Sign-in Pages: 
About SMES
2012 - 2013 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, Chairman
Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.Read Bio.
Bishop Bruno was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the six-county Diocese of Los Angeles in 1999. Prior to this ministry, he served as provost of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, Los Angeles, and as pastor to its multilingual Congregation of St. Athanasius. During his tenure at St. Athanasius, Bishop Bruno continued his longstanding advocacy for youth and families, for gang diversion, for immigration equity and in the wider sphere of human rights. He chaired the board of the Episcopal Community Federal Credit Union and was vice-chair of the Nehemiah West Housing Corp., which built 300 single-family dwellings for purchase by low- and moderate-income families. He founded the Institute for Urban Research and Development, an institution of the Diocese of Los Angeles.
Bishop Bruno has served the Diocese of Los Angeles and was an elected deputy to the national church's 2000 General Convention, having assisted in the Convention's operations and security services for several years prior. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1978 in the Diocese of Los Angeles. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary, which also awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 2001. The bishop holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from California State University, Los Angeles, and a license in criminology from California State University, Long Beach. Prior to his ordination, Bishop Bruno was a police officer in the city of Burbank, Calif. Having been raised in Los Angeles, he is the first native Angeleno to be elected bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, which was established formally in 1895.
Bishop Bruno and his wife, Mary, have three adult children and five grandchildren.
Mr. Michael J. Berchtold, President Read Bio.
Mr. Berchtold worked for Morgan Stanley for 20 years in a variety of investment banking roles in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong before his retirement from the firm in 2007. For more than 15 years, Mr. Berchtold was based in Asia where he served as Morgan Stanley’s Head of Investment Banking for Asia Pacific for seven years and as President of Asia Pacific for four years. In addition to his investment banking responsibilities, Mr. Berchtold was actively involved in Morgan Stanley’s private equity and real estate investing activities in Asia.
Mr. Berchtold holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Business Administration from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Mr. Berchtold has served on the General Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and currently sits on the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management Board of Visitors. He has also served on the Board of Trustees at Sage Hill School.
He and his wife, Trish, have three children, Greg, who attends Southern Methodist University, Katie, an alumna of St. Margaret?s who attends Wake Forest University and Amy, who currently attend St. Margaret's.
Mr. Paul C. Heeschen, Vice PresidentRead Bio.
He earned a bachelor's degree in economics and accounting from the University of Southern California. Mr. Heeschen is a Certified Public Accountant.
He is an active volunteer and serves on various boards of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, including, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Diedrich Coffee; Chairman of the Compensation Committee. Board of Directors for PC Mall; member of the Audit and Compensation committees, Chairman of the Board of Directors for K & B Co, Board of Directors for Dermody Properties, Board of Trustees of the Orange County Community Foundation, Chairman of the Investment Committee and Member of the Finance and Audit Committees, past Board Chairman and Executive Committee Member, Board of Trustees for Environment Now, Executive Committee Member, Chairman of Investment and Finance Committees, Past Board of Trustees for THINK Together, S.P.I.N., Santa Monica Baykeeper, and California Coastkeeper.
Paul and his wife, Sara, have two daughters, Kate and Peighton. Peighton currently attends St. Margaret's.
Mr. Jason A. Weiss, Secretary Read Bio.
In addition to his law practice, Mr. Weiss is an adjunct professor of business law at the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. He also serves as an adjunct professor of pre-trial civil practice at Chapman University Law School. Mr. Weiss is a former Board member and advisor to The Prentice School.
Mr. Weiss earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California Law Center. He served as Executive Notes Editor of the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal and also served as an extern for the Honorable Alfred T. Goodwin, Senior Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Jason and his wife, Joanna, have three children, William, Leah, and Audrey, who attend St. Margaret's.
Mr. Bernard E. Schneider, Treasurer Read Bio.
Mr. Schneider earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Whittier College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California. He is a Member of the State Bar of California and the American Bar Association.
