Board of Trustees

The Gardner School of Arts & Sciences is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees whose role includes strategic planning, financial oversight, and setting broad school policy.

Comprised of unpaid volunteers, the role of the Board of Trustees is to:

  • Hire and provide supervision to the Head of School

  • Guide the long-term direction of the school

  • Ensure that Gardner is operated in a manner consistent with our mission, non-profit status, and applicable laws

In Washington State, non-profit trustees have a legal obligation to make decisions for the good of the School and its long-term ability to operate and achieve its mission.

Community is a core value at Gardner. The Board warmly welcomes invited guests and community members to its meetings. Please reach out to the Board Chair (boardchair@gardnerschool.org) if you would like to attend an upcoming meeting.

Our Board of Trustees is actively recruiting for its committees as well as trustees for this and the coming school year. Please reach out to boardchair@gardnerschool.org to express interest!

Meet the Board

  • Sarah Grenert-Funk

    BOARD CHAIR
    boardchair@gardnerschool.org

    Sarah Grenert-Funk is the Head of Upper School at Oregon Episcopal School (OES) in Portland, Oregon. She has also been a classroom teacher, dorm parent, advisor, and lacrosse and basketball coach. Sarah earned her bachelor of arts in English from Middlebury College. She also holds a Master of Arts in English from Middlebury College's Breadloaf School of English. Before joining OES, Sarah taught English at Birch Wathen Lenox School in New York City and worked in book publishing. She and her husband, Joe, have two young children.

  • Adriana Baer

    VICE CHAIR
    Gardner Parent

    Adriana Baer is a public speaking coach and professional theater director. She has worked and lectured at dozens of regional theaters, colleges, and universities nationwide. Adriana holds a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and a Masters of Fine Arts in Directing from Columbia University. She offers courses and coaching through her company Claim Center Stage and is the host of the Vancouver Arts & Culture Podcast. Adriana is a proud Gardner parent.

  • Brian Gilstrap

    Brian Gilstrap

    TREASURER
    Gardner Parent

    Brian Gilstrap has 20 years banking and financial industry experience. Currently, he is a portfolio management leader at a national financial institution. Through his career, Brian has worked at large and startup institutions - including a startup bank and founding a technology company. He holds a Bachelor degree in Business and a MBA from the University of Florida. He enjoys hiking, traveling and exploring with his family, running (mostly half) marathons, and being a member of the Gardner community. Brian has one child happily enrolled at the Gardner School.

  • Susan Melton

    SECRETARY
    Gardner Parent

    Susan Melton is the proprietor of a small business specializing in 3D printing. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Western Oregon University. She has two children enrolled at Gardner School. Susan's diverse professional background includes roles as a zookeeper, 911 dispatcher, and SharePoint consultant.

  • Ana María B. Call

    TRUSTEE
    Gardner Parent

    Ana María B. Call is a mom of two kids enrolled at Gardner School and has a background in intercultural and civil rights work, having worked in public education and refugee resettlement. She holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Spanish Linguistics and several certificates in interpretation, translation, and intercultural communication.

  • Jessi Christiansen

    Jessi Christiansen

    TRUSTEE

    Jessi is currently the Lower School Head at Cascades Academy in Bend, OR.  She earned a Master’s in Elementary Education from Bank Street College in NYC and, besides being a classroom teacher for 10 years, has also held a variety of leadership roles in diverse schools across the U.S. and Latin America. She enjoys working in small independent schools and has called Bend home since 2019. She spends her free time skiing, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors with her son Max, and their dog Leah.

  • Lisa Heath

    Lisa Heath

    TRUSTEE

    Lisa has 20 years of experience in marketing and business development in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Montana State University. Lisa enjoys traveling with her husband and two daughters, gardening, and home remodeling projects.

  • Susan Pulley

    Susan Pulley

    TRUSTEE

    Susan Pulley is the Associate Head of School at Abiqua School in Salem, Oregon. She leads the Admissions and Advancement Teams and is trained in Dyslexia support. Her special interest is equity in access to education. Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts from California State University Stanislaus and a Masters in Education from Southern Oregon University.