Del Alberti, Ph.D. Former Superintendent
Lodi Unified School District
Modules – Student Learning & Achievement, Collective Bargaining, and Human Resources
Del Alberti, Ed.D., has served more than 40 years in the field of education. He retired in June 2000 after serving five years as the superintendent for the Lodi Unified School District. Prior to his superintendency, he served as the district’s Associate Superintendent for K-12 schools and educational services for one year.
In addition, Dr. Alberti was formerly the superintendent of the Washington Unified (West Sacramento), Auburn Union, and Portola Valley (San Mateo County) school districts. Other administrative experiences include a principalship in the Merced City Elementary School District and the director of the Nueva School in Hillsborough, California. In 1994, he served as the executive director for the State Project on CLAS – California Learning Assessment System.
Dr. Alberti was appointed by the State Board of Education to a four-year term on the California State Curriculum Commission in 1991.
Dr. Alberti is an instructor for the student learning and achievement module as well as the collective bargaining and human resources modules for the Masters in Governance program offered by CSBA. In addition, Dr. Alberti is an adjunct professor for the department of educational leadership at California State University, Sacramento, and serves as an executive search consultant with CSBA.
Nice Alterman, Board Member
Mendocino County Office of Education
Module – Policy & Judicial Review
Ms. Alterman holds a masters’ degree in organizational development, and has been involved in education, children’s issues, elder care, environmental issues, and health care for over 20 years. Her clients include school districts, education foundations, local government agencies and a wide range of nonprofit organizations. She has extensive experience in providing training and facilitation services, including areas of leadership, communication, diversity, conflict resolution and evaluation.
In addition, Ms. Alterman works with nonprofit organizations in the areas of board development, strategic planning and building organizational capacity. She has conducted community-wide planning processes, including developing the strategic plan for the Lake County Children and Families Commission. Ms. Alterman has also conducted community needs assessments for communities throughout California.
Ms. Alterman has been a presenter at statewide conferences for the California Consortium of Education Foundations on issues relating to nonprofit organization development. She is currently on the California School Boards Association’s Masters in Governance faculty and is an instructor for the policy and judicial review module.
Ms. Alterman lives in northern California and has served for 15 years on the Mendocino County Board of Education.
Ron Bennett, President
School Services of California, Inc.
Module - School Finance
As president and chief executive officer of School Services of California, Ron Bennett brings more than 25 years of experience in public business and finance. He is currently responsible for a number of projects ranging from facilities issues to district organization and operation to factfinding and executive searches.
Mr. Bennett most recently served as assistant superintendent, business and chief financial officer for ABC Unified School District in Cerritos, California. He was responsible for all business activities including accounting, budget, facilities, maintenance, computer services, food service, transportation, risk management, internal audit, and purchasing at a high-achieving suburban school district with 22,000 students, more than 2,000 employees, a $110 million operating budget, and a $112 million capital improvements program. Mr. Bennett has extensive experience in school facility policy and management and serves as a director of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing.
Prior to his assignment at ABC Unified School District, Mr. Bennett served as chief financial officer and deputy superintendent in both Long Beach and Fresno Unified School Districts. In both districts, as the chief business official, he was responsible for all business activities including; accounting, budget, facilities, maintenance, computer services, food service, transportation, risk management, and purchasing. He was also responsible for offices of grants and technology, state and federal programs, student services, internal audit, and the Fresno School for Adults (9,000 students). Long Beach and Fresno are the third and fourth largest school districts in California. Both have nearly 80,000 students, 8,500 employees, and $500 million budgets. Mr. Bennett led Fresno to a major fiscal turnaround and established solid financial management systems. He also evaluated, selected, and implemented new instructional and administrative information systems in both districts.
Mr. Bennett's consulting experience includes participation in a Management Information and Financial Systems Review for the Oregon Department of Education, an Education Finance Reform Study for the Wyoming Legislature, and school business engagements in Napa USD, Morgan Hill USD, Fairfield-Suisun USD, and Elk Grove USD.