He serves the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School community as Chair of the Finance Committee, Chair of the Investment Committee, and Co-Chair of the Trusteeship Committee. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors for Taller San Jose, a Santa Ana, Calif. based program. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Commerce National Bank, N.A. Mr. Schneider is also a Member of the Board of Directors of First American Trust, F.S.B. and his legal associations include serving as General Counsel for the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club and the Honda Center.
He and his wife, Janet, have five children, including Michael who graduated in 2009 from St. Margaret’s and Katherine, who currently attends St. Margaret’s.
Mr. Tracy (Trace) J. Chalmers Read Bio.
Upon graduation, Mr. Chalmers was employed by Heger Realty Corporation, one of Los Angeles's leading industrial real estate, brokerage, management and development companies. During his seven-year tenure, he concentrated on properties in the industrial areas southeast of Los Angeles. Mr. Chalmers' primary focus was working on new industrial developments and the remodeling and retrofitting of larger, older buildings.
To capitalize upon his development experience, Mr. Chalmers began the Chalmers Equity Group in 1988. Chalmers Equity Group began developing industrial projects and low income, multi-family housing. Mr. Chalmers eventually entered into a partnership with one of his primary building contractors and began Chalmers & Zolg Construction in 1990. Chalmers & Zolg Construction focused on industrial building construction, renovation and tenant improvement projects. In 1992, Mr. Chalmers purchased the assets of the partnership and began the Chalmers Corporation, under the d.b.a. C.E.G. Construction. Since 1992, C.E.G. Construction has completed several hundred projects making it one of the leading industrial building contractors in the Los Angeles area. Chalmers Equity Group has also continued to identify industrial development projects and has numerous projects under construction and currently available.
Trace and his wife, Lauren, have three children, Grace and Clayton, who currently attend St. Margaret's, and Cameron.
Mrs. Raquel Christensen Read Bio.
Mrs. Christensen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and is a licensed California General Building Contractor.
Mrs. Christensen has served on various boards and committees for organizations such as the Design Build Institute of America, the National Association of Women in Construction, Society of Women Engineers and Habitat for Humanity. She also serves on the Employer Advisory Board for The Central County Regional Occupational Program.
Raquel and her husband Norm have two daughters who attend St. Margaret's.
The Reverend Canon Robert D. Edwards Read Bio.
Father Edwards regularly leads Lower School and Preschool Chapels, teaches Upper School summer classes, and is an Upper School advisor. He has coached girls' varsity basketball, Middle School softball, basketball, flag football, and was a coach for the first St. Margaret's CIF Championship football team.
He has served on the St. Margaret's Board of Trustees more than 10 years. He has served the Diocese of Los Angeles on the Commission on Ministry for six years and has mentored two separate classes of newly ordained deacons.
Father Edwards earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from California State University, Chico and a Masters of Divinity from The General Seminary, New York City.
He and his wife, Michele, have four children. Christina and Josiah are St. Margaret's alumni, and Davis and Jameson currently attend St. Margaret's.
Mr. Emile Haddad
Mr. Curt G. Johnson Read Bio.
Mr. Johnson began his career with First American in 1996, when he was hired as vice president-Builder/Commercial Services for the company’s Phoenix branch office. Two years later, he transferred to the Home Office in Santa Ana, Calif., to accept the position of vice president-California Subdivision, then was quickly promoted to senior vice president-National Subdivision director in 2000. The following year, he took over as senior vice president and director for the company’s National Commercial Services group, a position he held until being promoted to president of First American Title in 2006. He also served as a member of First American’s board of directors, and as a board member for several of the company’s subsidiaries.
Prior to joining First American, Mr. Johnson gained extensive experience in commercial real estate working for Prudential Arizona Realty Commercial Services Group and as executive vice president-designated broker for the Phoenix office of Merrill Lynch Commercial Real Estate.
Mr. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University in Tempe. He is a Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) and a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM).
During his career, he has been affiliated with numerous professional organizations, including the National Association of Home Builders, California Building Industry Association, Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers, National Association of Industrial and Office Parks, Mortgage Bankers Association, and Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute.
