The Stanbridge Board of Trustees
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The Stanbridge Academy Board of Trustees supports our mission of providing a community where students with learning differences and social communicative challenges can thrive academically and socially.
The Board develops long-range strategic plans, reviews school services and facilities, and ensures financial stability. Working with the Head of School and CFO, they set the annual budget, oversee finances and conduct fundraising campaigns through the Advancement Committee. Our trustees include current parents, alumni parents and community volunteers - balancing firsthand Stanbridge experience with outside perspective. Members bring expertise in finance, legal, special education, technology, marketing, and nonprofit leadership. Board members may serve up to three two-year terms and are selected for their skills, background and passion for our mission. |
The 2025-26 Stanbridge
Board of Trustees
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The Stanbridge Board of Trustees
Kinga Czegeni, Chairperson (joined November 2019). Kinga is the mother of a current Stanbridge student and is a special education expert and a Certified Anat Baniel Method Neuromovement® practitioner. She holds a master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Physical and Health Impairments, as well as, a California teaching credential. Kinga entered the field of special education at the International Peto Institute in Budapest, Hungary. She graduated with High Honors with a degree in elementary education majoring in special education of children with motor disabilities. In 2002, Kinga graduated from the first Anat Baniel Method Training, based on the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. She is a graduate of the Anat Baniel Method for Children, Vitality and Anti-Aging, and High Performers Mastery Programs. Kinga was a lecturer for over a decade at San Francisco State University, teaching on the Implications and Management of Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairments. In 2005, Kinga was one of the founders of The Avalon Academy®, a model school, certified by the California Department of Education, dedicated to providing exceptional educational services for children with movement disorders, such as Cerebral Palsy. She stepped down as Executive Director in 2022, after seventeen years of service. Currently, Kinga dedicates her time and attention to her practice, MOV-MI, helping clients and families on their journey.
Cindy Kuehnle (joined March 2023). Cindy is the mother of a Stanbridge graduate (Class of 2023). She has been an active parent volunteer with the Stanbridge Parent Association, serving in many roles including as a member of the Stanbridge Gala Committee from 2016-2023, and as SPA Co-president from 2020-2023. Cindy has worked in event management and production for over 25 years and has experience with both small-scale events and major trade shows. She worked on a variety of events in her tenure as a Convention Services Manager at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, and as an Operations Manager for George Little Management, a trade show production company based in New York. After moving to the Bay Area in 2009, she worked for Freeman, a trade show, exhibit and event company in San Francisco. Cindy holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. She also holds a certificate in Meeting, Conference and Event Management from New York University.
Lynette Mullens (joined January 2022). Lynette is the Co-Founder and former Co-Executive Director of The Avalon Academy, a model school founded in 2005 for children and young adults with movement disorders such as cerebral palsy. She currently serves as Board Chair at Avalon. Lynette graduated with a degree in Medicine (M.B., B.S.) from the University of London, England, in 1987. She was awarded a Ph.D. from the same university in 1993 and subsequently joined the headquarters of GlaxoWellcome, a major multinational pharmaceutical company where she specialized in clinical research and development of drugs for the treatment of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. After moving with her family to California in 1999, Lynette’s focus pivoted to special education to help fulfill the needs of her eldest child who has cerebral palsy.
Syeda Saira Naqvi (joined May 2024). Saira is the mother of three and has been part of the Stanbridge community since 2018. Her oldest son will graduate from Stanbridge in 2025. She is currently a senior finance and accounting executive at Alphawave Semi. Her career spans over 15 years across both the U.S. and U.K., including time spent living and working in London before relocating to California in 2014. Born in Pakistan, Saira brings a global perspective to her work and to her commitment to inclusive education. She is passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations that foster learning, growth, and opportunity for all students. Saira is a fellow chartered accountant from ACCA,UK and holds a degree in Accounting. She is honored to serve on the Stanbridge Academy Board of Trustees and contribute to its mission of empowering diverse learners through individualized education and community engagement.
