Board of Trustees Bios

My family has been part of the PHS Community since 2017 since my son, Arin, joined in kindergarten.

We were attracted to PHS because of their leadership in and commitment to progressive education. Since its inception, the school has championed the values that are only more recently becoming more mainstream: a commitment to the highest quality education, social justice, and belonging. Growing up in apartheid-era South Africa where access to educational opportunities was not equitable, this was particularly important to our family.

By way of background, I have 20+ years of experience in financial services in South Africa, the UK and the US, and currently co-lead the US Client Business for Orbis Investments, a global asset management firm. I’ve worked with various non-profit organizations, including serving as a trustee on the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, which invests in the education and development of individuals with entrepreneurial potential within Southern Africa. I am a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA) and an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

I’ve been a member of the Board since 2019, and this year I am honored to Co-Chair our Board, to partner with our incredible Head of School, Lisa Jeli, to address the most imperative strategic issues for PHS.

Our family has been a part of this community since 2020 when (amidst very tumultuous times) we saw PHS as an institution we could trust with our kids' education and personal growth. We now have two kids at PHS (Mason in fifth; Isaac in second) and a preschooler who is already counting down the days until she can join her brothers. My personal involvement in the PHS community has taken the form of PGA Leadership (Lead Room Rep), Admissions Chair, Room Rep, and volunteer for countless field trips, community events and Presidio days. I have been thrilled to find such a deep community at PHS - it feels like my "home" as well as that of my kids.

In the professional sphere, I work as a Communications Consultant for Social Impact. I focus on creative content that elevates the work of mission-driven organizations. I work with social-impact focused organizations ranging from international development nonprofits to clean tech-start ups, helping them tell their stories of impact, build communities of supporters, and execute successful fundraising campaigns.

An active member of the PHS community, I currently serve on the Development Committee and previously held positions as the Co-Chair of the PGA and the Admission Committee. I thoroughly enjoy volunteering for classroom field trips, school events, and even making soup for our dedicated staff and teachers.

Professionally, I was the Head of the San Francisco office and Business Manager in New York for Christie's, a leading global art auction house. Additionally, I've consulted for a private museum and collector, as well as a Bay Area artist's foundation. I hold a degree in Art History from UC Berkeley.

My partner, Jonathan Abrams, and I have two children at PHS—Scarlett, who graduated in 2024, and Jack in the eighth grade. One of the highlights of my day is often walking to PHS in the mornings with Scarlett and Jack

Hi, I'm Kristel Leow, and I became a part of the PHS community in 2021. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to connect with fellow parents in person. My involvement has seen me volunteer for events like the Walkathon and Presidio trips, and I have also taken on the role of co-chair for Grandparents/Special Friends. Together with my husband Mikhail, we're raising two wonderful sons: Oliver, who's in fourth grade, and Cameron, who's in first grade. As a family, we share a love for reading, frequenting the beach, discovering new parks and playgrounds in the Bay Area, eating good food, and traveling, especially to catch up with friends and family scattered across the globe.

I was born and raised in Malaysia and decided to move to the US for my higher education. I earned my bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Harvard, a journey I deeply cherish. I have been in the technology industry for over 17 years, holding various leadership positions at esteemed companies like Google and Microsoft, where I've been instrumental in building both consumer and enterprise software. My professional journey has seen me head technical program management teams at YouTube and lead software development testing teams at Xbox and Office.

I'm a former director of Presidio Hill School and also a proud PHS alum parent. I began my journey in education as a preschool teacher in the Mission, and after relocating to Marin, I founded The Playgroup Preschool in Point Reyes Station. When I returned to San Francisco, I took on the role of head teacher, and later supervisor, at the Cross Cultural Family Center in the Western Addition. It was during this period that I achieved my master's degree in Education. I took on the director role at PHS in 1980, but my tenure was cut short after 16 years due to a diagnosis of fourth-stage non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

In 1999, during the final phase of my treatment, a former PHS parent and therapist approached me with the idea of assisting a group of parents in establishing a school for children with autism. As a founding board member of Oak Hill, I took on the interim director position at Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley. Later, I worked in marketing and PR for my husband's decorative concrete company, Buddy Rhodes Studio. I was invited back to PHS for a one-year interim headship for the 2008-2009 school year. In 2011, I took on the executive director role at Oak Hill, a position I held for almost five years.

