Front row (L-R): Board Chair Catherine Heflin, Head of School Jo-Anne Woolner, David Lee. Second row: Merrily Dunlap (Emeritus), Jane Park, Yue Auyoung. Third row: Corina Madilian, Ray Briggs, Jann Lacoss, Randy Strait. Fourth row: Anna Hasbun, Lindsay George, Deborah Awai, Ginger Umutyan. Back row: Jordan Lopez. Alan Watson, Leland Shepherd, John Moorehead. Not pictured: Yasmin Anwar, Joseph Dilley, Rick Garcia, Robert LeMoine, Sonia Street, Maria Tuason.
The Gooden School, like most independent schools, is governed by a board of trustees.
The board is composed of representatives of the entire Gooden community and includes current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, education professionals, Episcopal Church leaders, and community volunteers who bring specific skills and perspectives to the board.
The trustees, who have ultimate legal responsibility for the corporate entity which is The Gooden School, in practice, restrict their actions to five major areas: 1) the maintenance of the school’s mission and periodic reviews of the mission with input from a wide range of representatives of the school community; 2) the establishment of institutional policy; 3) the provision of material and financial resources for the school; 4) the appointment and support of the head of school, whose responsibility it is to lead the school’s day to day operations; and 5) act as the fiduciary and steward of the care and effectiveness with which policies are carried out.
The board of trustees at The Gooden School also adhere to the National Association of Independent School’s Principles of Good Practice.
The current trustees are
Catherine Heflin, Chair, joined the board in 2017 and is a prior Gooden board member and co-founder of the Gooden strings program. She works as a senior wealth strategist at UBS and brings more than 20 years of finance and nonprofit experience to the board. Cathy is also a member of the Guild of Cancer Support Community and a co-founder of the Flintridge Preparatory internship program. Her daughters Anna and Sophia graduated from Gooden (classes of 2007 and 2010, respectively.) Anna graduated from Westridge School, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has a master's degree in viola performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Sophia attended Flintridge Preparatory School followed by Indiana University, Bloomington.
Yasmin Anwar joined the board in 2017. She is an attorney representing the intellectual property interests of global companies and brings nearly 20 years of professional experience to the board. She and her husband Robert have two daughters attending Flintridge Prep in the classes of 2027 and 2025. Yasmin served on the Gooden head of school search committee in 2016-2017 and coaches her daughter’s AYSO soccer team.
Yue Auyoung joined the board in 2019. She was formerly a senior vice president of product management at Experian Consumer Direct. She has more than 20 years of management experience in both the public and private sectors as well as in both small start-up and large public companies. Yue served as a member of the Gooden Family Association in 2016-2017. Yue’s daughter, Loran Murray (Gooden '17) was a Gooden lifer who graduated from Flintridge Prep and currently attends the University of Michigan.
Deborah Awai joined the board in 2021. She is senior vice president and chief financial officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and has more than 30 years of experience in banking and financial services. Deborah previously served as a member of the Gooden Family Association’s executive committee. She and her husband have a daughter, a St. Mark’s, Gooden and Flintridge Prep graduate, who attends New York University.
Ray Briggs is an associate professor of music and assistant director of jazz studies at Cal State University, Long Beach and the director of the Quincy Jones Jazz Camp. A native of Memphis, and graduate from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education, Dr. Briggs relocated to Southern California and earned a Master’s of Music from the University of Redlands. With a growing interest in African and African American music, he enrolled at UCLA where he received an M.A. and Ph.D. in ethnomusicology. As a jazz saxophonist, he has performed with John Clayton, Stefon Harris and Roy Hargrove. As a scholar, he has published numerous times and is currently completing a book-length manuscript on the history of jazz in Memphis.
Dr. Joseph Dilley is a licensed clinical psychologist and the co-founder of Synergy Psychological, the private practice he operates with his wife, Dr. Carrie Dilley, who has served on the Gooden Family Association since 2019. Joe graduated from the University of Iowa with honors in psychology and a double minor in philosophy and religion. He earned his Ph.D. at Northwestern University. As the author of the book, The Game Is Playing Your Kid: How to Unplug and Reconnect in the Digital Age, he regularly offers workshops on digital citizenship to parents, teachers, and professionals at many institutions, including Gooden. Outside of their practice and community efforts, the Dilleys most enjoy long days of “active relaxation” with their two children.
Rick Garcia joined the board in 2017. He brings over 30 years of risk management and business leadership skills. Rick has worked in the private sector and in insurance consulting to various organizations. As an active member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, Rick has held various leadership positions, including president of the Los Angeles chapter. He and his wife Antonieta have two girls, one who graduated in 2016 and now attends the University of San Francisco and one in 2019 who now attends Mayfield Senior School. Rick served on the Gooden head of school search committee in 2016-2017.
