STAFF & BOARD MEMBERS

Joanne currently works as an internal audit consultant at RGP. She is a CPA and has worked in major financial firms in Chicago and New York.  She is also a ballet teacher certified with the American Ballet Theater teaching in local communities. Her son and daughter attend Tustin schools, where she has served in various leadership roles on the PTO Boards. She values the connections she has made with the families, schools and the district through her volunteering. Her experiences has taught her the beauty of working with different cultures and communities.  She is excited to serve the greater community with the TPSF Board and help support excellent education around the district.

​

 During her free time, she enjoys taking ballet classes, traveling  and biking with her family. 

Captain Manny Arzate began his career with the Tustin Police Department in September 2002 after graduating from the Palomar College Police Academy and serving in the United States Marine Corps.  Throughout his career, he has worked in various roles, including Patrol Officer, Gang Unit Detective, Field Training Officer, and Personnel and Training Officer.  He holds a Master's Degree in Business Management from the University of Redlands. 

​​

Captain Arzate was promoted to Sergeant in 2014, overseeing the Special Enforcement Detail, and to Lieutenant in 2017, where he managed policing activities in North Tustin, the Traffic Unit, the Field Training Officer Program, the Arrest and Control Program, and SWAT/Special Response Team.  In 2020, he became Captain, overseeing Patrol, Detective, and Tactical Operations.  Since 2023, he has led the Criminial Investigation and Professional Standards Division.

​

A graduate of the FBI National Academy, Executive Leadership Institute (ELI), and Command College, Captain Arzate enjoys mountain biking and practicing jiu-jitsu.  He has been married for 25 years and has two daughters.

After growing up in Hong Kong for a portion of his life and serving in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Baum chose Tustin for both his Orthodontics/Dentofacial practice and his home.

Dr. Baum first became involved with the Foundation (TPSF) as a sponsor of the annual Dino Dash event.  “Over the years I have seen how important The Foundation (TPSF) is to our Tustin community and schools.  I feel honored to have been asked to be a board member and to be part of the great work The Foundation (TPSF) does.”

As the Founder and CEO of Venture Strategic, Jeff is an outside-the-box thinker who oversees his firm’s strategic communications, marketing, and issue advocacy services. When most people see a crisis or challenge, Jeff sees an opportunity.  He refined his perspective and outlook on communications through his experience serving as Political Director to former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in 2010, as Chief of Staff for a California Legislator, and Chief Deputy for an Orange County Supervisor. He has advised numerous successful candidates, corporate clients, and public agencies on cutting-edge communications, public relations, and marketing strategies.

Jeff holds an MBA from Chapman University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.  A native of the Tustin community, Jeff graduated from Foothill High School.  He is proud to serve as a volunteer board member for TPSF and passionate about ensuring his daughter and son, along with their peers, are the beneficiaries of the same world-class education he received from Tustin Schools. Go Knights!

Michael is the owner of a real estate investment company after working 18 years in senior marketing, sales and leadership roles. He graduated with an Honors Business degree from Laurier university.

After attending excellent public schools in childhood and at university, he believes a first-rate education (and hard work) opens many doors for your career as an adult.

Since moving to Orange County, Michael has been impressed with the high caliber of education at the TUSD, the outstanding and dedicated teachers, along with the well-maintained schools. He has three children at TUSD schools. He wants to support the TPSF in ensuring an outstanding education and experience for all students and parents at TUSD schools.

Erick is currently the principal of Tustin Unified’s K-12 Online Blended School, and heads up the TUSD Transfers Department. He serves as an important voice on the TPSF board for Tustin Unified employees. Erick co-founded the Foundation’s Summer Academy, and continues to serve as the director of the program.

​

“Being a TUSD administrator, I have the opportunity to change lives at my site.  Being a part of TPSF affords me the opportunity to effect change on a larger scale and support the TUSD community across the board.”

Erick is a big fan of baseball. In fact, the seeds of the Summer Academy were sown on a ball field while playing with Tustin Unified colleagues. He has visited every MLB stadium at least once. 

Derek is a senior technology banker with Silicon Valley Bank and has been working with both private and public innovation companies across Southern California for more than 15 years. Derek earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a Finance emphasis from San Diego State University, and serves on the Tech Advisory Board for the Orange County Technology Action Network (OCTANe).

Derek considers himself a gadget early adopter, an aspirational golfer and when he’s not closing deals for the bank, enjoys spending time with his wife and twin daughters.

​

Derek enjoyed participating in the annual TPSF Golf Classic and deepened his involvement with the Foundation by joining the Board in 2019.  Derek says “I appreciate the wonderful experience that my twins are having at Red Hill Elementary and am glad to support the role that TPSF plays in ensuring excellence in all our area schools.” 

Founding partner at the Lewis Law Group, APLC, an Immigration, International Business and Franchising firm. The Lewis Law Group, APLC works with families, international clients, businesses, artists, and athletes who would like to make the United States their permanent home. She practices law with her husband Brandon Lewis, a Foothill High Alumni.

​

Pia truly believes in making a difference in our schools. She has been involved in TUSD since 2016 serving as the current TUSD Coordinating Council President which is a council comprised of PTO/PTA Presidents, Heritage Elementary PTA (President & VP Fundraising), and Legacy Magnet Academy PTO. She enjoys participating in TPSF events such as the Dino Dash, Celebration of Schools, and Teacher of the Year. Prior to serving TUSD, she was the President of the St. Paul’s Preschool Board where she oversaw the operations of the preschool.

