BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees is responsible for appointing and evaluating the Head of School, assuring the School’s financial stability, setting the institutional mission and board policies, and directing strategic planning.
The board delegates responsibility for managing day-to-day operations to the Head of School.
The board members are volunteers, nominated by the Board Governance Committee and elected by the Board of Trustees. There are 11 committees of the Board of Trustees: Alumni Relations, Audit, Board Governance, Communications, Compensation, Development Review, Diversity, Executive, Finance, Philanthropy, and Strategic Initiatives.
Board business is conducted in accordance with approved bylaws, last revised in June, 2020.
The board is devoted to best governance practices and won the University of San Diego's 2012-2013 Kaleidoscope Award for Exceptional Governance, which recognizes and celebrates excellence in nonprofit governance.
Meet Parker's Board of Trustees

Susan retired from a 25-year career in finance and banking as Chief Financial Officer of US Bank. She has since served as a director of several publicly held companies and start-up ventures. As a community volunteer, Susan chaired the Board of Trustees of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and was Treasurer of Hazeltine National Golf Club. She has served on the board of several nonprofits in Minneapolis, from which she and her family relocated in 2011. In 2012, she joined the Parker Finance Committee, which she chaired for three years; and since joining the Board of Trustees in 2013, has served as a member of the Diversity Committee, Compensation Committee and Executive Committee. Susan attended the University of Dayton, has an MBA from the University of Chicago, and studied public policy at the University of Minnesota. Susan and her wife, Petra Mertens, have two daughters, Arianna, Class of 2024 and Lara, Class of 2025, and a son, Luca, Class of 2027.

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Jeannette L. Aldous, MD, practicing physician and Clinical Director for Infectious Disease for San Ysidro Health, where she provides direct patient care and clinical leadership for a large HIV program serving the South Bay region. She is also active in promoting equity in access to healthcare for LGBTQ patients and is the founding medical director of the SYHealth's Gender Medicine and Sexual Health Clinic.
Dr. Aldous has a career focus on healthcare for historically underserved populations and addressing social determinants of health and she serves on several regional advisory committees in the areas of HIV and Tuberculosis treatment and prevention. For that work, she was honored by the County of San Diego as the Live Well San Diego "2018 Individual Public Health Champion”.
Originally from Philadelphia PA, Jeanette (“Nettie”) received her BA in Biology from Wesleyan University, and moved to San Diego in 1994, starting her career in neuroscience research. She subsequently attended medical school at UCSD, Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Colorado, and Infectious Disease Fellowship at UCSD. At Parker, Nette serves on the Strategic Initiatives Committee, is a leader for the class of 2025 Girl Scouts troop and is a supporter of the Parker Drama Club. Nette and her husband, John Aldous, MD, MPA, have two children at Parker; Zora, Class of 2028 and Mina, Class of 2025.

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Will Beamer is the President, Chief Investment Officer, and Principal at Dowling & Yahnke, an independent, fee-only wealth management firm. A Francis Parker School "lifer," Will attended Duke University on a Navy ROTC scholarship and graduated with honors in history. After graduation, Will spent four years in the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet as a surface warfare officer before earning an MBA from Harvard Business School. Will holds the designations Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). Within the San Diego community, Will serves on the board of The Parker Foundation and the San Diego chapter of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). He is a past board member of Scripps Mercy Hospital Foundation and Serving Seniors. He is also a member of the investment committees of the San Diego Museum of Art and Serving Seniors, and formerly served on the investment committee for San Diego Zoo Global. At Parker, Will has served on the audit, alumni relations, finance, board governance, and investment committees. Will and his wife Jenn have four children. Their son Drew, Class of 2020, is a recent Parker graduate.