Lindsay George is a human resource leader at a global consulting company. Lindsay brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic leadership and human resources to the board. She and her husband, Doug, have two children that attend The Gooden School (class of 2024 and class of 2028). In addition to volunteering her time at The Gooden School as an admissions ambassador and Annual Fund volunteer, she plays soccer in a women’s league and coaches her son’s AYSO soccer team.
Anna Hasbun, who joined the board in 2022, is the owner and director of Stepping Stones to Learning, a learning center serving San Gabriel Valley for more than 50 years. She is a certified academic life coach helping struggling students and their families. She currently serves as a part of the Student Support Team at La Canada High School running an executive skills program for struggling students. Prior to Stepping Stones, Anna served as a Regional Director at Autism Speaks, a national non-profit organization raising funds for research, programs, and awareness for children with autism. She has served the last eight years in Circle of Friends, a fundraising entity of Kidspace Children’s Museum and on the board of the Southwest Pasadena Little League in 2020-21.
Jann Lacoss, Ph.D. joined the board in 2018. Jann serves as associate director of admissions at the California Institute of Technology and brings 30 years of experience in higher education to the team. Prior to Caltech, she was on the faculty of the University of Virginia. Jann is currently involved in the Children, Youth, and Family ministry at All Saints Church, Pasadena, where she also teaches middle school Sunday school. Her son Sam is a 2016 Gooden graduate and a 2020 Polytechnic School graduate now attending Carleton College.
David Lee is a partner at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, specializing in private investment funds and transactions in the investment management industry. He brings over 20 years of legal and finance experience to the board as well as experience from service on the boards of other educational institutions. He and his wife Lisa have three children: an oldest son, Connor, currently attending Flintridge Preparatory School in the class of 2024, and twin son and daughter Odin and Erin, who attend The Gooden School (class of 2026).
Robert LeMoine joined the board in 2021. He is the director of enterprise risk management and insurance at Southern California Edison. He is an attorney and civil engineer who brings 20 years of legal and risk management experience to the board. He and his wife Mindy have a daughter, Eliza, Gooden class of 2021, and the Westridge class of 2025, and a son, Owen, in Waverly’s class of 2023. Robert attended the York School in Monterey and graduated from St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano.
Jordan Lopez is the head of high yield strategy at Payden & Rygel, an investment management firm, and is an internal trustee on the board of directors for The Payden & Rygel Investment Group. He graduated from Claremont McKenna College where he played soccer and studied politics, philosophy, and economics. Jordan brings 18 years of finance experience to the board and served on Gooden’s audit committee last year. He and his wife Leslie have two children and a puppy: James (class of 2027), Lily (2), and Ace, a Goldendoodle.
Corina Limon Madilian joined the board in 2022. She is the designer and co-founder of Single Stone, a Los Angeles based fine jewelry brand and brings experience in business marketing and development. She is an active member of NCL Pasadena and currently serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus. Corina has chaired and served on the annual fund committee for The Gooden School and Pacific Oaks Children’s School. Corina and her husband, Ari, have three children – Oliver (NYU), Sasha (Mayfield Senior), and Julian (St. Francis) – all of which were lifers at The Gooden School.
John Moorehead brings over 25 years of marketing and advertising experience and is currently an executive at Capital Group. He and his wife, Sandra Flores, have a daughter, Amelia (class of 2025). Originally from Long Island, John chaired The Gooden School Annual Fund in the 2019-2020 school year and is a current member of Gooden's branding management committee.
Jane Park is an attorney with over fifteen years of experience representing global companies in intellectual property and commercial litigation matters. She and her husband, Jonathan, have two children at Gooden: Nathan (class of 2021), who attends Flintridge Preparatory School, and Lucas (class of 2024). Jane served on the Gooden head of school search committee in 2016-2017.
Leland Shepherd is an entrepreneur and small to mid-sized business consultant. Currently, he is an online retail coach and provides a platform for others to learn and start their own online retail ventures. Leland has a bachelor's in English literature from UCLA, and an MBA from Anderson Business School at UCLA. He and his wife, Teressa, enjoyed having their child Matthew, class of 2018, at Gooden from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Randy Strait is an audit partner in KPMG’s Los Angeles audit practice and a licensed CPA. He joined the board in 2022 and brings over 20 years of experience providing financial statement audit services to public and private companies primarily in the real estate, entertainment, and consumer markets industries. He also serves on the Accounting Advisory Board for Loyola Marymount University, his alma mater. Randy and his wife, Manisha, have two children and Greyson is a student at The Gooden School.
Sonia Street brings over 12 years of corporate marketing experience to the board, Including executive positions at Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox. She has served as the Gooden Family Association (GFA) president and was on the GFA executive committee for four years. Her children, Ethan and Riley, both attended Gooden, classes of 2010 and 2013 respectively. Ethan graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School and Boston College. Riley graduated from The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and the Cinematic Arts program at USC.
