As Board President, Mark serves on the Board to give to Saint Francis and to be even more involved with our school community. A Lancer who’s two children also graduated from Saint Francis, Gianna ’21 and Giulia ’23, he enjoys making a difference for others and serving along with other individuals who also care deeply about Saint Francis.

Mark is excited about the potential of Saint Francis to be connected to the broader community and to provide students with opportunities that most other schools are not able to provide. As a Board member, he’s been motivated in seeing how our new facilities have made an impact and opened possibilities for students and educators.

Mark is a partner at Ernst & Young LLP. He enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family and friends in his free time. 

Jim Bowler’s love and connection to Saint Francis stretches back four decades. He began his career at Saint Francis in 1980 as a teacher and coach, and after other administrative roles, he served as the school’s first lay principal in 1989 and the first lay president in 1992, leading the school until 1997. He returned to Saint Francis in 2018 as the executive administrator and Board chair in 2020.

As a Board member, he enjoys thinking about possibilities, specifically how Saint Francis can reimagine high school education and Catholic education to be a model for schools in the Bay Area and beyond. He is proud that at Saint Francis, there are already increased student opportunities for experiences like internships and real-world learning.

Jim is the CEO of ESCI, an education technology company. Currently he is interested in learning how AI will affect learning in the classrooms, and he is writing a book for teachers on this topic.

Soon after her oldest daughter started her freshman year at Saint Francis, Sonali quickly signed up to volunteer and be active in the school community. Over the years, she has served as a parent ambassador, proctored AP exams, served on a diversity, equity and inclusion parent advisory committee under Father Tony’s guidance and more. Sonali believes in being active in the Saint Francis community because she saw how her daughters were transformed through their experiences. Remembering how she felt welcomed into the school community where she and her family did not know many others, she chose to serve on the Board to continue engaging with the school and to be part of a broader mission of welcoming and including other families into our Lancer family.

Sonali is excited to watch as Saint Francis continues to educate students with a foundation of Holy Cross values while also focusing on traits championed in Silicon Valley, such as innovation, entrepreneurship and discovery. Because of this dual focus, she feels Saint Francis can be a leader among high schools in Silicon Valley.

Sonali received a J.D. from Santa Clara University and double majored in Economics and Rhetoric as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley. She wrote for the San Jose Business Journal and regional city publications and has worked in marketing communication roles for startups while raising her daughters, Aishani ’20 and Arhana ’23. She enjoys hiking, biking and has devoted decades to learning, performing and teaching Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance).

Inspired by the school leadership of President Jason Curtis and Principal Katie Teekell and in gratitude for his children’s education, Mark joined the Board to be part of a team that advances the mission of the school.
Though new to the Board, Mark is very impressed with his fellow Board members who care so deeply about the school and the students whom Saint Francis is forming. He is enjoying getting to know other Board members who each have a unique connection to Saint Francis.

Mark has 30 years of experience in human resources and executive search. Mark worked at Apple for over 20 years in various roles within human resources and primarily focused on managing the executive search team. He enjoys spending time with family and friends and rooting for local sports teams.

As a student at Saint Francis, Nima often wondered how decisions at school were made at a high level so now he appreciates being able to serve on the Board to offer his perspective as an alumnus and to learn about governance at an educational institution. He enjoys supporting and contributing to the vision of Saint Francis to provide innovative education that meets the needs of today’s students.

Nima feels the work that Saint Francis is undertaking to make our vision a reality will create an exciting future. He is most excited about the prospect of Saint Francis building a national reputation as a Catholic school, and with our location in Silicon Valley and partnerships with Adobe and other large institutions, Saint Francis is  in the position to rethink what good teaching and learning look like.

For the past 25 years, Nima has worked in the application of genomics of human health. Currently he serves as CEO of Kinnate, a company that develops cancer therapies targeted to specific genetic mutations in tumor cells. He enjoys traveling and wine making.

Liz Lawler joined the Board of Directors because she was inspired by the dedication of Saint Francis to educating students spiritually, academically and socially. Working with fellow Board members, she is enthusiastic about cultivating the relationships between Saint Francis and the community so that our students can partner with outside groups and companies. She is also eager to increase alumni participation and engagement. Overall, Liz feels  the school is headed to a bright future in which students have access to valuable resources outside of Saint Francis.