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Ayse Benker received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College, majoring in Economics and her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. She began her career at White & Case LLP in New York. Her legal work focused on advising Fortune 500 companies and other clients on domestic and cross-border mergers & acquisitions. Ayse opted out of her legal career to raise her children as her family relocated internationally over the years. She volunteered in various capacities at her sons’ schools in Greenwich, CT, London, UK, and La Jolla. During the two years that her family lived in Istanbul, Turkey, Ayse worked at her boys’ school as the Director of International Programs for middle and high school, organizing and leading many programs, including Model United Nations, European Parliament, English Speaking Union, and debate.
At Parker, she serves on the Philanthropy Committee of the Board of Trustees. Ayse and her husband, Cevdet Samikoglu, have two sons at Parker; Apolo, Class of 2020 and Orion, Class of 2022.

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Jing Bourgeois works as a private real estate investor, overseeing commercial and residential investments. After graduating from the Sichuan Music Conservatory in China, she worked in the Public Relations department of the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC), the largest nuclear power company of China before coming to the United States. At NPIC, she chaired various conferences and negotiation events. Jing also received her music education teaching credential and taught music at the Normal School in Si Chuan Province in China for two years prior to working for the NPIC. Since coming to the US, she enjoys real estate and volunteering. Jing is active in the San Diego community. She is involved with the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra (MMYO) leadership council, as an advisor, gala committee and chaired the 2018 MMYO Gala. At Parker, she has been a member of the Philanthropy Committee of the Board of Trustees for the past four years, and co-chaired the 2019 Middle School Day of Giving. Jing and her husband, Jim Freeman, have twin children Mercy and York, Class of 2024. They joined Parker in 2013.

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Gil graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1987. After serving in the military, his career in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology brought him to the Bay Area where he eventually served as Senior Director of Sales and Marketing for Elan Pharmaceuticals. After the birth of his second son, Gil changed careers and worked as a Junior High School Math Teacher and K-6 Principal for Pinewood School in Los Altos, CA. While completing his doctorate in Executive Leadership, Gil founded Relationship Impact, a leadership development firm focused on Executive Team Development. In July 2018, Gil began serving as the President of Nativity Prep Academy of San Diego, San Diego’s only all scholarship school focused on serving students from low-income situations who will be among the first generation in their family to graduate from college. In addition to his Bachelor of Science Degree from United States Military Academy, Gil holds a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from Santa Clara University as well as a Doctorate in Education from George Washington University. At Parker, Gil serves on the Strategic Initiatives Committee. Gil also serves on the Board of Personal Strengths Publishing (PSP), Inc in Carlsbad. Personal Strengths Publishing is a talent effectiveness company who has successfully launched the Core Strengths platform. In addition, Gil serves on the Board of Curriki, an educational technology non-profit company based in San Jose, CA. Gil and his wife, Katie, have two children, Jack, Class of 2017, and Matt, Class of 2018.

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Carin Canale-Theakston is CEO of Canale Communications Inc., where she also serves as the chief culture officer, principal strategist and resident sommelier. Carin is involved at some level with every client, providing communications insights to life science executives and contributing to strategic planning. She founded CanaleComm in 2010 after her tenure as president of the life sciences division of international public relations firm Porter Novelli. A sought-after speaker and moderator, Carin serves as vice-chair of the board of directors for San Diego-based Biocom, the largest regional life science association in the world, and co-chairs the Biocom Capital Development Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. She also is a director of CONNECT/San Diego Venture Group, where her efforts help bring additional investor capital to San Diego’s early-stage life science companies. Under her leadership, CanaleComm received a Best Places to Work award from the San Diego Business Journal three consecutive years in a row and the agency was named to Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately-owned businesses in the U.S. in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, Carin won the prestigious E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year award and previously was named “Woman of the Year” by California Assembly Speaker Emeritus Toni Atkins. At Parker, she has served for many years on the Communications Committee of the Board of Trustees. Carin and her wife, Hillary, have two daughters at Parker, Piper, Class of 2028, and Ella, Class of 2031.

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Diana Casey is Vice President of Danube Properties, Inc., a local real estate corporation. Diana is a real estate attorney who specializes in multi-family development and related transactions. Prior to joining Danube Properties, Diana was a partner at the San Diego office of Latham & Watkins, LLP, a global law firm. Diana received her bachelors’ degree from Wesleyan University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. She is an active singer with the San Diego Women’s Chorus and serves on the Chorus’ Board of Directors. At Parker, Diana is the Chair of the Audit Committee. Diana has an older daughter Courtney, Class of 2024, and twins, John and Hannah, Class of 2029.

