He currently serves as the Director of Education and Training with Gender Spectrum, an organization committed to the creation of a more inclusive world for people of all genders. Along with his duties with Gender Spectrum, he is also a Professor of Educational Leadership at California State University, East Bay. His most important role, however, is as the proud and fatuous father of two incredible daughters, Jona, a third grader at Aurora, and Ruby, aged one.

Stephen Etter

Stephen joined the Aurora Board in 2005 and has been active on several Board committees during his service to Aurora. He is a partner of Greyrock Capital, a private equity fund, and also lectures a finance class at UC Berkeley as a contribution of his time. Stephen attended the University of California at Berkeley for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Steve also serves as a board member on the San Francisco Giants Community Fund and as a trustee to the Berkeley Foundation. His children Daniel, a fifth grader, and Kate, a third grader, attend Aurora.

Matt Garber

Matt joined the Aurora Board in 2009. He is currently the chair of the Facilities Committee. Matt owns a small civil engineering practice that focuses on water and wastewater transport. His education includes a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal State Chico. He and his wife Cindy Fressola are the parents of fourth grade Aurora student, Lucia.

Josefina Jacquin

Josefina joined the Aurora Board in 2009. She is a member of the Diversity Committee. She taught Spanish, K through 8th grade at Presidio Hill School in San Francisco for eight years and has twelve years of language instruction experience. She has also taught visual arts to students of all ages. Josefina is a native of Colombia. She received her undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University and her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute. She is an accomplished printmaking artist who has exhibited her work in San Francisco and abroad. Currently, she teaches seventh grade Spanish at Black Pine Circle School in Berkeley. She lives in Oakland with her two teenage sons.

Darin Lounds

Darin joined the Aurora Board in 2006 and recently completed his tenure as Board President. He is currently the chair of the Trustee Committee. Darin attended Michigan State University and is the Executive Director of the Housing Consortium of the East Bay, a non-profit housing organization dedicated to creating affordable, accessible housing opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities. Darin and his partner, Marisa, have two children: Jade is a 2009 Aurora graduate and Jonah is in the fourth grade.

Michelle Simms

Michelle joined the Aurora Board in 2008 and has provided communications support to the Board. She is a corporate communications and change management professional with over 20 years experience in communications strategy, planning, implementation, and issues management. Michelle is a communications director for Kaiser Permanente. She received her Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University and a Master's Degree in Business Organizational Management from the University of La Verne. Her son Andre' is an Aurora graduate who currently attends St. Paul's Episcopal School.

Travis Wall

Travis joined the board in 2007. He is currently the chair of the Development Committee. Travis received his B.A. degree from the University of California at Berkeley, a Master's Degree from UCLA, and his law degree from University of California at Berkeley. He is a partner of the Barger & Wolen law firm in San Francisco. His daughter is a 2009 graduate of Aurora and his son Gabe is in the fourth grade.