ELECTION OF THE 2015-2017 CALIFORNIA STATE PTA OFFICERS
The California State PTA bylaws (Article VIII, Section 2) state that, except for the office of president, the officers
shall be elected biennially in odd-numbered years, and the president-elect shall succeed automatically to the
office of president. 2013-2015 President-elect Justine Fischer will succeed to the presidency for the 2015-2017
term. Elections will be held at the First General Meeting, Thursday, April 30.
President
Justine Fischer (Twelfth District)
Justine Fischer is currently the president-elect for the California State PTA. She has held numerous leadership positions in
local PTAs as well as at the state level including: convention, education, writing resolutions, legislation and advocacy,
resource development, student involvement and diversity and inclusion. During the past four years, she has been deeply
involved in providing training and outreach to parents to help them understand and engage in their schools. She is passionate
about PTA and her vision for the future includes opportunities to meet the varying needs of PTA leaders and members through
social media, technology and customized programming. Professionally, she has worked for many years serving the needs of
migrant families and communities in Southern California. Justine is the mother of two; her son is an airman in the U.S. Navy
and her daughter recently graduated college. Justine lives in Ventura County with her husband.
Nominees for office
The California State PTA
nominating committee asked
the following individuals to
serve in the Board of Directors
elected positions. The
nominating committee report
will be presented during the
First General Meeting of
convention on Thursday,
April 30, at which time, if notice
has been filed in accordance
with the California State PTA
bylaws, nomination by petition
will be announced (Article XII,
Section 2) or nominations may
be made from the floor (Article
XII, Section 3). In the event of a
nomination by petition or
nomination from the floor, each
nominee for a contested
position will be granted five (5)
minutes to address the
delegate body. If a ballot vote is
necessary, the location and
times for voting will be
announced. When there is but
one candidate for an office, the
ballot for that office may be
dispensed with and the election
held by voice vote at the close
of nominations.
President-elect
Dianna MacDonald (Fourteenth District)
Dianna MacDonald has served PTA at the local, regional and state levels in various
roles including serving on the California State PTA Legislation Team as well as on
the Education and Leadership Commissions. Dianna is a National PTA presenter
and national Issue Forum Moderator. She has served as a school board trustee
since 2008. Dianna and her husband Mike have three sons: Denton and Cole are
both in college and Tanner is a senior at Cloverdale High.
Vice President for Leadership Services
Mary Galuska (Fourth District)
For 25 years, Mary Galuska has worked at all levels of PTA and is currently serving
as the vice-chair of the California State PTA Leadership Services Commission. Her
previous roles have included serving as the vice president for programs & member
services, secretary, Reflections coordinator, Arts Committee chair and chair of the
District Presidents. Mary is currently the coordinator of the Orange USD Arts
Education Alliance and president of Friends of the Orange Public Library.
Professionally, she holds an MBA from Northwestern University, has worked as an
account executive in the telecommunications industry and in real estate. Mary and
her husband of 32 years, Aleck, live in Orange.
Vice President for
Programs and Member Services
Kathy Steinberg (Thirty-First District)
Kathy Steinberg is a past president of Thirty-First District PTA, and currently serves
as California State PTA vice president for Community Concerns. Previously, Kathy
served as the vice president for Education and as the federal legislation advocate.
Professionally, Kathy specializes in conflict management/mediation and is
experienced in the operations of nonprofit corporations. She is a graduate of USC
and holds an advanced certificate from Cambridge University. Kathy and her
husband, Bob, both graduates of Duke Law, have two sons and reside in Los
Angeles.
Vice President for Communications
Carol Green (Ninth District)
Carol Green became a PTA member in 1997 when her oldest daughter started
kindergarten and has volunteered at various levels of PTA since then, most
recently serving as the president of Ninth District PTA. Carol is the
community/media relations director for the Safety Wellness Community Coalition in
San Diego and has been the summer camp director for TASIS, The American
School in England. Carol spent more than 20 years in radio and television news as
a producer, reporter, writer and anchor. She has been active locally as a Girl Scout
leader and as a past president of the San Diego Junior Theatre Board of Trustees.
She has a BA in communications and journalism from San Diego State University.
Carol and her husband Jonathan have three children.
ELECTION OF THE 2015-2017 CALIFORNIA STATE PTA OFFICERS
Vice President for Convention
Barbara Harris (Twenty-Fourth District)
Barbara Harris has been involved with PTA for 13
years and is currently serving a third term on both the
California State PTA Convention Commission and the
Resolutions Committee. Barbara holds a BS in
business and management and is retired from PG & E
where she had a career in nuclear security. A native Californian,
Barbara resides in Paso Robles with her husband Mark. They have one
daughter, Kiana, who is now a freshman at a private college in
Pennsylvania studying paleontology.