As a mom and a grandmother, Liz has been giving her time to schools ever since her children were young, including her youngest son Thomas ’19. She has served as a room mom, den mom, team mom, volunteer and philanthropist. Liz worked in advertising and real estate, and recently, she served in her local government as a Better Streets commissioner, council member and mayor of Monte Sereno. She was also a candidate for the California State Assembly.

When her children Michael ’19 and Elizabeth ’22 attended Saint Francis, Danna and her husband Brad appreciated what the community at Saint Francis offered their family, and for that, she joined the Board when she was invited as a way to continue fostering that community for more families to enjoy.

Danna is excited about seeing Saint Francis be a leader in Catholic education by offering inspiring curriculum and programs. She hopes to see more opportunities be brought to campus by going out to partner with the surrounding community, while keeping the foundation of Holy Cross education intact. As a board member, she enjoyed working on the Light the Way campaign to build momentum so that Saint Francis students have access to the best educational opportunities.

Danna has spent 25 years in sales, marketing and operations for large enterprises and start-ups. Currently she is head of revenue operations and strategy at Zingtree.

Moira joined the Board in 2023. She is passionate about the Holy Cross Achievers program.

Father Brendan has long been involved in Catholic education during his more than 20 years as a priest. He joined the Board of Saint Francis because of his affinity for the Holy Cross community, to which he was first introduced when he attended seminary at the University of Notre Dame.

Serving on the Board has been a rewarding experience for Father Brendan, particularly when discussions center on what students’ experiences are like. He also enjoys discussing and reflecting on the future of Saint Francis. Father Brendan is excited about our school’s commitment to innovation and collaboration and how education partnerships with Silicon Valley companies can grow.

Father Brendan has served on the boards of several Catholic high schools and nonprofits. As the pastor of Saint Simon, he publishes his homilies weekly online in written, podcast and video formats to reach as large an audience as possible. Outside of his work, Father Brendan enjoys hiking at high altitudes. He has hiked 27 of the 54 high peaks in Colorado.

After 36 years as an administrator and teacher at Saint Francis, Margaret Miller returned to serve on the Board of Directors with the same objective she had as an educator: to continue preparing students so they can meet the challenges of today’s world.

Margaret is excited to work alongside her fellow board members, many of whom she knows after years of collaborating with them as an educator, on their shared goal of advancing how Saint Francis educates students. She looks forward to working with other Board members to assist President Jason Curtis in making connections with industry leaders in Silicon Valley so that partnerships that bring about meaningful learning opportunities for students can take root.

Margaret is an avid traveler and photographer and is passionate about volunteering spearheading  educational opportunities.

John is on the Board because he believes in the mission of Saint Francis High School and the spiritual, intellectual and social development it fosters in its students. Holy Cross education has been integral to his family. John believes in Blessed Basil Moreau's approach to not only prepare students with a rigorous academic program but also to instill Christian values in their hearts and minds. Looking ahead, John is confident that Saint Francis High School is well positioned to continue educating students who will lead and impact the community, both locally and beyond.

John has deep roots at Saint Francis. His wife Nancy  graduated from Holy Cross High School in 1964, served on the Saint Francis High School Board of Directors,and was voted into the Saint Francis High School Hall of Merit. (Nancy passed away in 2012.) Their five children, Julie Veit, Cathy Paulson, Mary Sandera, Michael Ottoboni, and Megan McCarthy, graduated from Saint Francis. His granddaughter Olivia Paulson graduated in 2022, and Joey and Maggie Paulson are current students. John serves on the school's Endowment Fundraising Committee.

John has served as outside General Counsel to the Diocese of San Jose for approximately 15 years. In addition, he was elected to the Board of the Latino Education Advancement Foundation and serves on the St. Mary's Parish Finance Committee.

Seeing the legacy that previous Board members have established at Saint Francis, Tom joined the Board for the opportunity to play a meaningful role himself in the school’s history. He finds the work of ensuring the education of young adults to be very satisfying and is interested in making sure Saint Francis continues to foster the level of excellence that the community has known. Working alongside fellow Board members and seeing their passion and level of expertise makes him even more committed to the long-term success of Saint Francis.