Mr. Donald P. Johnson Read Bio.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from Claremont McKenna College and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering at Stanford University. In addition, he earned a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Mr. Johnson worked briefly in the aerospace industry and then for a local real estate developer before stepping out on his own. He founded Anza Management Company, a real estate management firm, in 1975.
Mr. Johnson has served on the Board of Trustees of Scripps College, one of the five undergraduate colleges in Claremont, Calif. He has served on the St. Margaret’s Board of Trustees since 2007.
Don and his wife, Elizabeth, have two sons, Colin and Braden, who currently attend St. Margaret’s.
Mrs. Flora C. Ko Read Bio.
Mrs. Ko and her husband Joe have established Education Foundation to build 22 elementary schools in China, to provide scholarships to assist many girls to complete their education from junior high school through graduate school. They both support the mid-way home and orphanage program of Cathwel Service in Taiwan, participated in building Chinese Culture School in Irvine and participate in community service work with the Bowers Museum.
Mrs. Ko earned a bachelor's degree in business from Province University in Taiwan. Flora and Joe have three children, George graduated from St. Margaret's in 2011, Ted and Sarah are current St. Margaret's students.
Mr. Wyatt E. Malcolm Read Bio.
He began his career as an underwriter, learning the employee benefits business from the inside out. In addition to evaluating risk and establishing adequate pricing for both existing and prospective customers, Wyatt was also responsible for the integration of new clients into the administrative functions required to operate a benefit program.
Mr. Malcolm’s brokerage and consulting experience has involved a wide array of clients from both the public and private sector. He has extensive experience working with collective bargaining units, particularly large public sector clients. While in this role he forged a reputation as an excellent communicator with a vision for strategic planning, allowing all sides to feel empowered in their negotiation process.
The Malcolm family lives in San Juan Capistrano and is heavily involved in both his church and school. Mr. Malcolm has served as Senior Warden for the Vestry of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, a current member of St Margaret’ Episcopal School Board of Trustees and former President of the Capistrano Valley High School Cross Country Booster Club.
Mrs. Janet Mitchell Read Bio.
After five years at Quaker Oats, Janet went to work for Herman Miller Corporation, a Fortune 500 company known for manufacturing high end furniture. Janet served as a Market Manager for Herman Miller for 10 years, working in sales and marketing with clients such as Disneyland, McDonnell Douglas and Verizon, to sell multimillion-dollar furniture projects. She managed multiple dealers as well, working with dealer sales and management teams to design and implement projects, once they were sold.
Mrs. Mitchell graduated with a degree in English Literature from University of California, Santa Barbara. During her time as a Gaucho, she continued her tennis career, having played competitive tennis through high school and the early years of college.
Janet serves in many charities throughout the Orange County area. She is the president of the St. Margaret's Parent Teacher Fellowship, and is involved in National Charity League. Her personal interests include tennis, running, snow skiing and golf.
Janet and her husband, Jeff, have two daughters, St. Margaret's Middle Schoolers Makenna and Marissa, who started at St. Margaret's in the preschool.
Dr. S. Todd Newman Read Bio.
After graduation, Todd continued his studies at the University of Southern California, graduating in the Order of the Torch with a bachelor’s degree in biology. After conducting several years of research on Alzheimer’s disease at Harvard University, Todd decided to attend Boston University School of Medicine, his grandfather’s alma mater. Doctor of Medicine in hand, Todd moved back to sunny California for his internship in surgery and his residency in anesthesia and critical care at University of California, Los Angeles. In 2007, Todd found his way back to Orange County when he joined Newport Harbor Anesthesia Consultants at Hoag Hospital.
Todd is married to Laura Hunt Newman, a graduate of Williams College and former management consultant with Monitor Group. Their two children attend St. Margaret’s, in Lower School and Preschool.
