Governance Summit: Critical Training for Charter School Board Members and School Leaders

Brenda Bock

Partner
Baker Tilly US

As a Partner at Baker Tilly US, one of the leading advisory, tax and assurance firms in the world, I leverage my CPA and MBA credentials and my 15+ years of public accounting experience to provide high-quality audit and assurance services to a diverse portfolio of clients. I work with range of clients from NFP social service organizations, advocacy organizations, and K-12 schools/ higher education schools, to for profit companies in the real estate, wholesaler/distributor and restaurant space, among others. I have extensive knowledge and skills in financial standards and regulations, including GAAP, GAS, and Uniform Guidance, and I ensure that my clients comply with the latest requirements and best practices. I also lead and mentor a team of talented professionals who share my commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. My goal is to build long-term relationships with my clients and help them achieve their financial and strategic objectives.

Caitlin O'Halloran Hellar

Governance and Policy Specialist
Charter Schools Development Center

Caitlin O’Halloran Hellar is the Governance and Policy Specialist at CSDC. Caitlin leads CSDC's development and delivery of matters relating to governance, policy, and other charter school leadership topics. In 2004, Caitlin co-founded the Dixon Montessori Charter School (DMCS). From 2013-2022 she served on the Dixon Unified School District Governing Board which authorizes DMCS. She served one term on the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools and has been a workshop presenter at statewide educational conferences, a commentator on public radio, and the Woman of the Year for Senate District 03 in 2016.

Greta Proctor

Partner
Procopio

Greta Proctor is the leader of Procopio’s Education practice. Greta advises on a wide range of operational, governance, and ever-changing regulatory issues for classroom and non-classroom based charter schools. Greta has worked extensively on charter renewals, including appeals. She also counsels schools through special proceedings ranging from OCR complaints to FCMAT extraordinary audits. Greta provides frequent trainings on topics such as teacher credentialing, Board governance, the Brown Act, Public Records Act, avoiding conflicts of interest under the Political Reform Act and Government Code section 1090, and new legislation impacting her clients.

Jared Austin

Executive Director
Kairos Public School Vacaville Academy

Jared Austin began his teaching career in the Vacaville Unified School District. Mr. Austin soon advanced into school administration in Vacaville, then in Sacramento. Currently, Mr. Austin is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Kairos Public Schools, in Vacaville, California. Mr. Austin believes in getting scholars to take responsibility for their community. Additionally, Mr. Austin has served as an adjunct professor in Touro University’s Educational Leadership Department. He has also received multiple honors for achievements in leadership and innovation. He was appointed to the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) in November of 2017.

Jennifer McQuarrie

Lawyer
Law Office of Jennifer McQuarrie

Jennifer McQuarrie engages with CSDC as an advisor and guest instructor on charter school policy and legal matters. Jennifer leads the development and delivery of several legal workshops at CDSC's Summer Leadership Intensive, Spring CBO Training Program, and Fall Leadership Update Conference. She also conducts regular updates to CSDC’s Sample Charter School Operating Policies, a critical resource to CSDC's members. Jennifer specializes in charter school representation and employment litigation and has been practicing law for over 25 years. Prior to opening her own practice, she was Legal Counsel and Legislative Advocate for CSDC. She focused on providing a wide range of advice on school policies, personnel and student issues, including those relating to governing board policies, conflicts of interest, student discipline, employment related matters, Brown Act compliance. Jennifer also worked as General Counsel for St. HOPE Public Schools, which opened Sacramento High School as a charter school in 2003.

Robin Stout

Superintendent
Rocklin Academy Family of Schools

Dr. Robin Stout is a highly accomplished educational leader, recognized for her exceptional skills in developing high-performing teams, building and sustaining a culture of collective efficacy, organizational strategic planning, and effective governance. Her unwavering commitment to excellence in education has been evident during her twenty-one year tenure at the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools. She has held the position as Executive Director/Superintendent since 2015. In addition to her role as Executive Director/Superintendent, Robin serves as an Adjunct Professor where she shares her wealth of knowledge and expertise with educators and educational leaders throughout the United States.

Tim Klotz

Board Vice Chair
Rocklin Academy Family of Schools

Tom Nichols

Executive VP of Client Services and Operations
CSMC

Tom Nichols currently serves as Executive Vice President of Client Services and Operations at CSMC (Charter School Management Company.) In his current role, Tom focuses on improving client partner experiences through coordinated and innovative service delivery options. Tom also interacts with client partner administrators and governing boards, providing training on best practices while assisting them with identifying strategic development and growth opportunities. Tom brings the authorizer perspective, having served in LAUSD’s Charter Schools Division for six years– coordinating and managing oversight while assessing organizational capacity of existing charter schools and new petitioners. He understands the complex requirements and evolution of compliance and the nuance of maintaining effective relationships with authorizers. In addition to serving as a start-up charter high school principal and special education teacher, Tom has held numerous administrative positions related to school improvement initiatives; restructuring schools; opening newly constructed schools; student discipline; and crisis management.