Over the years, I've been affiliated with several institutions including The Playgroup, Cross Cultural Family Center, San Francisco Arts Education Project, Edible Schoolyard, Chez Panisse Foundation, San Francisco School, Oak Hill School, and of course, Presidio Hill School. Currently, I'm a board member of the Eva Gunther Foundation, Presidio Hill School, and the SF Autism Society.

After joining the Board in 2019, I've since retired. Now, I split my time between San Francisco and Mendocino County, where I live with my husband, Buddy, and our grandson, Marco.

I feel so fortunate that my wife Leslie and I discovered Presidio Hill School in 2020. Indeed, it was in the midst of COVID lockdown, and our admissions season was entirely remote. Then, over the next year or so, as the world opened up a bit each month, so did our joyful experience at PHS. Now in her fifth year, our daughter Sadie loves each day of third grade, and her brother Brayden could not be more thrilled to join her every day as a member of the first grade class. I love hustling to keep up with them, as they run towards the front door of school each morning, and year by year, I cannot wait to get to know the amazing people they become.

Still, as much as my family has received from PHS faculty and staff, as well as from the vibrant and supportive family community, it is the opportunity to give back that fills my heart: from class Presidio excursions and field trips; from Admissions tours and applicant family outreach; from co-chairing Walkathon and volunteering with the Board of Trustees, I feel that each is really a chance to share my love for our amazing school. I grew up in southern California, and other than my years as an undergraduate at Brown University, this state has been my home. As a long-time resident of San Francisco, I spent many years in the technology sector and am now working in real estate. Our family loves living in the Outer Richmond neighborhood and exploring everything unique around our great city.

I've been part of the PHS community for over a decade, and during this time, I've had the honor to contribute to various PGA committees, co-chair the PGA, and am currently in my second term as a Board Trustee.

I joined the Board with over 25 years of diverse professional experience across the entertainment, fashion, advertising, and retail sectors. My most notable stint was a 16-year tenure at well-renowned brands, Gap and Banana Republic. In these organizations, I wore multiple hats, from overseeing advertising and store experience to serving as the senior fashion & editorial director. I was born in San Francisco and had the privilege to attend Marin Country Day School followed by The Branson School. I pursued my BA in Psychology at Occidental College and further expanded my horizons with a certificate in French Civilization from La Sorbonne.

Together with my husband, Jesse Zeifman, we're proud parents of two children: Jack, who graduated in 2021, and Olivia, who is currently in eighth grade. Being elected to the Board in 2019 was another proud moment in my journey with PHS.

My passion for education started right here in San Francisco, where I was born. I attended public school and graduated from SFSU with a Liberal Arts degree and teaching credential. I started working with underprivileged children when I was in high school and have over 20 years of experience in various educational settings, including preschool, elementary school, and language schools overseas. I was a classroom teacher in SF for over 15 years and took on many leadership roles during my tenure. I later became a National Board Certified Teacher and also got my MS in Instructional Leadership/Administration. Today, I continue to serve children and teachers at the California Academy of Sciences overseeing the Teacher Professional Development programs. The rest of my energy is spent on shuttling our two boys (Kenji, 3rd & Keisuke, 1st) around town to music, swim, soccer, and basketball! I love to read, write, and hike. I also enjoy cooking and traveling.

We want our kids to be happy lifelong learners and landed at PHS because the progressive values really resonated with us. Coming from a family of first-generation immigrants, I know how important education is, and I am here to ensure that PHS lives up to the values it represents, as well as continue to serve the community in which I grew up, particularly to amplify voices that are often marginalized. I look forward to listening, learning, and collaborating with everyone at Presidio Hill School.

I am the Head of School at Presidio Hill School; I've had the privilege of serving PHS for over 30 years. My journey at the school includes almost a decade as the Assistant Head of School and Middle School Director, five years as the Lower School Director, and I've also taught as a lead teacher in third through fifth grades. I'm not just connected to PHS professionally but personally as well, as my son Isam is a proud graduate of the Presidio Hill School Class of 2013, and he completed his college education in 2021.

My educational background includes a degree from the School of Education at Portland State University. I also hold a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from the Graduate School of Education & Harvard Business School Online. I was honored to be invited to, and recently completed, the Leadership Fellows program through the California Teacher Development Collaborative, mentored by esteemed educators and former Heads of School, Reveta Bowers and Debbie Reed. I also had the privilege of founding the PHS Multicultural Leadership Team.

My family joined the PHS community when our child entered 1st grade, following a public school kindergarten experience during the 2020 COVID pandemic year. The decision to enroll at PHS was driven by a deep appreciation for the school’s commitment to progressive education and its foundational “ABC’s” of core values.

