The Kidango Board of Directors is comprised of elected members who share a commitment to ensuring access to high quality early learning for all children. Their visionary leadership, insight and direction are the backbone of Kidango’s mission, vision, and values.
Shams Tabrez
President
Shams is inspired by the fact that Kidango is a true community of teachers, parents, and members of the public who all work collectively to help children fully develop their own unique qualities. He is particularly impressed with how Kidango continues to strategically locate new facilities in order to help more children benefit from its Mission.
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Shams grew up in Manchester, England. He holds multiple degrees, including an M.B.A., and credits his strong educational background for his successes.
Shams is a vice president for SELA Inc, a manufacturing company with offices around the world, as well as an author of over 30 technical and commercial articles. In 2000, he became a U.S. patent holder for an invention in Advanced Semiconductor Technology.
Shams has been inspired by the writings of Thomas Jefferson and how he helped craft the Declaration of Independence, an enduring and inspirational document with values that still guide the way for people today. “Jefferson truly understood the power of the written word and valued education, for it is the key to helping people progress,” says Shams.
As board president, Shams wants to see that Kidango continues to build strong relationships with key partners to help generate resources to sustain and grow Kidango and its programs.
Shams lives by the words of Yogi Berra, who once said “If you come to a fork in the road… pick it up!”
Shams thinks that education is that fork in the road and he is looking forward to doing his part in helping Kidango children pick up all the benefits education has to offer.
Ronald Towns
Second Vice President
Towns has a B.A. in Statistics and Secondary Education from Columbia University, and a Masters of Education and Teacher Leadership from Elmhurst College. Ron has been a teacher for ten years, as a Fulbright Bilingual Program Instructor in Spain, and as a department chair and coach in schools in Chicago, Oakland, and San Francisco. Three years ago, he co-founded Camp Common Ground, a non-profit organization that disrupts cycles of racial and economic segregation in the Bay Area. Each summer, Camp Common Ground brings a group of 30 diverse youth together for summer and school-year programming. They learn: (a) about identity and privilege; (b) empathy skills to build relationships across cultural lines understand the perspective of others, and (c) how to employ conflict resolution and non-violent communication skills to address exclusionary norms at their schools.
Towns was awarded a Truman Scholarship for his leadership at Columbia University and a Golden Apple Scholar Finalist award for excellence in teaching in Illinois. He lives by Lake Merritt and loves to try new restaurants and cafes in his neighborhood.
Gerry McFaull
Treasurer
Gerry McFaull’s background is in leadership of Engineering and High Tech businesses where he has learned from managing through both the good times and the lean. Today he runs a sourcing and consulting business which he co-founded in 2002 and is married with four children.
Gerry has worked extensively in volunteer positions in a wide variety of roles, and has served on the Board of Directors at the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, leading committees for Finance, Marketing, Communications and Special Projects. Gerry also currently serves on the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee for the Fremont Unified School District.
“If you want a lively conversation,” says Gerry, “please ask me about two of my most heartfelt beliefs that ‘Our children are our future’ and ‘Strong communities depend on the people who comprise that community’. The team at Kidango is an outstanding example of what is possible and I am proud and excited to be a small part of a tremendous story of success in creating better opportunities for our children and widespread community involvement.”
Catherine Atkin
Board Member
Bio coming soon.
Michael Garcia
Board Member
Bio coming soon.
Susan Muenchow
Board Member
Bio coming soon.
Peggy Pizzo
Board Member
Bio coming soon.
Zelica Rodriguez-Deams
Board Member
Bio coming soon.
John M. True
Board Member
Bio coming soon.