In his role as St. Margaret’s Tartan Alumni President, Todd focuses his time and energy on strengthening the base of alumni who are actively involved in the St. Margaret’s network. Building on the work of former presidents, Ryan Westendorf and Ashley Scott Meggers, Todd hopes to boost participation at annual events like Homecoming, Alumni Christmas Party and the All-Alumni Reunion. His goal is to broaden alumni engagement with the school, and to encourage time and talent contributions that will lead to a greater leadership role for alumni over time. Along those lines, Todd will continue to serve as team doctor to the Tartans Varsity Football Team, a role he’s enjoyed for the past six years.
Ms. Stacey E. Nicholas Read Bio.
She earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a former Board Member of South Coast Repertory and former Board Member of Pacific Symphony Orchestra. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees at St. Margaret's, Ms. Nicholas is an active member of the St. Margaret's Parent Teacher Fellowship, has held numerous volunteer positions at St. Margaret's and is an active supporter of the Performing Arts.
Ms. Nicholas, through her OPUS Foundation, is a generous philanthropist to a wide range of organizations. Her special interests include skiing, hiking, reading and encouraging girls and young people to pursue the sciences. Stacey has two children who are current St. Margaret's students, and a son who is a graduate of St. Margaret's.
Mr. Kevin G. PhillipsRead Bio.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Science in Technology Management from the University of Maryland. He completed a four-year program in Theology through the Episcopal Seminary at Sewanee, The University of the South.
Mr. Phillips’ professional associations include the American Society for Quality, the Society for Cable Telecommunications Engineers, and the Society for Human Resource Management.
He is a former Board Member of the Cox Kids Foundation, an arm of The San Diego Foundation.
Kevin and his wife, Marlett, have two daughters, Jana and Hannah, who attend St. Margaret’s.
Mr. Marc P. Seidner
Mrs. Carolyn C. SuttleRead Bio.
Mrs. Suttle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computational Mathematics, with a minor emphasis in Business Administration, from Loyola Marymount University. Carolyn also studied Spanish and Art History in Madrid, Spain.
Carolyn and her family have been members of the St. Margaret's Episcopal Church community for the past 14 years, where she served as a Vestry member and Senior Warden. She is also a former Trustee of St. Anne School.
Carolyn and her husband, Michael, have twin sons who attend Santa Clara University.
Mr. Paul C. WestheadRead Bio.
Mr. Paul Westhead is a Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer at Rimrock Capital Management, LLC, which is a San Juan Capistrano, California based investment advisor that focuses on fixed income strategies. Prior to joining Rimrock, Mr. Westhead was a Senior Vice President responsible for marketing and client relations at Oaktree Capital Management and a Senior Vice President at Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), where he worked with several of his current Rimrock partners and was also involved in client relations and product management.
Mr. Westhead received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Fordham University and his Master of Business Administration in finance and accounting from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is an active member of the community, currently serving as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, California, and he also recently completed his role as Co-chair of a Board that successfully raised $14 million for the construction of a new school facility at St. Thomas the Apostle in Los Angeles, California.
Mr. Westhead and his wife, Kia, have two children, Jack and Abby, who attend St. Margaret's.
Mr. Marcus D. Hurlbut, HeadmasterRead Bio.
Mr. Hurlbut is well known in the independent school world as an exemplary school leader. Prior to coming to St. Margaret's, he successfully led two schools as Headmaster-The Derryfield School in Manchester, N.H. for 11 years, and Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York for nine years. He is a member of the Headmasters Association of America and the Country Day Headmasters Association, he has chaired numerous school accreditation visiting committees in New England, New York and California, and he currently serves on the Board of Directors of the California Association of Independent Schools. He also teaches an elective in Constitutional Law to St. Margaret's seniors.
Mr. Hurlbut began his career as a teacher of history, a coach and a dorm parent. Prior to assuming leadership of The Derryfield School in 1982, he served for six years as Dean of Students at the Roxbury Latin School in Massachusetts. Mr. Hurlbut holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Union College in New York and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College.
He and his wife, Pat, reside in San Juan Capistrano and have five grown children, nine grandchildren and four dogs.