My dedication to education stems from growing up as the only child of a single mother who was a public school teacher. I experienced firsthand the impact of dedicated educators and the impact they have on the lives of their students.

Professionally, I bring my analytical and financial background to my involvement with PHS. I am a CFA charter holder with an MS in Financial Analysis from University of San Francisco.  I work at Charles Schwab in Corporate Risk Management, where I’ve spent the last 14 years developing a keen understanding of risk assessment and strategic decision-making.

My family is deeply engaged in the PHS community. My wife, Becca, serves on the leadership team of the school’s Parents & Guardians Association. And to maximize time at PHS, my child, Naomi, insists on being the last kid picked up at school every day.

I joined the PHS community in 2014 with my husband Scott Murry when our son Oliver entered TK. Oliver is now an alum of the Class of 2024! We chose PHS, because we saw how delighted and engaged in learning the students are. I love the care and sense of community PHS has, the commitment to social justice, and curriculum rooted in ideas of stewardship that envisions a better world. I have been a classroom parent and am serving as a Board trustee for a sixth year. I am also a professor of sociology at Rutgers University, where I research and teach topics related to immigration and health policy.

I grew up in the Bay Area with a strong background in progressive education, having attended nursery through middle school at Peninsula School in Menlo Park, founded by former Presidio Hill School director Josephine Duveneck in 1925. My wife, Jaimie, and I wanted the same social-emotional educational experience that I received for our daughter, and we are so thrilled that she gets to attend Presidio Hill School. It has been pure joy watching her grow and thrive at PHS. She is so enthusiastic about learning and each year her enthusiasm grows. She literally runs and skips to school each morning, and is eager to teach us what she has learned at the end of each school day.

In my professional life, I work as a UI/UX and Visual Designer and have had the opportunity to contribute to large-scale design initiatives for Microsoft, BMW, Shazam, Diageo World Class, Cisco, Creative Live, and Pike Place Fish Market. I also serve as a marketing strategist and record label liaison for Amoeba Music.

At PHS, I have had the pleasure to serve on the Board of Trustees, as Admission Co-Chair, and as Room Representative. It brings me joy to volunteer for admission tours, field trips, and in-classroom activities. Jaimie and I take great pride in our daughter, Jeanette, who is currently in sixth grade.

I am the Admission Director at San Francisco Waldorf High School. Before my current role, I served as the Admission Associate at Presidio Hill School for five years. My connection to PHS is even more profound, as I'm an alumna of the school, class of 2006. Before my time working at Presidio Hill School, I worked in the recruitment and human resource department at Kaiser Permanente. In my current role at Waldorf High School, I co-chair the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee and am a member of the Multicultural Council. I hold a Bachelor's degree in English, specializing in Children’s and Young Adult Literature. While at Presidio Hill School, I was a part of the Hiring & Retention subcommittee of the Multicultural Leadership Team. My professional journey has spanned event planning, DEIB education, real estate, and various youth programs. Outside the educational realm, I'm a singer, theater performer/teacher, writer, avid reader, musical theater enthusiast, and I have a passion for all things creative.

My name is Gabriel, and I'm an alumnus of PHS class of 1995. I owe a lot to PHS for instilling in me core values like curiosity, creativity, inclusiveness, and a love for learning during my formative years. I've spent 20 years in the investment management industry, taking on roles as a portfolio manager, investment strategist, and trader. Currently, I am the Senior Derivatives Portfolio Manager at Voya Investment Management.  Previously I founded and ran my own firm Macro Ventures that specialized in thematic asset allocation and data-driven ESG investment strategies. Before Macro Ventures, I spent ten years at Nuveen Investments and also worked for two global macro hedge funds. Earlier on in my career I practiced law at Jones Day and was a Teach for America Corps member in New York. I earned my JD from Fordham School of Law and completed my undergraduate studies at Georgetown University. I'm proud to be a CFA Charterholder and also a member of the New York bar. My experiences have taken me to live, work, and study in over 40 countries. Now, I split time between California and Atlanta, but consider La Jolla home, where I live with my wife Alyssa, and our two children, Hayden, who's 9, and Skyler, who's 6.

I am grateful to be starting our 11th year in the PHS community and my second term on the Board of Trustees. Along with my husband Phill, we have had the pleasure to witness firsthand the impact that the amazing teachers, and long-term commitment to progressive education, have had on our two kids (one in seventh grade, and a recent alumni [class of 2022]). 

