We are you.
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We are a community of volunteers. Parents, teachers, and residents who care about the educational opportunities available to Albany's children.
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Rossana Ramirez
Board President |
Rossana first got involved with SchoolCARE by helping with the annual Spring Fundraiser. For that event, she helped organize parents to drop off brochures to every household in Albany, and in the process learned about SchoolCARE in more detail and how it supports Albany students. “Once I understood the unique role SchoolCARE plays in supporting our community, I wanted to contribute in more meaningful ways.”
Fun fact: Rossana is an avid traveler, and has traveled to 60 countries across six continents |
Hannah Levy
Secretary |
Hannah is a writer and mother to a Cornell elementary school kid. She believes that one of the biggest gifts we can give our kids is a love of learning. Hannah helps fundraise for the PTA, volunteers at the Cornell garden and library, and serves as Secretary of SchoolCARE.
Fun fact: Hannah has traveled to 17 countries and has taken her daughter on international trips to Mexico, Portugal, and Japan! |
Amy Waxman
Treasurer |
Amy joined SchoolCARE when she learned their funds are heavily relied upon (and have been for decades) by each school in the district. It is Amy’s belief that children can’t learn or contribute to their school community until their emotional needs are met first. Among many other things, SchoolCARE funds serve to bridge the monetary gap for vital staffing related to mental health and wellness in Albany schools.
Fun Fact: Probably one of Amy’s most risky, yet memorable endeavors, was scuba diving at max recreational depth in the Blue Hole off the coast of Belize. |
Zoe Pehrson
Board Member |
Zoe is a 4th grade teacher at Marin. She loves teaching in Albany- the families, students and fellow staff members make it an amazing community. She first got involved in SchoolCARE through her friendship with Courtnee, current SchoolCARE president, and loves being on the board with brilliant people. Zoe grew up in Richmond and began teaching at the tender age of 21! She has taught in three states: Colorado, Michigan and California. She believes that all students are capable of thriving in school with the support of a loving community and a robust, engaging education.
Fun Fact: Zoe has baked a wedding cake using over six dozen eggs! |
Jean Zoch
Board Member |
Jean was born and raised in Canada and moved to Berkeley for graduate school in Physics, where he quickly fell in love with the Bay Area’s culture and nature. He’s the proud father of two amazing kids and enjoys spending time with them playing games, reading books, and staying active. Jean first got involved with SchoolCARE by volunteering his technical skills to help manage the database, and later joined the board, inspired by the organization’s mission to support public education.
Fun Fact: Jean works in the video game industry and has contributed to some of the world’s most popular games, enjoyed by hundreds of millions of players. |
Sabah Sulaiman-Tilghman
Board Member |
Sabah was introduced to SchoolCARE by Yael (former SchoolCARE president) and recently coordinated the 2025 Annual Spring Fundraise Brochure Drop. She is the proud parent of a Marin student and has been volunteering since her daughter was in kindergarten (library, room parent and her favorite… pencil sharpener). Sabah believes every child should be given the educational tools to thrive, and that the work SchoolCARE does to support these essential staff roles, provides just that.
Fun Fact: Sabah is an avid hot sauce aficionado and has sampled over 100 varieties, including the “Hot Ones Hot Sauce Challenge.” |
Nina Ziebarth-Pavlovich
Board Member |
Nina believes strong schools build strong communities. Nina joined SchoolCARE after learning about the essential positions funded by the organization and the ongoing uncertainty around state funding. Nina has two children at Marin, and appreciates the opportunity to engage across the district through SchoolCARE board membership and community outreach.
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Whitney Birge
Board Member |
Whitney Birge is new to the SchoolCARE board this year. She has one child in elementary school and another at Albany middle, including a neurodivergent learner. She hopes to support the district provide the best start for the kids. She manages a data analtyics team for Kaiser, focused on data monitoring and quality improvement.
Fun Fact: Whitney and her now husband lived in Australia for a year and a half. |
Gal Heyne
Board Member |
Gal is a parent of children in the Albany Unified School District. At work, Gal is a Product Manager for Amazon Web Services, where she leverages her background as a former data engineer to design data and analytics tools used by customers worldwide. In the past, Gal has created online courses, delivered training programs, and worked as a math and computer science tutor. She brings her technical and organizational skills to support the CRM system for financial and donor management efforts. Gal is passionate about making learning accessible and engaging, and believes that every child should have the tools and encouragement to thrive.
Fun Fact: When she’s not managing data products or family logistics, Gal can usually be found with a cup of coffee, her cats, and a good book. |
Alina Kremerov
Board Member |
Alina joined SchoolCARE this year after learning that Ocean View elementary where her kids go needs more representation. She believes kids thrive best having educated, professional, and caring adults who guide them and that SchoolCARE helps achieve that. She also volunteers at the school library, that gives a window to kids reading and free time preferences and the chance to keep up to date with educational trends and activities.
Fun Fact: Alina discovered Zumba dancing two years ago and since then is a big fan and a regular participant. |
Camille Snyder
Board Member |
Camille believes in investing in our local communities. After years of witnessing first-hand the very real impact SchoolCARE has had on our school community over the years, she felt it was time to volunteer her time. Camille is a former 5th grade teacher turned teacher librarian at Marin Elementary School. She has twin daughters who attend Albany High School.
Fun Fact: Camille's two passions are reading picture books and growing flowers in her garden. She feels that these two things are somehow linked, but she hasn't quite figured out how yet. |
Bev Lin
Board Member |
Bev wanted to volunteer while contributing to our community. SchoolCARE is the perfect combination, addressing foundational educational needs that would otherwise remain unmet. Bev enjoys connecting with our Albany families and supporting the SchoolCARE mission.
Fun Fact: As an aquarium volunteer, Bev vacuumed sturgeon poop, collected shark teeth, and loves hand-feeding snacks to bat rays, they are just like puppies! |
Charlie B.S.
Youth Board Member, Webmaster |
Charlie will be working as the webmaster at Albany SchoolCARE. He has a passion for web design, graphic design and engineering. His friends would describe him as a bit of a nerd, he engages in some DND here, and a bit of coding there. He's lived in Albany his entire life and is excited to have this opportunity to give back. In 2026, Charlie was promoted to the Board, where he will serve as SchoolCARE's first Youth Board Member.
Fun Fact: One of Charlie's first jobs at SchoolCARE was to update this very webpage you're viewing! (He very much hopes you're enjoying it.) |
Summer S.
Social Media Coordinator |
Summer is one of the high school interns for SchoolCARE this year. She will be helping with social media and outreach, and is excited to combine her love for technology and communication with this role. She decided to join after seeing the positive impact SchoolCARE has on Albany schools and programs she's a part of.
Fun Fact: Dance is one of Summer's biggest passions. |
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Amy Yamashiro
Courtnee Hamity
Jenny Blattner
Kathleen (Kat) Bliss
Marin Van Young
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Anne Marie Sanders
Erin Albert
Joanie Rothstein
Kym Sterner
Tenny Frost
Yael Bloom
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Candace Renger
Helene Class
Jodi Raggio
Lindsey Burbage
Teresa Barnett
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