MEET Our Community

Administrators and Staff

List of 9 items.

Shaun McTigue

Lower School Division Head
Bachelor of Arts, Loyola University Chicago
Master of Education, Jones International University
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Shaun McTigue joined Sonoma Country Day School in July of 2017 as the Lower School Division Head. He ensures that the lower school lives the mission of the school, to bring learning to life, and strives to uphold a healthy learning environment for all students. Shaun earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola University Chicago, and a MEd from Jones International University. Shaun has worked in independent schools in Chicago and Detroit, and spent four years teaching abroad in the UAE.

Shaun is drawn to independent schools because of the community feel and ability to meet students where they are in the educational journey. The attention given to fostering relationships with students and parents is a major reason Shaun is here at SCDS. Shaun has two sons enrolled at SCDS, and couldn’t be happier to have his family be a part of such a great institution.
Mark Bosick

Middle School Division Head
Bachelor of Arts, University of Delaware
Master of Arts, University of Delaware
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Starting in the summer of 2019, Mark joins us from Kent Denver School in Colorado where he was the Middle School Dean of Students and also taught middle school science and human development. In 2017, while at Kent Denver, Mark received the Thomas J. Graesser Distinguished Teaching Chair Award. Previously, Mark served as Middle School Dean of Students at The Sanford School in Delaware and taught middle school science. There, Mark received the 2007 Delaware Wrestling Coach of the Year. Mark holds a BA in Biological Sciences and a MA in Curriculum and Instruction, both from The University of Delaware. Mark has also been active in outdoor education and the National Outdoor Leadership School, and he has coached varsity wrestling, soccer, rock climbing, cross country, and lacrosse.
Jennifer Macias

Director of Finance and Operations
Bachelor of Science, University of Phoenix
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Jennifer Macias joined the Sonoma Country Day School community in 2003 following a career in law enforcement as a public safety dispatcher. Jennifer fulfilled a variety of administrative roles in the human resources and business offices at SCDS before serving in her current capacity as Director of Finance and Operations. Responsible for the financial health and investment management of the school, Jennifer also oversees human resources and the school facilities. She holds a degree in business administration with an emphasis on business and finance, and is a member of the California Independent Schools Business Officers Association and the National Business Officers Association.

Jennifer and her husband, a police officer for the City of Santa Rosa, have three children who attend SCDS. A Sonoma County native, Jennifer has served on several nonprofit boards and has volunteered for underprivileged youth organizations throughout the community.
Elizabeth Gleadall

Director of Development
Bachelor of Arts, UC San Diego
Master of Education, University of San Diego
Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE)
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Elizabeth Gleadall joined the Sonoma Country Day School community in 2001. She moved from The Gillispie School in La Jolla, California, where she had worked for six years as a first grade teacher and then as director of development. An alumna of independent elementary and high schools, Elizabeth is passionate about the value of a K-8 independent school experience and its role in providing a strong educational foundation and setting the stage for success in high school, college, and into adulthood.

Elizabeth has many years of experience in development, and many more as a volunteer for nonprofit organizations. She has led successful annual and capital campaigns, produced numerous special and fundraising events, initiated fundraising, major gift, and grant programs, developed award-winning publications and events, and designed and managed public relations and marketing campaigns. Among her awards is the national Circle for Excellence Award for Educational Fundraising presented by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Elizabeth graduated with honors from the University of San Diego, where she received a master’s degree in education, and from the University of California, San Diego, where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications. She attended elementary school at The Palm Valley School, an independent school in Palm Springs, California, and high school in Tennessee at the Webb School of Knoxville.

She lives in Healdsburg with her husband Tim and their children, William (Class of 2019) and Sarah (Class of 2024).
Kelly Schmidt

Director of Enrollment and Communications
Bachelor of Arts, UC Santa Cruz
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Kelly Schmidt began her career at Sonoma Country Day School in 2006 as a Neighborhood Associate. She spent two years in the primary division as an Associate Teacher before joining the admission office in 2009. Kelly loves meeting prospective families and students and teaching them about the opportunities, programs, and community that make SCDS the truly special place that it is.

