Board of Trustees
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"In Crestview, I have so much more than a strong education for my daughters. I have a support system and partnership that helps to develop my children to be prepared socially and emotionally for the fast changing, diverse and connected world we live in. At the heart of Crestview, values are lived that I believe are critical to having a positive impact on the world and those around you.”
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Katie Lopez was named the Chief Human Resources Officer at Bonduelle Fresh Americas (formerly Ready Pac Foods) in 2019. She has been with Ready Pac Foods since 2014 when she joined as Director of Human Resources. Katie has experience contributing to a variety of business contexts from public international stable growth businesses to private equity turnaround businesses in a variety of different market sectors, including aerospace and defense and FMCG. She has spent her career with a passion for talent development, change and culture acceleration, people analytics, and mergers and acquisitions. |
Katie Lopez (Board Chair)|
“We chose Crestview because the faculty and staff support the whole child, enabling a love of learning to develop naturally. In addition, the Head of School's extraordinary dedication and breadth of knowledge bring out the best in the entire school community. Crestview demonstrates that warmth and kindness serve as a strong foundation for academic excellence."
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Devin Agran is a Los Angeles native who graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in History and Literature. She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California.
As a clinical social worker, Devin worked at the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center, the Tingstad Older Adult Counseling Center, Family Service of Santa Monica, and the National Council of Jewish Women | Los Angeles. After the birth of her first child, she paused her career to parent full-time. Devin's daughter Juliette is a fifth grader at Crestview, and her son Charlie is a graduate of La Salle College Preparatory. |
Devin Agran|
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Rasheda is the Assistant Head of School at Westland School in Los Angeles. She is also a consultant for VISIONS, Inc., a non-profit training and consulting organization specializing in diversity and inclusion. She provides training, coaching, and workshops focused on developing and sustaining inclusive schools and organizations. Rasheda believes that personal and organizational growth occurs through reflective practice, knowledge, and skill-building. Rasheda served as the Director of Equity and Inclusion at Wildwood School for 18 years. She also designed and led the Multicultural Leadership Institute as the founding director, hosted by the Wildwood Outreach Program. Rasheda earned her bachelor of arts in Sociology at California State University, Fullerton, and a master's degree in Psychology at Pepperdine University.
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Rasheda Carroll|
“We love being part of the Crestview family. Crestview provides a perfect balance between academic excellence and the development of social-emotional intelligence for their students. Our daughter loves learning in an environment that is safe, peaceful, fun, and challenging while strengthening her self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.”
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Tuba Diken Müdar has a bachelor of science in Chemical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University. She got the opportunity to come to the US when she received a full scholarship from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned her master of science in Chemical Engineering. Her master's thesis focused on developing a biopharmaceutical drug to prevent brain tumors.
After graduating from CU Boulder, she followed her passion for research in the genetic engineering field and moved to Louisiana as a research associate at Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport. She worked as a full-time researcher while attending business school at night on a full-time basis. After earning her MBA from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, she started her private industry career in Texas and worked for a pharmaceutical contract manufacturing firm for small molecule pharmaceutical drugs. Two years later, she was recruited by Baxter Healthcare Corporation as a Quality Engineer and moved to Los Angeles, CA with her husband. She has been working at two different Southern CA locations of the same company (Baxter/Baxalta/Shire/Takeda) for 22 years with increasing leadership responsibilities in various areas such as Quality, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing where she managed up to 550+ employees as head of manufacturing of plasma manufacturing operations. She is currently working for the same company as head of manufacturing for finishing operations in a biologics manufacturing operations unit located at Thousand Oaks, CA. Tuba has also been very involved in women in science/engineering programs since her graduate school years and she is currently serving as the committee chair in a community outreach program in Ventura County on behalf of Women at Takeda group. Tuba is a proud mother of Crestview graduate Selin Ayşe and is honored to be part of the fantastic Crestview family with her husband Zafer Müdar. |
Tuba Diken|
"We chose Crestview because of its academic excellence and community building. As dual residents, our son was able to ease into the program in the UK as a direct result of the rigorous preparation provided at Crestview."
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Tom Donkin has been providing professional services in the construction and real estate industry since 2001. His experience with building type ranges across all sectors of the market (commercial, residential, medical, hospitality, infrastructure, etc.), with projects ranging from US$1 million to over US$2 billion in value.
Tom’s expertise is in Owner's Representative and Project Management services. He is currently CEO of The Ridgway Group, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, with a presence in New York, NY, and London, UK. Specialist skills include quantity surveying, financial control services, feasibility studies, creating and managing capital cost budgets and cash flows, and providing pre and post-contract project and cost management.