Raised in California, Mr. Bennett earned his bachelor's of business administration at the University of Oklahoma and his master's in business administration from Michigan State University. He is licensed as a certified public accountant in the state of Oklahoma.
Constance "Connie" Benz, Past Board Member
Novato Unified School District
Module – Student Learning & Achievement
Connie Benz served as a trustee of the Novato Unified School District (USD) for 4 years, and shares with us a wealth of experience in student learning, data analyses, and community leadership. As a education consultant, she has conducted various analyses on test data, conducted a SAT Data Analysis for low performing schools as part of a project for the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, designed and published a technology plan and designed and published a web site for the Novato USD. In addition, she designed, co-produced and moderated "Parent Talk," a parent education program for public access television.
Her work in curriculum and student learning includes aligning state language arts and math standards with Novato USD standards for evaluation by Novato USD Math and English Language Arts Curriculum Committees.
Ms. Benz received her bachelor's degree in biology from Wheaton College, Massachusetts. In addition to her work with CSBA, she serves as a consultant for the Novato Unified School District and the Ross Valley School District.
Lynn Bogart, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Huntington Beach City Elementary School District
Module – Student Learning & Achievement
Dr. Lynn Bogart brings over 30 years of professional experience in the field of education as a teacher, principal and district level curriculum leader in three districts. She has established direction through continuous improvement curriculum targets for district and school instructional programs. She has aligned the district curriculum with current research, standards, frameworks, future- oriented vision and student outcomes.
Dr. Bogart received her bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University, her master's degree from Pepperdine University, and her doctorate from the University of La Verne. She currently serves as a member of the faculty for the CSBA Masters in Governance Program. In addition, she provides training to new school board members across the state through CSBA’s Institute for New and First-Term Board Members.
Robert Caine, Superintendent
Kentfield Elementary School District
Modules – Foundations of Effective Governance, Policy and Governance Integration
Robert “Bob” Caine is the superintendent of the Kentfield School District in Marin County. He has been with the school district for more than 30 years, starting out as an elementary teacher. Mr. Caine has also been a coach, elementary principal and the assistant superintendent for Business and Administration in the district. Since 1978, he has served as the superintendent of the district, which serves about 1,000 students. He has served as the district’s sole negotiator for the board of trustees since 1974 and has been the liaison with the Kentfield Schools Foundation since its inception in 1978.
In addition, Mr. Caine is actively involved in many local and statewide groups. Since 1982 he has co-chaired Marin County’s Joint Legislative Advisory Committee (comprised of board member and superintendents in the area) and is a faculty member and a graduate of the Masters in Governance program offered through the California School Boards Association.
Within the community, Mr. Caine has served as a member of several boards and has volunteered as a youth coach for baseball and soccer, served as a church youth group leader, a Sunday school coordinator, and was a church elder. For the past five years, he has been the chair of the Long Range Planning/Building Committee at the First Presbyterian Church in Petaluma, California.
Mr. Caine holds a master’s degree in education from Dominican University of California and a master’s degree in divinity from the San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Davis Campbell, President
Governance Institute, CSBA
Modules – Foundations of Effective Governance and Governance Integration
With an extensive 30-year background in public education, Davis W. Campbell is a widely respected education leader in California and the nation. He became president of the Governance Institute in November 2001 upon his retirement as CSBA’s executive director, a position he held from 1988 to October 2001.
Prior to joining CSBA, Mr. Campbell was the executive director of the California Institute for School Improvement. From 1976 to 1983 he served as deputy superintendent of public instruction of California’s Department of Education. Known for his instrumental role in several major educational initiatives that foster planning at the school-site level, including the School Improvement Program, Mr. Campbell has a history of leadership in educational reform. He brings his leadership to the Masters in Governance program as a key presenter for the Foundations of Effective Governance and Governance Integration modules.