Besides overseeing the admission process for families entering SCDS, Kelly also counsels eighth grade students and their families on secondary school placement. She is the alumni relations contact for our young graduates, coordinates the weekly all-school Assembly, manages school communications, and also enjoys chaperoning student trips, whether local backpacking or international experiences.

Outside of SCDS, Kelly is an avid equestrienne and orchid enthusiast. She has a rescued barn cat who many SCDS students helped socialize as a kitten. Kelly grew up in Sonoma County and is a graduate of Analy High School and UC Santa Cruz, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Literature with an emphasis in Creative Writing.
Pilar Chavarria

School Secretary and Registrar
Tina Souza

Executive Assistant to the Head of School and Board of Trustees
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Tina Souza joined the Sonoma Country Day School community in June of 2004. Originally a member of the technology team, Tina has moved into the position of school secretary, maintaining student information and files, managing the office, and acting as the connection between parents, students, and teachers during the school day.

Tina is responsible for the creation and implementation of our extended programs robot club and is a member of the Sonoma County Robotics Steering Committee. She is also involved in FIRST Lego League, an international organization inspiring children to explore science and engineering through robotics.

Tina is a wooden boat enthusiast and enjoys spending time with her husband and children traveling Lake Tahoe’s west shore in their 1971 Abbate mahogany boat. She also enjoys playing bocce ball at her home in west Petaluma.
Sean McFarland

Operations Manager
Bachelor of Arts, UC Berkeley
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Operations Manager Sean McFarland joined SCDS in 2014 after an extended stint as Chief Engineer of Madrona Manor in Healdsburg. After graduating from UC Berkeley in 1993, he caught a serious travel bug which led him to Portugal to write a guidebook on the country, then to Mexico and Central America where he ended up running the Green Tortoise Adventure Travel's Central American operations. After ten years of driving busses through the jungles of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, he decided it was time to move to beautiful Sonoma County with his wife, who he had met on the bus.

He now enjoys a somewhat more predictable life and lives with his wife and son in Forestville. At SCDS he loves keeping the buildings and grounds running smoothly and looking beautiful as well as sharing a lifetime's worth of hands-on skills with the students.
Kristopher Swift

Security Officer
Security Guard Card (California Bureau of Security & Investigative Services {BSIS})
Armed Security Permit (BSIS)
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Kris served in the Coast Guard for ten years and reached the rank of Gunner’s Mate First Class/E-6. During his service, he met his wife, Celicia, then left the Coast Guard in 2001 and joined the Marin County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff. Kris spent eleven years as a Deputy with Marin County, leaving in 2013 to move into the private security field as an armed guard. Kris lives in Rohnert Park with his wife and son.

List of 8 items.

Nina Strika

Director of Student Support
Master of Science, Columbia University School of Social Work
Master of Education, Bank Street College of Education
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Nina is devoted to supporting students, families, faculty and staff in her role at SCDS. Nina holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and a Master of Science in Education from Bank Street College of Education and she is a Licensed Master Social Worker in New York. Nina has worked in the combined fields of education and clinical social work since 1998. She began as a classroom teacher while completing her graduate school education, upon which she worked as a learning specialist at a New York City preparatory school for grades 6-12. Concurrently, Nina established a private practice working with children and families and consulting with schools which she maintained until moving to Sonoma County in 2010. Prior to joining the faculty at SCDS in 2015 as its first Learning Support Coordinator, Nina developed and taught the highly popular after school program, Metacognition in Action (MCIA).

Under Nina’s leadership, learning support at SCDS has grown into a comprehensive program. As the Director of Student Support, Nina enjoys collaborating with faculty, students and families to identify, assess, and meet the needs of diverse learners. In her role as School Counselor, Nina is building the foundation of mental health support for the SCDS community. Nina also chairs the Student Support Task Force and is a contributing member of the Wellness Team. Nina’s professional development is focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, which she extends to SCDS by facilitating staff trainings and by providing ongoing support.