Laura Selig (joined in January 2025) is the mother of a Stanbridge alum and an accomplished HR executive with over 30 years of experience leading global HR teams across public and private companies in the life sciences, technology, and financial services industries. She has held leadership roles at Model N, SnapLogic, Couchbase, and Visa, where she has been instrumental in shaping high-performing teams and fostering best-in-class workplace cultures. Throughout her career, Laura has been a champion of the employee experience, earning recognition for her ability to cultivate exceptional teams and drive workplace excellence. Under her leadership, companies have repeatedly received Best Place to Work awards, achieving record levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. Laura is known for her empathetic leadership style, pragmatic problem-solving, and unwavering commitment to teamwork. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Laura lives in San Mateo, CA, with her husband, John, and is a proud mother to three children, including a Stanbridge 8th grade graduate. In her free time, Laura enjoys great food, traveling, volunteering in her community, and cheering on the Golden State Warriors.
Sherrie Shagong (joined March 2023). Sherrie is the parent of a current Stanbridge middle school student (Class of 2029). Sherrie has over 20 years of experience in Strategy, Operations, Marketing, Product Development, and Entrepreneurship. She has worked across technology and financial services industries and brings a unique perspective on shaping growth at private equity and venture backed companies. Sherrie is currently the Strategic Initiatives Leader for Private Equity at Deloitte. During her tenure at Deloitte, she has also undertaken other leadership roles in building marketshare for global companies doing business in the Greater China market. Sherrie is a mentor at Alchemist Accelerator where she shares learnings and expertise with the next generation of start-up founders. Sherrie is passionate about staying involved in her children’s school communities and has served as a leader for the Art in Action program and Scouts BSA. Sherrie received an AB in Computer Science from Cornell University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley.
Rich Sutton (joined March 2025). Rich is the parent of a former Stanbridge student, who successfully mainstreamed to public school after his 7th grade year and is now a student at Penn State University. Rich has 30 years of experience as an engineering leader in the software industry, including multiple companies as a founder. He is currently the CTO and Co-Founder of the enterprise software company Theta Lake. His experience also includes many technical leadership roles at software companies like Symantec, Websense and Proofpoint. Rich's motivation to help Stanbridge and the neurodiverse community in general stems from his family's emotional journey navigating public school to find the right educational environments for his children. He lives in San Mateo with his wife Bonnie, and has two sons, both college age.
Ani Varro, Treasurer (joined May 2025). Ani was born and educated in Hungary. After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, she spent three years working in research before leaving the workforce to devote time to raising her children. From 1981 to 1984, she opened and operated three small businesses. In 1984, Ani and her family relocated to the United States, following her husband’s job opportunity, moving here with their two sons. In the U.S., Ani built a distinguished career in the nonprofit sector. From 1988 to 2002, she served as Chief Financial Officer of the Palo Alto Jewish Community. She then held the CFO role at Pacific Autism Center for Education (PACE) for six years, until 2008. Her final professional position was as CFO of the Hausner School in Palo Alto, which she held until her retirement in 2024. Now retired, Ani continues her commitment to the nonprofit and educational communities by serving on two boards -Stanbridge Academy and PACE.
Linda Waissar, Secretary (joined May 2023). Linda is the parent of two daughters, including a Class of 2017 Stanbridge graduate. She was a co-chair of two Head of School search committees, as well as the previous board chair and an active parent volunteer for the Stanbridge Parent Association. Linda is a consultant working with private fund managers in Silicon Valley, primarily in the venture capital sector. She was formerly an attorney focused on private fund formation and investment adviser regulation. She worked as an in-house attorney at HRJ Capital and practiced with the law firms Fenwick & West and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seward & Kissel in New York. She also serves as a vice-chair of Ascendigo Autism Services, an organization in Colorado that integrates people with autism into community life recreationally and socially. Linda has a JD from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College.
