Rosemary Kamei
Board Member, Santa Clara COE
Rosemary is a dedicated public servant committed to improving education especially in our underserved communities and has been a County Board Member since 2015. She served as President of the Board for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019, where she established leadership in governance as a top priority.
Rosemary’s experience includes serving as Chief Development and Innovation Officer for Silicon Valley Education Foundation. She was a former Executive Director of Building Futures Now (BFN) in East Palo Alto, providing direct services to many students and families who face very similar circumstances that mirror her own life as a child growing up in the Bronx, New York, with her first language as Spanish. As an English Language Learner, she understands the obstacles faced by many families and the struggles they go through to achieve a good education for their child. Rosemary also understands the economic barriers that exist in communities that do not have access and lack the resources to advance out of poverty. Her experience is a true testament that through a good education success can be achieved, which she instills in students.
Rosemary has worked closely with businesses, foundations, individuals as well as various School Districts, teachers, staff, students and families to change the trajectory of students to close the achievement gap. She worked with a task force of early childhood education leaders, principals and superintendents on the effects of math in the early years of a child’s education. Rosemary also advocated on the importance of understanding the A-G requirements and the course taking patterns of students as they advanced from middle school through high school.
Public service is a priority for Rosemary to engage in the community to help find solutions to issues or problems. She feels privileged to have spent 17 years as a Director of the Santa Clara Valley Water District and involved with the community through various nonprofits, the business sector and serving on various government committees. She also taught for two years at San Jose State University and understands the preparation needed for students in college for success in future careers. Rosemary views the opportunity to serve on the Santa Clara County Office of Education as an honor to address educational policy issues that she is passionate about.
Rosemary holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from San Jose State University. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She joined the faculty for the CSBA Masters in Governance Program for County Office of Education in 2021.