Nina finds balance in her life through the pursuit of sports which include cycling, running, and both nordic and alpine skiing. Currently, she is one of the coaches of the SCDS Cross Country Team. She also has a deep appreciation of her Croatian heritage and enjoys spending time there with family.
Chen Souksavath

Controller
Bachelor of Science, Sonoma State University
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Chen Souksavath enjoys working at Sonoma Country Day School because he likes the children as well as the buildings and garden. He has been a member of the Sonoma Country Day School community since 2002. His work includes preparing audit schedules, financial reports, and income tax returns for the school and the Country Day Parents. His career has also included work for CPA firms in Napa and Santa Rosa as well as other non-profit organizations within Santa Rosa.

Chen was born in Laos and loves to travel. With a particular fondness for Thai and Lao cuisine as well as the Big Island's weather, he visits Laos, Thailand, and Hawaii whenever he can. He also loves playing tennis and running every day. His greatest achievement in sports has been coaching his three daughters Jenny, Susan, and Laurie, all of whom received tennis scholarships to college. Aside from his skills with numbers and in sports, Chen is one of the leaders for the Laotian community in Santa Rosa where he lives with his beautiful wife Savoy, his three dogs and two cats.
Stacey Vega

Information Systems Manager
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Stacey joined the Sonoma Country Day School community in 2014 as our Registrar and Database Administrator and is now our Information Systems Manager. She manages all of the software systems that make things run smoothly here! Stacey has an Associate's Degree in Business Software from Heald College, in addition to certifications in computer forensics and Blackbaud, the software platform we use at SCDS. Prior to working at SCDS, Stacey spent eight years at Sonoma Academy, working in enrollment and marketing.

Stacey lives with her husband, Fin, and two children who are in the class of 2025 and 2027. Stacey is a native to the area, and her family opened the first Mexican restaurant in Sonoma County!
Jen Rivas

Business Office Associate
Shelly Laskey

Campus and Database Coordinator
Comet Leadership Council Advisor
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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Shelly Laskey is a life-long learner and teacher. At an early age she knew teaching was what she wanted to do. However, she had other experiences to explore along the way.

Shelly was born and raised in California. She has attended schools in Sonoma County and graduated from Sonoma State University with her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential. Her teaching experiences include both public and private schools. Shelly loves that moment when the excitement and enthusiasm bubbles up in her classroom and she strives to see the joy of learning in each student.

Shelly began teaching at Sonoma Country Day School in 2009. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, music, scuba diving, and motorcycles. Shelly’s red hair, smile and enthusiasm stand out, and she hopes you will introduce yourself to her when you see her.
David Cordero

Operations Associate
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David is one of our Operations Associates. He very much admires our community here at SCDS because students, parents, and staff are all so welcoming. What David enjoys most about being a member of our Facilites team is that he gets to experience the entire campus. He also has the opportunity to interact with the students, from building bird houses with the eighth grade class to mining for gold in the garden with fourth grade scientists. He enjoys traveling with his wife and likes to spend his weekends doing carpentry, working on DIY projects, and biking at Annadel park.
Fin Vega

Network Security Analyst / Information Technologist
Bachelor of Science, Lewis University
Master of Science, Lewis University
Rebecca Wolohan

Theater Arts
Facilities Associate
Rental Coordinator
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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Rebecca Wolohan teaches popular theater classes in our Extended Programs and leads the 7th/8th grade musical theater class. Rebecca is active in the local Sonoma County theater scene and has also written original plays that have been featured at SSU festivals. Rebecca also manages community rentals of our Jackson Theater and greater facility.

Sonoma Country Day School

4400 Day School Place
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
phone: 707.284.3200
fax: 707.284.3254
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We are…

The premier, fully accredited, independent TK-8 college preparatory school in Sonoma County. Located in northern Santa Rosa and proud home of The Jackson Theater, SCDS offers a challenging academic program rich in fine and performing arts, music, world languages, and social and emotional learning. For more than thirty years SCDS has been the school that brings learning to life.

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