Welcome!
The CAIS Board of Trustees is responsible for formulating the long term policy and direction of the school and communicating that to the Head of School and his administrative team. The Board is comprised of current and former parents as well as community members. Each member of the Board has evidenced a long term commitment to the school's success. Every effort is made to see that the Board represents a broad cross section of our school community and includes individuals who bring particular talents to the school. The Board meets 12 times a year. However, individual committees of the Board meet more frequently on issues such as finance, facilities and development. An executive committee of the Board includes the Board chair, vice chair, treasurer and secretary, and meets regularly with the Head of School. The Board gives the Head of School and his team broad discretion in the day-to-day running of the school, personnel decisions, curriculum and discipline issues. The Board reviews the Head's performance each year to insure that he has clear goals as well as the resources and support to achieve those goals. Alonso Wong,
Chair, Board of Trustees Read 2010-2011 Annual Report Download a copy of the 2010-2014 Strategic Plan. NAIS Principles of Good Practice - General Overview NAIS Principles of Good Practice - Board of Trustees Statement of Values and Code of Ethics
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Board Members
Chair, Alonso Wong
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: Seven
Relationship to CAIS: Parent of CAIS alumni - J.R. '05; Janet '07; Tommy '09
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
CAIS gave our kids the unique opportunity of learning Mandarin Chinese in the U.S., so we wanted to give back and help make CAIS a better place.
What Board activities do you find most rewarding?
Being able to participate and contribute with my time, experience and knowledge.
Other professional activities
I'm the General Manager at C.W. Investments which is a development, construction and property-management company where I manage investments, sales, operations and finance. Throughout my career I have held positions at Macy's of New York and Mobil Oil Corporation. I graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Economics and went on to gain an MBA from Columbia University.
Vice Chair, Brian McDonnell
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: I started at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.
Relationship to CAIS: Parent of current CAIS students Pierce and Rónán
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
The new strategic plan, developed with input from all elements of the school including faculty, staff, parents, alumni and trustees defines a clear vision of where CAIS is heading in its second quarter century. I am particularly interested in two key areas of the plan. First, helping to facilitate clear communication and transparency throughout the school, aided by technological solutions; second, developing documented processes that will allow us to turn great individual efforts into permanent best practices.
What Board activities do you find most rewarding?
After four years on the Parents Association Council I enjoy the interaction between the Board and the PA. Additionally, turning the high-level goals of the strategic plan into actionable, measurable objectives is very rewarding as that effort has such a direct impact on where CAIS will be as an institution in five years. Finally, the work with the CAIS Institute is exciting as the programs created there will aid the growing number of other schools that are adding Mandarin immersion programs.
Other professional activities
As a fourth-generation native San Franciscan, I am active with a number of different local volunteer organizations such as the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I participate with alumni activities at my local high school Saint Ignatius (SI), Santa Clara University where I received my BS degree and Golden Gate University where I received my MBA. I have worked in the high-tech industry since 1987 working at several firms including Apple. Over the last 17 years, I have been COO at RTL, a small software firm based in San Francisco.
Treasurer, Susan Cheng
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: Two
Relationship to CAIS: Parent of current CAIS student - Katy Woo
Why did you join the CAIS Board?
I joined because I believe that CAIS has the potential to be the absolute best Mandarin immersion elementary and middle school in the country. I have been impressed with the dedication of all participants in the CAIS community and want to contribute as much as I can to the school. When I was growing up on the East Coast, there was nothing like CAIS available to me or my siblings; I am so pleased that my daughter has this opportunity to learn two languages, one of which is her cultural heritage. I believe in the benefits of bilingual education for all children, no matter what the second language is.
What Board activities do you find most rewarding?
I find all Board activities to be intellectually interesting, although some are clearly more mundane than others. I find the work on Board governance, structure and communications to be extremely rewarding, because it sets the stage for the perpetual renewal and growth of the school's leadership.
Other professional activities
In addition to my work on the CAIS Board, I am also the part time Administrative Partner and CFO of IDG Ventures SF, an early-stage venture capital fund of which I was a founding partner in 1997. I also manage global services for IDG's global family of venture funds. I am also starting to teach again, with a focus on high school and middle school mathematics.
Secretary, Jennifer Redmond
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: I started in the middle of the 2009-2010 school year.
Relationship to CAIS: Parent of current CAIS students Clare and Lucas
Other professional activities
I am an experienced trial lawyer and have represented employers in several jury trials. I defend employers against claims of WARN Act violations, trade secret theft, wage and hour violations, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and breach of contract, among others. I have experience with the financial services, technology, entertainment and national multi housing industries. I am a partner-in-charge of the Labor and Employment Practice Group in my firm's San Francisco office and am the co-chair of the firm's National Noncompete and Trade Secrets Team.
Ramona Fung
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: One.
Relationship to CAIS: Parent of CAIS alumni -- Allison '04 and Justin '06
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
CAIS contributed to the growth and development of my children and I was impressed with the teaching of Chinese. They had much fun in learning and absorbed the language like sponges. In my 11 years at CAIS, I was Assistant leader of a Brownie and a Girl Scout troop, member of the Float committee for many years and co-chair of the Annual Fund. I joined the Board to continue to give back to the school.
