2011 - 2012 Board of Trustees

Education: B.A. History, Trinity College; M.A. Liberal Studies, Dartmouth College. 

Employment: Prior to joining St. Mary's Mr. O’Brien was Headmaster of Saddle River Day School, a Kindergarten through Grade 12 day school in Saddle River, New Jersey; Associate Headmaster, Head of Middle School and Head of Upper School, Viewpoint School, a K-12 school of over 1,200 students in Calabasas, California; Assistant Dean of Admission, Phillips Andover Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

Statement: St. Mary’s epitomizes the qualities and attributes of a school of excellence. We are blessed with truly joyful, bright and engaged children.  We also have highly talented and incredibly dedicated teachers and staff whose collective energies are focused on the development of the whole child.  Additionally, we have extraordinarily devoted and involved parents who are true partners in the learning process.  As Orange County’s only private International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, St. Mary’s literally and figuratively provides its students with a world-class education.  We are indeed a very fortunate and blessed community, and it is a privilege to serve here.  

St. Mary’s Parent and Alumni Parent

Education: B.S., University of Southern California; Business Administration. CPA, State of California (not practicing).

Employment: 30 years as Executive Vice President and CFO of Wonderware Corporation, FileNet Corporation and MSC Software, among others.

Statement: I have been involved with St. Mary’s for 10 years and I am pleased to serve on the Board of Trustees. It has been rewarding to have the opportunity to work with such a fine school led by a top notch team of Educators and Professionals. I have enjoyed watching my children flourish in a school that recognizes that students need to become lifelong learners and leaders. 

Education:  B.S. Engineering, United States Naval Academy; M.A. Education, University of Missouri.  Completed coursework towards a Doctorate in Education Administration at the University of San Diego.

Employment: Mark taught and served in administrative capacities at several independent schools since completing his service in the U. S. Marines.  Most recently he was Assistant Headmaster at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA (1977-1986); and Headmaster at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano from 1986 until 2003.

Statement: Having worked with several private schools in South Orange County, either on a part time or full time basis, I am very aware of the unique opportunities that St. Mary’s School offers in this broad educational tapestry. This is a school built on Christian principles by Father Ernest Sillers that offers a strong academic program based on the International Baccalaureate curriculum.  We value the importance of building a person’s faith as well as his or her intellect.

Education: B.A. Pomona College; M.B.A. University of California, Irvine.

Employment: Co-founder and former CEO of StrataCare - Scott co-founded and led StrataCare, a software company that provides national medical bill review for the Workers’ Compensation industry, to become the most respected player in the industry with clients including Wal-Mart, Disney and Travelers Insurance. In 2009, he sold StrataCare to two private equity firms, continued as CEO through 2010, and currently participates on the Board. Scott is active with philanthropy through the Orange County Community Foundation, is on the Board of Trustees at Pomona College and the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters.  In addition, he is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and is an active member of St. Mark Presbyterian Church.

Statement: As a newer parent to St. Mary’s, I have quickly come to appreciate the mission of the school.  I believe in a balanced educational experience for children, learning both from book studies and the world around us. I feel that IQ and EQ are equally important facets of learning and personal growth. St. Mary’s encourages critical thinking and academic curiosity as well as compassion and empathy at a community and global level. I am honored to serve on the Board of Trustees with the goal of actively participating in positive decision-making that continues to make St Mary’s a wonderful educational experience for generations of children. 

St. Mary’s Parent

Education:  J.D. and B.A., University of California, Los Angeles.   

Employment: John is an attorney with extensive legal and risk management experience as well as a strong background in corporate governance.  After 11 years in law firm practice as a trial attorney, John joined Irvine based Epicor Software Corporation where he currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel.  

Statement:  Given that our three K- 8 Grade children spend 8 to 10 hours every weekday during these critical formative years at school, the decision as to where to enroll them remains one of the most important we have made. St. Mary’s offers so much more than the three R’s.  They educate spiritually, globally, and emotionally in a fantastic environment. I serve on the Board of trustees in part because I so greatly appreciate what those before us did to create St. Mary’s and I hope to help sustain and, if possible, improve it for future generations.

St. Mary’s Parent

Education:  B. A., Economics, State University of New York at Buffalo; J.D., Georgetown University Law School.

Employment:  Scott has served since 1981 as a corporate and securities lawyer, focusing principally on corporate governance matters, advising boards of directors, and managing complex corporate and securities transactions.  He most recently served as the Director of Corporate Legal Services at Cisco Systems, Inc. in San Jose, CA, and before that served as Vice President & General Counsel for Cerent Corporation.  Prior to that, Scott was a Partner in the law firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison in San Francisco and Palo Alto, CA.  Scott began his career at the law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in New York City.  Scott has also advised non-profit organizations and has previously served on the Board of Directors of Legal Services for Children in San Francisco.

Statement: My family has been a part of the St. Mary’s community for 6 years.  I believe that St. Mary’s is focused on providing my children with a strong educational foundation that will prepare them for succeeding in their lives in the 21st century.   St. Mary’s offers a challenging and stimulating academic curriculum in the midst of a very family-oriented, nurturing educational community.  I am honored to be able to contribute to making St. Mary’s a wonderful place where children can inquire and learn about the world around them and become highly capable of thriving in their lives.

St. Mary’s Parent

Education:  B.A., Communications, California State University, Fullerton.  Middle school years at the Antwerp International School, Belgium.

Employment:  Senior Partner, Media Director at Bozell Worldwide, a global marketing communications firm.  She held Media positions at Ogilvy & Mather, and Salvati Montgomery Sakoda before “retiring” to be a mom of twins.  Her advertising career included media planning for brands such as Mattel, Taco Bell, Hilton Hotels, Taylor Made Golf, Rockwell International, IHOP, Valley National Bank, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and the direct-to-consumer launch of Herceptin, a targeted drug for the treatment of breast cancer.  

Statement:  I am honored to serve as a Trustee at this exciting time of growth in our school’s history.  Long before we became St. Mary’s parents, my husband and I witnessed the unique opportunities available to our nephew and nieces at this dynamic school.  In addition to Spanish, our son and daughter are now the first of the grandchildren to take Italian classes at St. Mary’s!  Bravo! Grazie!  Having attended middle school abroad, I am especially grateful my children have the unique opportunity to be part of an IB World School community in a nurturing environment of Christian values.  I believe in the vision of the school and I will do my best to help St. Mary’s continue to thrive for many years to come.

Education: University of California Santa Barbara

Employment: Co-founder of National Services Group.  Matt serves as CEO of NSG and is the co-founder of NSG and all NSG subsidiaries.

Statement:  It is an honor to serve on the board of trustees for St Mary's.  I was drawn to St. Mary's by the class size and the extracurricular opportunities. I remain because of those reasons and because of the strong community of students and families.  St. Mary's has become a wonderful part of our family life.  I am constantly impressed by the faculty, staff, and the entire community of SMAA and I look forward to being part of the school's bright future.