San Francisco Board Members
After serving San Francisco schools for eight years, the SF office launches its first Board of Directors. Meet our inaugural Board below:
Ruth Beauchamp
Ruth is a self proclaimed "evangelist of engaging learners." Her company, Oranda's first product, Recessitate, designed to teach students to playfully reduce stress through exercise and visualizations, is being used in schools internationally. When not enterprising, Ruth teaches teachers with the California State University system. She has 20 plus years as an educator under her belt with an enthusiasm for play, mindfulness, movement and dance and their positive effects on learning.
Betsy Burroughs
Betsy Burroughs is president of FocusCatalyst which provides guided brainstorming consulting to innovators seeking new insights and solutions to business problems, all based on the latest neuroscience research about insight. She is also the author of FOCUS. The Catalyst for Innovation, Guided Brainstorming for Innovators. She has over 25 years experience in major ad agency account management, as president of her own ad agency and as VP marketing at several companies.
Terri Forman
Terri Forman, CFRE, is Director of Development for First Graduate. Through her firm, Mindshare LLC, she consults with organizations in the areas of strategic planning, development, marketing communications, ethics and stewardship, and Board leadership. A recipient of more than 100 awards for advertising and communications management, she is committed to advancing Playworks’ message in our community. “Play helps us think and see things in different ways. It helps us respond faster, grab opportunities, and build teams. With Playworks, we can all learn how to play more, do better, and raise children who are equipped to be confident and competent at play, in school, and ultimately, at work.”
Elizabeth Goumas
Elizabeth Goumas is an active public schools advocate, working with SFUSD and community based organizations to implement equity across schools in an effort to “level the playing field” for all students. Formerly a successful software sales executive and business owner in retail sporting goods, Elizabeth joined the Playworks board because of her belief in the power of play to bring communities together. She has two children at SFUSD’s Chinese Immersion School @ DeAvila (CIS) where she most recently has been a PTA executive board member and Chair, Educational Grants Committee. She was introduced to Playworks through CIS where she felt first-hand the positive impact of Playworks’ safe, supportive, inclusive approach to play.
Liz Kao
Liz Kao brings a variety of product marketing, product management, and operations experience to nimble teams in high-growth technology-focused companies. She specializes in building and launching products & processes, while using metrics-driven results to optimize performance. Currently she is a Director of Internal Operations & Knowledge at Bluewolf, a technology consulting firm specializing in Internet-based business applications like Salesforce.com. She graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the University of California, Berkeley.
Her team-oriented nature and individual motivation were cultivated from lessons learned while playing and coaching volleyball, swimming, skiing, and playing competitive badminton in high school. She also realizes that key physical coordination foundations were laid with an early exposure to kickball, handball, jump rope, Hoppity Hops, and tag.
Brandon Mah
Brandon Mah works in transportation logistics with a background in operations and technology. He has held various operations, leadership and internal consulting roles with Kozmo.com, DHL Express and Ensenda, Inc. Currently he is a Senior Director of Customer Experience at a VC funded startup that is focused on supply chain transportation technology and 3PL carrier management. He enjoys helping individuals find success and leading fast moving entreprenurial teams. He holds a degree in International Business from San Francisco State University and an MBA from the Wharton School. Brandon has long been involved in sports, whether it was baseball with neighborhood kids after school, playing varsity golf, or today's challenges of rockclimbing and cycling. He is excited about Playworks' mission to bring play to all schools with the hope that all children will be able to look back at their childhood experiences and fondly remember their playgound experiences.
Kevin Mirsky
Kevin Mirsky has been in the commercial risk management and insurance business for the last twenty years. He is a principal with Barney and Barney, one of the largest insurance brokers in the Country. Kevin’s focuses on a variety of industries including Technology, Life Sciences, Financial Services and Non-Profits. Kevin lives in San Anselmo with his wife and three young children and is active in the community. He is an avid surfer and enjoys teaching his kids to surf and coaching youth sports. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from the University of Colorado at Boulder, but recalls fondly that it was in the early 70’s at Homestead grammar school in Mill Valley, California, that he first became "serious about play.”
Berta R. Rodriguez
Berta R. Rodrguez works in the Equity Funds Group at Wells Fargo Bank and oversees the Bank’s private investments. She is a recent MBA graduate of UCLA- Anderson School of Management. While at Anderson she interned at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Real Estate and Economic Development and also studied emerging markets while living in Cape Town, South Africa.
She holds engineering degrees from Cornell University (BS) and Stanford University (MS). Prior to business school she worked for Rutherford and Chekene as a structural engineer. Some of her past projects include the San Francisco Ferry Building, UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute, and Kaiser Vallejo Hospital. As a HUGE sports enthusiast she is excited to use her diverse skills to work with Playworks on providing EVERY student in low-income communities a safe environment to play and equip them with life skills necessary for a better future.
Karen Royer
Karen Royer has extensive experience advising clients on economic damages arising from complex intellectual property litigation matters. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in accounting, Karen started her career as an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand. In subsequent years Karen held positions at The Gap and Navigant Consulting, and is currently a director at TM Financial Forensics. After participating in a Playworks’ corporate kickball event in Silicon Valley, Karen found herself hooked on Playworks, and immediately sought out a way to get herself more involved in the organization. Growing up Karen played all types of organized sports and today that passion for sports continues as you can often find her running, hiking or just “playing” outdoors. She fondly remembers her participation in recess activities on the playground of her elementary school, and believes all children should be afforded that same opportunity of fun, safe play.
Jerry Sherman
“In 2004 my oldest son, Peter, was diagnosed with autism. Over the years, seeing Peter grow and attend school, my wife and I realized that many of Peter's biggest challenges would not come in the structured environment of the classroom, but in the unstructured environment of the playground.
So when I first heard about Playworks, I was immediately interested. Playworks' focus on using play to facilitate learning and social development mirror what we have found with Peter—specifically, if Peter has a good day on the playground, he is almost certain to have a good day in the classroom and at home. The best part is that the same rules seem to apply to all kids, regardless of ability—a good day of play for a child makes for a good day, period.
Playworks appeals to me because I believe that the potential for the organization to positively enhance the lives of all kids through play is almost limitless, and I am eager to do my part to contribute to and promote such a worthwhile cause.”
