Board Members 2024 - 2025
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Kristin grew up in a small town 30 minutes north east of Philadelphia where EVERYBODY knows your name. While she loved the sense of belonging she encountered in her childhood, she was eager for the big wide world and landed at The University of Texas for her undergraduate studies. Like most humans, Kristin’s college years were defined by wanting to have fun, activism and a deep desire to understand/combat systems of oppression. That led her to starting a non-profit called FeelGood with her friends, the mission of which was/is “to end extreme poverty, one grilled cheese at a time… through the empowerment of women and communities”. In addition to Live Oak, Kristin has her masters in public administration and is a non-profit consultant. After marrying her kindergarten classmate, Joseph Herr, the two moved to San Francisco and eventually landed in Petaluma. Both Joe and Kristin can’t believe they get to drop their 4 kids off at Live Oak 175 days a year to be nurtured and loved by such a rock star community.
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Treasurer
Robert Bunce
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Robert’s work in social justice began nearly 30 years ago and brings a wealth of K-12 knowledge and relationships to his role as treasurer for the Live Oak Board of Directors. Driven to serve from an early age, Robert put his graduate studies in education to work as Director of Education for Women Escaping a Violent Environment Inc. in Sacramento, Operations Director for Oasis Children's Services in New York City, after spending nearly a decade as a classroom teacher and coach. Robert currently serves as the Executive Director of the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund. Robert’s entrepreneurial spirit has also earned him a seat on the board of directors for DistrictOS, a K-12 data observability platform, and BizR KidZ Entertainment, a kids animation company.
Over his career, Robert has worked to develop and implement the organizational strategic plan and drive large impact initiatives. Some of the highlights from this work included the creation of the West County College Access Network, and West Contra Costa Out of School Time Collaborative. These initiatives dramatically increased student access to free public aid for college and quality after school and summer programs. More recently, Robert helped transition the Ed Fund to its current role as the strategic fund development intermediary for the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Through these efforts, Robert was able to help the Ed Fund respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting both a district COVID-19 Relief Fund and a city Relief Fund for Richmond - collectively raising over $3M for families in need. As the strategic fund development partner for West Contra Costa Unified School District, Robert has been instrumental, raising over $4M in 4 years for students and schools. Robert and his wife Noa have three children at Live Oak. Robert loves to share his love of cooking, via the NYT Cooking App, and deep love of the outdoors with his family. |
Secretary
Samantha Sheppard
Samantha Sheppard
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Samantha grew up in Marin County, and studied psychology at University of California, Los Angeles. She returned to the Bay Area to be close to friends and family, and worked in various industries in administration and coordination roles, including education development, technology and online community management. She then co-founded a construction company with her husband, guiding the company through many years of growth, business decisions and handling the company’s accounting and client services needs.
Samantha’s interest in psychology and brain development was re-ignited in her search for a preschool for her children. For two years, she held positions on the Board of Directors as Secretary and Fundraising Co-Chair at her children’s co-operative preschool. She has two sons, a 9th grader attending Technology High, and a 6th grader attending Live Oak. She is passionate about community, process and organization, and her hobbies include reading, baking and fitness. |
Facilities, IT & Finance
Justin Lipp
Justin Lipp
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Dr. Justin Lipp is a Ph.D. graduate of UC Santa Barbara in Communication, a 15 year Bay Area transplant, and originally from the Midwest (by way of Southern California). He is a lifelong baseball fan having adopted the LA Dodgers but never really taken to the Giants (sorry). His academic interests include how new communication technologies are reshaping traditional modes of social interaction, including in education, having published a number of papers and conference presentations on the topic. He is passionate about student success and using empirical approaches to identify what works in education to help drive the best outcomes for students. He has taught at multiple universities including North Dakota State, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Berkeley, where he held a joint appointment in the Office of Educational Technology and Center for Teaching and Learning. Since 2016, Dr. Lipp has served as the Director of the Sonoma State University (SSU) Center for Teaching & Educational Technology, where he oversees faculty development in teaching and learning (e.g., inclusive pedagogy, universal design for learning, and trauma-informed teaching). He is also responsible for educational technology oversight and governance, including online teaching and learning, brick-and-mortar classroom technology and design, and serves as SSU's Executive Sponsor for the CSU Accessible Technology Initiative to ensure universal access for all in the university community.