Maria Tuason is an attorney and partner at Hurrell Cantrall LLC and brings over 10 years of legal experience to the board, specializing in employment law and general litigation. Maria has trained Gooden employees to educate them in the areas of harassment and bullying. She and her husband have two children.
Ginger Umutyan joined the board in 2022, continuing her long service to Gooden School. She served the past eight years on The Gooden Family Association executive committee, including as GFA president (2019-21) and president emeritus (2021-22), as well as served on the Ambassador Committee for several years. She is the president of TEMVAT, LLC, a bookkeeping service for non-profits and corporations. Ginger serves on the board as CFO of Give-Mentor-Love Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving youths and young adults who are in crisis, at-risk, homeless or in foster care, and victims of human trafficking. Ginger and her husband, Mark, have six children, including Thomas, a Gooden School graduate who attends St. Francis High School.
Alan Watson is a partner at the law firm of Holland & Knight, LLP, specializing in construction and real estate litigation. He brings over 25 years of legal experience to the board and is a 20-year-plus member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. His older daughter attended Gooden and is currently attending Mayfield Senior School. His younger daughter attends Gooden (class of 2023).
Trustee Emeriti
Merrily Dunlap joined the board in 2018. She served as co-coordinator of the CAIS Accreditation Committee and was a member on the Risk Management, Finance and Governance committees. Merrily is a retired educator whose long career includes serving for fifteen years as head of school at Saint Mark’s Episcopal School, Altadena. For nine years, she was a member of the governing board of the National Association of Episcopal Schools and was also a member of the bishop’s staff, where she served as the Executive Director of the Commission on Schools for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles from 1991 to 1998. She served as the interim head of The Gooden School from July 2015 through June 2017 and later took a leave of absence from the board in order to serve as associate interim head of school in November 2018 before returning to her board volunteer position in June 2019. Merrily is also the former co-owner of Stepping Stones to Learning and Integrated Learning Solutions, both in San Marino.
Tom Hurrell, Past Chair. Tom served on the board from 2010-2020. He is an attorney who specializes in civil rights, employment, and product liability litigation. He also manages a fifty-member firm, and he brings 30 years of professional legal experience to the board. Alex (class of 2005) and Katherine (class of 2007) both graduated from George Washington University. He has four children: Alex, a Flintridge Prep and George Washington University graduate spent a few years working for a nonprofit in Washington, and is now working towards an MBA at UCLA. Katherine, also a Flintridge Prep and George Washington University graduate went on to earn a master's degree at Duke University in environmental management, and is now working in energy procurement for Facebook. Luke (class of 2015) is attending Boston College, and Toby (2017) attended LaSalle. Toby will be attending Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Tom Janzen joined the board in 2005. An attorney for more than 30 years, he is a partner in the firm Schwartz & Janzen LLP representing design professionals, contractors, and owners in the construction industry. He and his wife Kari, a former president of the Gooden Family Association (GFA), live in Pasadena and have raised three daughters, all of whom graduated from Gooden and Alverno High School. His daughters’ college experiences include attendance at the University of Oregon. Tom sits on several boards, including the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences advisory board, which he chairs. He is also a member of the University of Oregon President’s Campaign Cabinet supporting the endowment and capital campaign. He previously served the City of Sierra Madre with seats on its planning commission, the former community services commission, and the ad hoc committee on finance.
Nadilee Russell, Past Chair. Nadilee joined the board in 2004 and became board chair in 2015. She is a senior vice president and managing director at East West Bank, and she brings 30 years of financial and strategic leadership experience to the board. Her two sons, David and Cameron graduated from Gooden (class of 2007 and class of 2013). David graduated from St. Francis High School and went on to attend University of California, Davis. Cameron is currently attending San Francisco State University.
Kim Snyder joined the board in 2016. He is the president of the southwest region for Prologis, a global leader in industrial logistics real estate. Kim brings to the board more than 30 years of experience in real estate development and finance. Kim also serves on the advisory boards at the Peter Drucker School of the Claremont University Graduate School and for the NAIOP, a commercial real estate development association, as well as being a board member of the Inland Empire Logistics Council and FibraPL based in Mexico City. He and his wife, Meghan, have had three children graduate from The Gooden School; a son who graduated from St. Francis High School and the University of San Diego and a daughter who graduated from Mayfield Senior School and Chapman University, and a daughter who graduated in The Gooden School class of 2019.
Sydney Walker was elected to the Board in 2015. She served on the Finance committee as well as chairing Governance and the Ad hoc Branding and Marketing committees. She brings more than a dozen years of professional marketing, advertising, and project management experience. Her two sons graduated from Gooden (Wyatt, class of 2016 and Brooks, class of 2018). Sydney actively volunteers in various capacities, including Tribe Lacrosse, where she serves as treasurer, and at Gooden, where she served as a Gooden Family Association executive committee member and co-chair of the 2013 GFA spring fundraiser Country Fair.