I have deeply appreciated the opportunity to support the PHS mission and community–through volunteering at events (book fairs, admissions events, Mayfest), committees (Head of School Search Committee, Buildings and Grounds), and through the work of the Board. I am currently the Environmental Team Manager for META's North American Data Center Portfolio, having previously held strategic leadership roles at Environmental Science Associates, a mission-driven environmental consulting firm, and AECOM/URS. I previously served on the Merritt Community College Natural History and Sustainability Advisory Board, collaborating with faculty to design certificate programs to prepare graduates for placement in government, non-profit, and consulting opportunities. 

My name is Byron Philhour, I am the Dean of Teaching and Learning at San Francisco University High School. For over two and a half decades, I've taught astronomy, physics, chemistry, and computer science to students from various ages and backgrounds. I completed my undergraduate studies at U.C. Berkeley and earned my Ph.D. in physics from the California Institute of Technology, specializing in observational cosmology.

As an educator, I align with progressive, constructivist, culturally-responsive, and other humanist movements. I believe that we all have the potential for explosive, self-directed, experiential learning once the barriers to our well-being are removed. Besides my role in education, I work as a Data Scientist at RTBiQ Political, providing novel computational & machine-learning models to clients across the nation. I also consult at the crossroads of data science and education. My wife Marjan and I are proud parents to Nat, who's in the seventh grade, Sophie, who graduated in 2024, and their older brother Joey, who's part of UHS '25.

My journey as an educator started right here at Presidio Hill more than twenty-five years ago. After graduating from U.C. Santa Barbara with a degree in Law and Society, I arrived at PHS, eager for some real-world work experience before returning to graduate school. At the time, my niece, Sabrina, was a fourth grader in Lisa Jeli’s class, our current Head of School. One gap year turned into eight! That introduction to teaching shaped my love and respect for progressive education and remains an important influence in my career, life, and family.

After Presidio Hill, I pursued roles in school administration and leadership, spending the next sixteen years at the Urban School, thirteen of which were as its Director of Admissions. Most recently, I served as the Director of High School Counseling at San Francisco Day School, and have been partnering with Bay Area schools as an educational consultant.

Our family joined PHS in 2023. My wife, Shoney, and I are so happy to have our daughters, Jaxin and Peyton, spend these important formative years in this special community. The curiosity, depth, joy, and kindness they are experiencing is a gift. I saw it in both my niece and nephew, who attended PHS back in the 90s, and I saw it in the many Presidio Hill 8th graders who applied and matriculated to Urban over the years. Now I get to witness that love and passion for learning every day in my own children.

I am a marketing executive with over 15 years of experience leading marketing teams for Bertelsmann and National Cinemedia in NYC before jumping into the startup scene in San Francisco. I have been integrally involved with brand marketing and partnerships at growing female-founded companies such as Cuyana and Ranavat. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management from Babson College.

I have been actively involved in the PHS community since 2020, volunteering for Presidio trips and class field trips, Walkathon, chairing Spring Fling, serving as PGA Secretary, and most recently as PGA Co-Chair. My husband Gautam and I have two daughters, Amira (in fifth grade) and Mitali (in third grade).

Progressive education has positively shaped my family, and I wish the same for all our children at PHS during these formative years of their lives. What remains so magical about progressive education to me is how this philosophy incorporates creative arts and field study into academic education. I grew up in Portland, OR and bonded with my now husband in a high school art class at Catlin Gabel School. We now have two children at PHS.

In my professional life I am Director of Development at Save the Redwoods League and have raised funds for conservation organizations for more than 20 years to protect many of the parks that Californians enjoy today. I am particularly passionate about assuring the financial support for PHS that allows our community to thrive.

I studied Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard for undergrad and also hold an (unused, but formative) MFA in painting from Washington State University. Our family enjoys many activities including art, fashion, hiking, books, movies, and playing various sports very competitively.

Our family has been part of the PHS community since 2017. My wife, Tachina, and I have two children attending PHS–Kai in 8th grade and Kayla in 5th grade. As a stay-at-home dad, I have had the gift of time to spend volunteering in my kids’ classrooms and lending a hand wherever needed on other PHS events.

Prior to my life as a stay-at-home dad, I had a career as a civil engineer. I earned my bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Columbia University and had been working for mid-sized consulting engineering firms on a wide range of planning and design projects. My clients included universities, municipalities, and public utility agencies in California and throughout the west coast.

I was born and raised in the suburbs just north of Boston and continue to root for all the Boston sports teams, as do my children!