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Ana is a financial services executive and board director with experience at start-ups, private companies and Fortune 100 firms. Presently, she is a Senior Relationship Manager and Alternatives Lead at Allianz Global Investors. Prior to Allianz, Ana was the President of JHL Capital Group, an alternative investment management firm, and worked at Smith Barney (now Citigroup), Goldman Sachs, Amba Research and Coghill Capital Management in investment banking, investment research, business development and executive leadership roles. Ana has worked and lived across the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. She is a member of the Advisory Board at Backstop Solutions Group, a cloud-based productivity suite for investment management firms, and served as a Board Director at MP Materials, North America’s only rare earth producer. She serves in the Parker Center for Investment Research Advisory Board at Cornell University and is Vice Chair of the President’s Council of Cornell Women. Ana received a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia Graduate School of Business. She is also a graduate of the Women on Boards executive education program at Harvard Business School. At Parker, Ana has served on the Philanthropy Committee. Ana and her husband Tom, who serves in Parker’s Finance and chairs its Investment Committee, have twin children Max and Audrey, Class of 2021.

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Randall Clark is Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer for Sempra North American Infrastructure, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sempra Energy, a San Diego-based Fortune 500 energy services holding company. In this position, he is responsible for leading a variety of shared business services, including human resources, business transformation, communications, external affairs, human resources, information technology and supply management. Mr. Clark has served in various leadership and legal capacities at the Sempra Energy family of companies over the last 20 years. Most recently, he was Sempra Energy's Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer and prior to that, Sempra Energy's Deputy General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer. Before joining Sempra Energy, he practiced transactional law with Morrison & Foerster in Los Angeles and Cooley in San Diego. He graduated with honors from Duke University Law School with an emphasis in international and comparative law and summa cum laude from Pepperdine University with an accounting degree. At Parker, Randall is a member of the Audit Committee and the Board Governance Committee. He also serves on numerous other non-profit boards and currently is Board Chair at the La Jolla Playhouse. Randall and his husband, Michael, have twins, Annika and Evan, Class of 2023.

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Kristie Diamond has served on the Parker Board of Trustees for three years. She served on the Board’s Philanthropy Committee as an ex-officio member prior to becoming a Trustee and has subsequently served on the Development Review Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Executive Committee since joining the Board in 2017. She has also served the Board as Vice Chair and Chair of the Board Governance Committee and the Secretary of the Board since 2019. In 2013, Kristie began her four years of service on the Parents Association’s (PA) Executive Board on which she also served as an ex-officio member/Chair of the Nominating Committee for two years following her 2016-17 tenure as PA President. Kristie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science from the University of San Diego and earned her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. Before leaving the traditional workforce, she worked as an assistant legislative correspondent and speechwriter in the office of a United States Senator in Washington DC. Upon returning to San Diego she worked in the three strikes and serious crimes units of the San Diego County Office of the Public Defender and for the State of New Mexico Public Defenders Death Penalty Appellate Division. She has since volunteered legal services to FOCAS (Friends of County Animal Shelters) and Casa Cornelia and was a guest lecturer in Animal Law at California Western School of Law. Kristie is active in the community and has served on the boards of the Point Loma and Ocean Beach Recreation Councils. Kristie and her husband, Earll Pott, an attorney with Klinedinst, PC, have four Parker children: Henry, Class of 2018; Joseph, Class of 2021; Charlotte, Class of 2023; and Penelope, Class of 2026.

