Academic Program
Rebecca Kroll, Assistant Head of School, joined CDS in 2005 after completing the graduate level Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs. Previously, she taught fifth grade with Teach for America in Long Beach, CA and also served as the Academic Program Coordinator for the "I Have a Dream Foundation" in San Francisco. Rebecca has a B.A. in English literature from the University of Texas, Austin and speaks Spanish. In her free time she enjoys photography, reading, travel and studying U.S. History.

Josée Mayette, Middle School Head, joined CDS in 2008 after serving as the Middle School Head at Chinese American International School for three years and as a middle school social studies teacher for six years. Josée received her Masters of Education in administration from San Francisco State University and her Bachelor of Education in teaching from the University of Manitoba. She has particular expertise in curriculum development, teacher recruitment and differentiated instruction.

Margaret Piskitel, Preschool Program Director, joined CDS in 2004 as a preschool head teacher with experience teaching in public and private schools in and around New York City. She completed her master's degree in early childhood education at Bank Street College of Education and earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Washington; Margaret is trained in the Responsive Classroom and in All Kinds of Minds.

Kerry Parker, Assistant to the Head, joined CDS in the spring of 2008. Prior to joining CDS, Kerry was the Executive Assistant and Program and Volunteer Coordinator at The Redwoods, a retirement facility in Mill Valley. She has also worked as the Executive Assistant to the Head Pastor at Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. Kerry raised two children and has a B.A. in management from St. Mary’s College. Music is one of her great passions and on the weekends you can find her at the Noe Valley Farmer’s Market playing her fiddle.

Elsa Townsend, AM Receptionist & Librarian, joined CDS as our librarian in 2005. Prior to joining CDS, Elsa was the head librarian at Sherman Elementary School for five years. Elsa volunteers in various organizations, serving on the board of directors of Blind San Franciscans, Inc. and The Welcome Ministry, non-profits providing services for blind and homeless people, respectively. She has a B.A. in French language and literature from Goucher College. Elsa enjoys singing, gardening, reading and cycling.

Extended Day Program
Dan Larson, Extended Program Director, worked at a youth and community center in South Central L.A. as the center’s Program Director before moving to San Francisco to join CDS in 2007. Dan speaks Spanish and brings to CDS a strong background in youth development, staff management and program implementation. Dan has a B.A. in political science and international relations from Washington University and is a graduate of the International Institute in Madrid, Spain. He is an avid baseball fan and player, and enjoys hiking.

Ryan Lambert, PM Receptionist & Extended Program Administrative Assistant, joined CDS in 2006. Ryan was an actor and singer in television and film during his teenage years and currently is a singer/musician with a Bay Area indie rock band. Ryan has worked as an office manager for several years and has taught drama classes at an elementary school. His son is a student at Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts in New York. Ryan is an avid reader and his favorite author is Haruki Murakami.

Admission
Diane Larrabee, Director of Admission, joined CDS in 2005. Diane has a B.A. in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She was a commercial litigator for ten years before leaving the practice of law to pursue nonprofit interests. Diane has served as a trustee for several nonprofits, including Compass Community Services and Town School for Boys, where she chaired the diversity committee for four years. Diane enjoys cooking, writing and reading.

Amanda Richard, Assistant Director of Admission, joined CDS in 2006. Amanda worked in the CDS administration from 1993-95, has been a CDS parent since 1998, served as a PTTA officer and has participated in countless CDS events as a volunteer. She received her B.A. in psychology from Boston University and loves to spend the summers in Hawaii. Amanda is the parent of Marina ('10), Serena ('13) and Ciara ('15) Richard.

Development & Communication
Marion Quinones, Director of Development, served on the CDS Board of Trustees and as President of the Parent-Teacher-Trustee-Administrator Association before joining the administration in June 2004. She earned her bachelor's degree in history and communication from Stanford University and attended law school at UCLA. She practiced law for ten years in San Francisco, and her daughters Laurel (CDS '12), Sarah (CDS '15) and Cecilia (CDS '20) Quinones attend CDS. Marion enjoys family time, triathlons and keeping up with "The New Yorker" as much as possible.

Mary DeNardo, Director of Communication & Donor Relations, joined CDS in 2003. Mary has an M.F.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State University and a B.S. in human and community development from the University of Illinois. In addition to her work at CDS, she teaches poetry at San Francisco State's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and to senior citizens at the Bernal Library, and recently completed a pastry apprencticeship in Brooklyn, New York. In her free time she can be found at the Giants game.

Finance & Operations
Donna Shibata joined CDS in 2006 as our Director of Finance & Operations/General Counsel. Most recently, Donna worked as a labor attorney with Morrison & Foerster. She has been a manager of financial planning and analysis for the Port of Oakland and Vice President/Associate in the Public Finance Division at Shearson Lehman Hutton in New York. Donna has an MBA from Yale University and a law degree from Stanford. She is the mother of Mimi ('12) and Aaron ('06) Garfinkel.

Rico Tan, IT Director, received his education in business and computer science at the Indonesian Business Institute in Jakarta, Indonesia. Prior to joining CDS in 2009, Rico worked for a number of years in the technology departments at HellerEhrman and 3Com Corporation. Rico loves to travel and is an accomplished photographer and, of course, likes all things electronic. He and his wife recently welcomed their first child.

Jake Fishman, Facilities Manager, joined CDS in 2000 to help maintain the school's one-acre grounds. He is a licensed building contractor and a Spanish speaker with a B.F.A. in painting and sculpture from San Francisco Art Institute. When he's not caring for CDS facilities, Jake enjoys sailing, painting and crafting original stained glass artwork.

Amanda Urena, Controller, joined CDS in 2009 with over 20 years of accounting experience, including at Price Waterhouse Coopers, several start-up companies and small businesses. Amanda has a B.A. in accounting from Adelphi University and an M.A. in counseling psychology from John F. Kennedy University. In her spare time, Amanda studies psychology and human behavior, is an avid reader, enjoys dancing, hiking, meditation, and is learning to play the keyboard.

Irene Phillips, Staff Accountant, joined CDS in 2007 with over 25 years of experience in accounting and finance with banks and mortgage companies. She holds a B.S. in management from St. Scholastica’s College in the Philippines.