What Board activities do you find most rewarding?
I enjoy working with a group enthusiastic about CAIS.
Other professional activities
I am the chief of Head and Neck Surgery at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in South San Francisco. I earned a BSc from Brown University and MD from Yale University School of Medicine. I serve on the Parents Fund committee at Deerfield Academy.
Gilman Louie
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: Four
Relationship to CAIS: Parent of two current CAIS students
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
I joined to help the school provide the best education in America and to be the model program for immersion education.
What Board activities do you find most rewarding?
Working on the strategic direction of the school and of the Institute.
Other professional activities
I'm partner of Alsop Louie Partners and a member of the TIGER standing committee of the National Academies, Advisor to the College of Business of San Francisco State University and a member of the Technical Advisory Group and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Richard Mueller
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: I joined at the end of the 2009-20101 school year
Relationship to CAIS: Community member.
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
My wife Claire and I recently moved to the United States after living and working in Asia for more than 30 years. I studied Mandarin and Vietnamese while in the Foreign Service and our two sons grew up in Hong Kong, which has left me with an understanding of the importance of cultural and language immersion. Being a part of the Board of Trustees at CAIS is a great way for me to give back and offer my skills and knowledge to a school whose mission I truly relate to.
Other professional activities
I was in the Foreign Service for 32 years, representing the United States primarily in Asia, I served as United States Consul General to Hong Kong, worked with the Asia Society in Hong Kong during a leave of absence from the State Department and served as both a board member, and later Head of School at Hong Kong International School and Head of School at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts.
I am officially retired and am looking forward to dedicating time to both CAIS and my family. My wife Claire and I recently became first-time grandparents and are excited to be in closer proximity to our grown children.
Ben Ng
Stasia Obremskey
Bing Shen
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: Five
Relationship to CAIS: Community member
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
I received my bachelor's degree from Princeton University in public and international affairs and a master's degree from Harvard Business School. I pursued a career in finance which included positions at World Bank, Morgan Stanley and China Development Industrial Bank (Taiwan's largest private equity/venture capital firm). In addition to my involvement on the CAIS Board of Trustees, I've held director positions on other boards including Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, The Institute on Aging and 1990 Institute (which is engaged in China-related research).
Other Interests
I'm married with one son and enjoy playing bridge, travel and reading. I have lived in Taiwan, Congo, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China and speak Chinese, English and French.
Jane Su
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: New
Bio coming soon.
Carolina Woo
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: One
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
I have served on the Board of Trustees at other schools (Rhode Island School of Design) and found it to be very rewarding. I joined with the goal of bringing my professional experience in real estate development to help with the master building plan that's in process.
Other professional activities
I am the owner of the CW Group, a consulting firm focused on real estate development, planning and design in the. I began her career in architecture and real estate in 1969, when I joined one of the largest architectural firms in the United States. Throughout my career I have focused on large-scale private and public sector development in Asia as well as the United States. In Vietnam, I directed the planning of Saigon South, a new community south of Ho Chi Min City. In London, I directed the planning and first-phase implementation of Canary Wharf, Europe's largest privately sponsored development. In China, I directed major commercial projects in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities, including the new headquarters of the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China in the heart of Beijing near Tiananmen Square, the JinMao Tower, and the Master Planning of XinTianDi. Locally I directed the design and construction of the new San Francisco International Terminal Building, the renovation of San Francisco's historic U.S. Court of Appeals and also led the renovation and expansion of the California Supreme Court Building.
Dennis Wong
Number of years on the Board of Trustees: Sixteen
Relationship to CAIS: Parent of CAIS alumna -- Larissa '99
Why did you join the CAIS Board of Trustees?
I was co-chair of Parent Association and member of the Site Search Task Force from 1991 to 1993 to locate a permanent home for CAIS. With the completion of the space programming, design and financing of the International Schools campus, I served as the NCIS project manager in 1996 to 1997 for the reconstruction of the former Cal Trans District office at 150 Oak Street. Throughout the years at CAIS, I have served or chaired numerous board committees including Annual Fund, Buildings and Grounds and Governance Committees. For ten years I chaired the Chinese New Years Float committee for the Parent Association. For the NCIS Board I chaired the Facilities Committee.
What Board activities do you find most rewarding?
I have found it to be very rewarding assisting CAIS and NCIS with their construction and facility needs.
Other professional activities
I am a Project Executive at Swinerton Management & Consulting in San Francisco. I have an extensive background in real estate development and currently provide development, project and construction management services for public, private and non-profit clients. I'm a journeyman carpenter, licensed general contractor and LEED Accredited Professional. My professional associations include Construction Management Association of America, American Planning Association and U.S. Green Building Council.
I am a U.C. Berkeley ('72) graduate and served for eight years as a volunteer leader and trustee for a non-profit children's weekend activity group in San Francisco Chinatown in association with the San Francisco Mental Health Center.
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