Elaine Collins, Ed.D, Former Superintendent
St. Helena Unified School District
Module – Setting Direction
Dr. Elaine Collins is an associate professor for the organizational leadership department at the University of La Verne. She is also on the faculty for the Masters in Governance program for the California School Boards Association teaching the Setting Direction module. In addition, she is an executive search consultant for CSBA’s Executive Search Services.
Elaine’s experience in education includes serving as the superintendent of St. Helena Unified School District for five years. Originally from the state of Washington, she was formerly a deputy superintendent and assistant superintendent in the Kent School District. She was also an English teacher, counselor, high school principal, and director of curriculum in the state of Washington.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington, Dr. Collins earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling and a doctorate in educational leadership from Seattle University in Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Collins presently resides in Napa, California.
Leslie DeMersseman, Past Board Member
Palm Springs Unified School District
Modules – Foundations of Effective Governance, Finance, Community Relations and Advocacy, Governance Integration
Leslie DeMersseman served as a trustee of the Palm Springs Unified School District for 14 years. She was active in the Riverside County School Boards Association from 1988 until 2000, serving as president in 1991.
As president of the California School Boards Association in 1999, Ms. DeMersseman served as chair of the development task force for the CSBA Professional Governance Standards. She was a founding director and member of the Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership (CCS), a joint venture between three California organizations: League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties, and CSBA.
Ms. DeMersseman received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Colorado, and her master’s degree in educational administration from Pepperdine University. She is a consultant for CSBA in Single District Governance Services and a faculty member for the Masters in Governance program.
Judy Endeman, Former Superintendent
Ramona Unified School District
Modules – Commmunity Relations & Advocacy
Judy Endeman has more than 38 years experience in public education, enjoying successful tenures at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In 1998, she retired from her superintendent’s position in the Ramona Unified School District. Since then she has traveled extensively across the world, both for pleasure and to do international school accreditation reviews.
Prior to her superintendency at Ramona Unified School District, Ms. Endeman was an assistant superintendent for Ramona Unified School District, a middle and elementary school principal, a middle and high school assistant principal and director of research and evaluation for the Poway Unified School District. Ms. Endeman started her career as a teacher in the Alvord, Moreno Valley and Poway Unified school districts, and then worked for the University of California at Riverside as an Intern Teacher Supervisor.
Ms. Endeman is active in several organizations, including the Association of California School Administrators and the Western Association for Schools and Colleges where she currently sits on the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
Her academic degrees include a doctorate in organizational management from the University of La Verne in La Verne, California; a master’s degree in human behavior from the United States International University in San Diego, California; and a bachelor’s degree in sociology, psychology and education from the University of California at Riverside.
Sherry Loofbourrow, Past Board Member
Newport-Mesa Unified School District
Modules – Foundations of Effective Governance, Setting Direction, Human Resources and Governance Integration
Sherry Loofbourrow has more than 30 years experience in leading groups through change in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. She has an extensive background in community leadership, legislative and government advocacy, statewide public policy and the practical realities of serving the community as a local elected official. Her areas of expertise include team building, leadership, educational issues, effective communications and good governance.
As the lead project writer/editor for the CSBA’s eight “Maximizing School Board Leadership” publications, Ms. Loofbourrow has been involved in CSBA’s effective governance program since its inception. She currently is on the Masters in Governance faculty for four of its nine modules and provides consultation and training of effective governance through CSBA’s Single District Governance Services. She has authored numerous publications including CSBA’s “School Board Leadership: The role and function of the California’s school boards” and the “About California Public Schools” publication which was distributed to education editors throughout the state.
Ms. Loofbourrow was a trustee for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District from 1981 to 1994 and is a past president of the California School Boards Association. Between 1997 and 2000, she served as president of EdSource, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to clarify complex educational issues in reports that are timely, accurate and neutral.
Ms. Loofbourrow holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism from Stanford University.
