Blue Oak School Advisory Board

In April, 2009 the Blue Oak School Advisory Board was established. Comprised of a number of area professionals representing a broad range of businesses and vocations, the Advisory Board is charged with helping Blue Oak School fulfill our mission to continue to develop meaningful relationships with the people and organizations of the greater Napa community. The Advisory Board also acts as a valuable sounding board for the School as we work to develop a strategic plan to guide us through the next 3-5 years. With an in-depth knowledge of Blue Oak School, our mission, philosophy of education and program, members of the Advisory Board are in a unique position to be helpful and effective ambassadors for the School in the Napa Valley and beyond.

Chairing the Advisory Board is C. Paul Johnson, a Blue Oak School parent and trustee, and owner of Astrale e Terra Winery and the Gymnastics Zone. He is the former chairman and CEO of First Colonial Bancshares, Chicago. He graduated from Michigan State University and served as a pilot in the US Air Force. Johnson serves on the boards of Adler Planetarium, The Leakey Foundation, Roosevelt University and Stetson University. His is also a former chairman of Crow Canyon Archaeology Center, an institution for the study of the ancient Anasazi culture in Colorado.

The Advisory Board is comprised of the following members, listed in alphabetical order:

Lauren Ackerman, a Blue Oak School parent and former trustee, has been involved in the non-profit sector for the past 10 years, having served on several local Napa County boards, including Justin-Siena High School; Copia: the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts (chairman for three years); the Napa Valley Community Foundation (chairman for two years); and the Arts Council Advisory Board. Currently she serves on the Institute of International Education (IIE.org) Advisory Board in San Francisco, an organization funded by the State Department and United Nations that manages the Fulbright Scholar program among 200 other international educational programs. Prior to her local non-profit involvement, Ackerman was involved with the information technology industry, having started in sales and marketing in entrepreneurial firms before starting her own company, Wavelength Marketing. Shortly after the merger of her company in 1988, Ackerman relocated to San Francisco where she established a management consulting firm. In 2003, she completed the Rockefeller Foundation's philanthropy program, The Philanthropy Workshop, with emphasis on global philanthropy. She and her husband own Ackerman Family Vineyards, a boutique winery that will donate 100% of its net proceeds to the Napa Valley Community Foundation this year.
Kevin Block, Esq., practices real estate, land use and business law in Napa. He was a member of the Napa City Council for four years and Vice Mayor for the last two years of that term. Block spent eight years practicing law in Russia, where he met his wife. They have two children at Blue Oak School. Block is a former trustee of the School.
Dr. Joe Carrillo is a trustee and the chair of the Community Benefit Committee at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center and is a founding member of Children's Health Initiative Napa County. He is a former Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and former Vice President for Community Health at Children's Hospital Boston. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Barbara Nemko, PhD, has been Napa County Superintendent of Schools since 1997. She began her more than forty years in education as a teacher in the New York City public school system. The author of numerous articles, reports and curriculum materials, Nemko's research has focused on helping at-risk students to learn. She has served as legislative chair for the County Superintendents Association, co-chaired the state's School-to-Career Task Force and Workforce Preparation subcommittee of the Master Plan for Education, and served on numerous CTE state committees.
Dan Peters, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with private practices in Napa and San Ramon. Peters specializes in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and families with special emphasis on gifted and twice-exceptional individuals. He was formerly the Director of Outpatient Services and Director of Programs for Aldea Children and Family Services.
Alex Ryan, a Blue Oak School parent, is CEO of Duckhorn Wine Company where he has also served as general manager and vice president of vineyard and winery operations. Ryan is the President of the Wine Service Cooperative board of directors, serves on the board of the Napa Valley Vintners and is a former member of Appellation of St. Helena board.
John Salmon, a Blue Oak School grandparent, co-founded and owns Upstream Investments LLC, a northern California based real estate investment and development organization dedicated to identifying unique and complex real estate development opportunities requiring innovative environmental, economic and entitlement processing on both public and private real estate. Salmon has a unique background in public sector asset management and finance experience in both the small and large corporate settings. With his wife, Dorothy Lind Salmon, he organizes the Napa Valley Leadership Luncheons, designed as opportunities for its membership of more than 50 area professionals to network, learn about key issues facing the Valley and work together toward common goals.
Janet Thompson is a registered nurse and family nurse practitioner for St. Helena Hospital. Her medical career has engaged her in a variety of work settings including hospitals, clinics, home health care and hospice. She was also on the nursing faculty at Georgetown University. Thompson has been an active volunteer for a number of nonprofits, including the Health Care for the Poor Committee, Clinic Ole, Hospice Services of Lake County and Riana House. She is the past co-chair of the National March of Dimes. She is married to California Congressman Mike Thompson.
Pat Wolfe, EdD, is a former teacher, county office administrator and adjunct university professor. In the past 20 years, as an educational consultant, Wolfe has conducted workshops for thousands of administrators, teachers, boards of education and parents throughout the US and in over 50 countries internationally. Her major area of expertise is the application of brain research to educational practice. She is an award-winning author and has appeared on numerous videotape series, satellite broadcasts, radio shows and television programs. A native of Missouri, she currently resides in Napa.