Board of Directors | German School | Deutsche Schule | Deutscher Kindergarten

Role of the Board

Select and appoint the Head of School
Delegate authority to the Head of School to manage the school in accordance with the strategic plan and budget.
Develop strategic goals for the school together with appropriate policies and plans to ensure the present and future well being of the school.
Approve the annual budget and financial statements of the school.
Monitor progress in meeting the budget and approve adjustments, if necessary.
Create committees to recommend policies and monitor performance in specific areas of responsibility.
Provide guidance to the Head of School, as required.
Lead in annual fundraising and major giving.

Board of Directors

The GAIS Board of Directors currently has eight members including the President and the Vice President. The Board is elected annually for two years staggered terms.

The Board of Directors has primary responsibility for implementing the policies established by the Membership in management of the School and Kindergarten operations. This includes setting the annual budget, tuition and fees, contracting for facilities, hiring the head of school, teachers and staff, and supporting the School principals and teachers in their operation of the school. The Board of Directors is elected annually for two years staggered terms in February by the voting membership.

Board Members

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Andreas Wendker (President)

Andreas has been a member of the GAIS board of directors for more than 5 years. He grew up in Germany, holds a Masters degree in Physics from the University of Hamburg, and works as a senior manager at a large software company. All his three daughters currently attend GAIS. Andreas's current term ends in February 2011.

Laura Vaughan (Vice President, Facilities Committee Chair)

Laura was raised in the Bay Area and currently lives in Menlo Park with her husband, Brannan, and their three sons. Her family has been at GAIS for four years. They chose this school because they believe in the IB philosophy and program, and they are proud that their children will be fluent in a language which they do not speak at home. Laura works in the biopharmaceutical industry, and has been involved with GAIS for the past two years as the Preschool Parent Representative. Laura is serving on the Board because she would like to make a contribution to GAIS encompassing both the Preschool and the School. Laura's current term ends in February 2012.

Allison Marakovic (Treasurer)

Allison has two children at GAIS. Her household is tri-lingual, with Croatian, German and English being spoken. She holds an MBA in Finance from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor’s degree from Williams College. She is a former corporate and investment banker and hopes her financial expertise can help the school weather current economic conditions. Allison’s current term ends in January 2011.

Kristen Hughes (Secretary, Marketing Committee Chair)

Kristen is an investor and community volunteer. Her husband Tony Loeser and her have two children at GAIS; they have been a member of the community for over 6 years. GAIS was a forgone conclusion for their kids: Kristen went to a bilingual elementary school as a kid, Tony has German, and Kristen has Austrian, heritage, GAIS is almost our closest elementary school, and most importantly for them, they love the educational program. They were first attracted to the school because of the Vorschule (kindergarten) year, but now that both of their kids have graduated into the elementary school, they are very happy with the entire IB program, the excellent curriculum, and the teachers at GAIS. Kristen has spent my whole career in high tech and venture capital. She runs Swan Capital Strategies, a private investment business. Kristen volunteers with Collective Roots, a gardening and nutrition nonprofit, and in addition to GAIS, I serve on the boards of SwiftTest, Inc. (a technology company) and the Palo Alto Community Fund (which funds local nonprofits). While neither Tony nor her speak German with the kids, they appreciate the supportive academic and social environment at the school. Their children are not only growing up bilingual, but also growing and learning in an environment committed to nurturing open-minded inquirers! By serving on the board, Kristen hopes that she can give back to GAIS and help the school continue its successful growth and maturation.
Kristen's current term will end in February 2012.

Indra Pachtner (Fundraising Committee Chair)

Indra is originally from Frankfurt, Germany, where she grew up and worked for over ten years in investment banking for various financial institutions like J.P Morgan and Deutsche Bank. In 2000, the Pachtner family emigrated to the Bay Area. The family has four children; three are currently attending GAIS. The Pachtners have been with the school for almost five years and since then Indra has been a parent representative for different classes, has organized several “Sommerfest” events, and has helped out with GAIS's annual fundraisers. As a board member, Indra wants to take on more responsibility to help shape the future of our school. She is proud to be a part of this unique educational institution and strongly believes in the quality of the program. Indra requested a one-year term. It will end in February 2012.

Martin Doettling (Rules & Regulations Committe Chair)

Born and raised in the Black Forest mountains of Germany, Martin moved to the West Coast in 1987 to begin his career at the Monterey Institute of International Studies as an Associate Professor and Director of the German Studies Program. After several productive years in academia, Martin moved to the Bay Area where he began his career as a product and marketing executive at a number of global software companies. Martin has been a part of the GAIS community for seven years; he served on the Board of Directors previously and continues to be passionate about his daughter’s multi-cultural education and the success of this extraordinary IB school. Martin's current term will end in February 2011.

Matthias Hausner (Education Committee Co-Chair)

Matthias grew up in Switzerland near Basel. He moved to the Bay Area in 1997 and now lives in Belmont with his partner Davina. Since 2008, they have one child in preschool at GAIS. They have been actively involved at the school. Davina is a classroom helper and is involved in the library. Matthias holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from ETH in Zurich. He has worked for a number of software companies as engineer and manager. For the last 8 years he has worked at VMware in Palo Alto. As a board member, Matthias would like to help GAIS in its continued growth, and be actively involved in his daughter's education, as well as that of all GAIS children. Matthias's current term ends in 2012.