Tom has two children with his son currently attending Crestview.
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Thomas Donkin|
"We chose to send our children to Crestview because of the staff’s relentless focus on each child’s social and educational development, as well as Crestview’s family atmosphere and emphasis on community.”
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Fred Esrailian is a California licensed attorney and real estate broker. He has two decades of experience as an attorney working primarily on real estate, corporate, and commercial transactions. Fred received his Bachelor of Arts from Santa Clara University and his Juris Docturate from Loyola Law School. Fred and his family enjoy living in La Canada Flintridge, and he is honored to have his children, Dylan (6th grade) and Evan (graduate), attend Crestview.
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Frederic Esrailian|
"Crestview is an amazing school where the teachers, staff, and Head of School genuinely care about educating the whole child and respecting childhood. The teachers are attentive to each child and the school maintains a nurturing and inclusive environment where it is fun to learn. We feel very fortunate to be a part of Crestview."
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Brenda Hernandez is a Group Supervisor for the Thermal Fluids Systems and Hardware Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her love and passion for science, engineering, and space led her to pursue a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering specializing in Thermal Fluids at Caltech.
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Brenda Hernandez|
"We chose Crestview because of the emphasis and care the school places on early childhood education. Crestview offers smaller class size and a personalized experience from its developmentally appropriate curriculum led by teachers and learning specialists. The admin staff knows every child’s name and is constantly looking for ways to improve the learning experience. Crestview truly provides a warm and nurturing environment for the children."
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Han Hu is an investment analyst at Oaktree Capital Management. Before joining Oaktree in 2021, Han was a credit research analyst at PIMCO. Han holds an undergraduate degree from UCLA and an MBA from USC.
His eldest daughter, Avery is currently in first grade.
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Han Hu|
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Daniel Kim is an attorney with broad experience in corporate transactions (IPOs, M&A, venture capital and debt financings) as well as governance and startup matters. He has a solo practice specializing in commercial and technology transactions for NASDAQ-listed companies, a top-ranked national children's hospital and local startups. In 2023, he was named a "Legal Visionary" by the LA Times for his advocacy for lawyers eschewing complicated and unhelpful negotiating habits.
He is an active investor and businessperson and serves on the Board of a commercial real estate company. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he worked for state and local politicians and co-founded a 501(c)(3) fellowship that supports law school graduates who pursue public interest career paths.
Daniel graduated magna cum laude from Yale College and served as a Fulbright Scholar before attending law school at UC Berkeley.
He and his wife Jacinda are LA natives and proud parents of three children at Crestview (fifth, third, and first grade).
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Daniel Kim|
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Michael is currently a Private Equity ‐ Senior at Ernst & Young US LLP. He received his bachelor's from Bucknell University and his master's at the University of Southern California, Leventhal School of Accounting.
Michael is the first Crestview Alum to serve on the Board of Trustees.
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Michael Krupczak|
"Crestview is led by an exceptional team of educators that foster an environment where our children learn critical skills—confidence, self-direction, collaboration and open-mindedness—that, I am sure, will prepare them to live fulfilled lives.”
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Ivan is a Southern California native. He earned his bachelor of ccience degree from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Ivan is a Managing Director at a global investment bank and has advised international corporate clients on mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic matters for over 25 years. At Crestview, Ivan’s son, Ellis, is in the sixth grade. His daughter, Olivia, graduated from Crestview in 2023. |
Ivan Leung|
“We love being a Crestview family. Every staff knows every student’s name, the headmaster knows everything happened in school. Our kids feel safe and respected at Crestview. We have no regret to send our kids to such a home atmosphere school.”
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Jay Li was born in China and has a bachelor's in Accounting and MSc in Management from Loughborough University, UK.
Jay worked in a major real estate development company and developed multiple commercial hotel projects and living apartments. He is currently a marketing director of an auto parts industry company.
At Crestview, Jay's daughter, Mirabelle, is in the fifth grade, and his son, Landon, is in the second grade. He also has a son who graduated from Crestview and attended Flintridge Preparatory School in 2021.
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Jianping "Jay" Li|
"Crestview is formed of an encouraging community of people that believe in the power of love, and I truly believe that all of the children will benefit from this supportive environment.”
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Joann Li is a master's graduate of Fine Arts and owner of two art galleries and studio in Pasadena. Joann and her husband, Sixu, established the high-technology enterprise ‘Sinty Sci-Tech’.