Tom’s long history with Saint Francis goes back decades, starting with summers spent at sports camp beginning when he was 5 years old. He graduated from Saint Francis in 1975, and the next generation of Lancers in his family followed: Katie ’05, Nick ’08 and Olivia ’10. Tom studied city planning at UC Davis and after 10 years working at city planning departments, he switched to real estate development, in which he remains. He enjoys sharing outdoor experiences with friends and family.

Julie serves on this board because she loves Saint Francis and believes it is uniquely poised for the future. She considers it a privilege to give back to Saint Francis, help shape its future and impact the future of many Lancers to come. The school embodies an incredibly strong community, rich in diversity, academic excellence and athletic prominence, and under the vision and leadership of President Jason Curtis, it will continue to grow and thrive in years to come. Saint Francis is a hub of innovation, taking advantage of the abundant opportunities in Silicon Valley and the extensive alumni network. She is excited to see how Saint Francis will harness these advantages to shape its future and is looking forward to contributing to the school’s mission.

Julie’s number one passion in life is her family. Her husband Neil sits on the SF Growth Fund Advisory Board. They have a son Max, a junior at Saint Francis, and twins Siena and Sofia. She loves to travel and recently explored Turkey and Greece.

Julie built her career in client service and consumer products for nearly two decades after college, before dedicating the last decade to community service and raising her children. Most recently, she served as President of the Woodside School Foundation, raising about $2M annually for the school and as VP of the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL). Earlier in her career, she worked in strategic management consulting, focusing on innovation and growth at Innosight and McKinsey. She also spent several years at Lehman Brothers in M&A and equity research in New York and London. She holds an AB magna cum laude in Economics from Princeton and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Dan is deeply grateful for the Holy Cross education he received at Saint Francis. He is a firm believer in the positive impact that a Catholic, values-based education makes on one’s life and the lives of others. He wants to do his part as a Board member to ensure that opportunity exists for future generations of Lancers by helping school leaders to stay true to the mission and vision of the Brothers of Holy Cross. 
Dan is confident that Saint Francis will continue to be a welcoming community that develops students’ full potential spiritually, academically, and socially. Saint Francis stands out among its peers with the quality of its graduates — hard-working men and women equipped with the acumen, courage and moral compass to lead for good.

As a student, Dan found Saint Francis to be an uplifting community, made up of administrators and educators who committed themselves wholly to providing Catholic education, and as a graduate, it’s important to him that that culture remain and be celebrated by the school leadership.
Dan is an executive director at Morgan Stanley in Menlo Park, where he began his career in private wealth management 18 years ago.

Jim’s family has long had ties to Saint Francis, starting with his late wife Tina Welsh ’89 and continues with their children Lily ’18 and John Henry ’24. He joined the Board to support Saint Francis in its mission as a Holy Cross school. He enjoys seeing how students engage with opportunities at Saint Francis and is excited about seeing how the school will continue to evolve and respond to the needs of students as they prepare for higher education and their careers.

Outside of Saint Francis, Jim is a guest lecturer at Santa Clara University and Brown University, where he mentors students as they prepare for their careers. He recently retired from Western Digital as a technology executive. He currently advises Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics on the creation of the Institute for Technology, Ethics and Culture. He is fluent in French and Spanish.

• Barry Eggers, Chair
• Samuel Colella, Vice Chair
• B.J. Cassin, Chair Emeritus
• Jason Curtis, President
• Sue Reyneri, CFO
• Navin Chaddha
• Mark Colella '91
• Ronny Conway '98
• Ken Elefant
• Carl Eschenbach
• Will Kohler
• Neil Sequeira
• Katie Jacobs Stanton
• Dharmesh Thakker
• Robert Ward

• Steve Gomo '70, Chair
• Jason Curtis, President
• Sue Reyneri, CFO
• Ilya Cantor
• Tom Cortopassi '85
• Kenny Nurisso '94

• Bob Franceschini, Jr. '75, Chair
• Tom Quaglia ’75, Vice Chair
• Steve Andrighetto
• Dick Budelli ‘70
• Tom Connelly
• Pasquale Giannotta, Sr. ‘72
• Pasquale Giannotta, Jr. ‘06
• Pepe Hinojosa ‘74
• Chris Marchese
• Tony Mirenda ‘78
• Ben Musolf
• Dave Obenour ‘60
• John Ottoboni
• John Poch
• Mary Rouleau '74