Vice President for Community Concerns
Deborah Kemper (Seventeenth District)
Deborah Kemper has volunteered for PTA for more
than 25 years and currently serves as the California
State PTA secretary. Previously, Deborah served as
president for Seventeenth District PTA and as the first
chairman for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee
for which she received a Golden Oak Service Award. Deborah holds an
MBA, with an emphasis in international business and is the associate
executive director for the San Mateo County Bar Association. Deborah
lives in San Carlos with her husband Cliff. They have five children:
Marc, Brittany, their adoptee Milo and two foster children, Nowa and
Capri.
Vice President for Education
Celia Jaffe (Fourth District)
Celia Jaffe has been a PTA leader in Orange County
for 20 years. She is past president of Fourth District
PTA and currently serves on the California State PTA
Board of Managers as vice chairman of the Education
Commission and vice chairman of the Resolutions
Committee. An elected trustee of the Huntington Beach City School
District for 10 years, Celia also served on the Delegate Assembly of the
California School Boards Association. She holds a master’s degree in
education and taught high school English for five years.
Vice President for Health
Scott Folsom (Tenth District)
Scott Folsom currently serves on the California State
PTA Health Commission. In addition to his PTA
service, Scott has served on many LAUSD
committees, task forces and work groups including
the Bond Oversight Committee. He promoted Full Day
Kindergarten, wrote district seismic upgrade policy and promoted
establishment of School Based Community Wellness Centers
throughout LAUSD. He also took part in LA’s fierce advocacy for
children’s oral, vision and mental health through his membership on the
board of the LA Trust for Children’s Health.
Vice President for Family Engagement
Colette Rudd (Seventeenth District)
Colette Rudd, from San Mateo, has been a PTA
volunteer since 1989 and a member of the California
State PTA Board of Managers since 2009, currently
serving as the chairman of the School Smarts
Committee and a member of the Family Engagement
Commission. Professionally, Colette managed drug research and
development projects, most recently as associate director of toxicology
at XenoPort, Inc. She received a BA in biology from the University of
California, San Diego and a PhD in molecular biology from the
University of California, Los Angeles.
Vice President for Membership
Brian Bonner (Ninth District)
Brian Bonner is the California State PTA federal
advocate and vice chair of the National PTA
Legislative Committee. He has served on the
California State PTA Board of Managers since 2005
and on the Board of Directors as a vice president and
chairman of District Presidents. Brian was president of Ninth District
PTA and San Diego Unified Council of PTAs. Brian worked for 21 years
as a legislative analyst for San Diego County, after serving as a
probation officer for 11 years. Brian has been married for 31 years.
Secretary
Sue King (Ninth District)
Sue King has more than 35 years of experience in
PTA, first serving as the ice cream chairman when her
daughter was in first grade. Sue currently serves as
the mentor for three PTA districts and has previously
served as the vice president for Leadership Services,
Communications and Member Services. She is also a past California
State PTA parliamentarian and California State PTA membership
chairman. Sue has been active in band boosters and youth soccer. Her
family includes her husband Michael, two adult children, Stephanie and
Andy (Brenda), and six granddaughters ages 20 to 5 years old.
Treasurer
Sherry Elkington (Twenty-First District)
Sherry Elkington has been active in PTA since
2000 having served on the Convention, Finance,
Leadership Commissions as well as serving on the
Audit Committee as the chair. Sherry has coached
junior high girls’ volleyball for six years. She has been
married for 30 years and has two sons.
Appointments:
Parliamentarian
Kathy Stevenson (Thirty-Fourth District)
Kathy Stevenson has served as convention exhibits
chairman, vice chair for the Convention Commission
and as a member of the Convention Steering
Committee, Convention Management Committee,
Bylaws Committee and Resource Development
Committee. She has previously served on the Convention and Finance
Commissions, and on the Bylaws and Resource Development
Committees. Kathy has been actively involved with PTA since 1993 and
has served as an officer at the unit, council and district levels. Kathy is
a registered nurse and works as a hospital emergency preparedness
manager. She resides in Santa Clarita with her husband, Craig, and her
two sons, Casey and Connor.
Director of Legislation
Shayne Silva (Thirty-Second District)
Shayne Silva has been a proud member of PTA for 25
years and has received PTA Honorary, Continuing
Service and Golden Oak Service Awards. Shayne has
served as an advocate for the California State PTA for
seven years. Prior to that time, she served six years
as an education commissioner after serving as the Thirty-Second
District PTA President. She is married with two adult children and works
full time as a psychiatric technician.