Meet Our Board Members
Click on a name below to read more about each board member.
1st VP of Membership – Ronda Wilson
2nd VP, Cryer/Directory – Christine Gray
3rd VP, Yahoo Group – Sandra Ruiz
4th VP, Parent Education – OPEN
5th VP,Convention – Peggy Hertzberg
Financial Secretary – Julie Chovanec
Parliamentarian – Andrea Wheeler
President,Lynne Wach, email me
My name is Lynne Wach and I will, once again, be serving as the San Jose Unified Council PTA President. I have been involved in PTA for the past 9 years. I spent most of my PTA years on the board of the Los Alamitos PTA. I have made so many wonderful connections by participating in PTA on both the unit and Council level. I am looking forward to helping each unit have the same kind of experience. Our membership theme will continue on as “Be an Essential Piece”. I also want to continue to strive to not just successful, but to be significant. I hope you will join me as we aspire to do this for all children through PTA.
Our San Jose Unified Unit PTAs work with parents, teachers, and administrators to enrich school programs and offer support in a variety of ways. The Council PTA is here to help each unit be as successful and significant as they can possibly be! One way we’d like to help is through membership to the PTA. If you need help with your membership drive, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will work hard to get you the help you need.
On this site you will find a short bio of each board member. We wanted you to have a little background about the person you are dealing with for your specific need. They are a terrific group!
On behalf of the San Jose Unified Council PTA Executive board, we look forward to a fantastic year. Please join us at each Council PTA meeting where you can get information to help you make your PTA strong as well as get any needed support.
Please feel free to contact me, or any member of the PTA board, if you have questions or comments concerning PTA.
Here’s to everyone being an Essential Piece!
Lynne Wach
1st VP Membership, Ronda Wilson, email me
My name is Ronda Wilson and I have a 3rd grader and 5th grader at Reed Elementary this year. I have been involved with the PTA since my 5th grader was in Kindergarten. I began my “career” as the Stapling Chair for our weekly newsletter. I quickly moved through the ranks as Treasurer and am now in my 2nd year as PTA President. Along the way I took over Silent Auction and am currently working on setting up a PTA website. I am trying to elevate the image of PTA and increase membership by putting out a Volunteer Handbook and PTA Brochure that is specific to Reed.
My overall experience with PTA has been positive and encouraging. I enjoy working with all the students, teachers, administrator’s and wonderfully talented people who are so giving of themselves each day.
2nd VP Cryer/Directory, Christine Gray, email me
I’ve been active at schools and PTA for 26 years now, and it’s been a wonderful part of my life. My three children went through Carson, Steinbeck, SJHA and/or Gunderson and now even the college expenses are behind us. And I’m a grandma!
I have found my niche, and Council is where it’s at! Along with the Council and helping Sixth District PTA with the out-of-council units, I am still a volunteer at Carson, our wonderful neighborhood school. I also do part-time work at the school district office and sometimes at Terrell.
The Cryer newsletter is a work of pleasure, and I’d love to talk to any of you who work on your own school newsletters or would like to participate on the Cryer please contact me.
3rd VP Yahoo Group, Sandra Ruiz, email me
I have two children: my son is a freshman at Gunderson and my daughter is in 6th grade at John Muir. I have served in several positions at unit and council level – fundraising, auditor, secretary, membership, and historian. This year I have accepted a new challenge – membership for 6th District (all of Santa Clara County). Since my father is the 6th District president, I should say that I was coerced!
There is at least one perk from working on so many levels – I can usually find someone who knows the answer to whatever questions come up!
4th VP Parent Education, OPEN
5th VP Convention, Peggy Hertzberg, email me
My name is Peggy Hertzberg representing Allen at Steinbeck K‐8 School. I have three children. My oldest attends Castillero Middle School and I have two sons that attend Allen at Steinbeck K‐8 .
My role will be serving as PTA President for Allen at Steinbeck K‐8 for my second term. I am also serving as the 5th Vice President, Convention for San Jose Unified Council of PTAs for a second term. I had the opportunity to attend the PTA State Convention in Long Beach, California in 2008. Last year, I served on the Local Convention Committee as the Site Manager’s Aide for the PTA State Convention that was held in San Jose, California. I look forward to attending the convention that will be in Sacramento in 2010. I hope that you will be able to attend as well. PTA is a continuous learning process. To make progress is a willingness to accept the challenge of change, to learn and to grow in knowledge, skills and experience and participate in the business of the organization.
Secretary, Brandy Varni, email me
I am married with 2 boys (incoming freshman at Pioneer and incoming 3rd grader at Los Alamitos). I spent 6 years on the Los Alamitos PTA Executive Board. I will be serving as the Secretary for the Council PTA this upcoming school year. I look forward to meeting new people and contribute to this year’s board.
Treasurer, Denise Johnson
More information coming soon…
Financial Secretary, Julie Chovanec, email me
My name is Julie Chovanec and I will be serving as Financial Secretary for the 2009-10 school year. I have a daughter, 13 and son, 11 who both attend Castillero. While my kids were at Los Alamitos, I volunteered to work in the reading lab and in the classrooms. I also reconciled the Scrip money for a year and then accepted the position of Los Alamitos PTA auditor which I held for 2 school years.
I have extensive Finance and Accounting experience as well as Management experience. My last position was Director of Finance and Accounting for a biotech start-up. I look forward to working for the Council PTA. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Auditor, Jill Grellman, email me
My name is Jill Grellman and I will be serving as the Council Auditor this year. I have a daughter, who is a recent graduate of Pioneer High School and a son in 5th Grade at Allen @ Steinbeck. I have served as either treasurer or auditor at both elementary and middle schools since my daughter was in 2nd second grade. This is my second year as Council Auditor. I have also served as Council Treasurer. I work as an accountant and have really enjoyed helping in the financial areas of the PTA. My experience working with PTA has been very positive and I am looking forward to meeting new people and assisting with audits in the upcoming year.
Historian, Julie Herndon, email me
Note coming soon…
Parliamentarian, Andrea Wheeler, email me
I started my involvement in my kids’ schools as Scrip Chair at their preschool. At the Willow Glen Elementary I have been the President, VP of Communications, Parliamentarian, and currently am…Scrip Chair! I am the Vice President in the Willow Glen Middle School PTA and am helping coordinate the Silent Auction for the Willow Glen Educational Foundation. I was President of San Jose Unified PTA Council and am currently the Council Parliamentarian. I have represented SJUSD PTA Council on the San Jose Unified Budget Advisory and Health Committees.