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Graeme Gabriel is the Chairman of the Board of ColRich, a residential real estate development and investment company based in San Diego. Graeme joined ColRich in 2001 after relocating to San Diego from Washington, D.C. where he worked in the field of Commercial Real Estate for Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette Company and Ge Capital Real Estate. From 2004 to 2016, Graeme served as Co-President and Chief Operating Officer helping to establish the multifamily platform, growing it into a leading West Coast investment ownership group. Graeme is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in International Relations. He is currently President of Congregation Beth El and a Board Member of the Jewish Community Foundation, as well as a past Board Member of the Building Industry Association of San Diego. Graeme and his wife, Dr. Simone Kanter have three children, Naomi, Class of 2024, Julia, Class of 2025 and Aidan, Class of 2028. Graeme currently serves as a member of the Campaign Steering Committee at Parker and was a volunteer coach on the Parker Squash Team.

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Ted Kim is a partner and Director of Investments at Brandes Investment Partners LP, a global investment advisory firm based in San Diego. He is one of the team leaders responsible for the firm’s research efforts in the Investments Group. He is also a member of the Global Large Cap Investment Committee at Brandes. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in system design and management. Ted also received an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is currently a volunteer member of the Parker’s Finance Committee and Development Review Committee. Ted and his wife, Kathie, have three children at Parker: Jenna, Class of 2022, Samantha, Class of 2024, and Nicholas, Class of 2026.

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Samir Singh '96 is an attorney and Principal at Triton Bridge, PC, a San Diego-based technology licensing law firm and Founder and President of MakeYou, Inc., a mobile health software company. He was previously Innovation Officer for ProQuest, LLC a leading global library information services company. Samir received a Bachelor of Arts from Claremont McKenna College, cum laude, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law. Samir currently sits on the Board of Directors of Accel Robotics Corporation and serves on the Francis Parker Alumni Relations Committee. He and his wife, Priya, have three children: Akash, Class of 2026; Arya, Class of 2028; and Aditi, Class of 2032. Samir, himself, is a Parker “lifer."

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Meghan Spieker received her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and her law degree with honors from Georgetown University. She chairs the board of Free to Thrive, which provides direct legal services to survivors of human trafficking. Previously, she co-chaired the San Diego Lawyers Club Human Trafficking Task Force, an organization committed to combating domestic trafficking, particularly of minors. Meghan represented public companies and business leaders for over 15 years in private practice as a litigator at the law firms of Cooley LLP and Shearman & Sterling. She also serves on the boards of the California Wildlife Officers Foundation and Teen Volunteers In Action SD3. At Parker, Meghan chairs the Philanthropy Committee and previously served on the Communications Committee. Meghan and her husband Warren have four sons: Wes, Quinn, Liam and Rogan.

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Mary Taylor serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Educational Partnerships, Outreach and Success at San Diego State University. Previously she has Directed the College Apps Academy Program at Reality Changers, a non-profit organization dedicated to college access, and served as Interim Director of the Elementary Institute of Science, a non-profit dedicated to increasing STEM education and opportunities for students in underserved San Diego neighborhoods. Mary has also previously directed the Student Support Services Program and served as Interim Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at UC San Diego.
Mary serves on the Board for the Elementary Institute of Science and currently serves on the UC San Diego Black Alumni Scholarship Board as well as the UC San Diego Education Studies Advisory Board. Mary holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UC San Diego, A Master’s Degree from San Diego State University, a Certificate in College Admissions Counseling from UCLA and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from the UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program. Mary has volunteered in a number of capacities at Parker to include serving as Parent Education Chair and Parents Association President. She and her husband Lawrence have one son, Jonathan, Class of 2016.

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Sarah received her degree in Zoology from UC Davis in 1983 and her Master's in Library and Information Sciences from UC Berkeley in 1988. She is the former Director of Qualcomm's corporate library, where she was responsible for its establishment and direction for fourteen years. As a community volunteer, Sarah has served on the boards of Mama's Kitchen, The San Diego Public Library Foundation and the Board of Library Commissioners for the City of San Diego. Her Parker involvement includes Parents Association Treasurer (2010-2012) and the Parents Association Gala Committee (2007-2012). She has served on Parker's Audit and Development Committees, and is a current member of the Board Governance and Development Review Committees. Sarah and her husband, David Gray, have two sons — Isaac, Class of 2016, and Henry, Class of 2020.

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