The Lipp family relocated from the East Bay to Petaluma 3 years ago during the pandemic and is loving life. Dr. Lipp is the father of two young girls (ages 7 and 2), and the family is new to the Live Oak this year, but has been an active in the community coaching his daughter's PYSL soccer team and serving previously as the Vice President of the McKinley Elementary PTA in 2022-23. He sought to join the board at LOCS to assist with facilities/space planning and resource management. |
School Policy & Human Resource
Kristina Tank-Crestetto
Kristina Tank-Crestetto
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Kristina’s passion coupled with her commitment to Social Justice as an educational leader brings a depth of knowledge to the LOC’s Board of Directors. Kristina has spent over twenty-five years leading educational systems, deeply engaged in work that transforms experiences, outcomes and life choices for students and their families. Krisitna began her career as an elementary school teacher at Novato Charter School and knows very well the pedagogy, innovative practices and systems of support that help to realize a Waldorf charter school vision and to keep them thriving and sustained. After transitioning out of the classroom Kristina held administrative roles in diverse urban districts and smaller suburban settings as an Instructional Coach, School Improvement Facilitator, and Curriculum, Instruction and Leadership Administrator. She is often recruited to build structures, initiate teams or develop new departments that are identified as high need in struggling districts. As an example, she was the founding manager of School Improvement Services and Transformational Leadership Coach teams that lead to significant positive student outcomes over multiple years. More recently, Kristina was the founding Director of the Social Emotional Learning and Leadership department in Oakland Unified School District. She led the department and unified the district towards the SEL priority of the strategic plan, systemic implementation and professional learning throughout the organization. Kristina's other work as an advocate lives in the broader community context and focuses on increasing family belonging, building relationships with diverse communities, and ensuring systems of communication work for the people the organization serves. These themes are held in her role as an active member of the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco’s Family Advisory Council and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. She was a former advisory board member for the Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child at San Jose State University.
Kristina and her husband Ron have two children. A high school aged son and a daughter that loves LOC! They love spending time as a family exploring the outdoors, whether that is finding a new hiking trail or camping near a rushing river! |
Legal Consulting & Facility
Steve Bleasdell
Steve Bleasdell
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Steve is the parent of two LOCS students (one former and one current) and a long time Sonoma County resident with the last 16 years in Petaluma.
As a graduate of U.C. Davis School of Law, a practicing attorney since 1997, and a huge fan of Live Oak’s educational model, he is hopeful that his legal background adds value to the Board in the coming year while it works to build strong relationships and achieve win-win outcomes for LOCS, the City of Petaluma and Petaluma City Schools. An avid fly fisherman, artist, gardener, husband and father, he looks forward to sharing his values and his legal skills in lending a hand towards building an even stronger foundation for the continued success of Live Oak and the entire Live Oak community. |
Human Resource
Valerie Miller
Valerie Miller
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Valerie Miller is an author, speaker, and coach with the unique gift of bringing a grounding presence and awareness to the places and people she encounters. She has a wide range of experience, from health coach, personal trainer, and wellness advocate to many years as an event producer and then Head of People for the Sustainable Brands Worldwide Community.
Valerie attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and studied sociology and political science, and later got an MS in Environmental Management from the University of Denver. It wasn’t as much about the subjects as it was about a deep love of learning. She thrives in a learning environment, and is specifically fascinated with how people come to know themselves, interact with each other, and grow into the amazing humans they are. As well as personal development, a fascination with sustainability, philosophy, and wellness are the threads that run through most of her interests and work. She brings strong feminine leadership to her work; listening deeply, holding space, empowering growth, and allowing for what is true to inform what could be. She currently resides on the ancestral lands of the Miwok and Coast Miwok peoples and feels enormously grateful every single day for this beautiful place to call home and raise a family. She would like to extend her immense gratitude for the many years of stewardship, connection, and relationship with the land that our Indigenous brothers and sisters have cultivated. May we all know a place as deeply as they have. |
Project Management
Byron Palmer
Byron Palmer
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Byron grew up in the East Bay and went to very traditional public schools where felt and beeswax was not on the agenda. Byron then had the opportunity to study Business at USD, focusing on business ethics. He always has had a deep connection to the natural world, and is passionate about restoring those connections to nature for kiddos and adults alike.
For the past 12 years, he has been dedicated to Sonoma Mountain Institute as a Grazing and Ecology Manager. In this role, he manages a diverse portfolio of over 10 properties, including private, public, and non-profit lands, totaling 6500 acres. In addition Byron also founded and operates a direct-to-community grass fed beef business. His work is driven by a passion for human connection to place and the natural world. He is particularly inspired by the Waldorf approach, with its focus on child-centered magic. As a father of two wonderful children, one currently attending Live Oak and the other eagerly preparing to join, Byron is deeply grateful for the nurturing environment provided by the school. He is happy to be part of the collective effort made by the dedicated teachers and administration that make Live Oak such a special place for our children. |
Project Management
Nick Russinko
Nick Russinko
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Nick brings a unique blend of professional expertise and dedication to the governance of Live Oak Charter School. With an extensive background in operations and supply chain management, he has developed strong skills in strategic planning, large scale transformation project management, resource stewardship, and collaborative problem-solving—competencies that are essential for supporting the school’s sustainable growth and efficient operation. As a devoted parent of 2 Live Oak students, Nick is passionate about upholding and enriching the Waldorf principles that guide the school’s educational philosophy, ensuring that every decision made is forward-thinking and aligned with the core values of the community.
Nick’s heart is called to serve the Live Oak Charter School community, where he deeply values the holistic, Waldorf-inspired education provided to every child. He is committed to balancing tradition with innovation, adapting the school’s timeless educational tenets to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. By fostering creativity, curiosity, and the joy of learning, Nick aims to nurture the holistic development of each student while caring for the broader school community. In his role on the board, Nick looks forward to contributing to strategic planning, project management, financial oversight, leadership development, and community engagement. He is eager to collaborate with fellow board members, educators, and families to guide the school toward continued success, ensuring that Live Oak Charter School remains a vibrant and thriving environment for all. |