MEET OUR
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jim McManus
Board Coach
Jim McManus is the retired Executive Director of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), where he led 230 schools serving over 90,000 students. Previously, he was Headmaster at Castilleja School and Mayfield Senior School. With 13 years as a head and nearly 30 years as a trustee at six independent schools, he has also served on the boards of CAIS, NAIS, ICAISA, and CAPSO.
Since 1993, Mr. McManus has consulted for over 175 independent schools and associations, specializing in strategic planning, Board development, school mergers, and climate assessments. He is a frequent speaker at NAIS conferences, addressing topics from global education trends to social-emotional learning.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Occidental College, Mr. McManus earned a master’s degree from Claremont Graduate University, where he also completed Ph.D. coursework on ethics and education. A native Californian, he resides in Sierra Madre and is the father of two independent school graduates: his daughter, a Dean of Students, and his son, an entomology enthusiast and social media content creator.
Joanna Strober
Joanna Strober is a technology and finance executive with over 20 years of experience in private equity and venture capital, focusing on digital health and consumer companies. She is the founder and CEO of Kurbo Health, the largest global provider of pediatric obesity treatments, which was acquired by Weight Watchers Reimagined (WW) in 2018. At WW, Joanna heads the child/teen division and leads business development efforts for WW Health Solutions.
A former corporate attorney, Joanna has extensive experience in corporate transactions, including public offerings and M&As. She has served on the boards of several notable consumer Internet companies and is a seasoned advocate for women in leadership.
Joanna previously spent six years as a Managing Director at Sterling Stamos Capital Management, where she raised over $200 million for global investments. She has also worked at Pacific Community Ventures, Symphony Technology Group, and Bessemer Venture Partners, generating over $250 million in gains.
Joanna co-authored Getting to 50/50 and is a frequent speaker on women and leadership, having lectured at Stanford and other institutions. She holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from UCLA Law School. Max Schireson
Denise Pope
Education Liaison
Dr. Denise Pope specializes in curriculum studies, service learning, student engagement, school reform, and qualitative research. She focuses on the mental and physical health consequences of academic stress and its effects on student engagement and integrity. Dr. Pope co-founded Challenge Success, a nonprofit dedicated to partnering with schools and families to implement research-based strategies for student well-being.
She is the author of Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students (Yale University Press, 2011), which received the American School Board Journal’s Notable Book in Education award. She is also the co-author of Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids (Wiley, 2015).
Dr. Pope co-hosts the podcast "School's In" on Sirius XM radio, where she explores issues in education and student well-being.
Yaron Bar
Yaron Bar and his family have made Silicon Valley their home, with two of his children proud alumni of Kehillah. He has served on the school board for several years, supporting its mission to foster academic excellence and a strong, values-driven community.
A tech executive and startup catalyst, Yaron has extensive experience in R&D, engineering, business development, and marketing. He collaborates with VCs, startups, and industry leaders to drive innovation and growth. Previously, he served on the Executive Board of a major UC school’s Corporate Affiliates Program, supporting strategic education initiatives and disaster prevention projects.
Originally from Israel, Yaron brings a deep appreciation for history, community, and entrepreneurship to both his professional and volunteer work. He is passionate about minority inclusion, kids’ education, and supporting children facing health challenges.
Yaron holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from a joint program between Reichman University and The Wharton School's Executive Education Program. As a Kehillah board member, he is dedicated to ensuring the school remains a place where students thrive academically, feel supported, and grow into future Jewish leaders.
Tom Stuart
Tom Stuart is a technology executive with 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. He has been an early employee and often the first business hire in several start-ups, driving early successes that have been used as templates for growth.
Tom has led large and small marketing and sales teams and has been a founding CEO. His diverse experiences have contributed to his current role in business development, where he focuses on identifying and driving new avenues for growth. He has also served on several technology start-up advisory boards and one board of directors.
Tom holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSE in Engineering from Duke University.
Matthew Gemello
Matthew Gemello is a corporate partner and chair of Orrick’s global corporate business. A seasoned lawyer, he advises global technology companies and their financial sponsors on transformational domestic and cross-border transactions.
Matthew serves as board chair of Think of Us, a design-thinking lab transforming child welfare through systemic change, and as vice chair of the Youth Law Center, which advocates for children in foster care and the juvenile justice system.
A fourth-generation resident of the Peninsula, Matthew and his wife, Moon, live in Redwood City with their children: Delilah (University of Oregon Class of 2026) and Bodhi (Kehillah Class of 2025). Passionate about family and the outdoors, Matthew enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and other alpine activities. His love of soccer also keeps him up early on weekends in front of the TV.
Timonie Hood
Timonie Hood is a proud past Kehillah parent whose son graduated in 2022. She loved volunteering with the Kehillah Parent Association, serving as Co-Chair for three years.
Timonie holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics (Natural Resources) from Auburn University and a law degree from Arizona State University. She is also a LEED Accredited Professional.
As a Zero Waste and Green Building Coordinator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Southwest Office, Timonie works to protect human health and the environment. She is passionate about mentoring and has been recognized as a California Resource Recovery Association Recycler of the Year.
In her free time, she enjoys exploring caves and tending to her succulent garden.
Emma Goss
Emma Goss is an award-winning reporter with experience in television, online media, and print. She is the creator and host of the podcast Such a Match! and currently works as a freelance general assignment reporter for NBC Bay Area/Telemundo 48 and as a staff writer for J. The Jewish News of Northern California.