Since Joann’s immigration to the United States in 2012. Joann has successively opened her own private gallery - Ai+ Gallery/Studio and Joann Art Space.
Ai+ Gallery is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting public art education, supporting local artists and students to choose art to express their emotions, and showcasing creations of artists of all ethnicities from around the world. Joann’s passion for art also led her to develop ‘Artspire History’, an art educational program for children.
Joann and her husband, Sixu, have three children and are the parents of Leede, who is in fourth grade.
Joann is honored to be welcomed into the Board of Trustees and looks forward to being part of the Crestview community.
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Joann Li|
"Crestview provides positive early childhood experiences and fosters character building in a balanced social-emotional and academic setting. Crestview is also true to the CREST mission, as the core values are threaded effortlessly into the curriculum and daily classroom practice. Additionally, the tight-knit and diverse community is an invaluable source of support and friendship. As proud members of the Crestview family, we hope to support the wonderful team, mission, and community of this special school."
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Farnaz Parvini received a bachelor of science in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University. During her time at Emory, Farnaz developed an interest in research at Yerkes National Primate Research Center. She later transitioned from laboratory to clinical research at a site specializing in neurological studies. Farnaz found her niche in regulatory compliance and study auditing. She held roles at pharmaceutical development companies IQVIA (formerly Quintiles), PPD and Novo Nordisk. During this time, she worked on cardiovascular, diabetes (type I and II), influenza, and gastroesophageal reflux clinical studies.
Farnaz is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Psychology from Pepperdine University. Her three children, Ella, Aydin and Arian have all attended Crestview. Farnaz is an avid volunteer and has served as Room Parent Co-Chair on the Crestview Parent Association as well as Room Parent for several years. She greatly appreciates the opportunity to further serve the Crestview community as a member of the Board of Trustees. In her free time Farnaz enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, reading, cycling, and baking.
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Farnaz Parvini|
"Our entire family fell in love with Crestview the minute we first visited. We were searching for a school that would provide a safe and nurturing environment, while also giving our children personal attention. Crestview has everything we were looking for.”
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Andrew Schwartz is Managing Partner of a portfolio of 700 units including multi-family, retail, and industrial, Founding Investor of MagicLinks (Social Commerce Platform), and Founder of H and P Solutions- Managing a Youth Sports and Health Services Facility.’.
Andrew is a results-driven entrepreneur with a robust background in real estate management and investment. His areas of expertise include leading property management companies, cultivating prosperous partnerships, and steering strategic growth initiatives. Andrew is proficient in applying business acumen to optimize property portfolios, enhance profitability, and foster enduring client relationships. His experience entails navigating diverse markets, executing acquisitions, and deploying innovative solutions for sustained and impactful business success.
He is a proud father of three children and part of the Crestview family.
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Andrew Schwartz|
"We are so thankful for Crestview! We chose Crestview because of the intentional focus and respect for the whole child - it's not just talked about, it's woven into everything at the school...the curriculum, how the educators interact with the kids, parent classes, and community activities. Crestview lives the mission and vision for providing a rich environment that promotes imagination, intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and emotional wellbeing."
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Ashley Smith graduated high school from Flintridge Preparatory School and earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature from Smith College. Ashley later went on to earn her Master of Studies in Law from Samford University, and her Executive Master in Business Administration from Quantic University.
Ashley is a managing director in the Discovery practice and Legal Business Services practice of Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP. She has over 20 years of experience advising corporate legal departments across multiple industries in areas such as legal operations, complex electronic discovery, information governance, matter and document management, and implementation of AI across legal functions. Ashley and her husband, Andy, are proud Crestview parents to Lucy (7th grade) and Evie (5th grade). |
Ashley Smith|
"What we love most about Crestview is that they team up with all the families to shepherd the students in the right direction, all the while honoring each child’s own unique journey. They strike the perfect balance of EQ and IQ. It truly feels like home."
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Mary Terterov Mary Terterov has served as a criminal defense attorney and civil litigator with a focus on contract disputes. With a Certificate from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Mary has represented clients in mediation and co-facilitated stakeholder groups for program planning purposes.
Serving as an Ambassador for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) and Event Chair for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, she has extensive experience with the inner workings of nonprofit organizations.
A lover of academia, Mary has gone back to school to pursue a study in classic literature and has launched her own platform as a podcast host, author of a published poetry collection and a writer of short stories highlighting the human condition. As a mom of three young kids, she loves to be outdoors with her family camping, biking, and roller-skating.
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Kerem Yilmaz