​

Pia had been a leader in her son’s Cub Scout Pack and is currently a leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop. She has a son Branson who attends Legacy Magnet Academy and a daughter Parker who attends Heritage Elementary.

Holly has been an entrepreneur and small business owner in Orange County for the past 14 years. While business marketing and HR have been her area of expertise, Holly is passionate about mentoring & empowering fellow female entrepreneurs. She is also a founding member of a Diversity & Inclusion Board for small businesses across the country. Her goal is to celebrate the beauty of diversity in the workplace, promote mutual respect, and showcase how inclusivity can help organizations foster growth in all areas.

​

Holly is a proud Mom to 3 amazing daughters and is married to her best friend, Dewayne! Three of their top household values include: Faith, Family, & Football (Go Chargers!). All their girls have strong, unique personalities, and have attended TUSD public schools since kindergarten. It was through volunteering at her daughters’ schools that Holly became acquainted with TPSF and all they do to support the students, teachers, staff, and community. Holly is excited and humbled to serve on the Tustin Public School Foundation’s Board, alongside so many inspirational individuals. She hopes to bring a strong work ethic, affinity for having fun, and a servant mentality to her position on the board.

Anisha Looney is the proud parent of three children, all currently attending Tustin Unified School District schools. Having attended public schools from grade school through high school, and then graduating from a public university (UC Irvine ‘00), Anisha is passionate about public education. Anisha is committed to strengthening our Tustin public schools to ensure all students have access to the very best opportunities to thrive academically and to discover and pursue their passions.

​

For over 20 years, Anisha has worked as a non-profit fundraiser, planning and executing events while raising money for important causes.  She currently enjoys doing the same thing for TPSF.  When not raising money or carpooling to her kids activities, Anisha enjoys vacationing with her husband Chris and their kids, learning pickleball, and shopping at Target. She’s also a boba connoisseur and loves finding new vegetarian recipes for Meatless Mondays with the family.

Caroline can often be found on the ice. She is an ice hockey fan, coach, and competitor at the National level. With a BS in Industrial Engineering, she learned how to make things work. She honed those skills raising four children and navigating their many activities, all while remaining active with ice hockey and her career as a stylist. Caroline joined the Foundation board because of her belief that “education is so important for the growth of our children. Each and every child should have the opportunity to a great education.”

Kyle has three young children that will be attending Tustin unified schools. He works for Earthco Commercial Landscape as the Vice President of Operations serving landscape maintenance, construction, and tree services for homeowners associations. Kyle has a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University in Finance. 

​

Kyle has been a resident of Tustin for over two years and with his first child beginning elementary school, he decided to increase his involvement in the community. In his spare time, he likes to coach and play lacrosse.

After practicing law for over 17 years, Atousa developed a love for actively volunteering in the classroom once her daughters started elementary school. She is a full-time mom and has served on the PTO Board holding various positions. 

Her passion for children and the education system brought her to TPSF.  “I wanted to do more, help more on a larger scale. TPSF has such a significant impact on the students, educators and all schools in the Tustin Unified School District, and I am honored to work alongside dedicated and caring individuals whose mission it is to provide further support and resources to the schools in the whole community.” 

Atousa always chooses to bring a positive energy.  A few of her favorite things are traveling, true crime podcasts and movie night at home with her family and rambunctious, curly-haired dog.

Curtis’ three children all graduated from Tustin Unified schools. He continues to live in North Tustin, and works as a financial advisor, focusing on the investment needs of businesses, business owners, professionals and individuals.

​

Curtis has made a difference in the community by coaching youth sports and serving on several boards in the Tustin community. He also is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of California, Davis, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural and managerial economics.

​

In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors, including the beach, paddle boarding and participating in various sports.

Laurie grew up in Orange County and settled in Tustin after graduating from UCI.  She works for Fluor Corporation as part of a globally-dispersed Project Controls and Estimating team where she is responsible for organizational change management, communications and training.

​

With a strong commitment to social responsibility, Laurie has dedicated years to volunteering in her local community.  Before joining TPSF, she held various roles on PTO/PTA boards and sports boosters from elementary to high school levels.  Beyond TUSD, Laurie actively contributes to local nonprofits through her company's charity programs and organizes community events.  Through TPSF, Laurie finds fulfillment in positively impacting TUSD schools across the District, witnessing firsthand how grants enhance curriculum and student learning experiences.  Now residing in Irvine with her husband, Moni, and having raised two children who graduated from TUSD, Laurie cherishes the opportunity to support schools on a comprehensive level.

As a retired pediatrician, Renee serves as an advisor to Beckman High School’s Medical Certificate Program, which introduces high school students to multiple careers in the field of medicine and gives them opportunities to interact with various medical professionals.

​

Renee strongly believes in the value of high quality education. She’s involved with the Tustin Public Schools Foundation to help TUSD teachers get all the resources and materials they need to help every student realize his or her maximum potential.

​

In her spare time she enjoys reading, baking, hiking and playing pickleball.

For nearly 23 years, Barb has held several leadership positions in customer service, network engineering, strategy, operations, external affairs, and most recently, public sector sales, where her team drove business growth innovation through software-defined networking, Fiber, 5G, IoT, Cloud, Cybersecurity, Mobility, IT Professional Services and next-generation 911 services.