In December 2024, Emma received five awards from the San Francisco Press Club, recognizing her reporting for both NBC Bay Area and J. Her primary focus has been education reporting, covering K-12 schools and college campuses across the Bay Area, and she has become a trusted resource for educators and families.
A Silicon Valley native, Emma attended Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School and Kehillah. She graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University with a B.A. in American Studies and a minor in Art History.
Justin Evans
Justin Evans is the CFO of KiwiCo, an educational toy and experience company that fosters creativity and learning in STEAM. Prior to KiwiCo, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, advising financial institutions and fintech companies on strategic transactions and capital raising.
He holds an AB with honors in Economics and Computer Science from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Justin lives in Menlo Park with his wife, Angela, and their two children, including a 10th-grade student at Kehillah.
Abby Domine
Bio coming soon.
Andy Orion
Andrew Orion is a real estate broker with Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, specializing in Palo Alto, Los Altos, and the Peninsula. Recognized as a top producer at local, state, and national levels, he brings a data-driven approach to helping clients navigate real estate decisions. Leveraging his background as an attorney, Andrew prioritizes research, risk mitigation, and exceptional service.
Previously, Andrew was a patent attorney, serving as a partner at Fish & Richardson, in-house counsel at Google, and general counsel at a digital payment startup. He clerked for Judge Bill Bryson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford, and a B.S. from Princeton.
In addition to serving on Kehillah’s Board, Andrew is on the Board of Directors for SecureALL and the Facilities Committee at Keys School. He and his wife, Lori, live in Los Altos with their son (Kehillah Class of 2025) and daughter. An avid outdoorsman, Andrew enjoys hiking, mountain adventures, and sailing—especially competing in San Francisco’s Friday Night Race Series.
Jonathan Manson
Board Chair
Jonathan Manson is a lawyer and startup advisor specializing in technology companies. He previously served as Associate General Counsel at Google, overseeing teams of lawyers advising on product and business issues. Before Google, Jonathan was an attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, counseling tech companies on commercial and technology transactions.
Prior to practicing law, Jonathan was a researcher in the physics department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois, and a law degree from Stanford University.
Jonathan and his wife, Elana, live in Palo Alto with their daughter (Kehillah Class of 2026) and their son, a recent Kehillah graduate.
Adam Talcott
Adam Talcott is a hands-on engineering leader with experience in high-performance microprocessors, mobile and web apps, AI, and data-driven applications. He has worked at startups, large tech companies, and as a solopreneur, advocating for a culture of empathy, communication, and collaboration. A prolific inventor, he holds 26 patents.
A lifelong learner passionate about education, Adam has volunteered as a math and physics tutor at his former high school, served as a room parent, and supported fundraising at Kehillah before joining the Board. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from USC and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from UC Santa Barbara.
Adam lives in Los Altos with his family, including his daughter (Class of 2027) and his son. He loves traveling and once spent three months in Santiago, Chile — where he learned the key differences between Chilean and Peruvian Pisco Sours. In his free time, he enjoys playing drums and honing his skills in recreational lock-picking.
Eirene Chen
Eirene and her husband, Stephen, live in San Carlos. They are the proud parents of two sons: Alex (Occidental Class of 2027) and Nicholas (Kehillah Class of 2025). Eirene is a marketing leader who has worked for tech companies large (Intuit, Google) and small.
She is the marketing and communications leader for the non-profit Khan Academy, which has a mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Her passion for education led her to serve on her local public school board for 6 years (through the COVID years!), and to develop educational software for children. Eirene enjoys hiking, yoga, traveling, building community, and supporting educators and parents. She is learning more about helping young adults who are neurodiverse. Her day job requires her to think about how to thoughtfully advance teaching and learning in an era with AI.
Eirene attended the University of Pennsylvania for her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and she received her MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University.
Kirstin Woo
Kirstin is a current parent of a Kehillah student and is excited to join the Board of Trustees.
Professionally, Kirstin has provided full-scope clinical care as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist with Palo Alto Medical Foundation for 18 years. She received her undergraduate degrees at Brown University (Biology and Comparative Literature). She attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh and completed her residency training at the University of California, San Francisco. Since then, she has been adjunct clinical faculty at Stanford Medicine and is involved in clinical training of Stanford OB/GYN residents. Additionally, she is the administrative coordinator for her practice group. Day-to-day, Kirstin strives to meet patients' needs through active listening and compassion and aims to build durable relationships with colleagues based on mutual respect and reliability.
Personally, Kirstin is passionate about reading books - especially historical fiction and anything that leads her down a new rabbit-hole of fascinating world history (thank you, San Mateo County Library). She also loves jigsaw puzzles, traveling with family, and hiking in the mountains. Things that bring joy: hugs (when available) from teenage daughters, used bookstores, class reunions, quiet alpine lakes, poetry, morning coffee.
Benji Shomair
Benji conceptualized, built and scaled multiple $B+ global businesses at Meta/Facebook from strategic, operational and go-to-market perspectives. Most recently, Benji Shomair was the VP Commerce Business at Meta. Benji joined Facebook to build and lead Business Operations as the "COO" of Facebook's managed advertising business. He began his career advising large corporations, start-ups and private equity firms on a host of strategic and operational issues at Bain & Company. Benji also advised education focused nonprofit organizations and foundations on strategic and operational issues while working at The Bridgespan Group. He is currently an active investor and advisor.
Benji is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He currently resides in Palo Alto with his wife and two middle school-aged children. A proud graduate of Jewish high school himself, Benji is excited to contribute to Kehillah’s continued success and positive impact on its students and the broader community.