Molly McGee-Hewitt, Director
Executive Search Services
Modules – Human Resources and School Finance
Molly McGee-Hewitt was the youngest elected official in California; elected to the board of trustees of the Anaheim Union High School District at the age of 19. She served on the Anaheim board for 18 years. Ms. McGee-Hewitt has been a professional speaker and trainer since 1974. Her specialties include interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, leadership and team building. Some of her many audiences include the American Association of School Administrators, the California School Employees Association, the California Association of School Business Officials, the National School Boards Association, American Schools of South America, and, of course, CSBA.
She is a consultant for CSBA in Single District Governance Services and a faculty member for the Masters in Governance program.
Ms. McGee-Hewitt received her bachelor's degree from Charter Oak State College, and completed graduate work at Worchester College, Oxford University.
Ray McMullen, Former Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services
Walnut Valley Unified School District
Modules – Collective Bargaining
Ray McMullen has been in the education field for more than 45 years. He served as an assistant superintendent in the Walnut Valley Unified School District for 22 years where he also taught and was a principal.
As an education/personnel consultant, Mr. McMullen has worked with more than 20 school districts. A charter member of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), he received ACSA’s Negotiator of the Year award in 1992 and has also been recognized as The Personnel Administrator of the Year. He directs one of ACSA’s Personnel Administrators’ Academies, which provides training programs for current or aspiring school personnel administrations. In addition, he is a partner in Associates for Professional Assistance that provides training activities to individuals and school districts in a wide variety of educational management areas.
Mr. McMullen is an instructor for the collective bargaining module of the Masters in Governance program offered by the California School Boards Association.
Mr. McMullen holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and history from Whittier College and a master’s degree in educational administration from California State University at Los Angeles.
Joel Montero, Chief Operations Officer
Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT)
Modules – Finance
A frequent lecturer and presenter for various education organizations in the state, Joel Montero’s areas of expertise include program and fiscal audits, governmental relations, management assistance, and external evaluation and monitoring of fiscal programs. He is the deputy executive officer for the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team and has held that position for two years and has been with FCMAT for three years. Prior to his current position, he was the superintendent for the Novato Unified School District in Marin County for 13 years.
Mr. Montero’s current projects undertaken for FCMAT include programs for Berkeley Unified School District, Emery Unified School District and the Oakland Unified School District. He is responsible for all aspects of FCMAT’s responsibilities under Senate Bill 1331, Teacher Recruitment Centers, and administers a $1 million budget providing technical support to school districts, county offices and the regional centers. He provides oversight of the California Student Information Services (CSIS) project and is responsible for statewide professional development via Assembly Bill 3141 and administers a $700,000 budget for training and product development focused on implementation of Assembly Bill 1200, provide support to chief business officials and other business office occupations at the district and county office level.
A professional educator for 29 years, Mr. Montero serves as a member of the California Curriculum Management Audit Center Board, the Buck Institute for Education Board and serves on CSIS.
Mr. Montero received his bachelor’s degree in design engineering from California State University, San Francisco and his master’s degree in education administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
Barry Reed, Former Superintendent
Cascade Union Elementary School District and
Pacheco Union Elementary School District
Modules – Policy & Judicial Review and Human Resources
Barry Reed has more than 35 years experience in the field of education. He currently is the superintendent for Cascade Union ESD in Anderson, California, a position he has held since 1991. In 2001, he also became the superintendent of the Pacheco Union ESD in Redding, California.
Prior experience includes a superintendent/principal position for the Junction Elementary School District, which is located in Shasta County. As a life-long educator, Mr. Reed has held teaching positions and principal positions at the elementary and middle-school levels.
Mr. Reed is active in several organizations, including the Association of California School Administrators where he is a presenter for ACSA’s superintendent and principals’ academies. In addition, he has been part of CSBA’s small school districts advisory committee and presents the policy module for CSBA’s Masters in Governance program.
His academic degrees include a master’s in educational systems management from Chapman College in Orange, California, and a bachelor’s in social science from California State University, San Diego.