Board

Jessica Newburn BOARD CHAIR

With over 15 years of experience in education, Jessica is a dedicated leader who strives to create and support high-quality, equitable, and effective schools for all students, especially those who are marginalized and underserved. She currently leads the School Quality Support team at California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), the largest advocacy organization for charter schools in the nation. In her role, she oversees the development and implementation of programs and support services for charter schools across California, covering areas such as academic programs, assessment and data use, and strategic planning. She also supports CCSA’s work to advocate for policies and practices that promote school quality and accountability. Prior to her role at CCSA, Jessica was a teacher, after school director, and mentor principal for Aspire Public Schools. She has years of experience building and leading effective teams that are collaborative and results oriented. Further, she is currently part-time faculty with Loyola Marymount University, coaching and advising teacher candidates. Jessica is a graduate of both Cornell University (Bachelors in Phycology) and University of California, Berkeley (M.A. Educational Leadership and Administration.) Jessica’s family resides in the City of Irvine and has a child who attends Irvine Unified School District.

Ryan McDonnell BOARD VICE-CHAIR & OCASA Elementary Parent Representative

Ryan McDonnell is a former software developer turned entrepreneur by shifting focus to small start-ups with big ideas who is still willing to code to make things work. He has a passion for process improvement through technology and automation. Currently, Ryan is the Chief Technology Officer for AllGuard. He has previously held Founder, CEO and CTO roles at Catch Co., CraftJack and Binary Factory. Ryan and his family live in the City of Laguna Niguel and has a child who current attend Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts in Laguna Niguel.

John Alpay BOARD SECRETARY

John Alpay is an experienced senior corporate executive and general counsel with a demonstrated history of working in technology and consumer electronics. He has a proven track record of community service, focusing on meeting the educational needs of the next generation. John is currently Assistant General Counsel at WM Technology and holds a current appointment as Assistant Professor of Management at the Riverside Community College District. He has held senior leadership positions with Oakley, Samsung Electronics, and Performance Designed Products. He was previously a member of the faculty at the Cal State Fullerton College of Business & Economics and has also lectured at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. John has graduated from some of California’s most prestigious institutions including University of California, Berkeley (AB, Economics) and University of California, Los Angeles (JD, MBA). He also holds a Certificate of School Business Management from University of Southern California and was designated as a Certified Chief Business Official by the California Association of School Business Officials. John served as an elected trustee of the Capistrano Unified School District from 2010 to 2016, including two stints as Board President. John and his wife currently reside in San Juan Capistrano and they have three children, one who is at UC Berkeley and two who are in Capistrano Unified School District schools.

Lia Berman BOARD MEMBER - OCASA COLLEGE PREP REPRESENTATIVE

Lia Berman is a corporate attorney who specializes in complex business transactions. She has held long-term positions in corporate legal departments at local companies such as Experian and CoreLogic, with expertise in drafting and negotiating contracts for software, data, and other intellectual property in the areas of finance, real estate, and information security. She was educated in the schools of the Capistrano Unified School District and went on to get degrees from UC Irvine and UC Davis. She currently resides in Laguna Hills in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. Her older son attended OCASA Elementary starting in first grade, and currently attends OCASA College Prep. Her younger son is in the first grade at OCASA Elementary.

Leena Ved Board Member

Leena is experienced in scaling K-12 charter school organizations nationwide. She served on the board of 2 high-performing school organizations. Leena is based in Orange County, and has 2 young girls in preschool and 2nd grade. Earlier in her career, Leena served as a Director of Operations at Leadership Public Schools. She then gained perspective leading executive education with the Broad Residency Program. She was fortunate to share best practices from visits directly to charters and the largest US urban school districts. She currently works managing investments into workforce and affordable housing for Pacific Alliance Capital. She has experience in leadership, strategy, facilities, portfolio management and finance. She advises owners on housing with dignity and social impact for residents. Leena is a regular speaker at a course at Stanford Business School on succession and family business. Furthermore, she’s recently served as an advisory board member for the Criterion Institute on Financial Imagination for systems change.

Special Board Meeting - August 1, 2024, 10:30 am

Meeting Location: 28202 Cabot Road, Suite 300, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

Teleconference Location: 29292 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

Board Meeting - September 24, 2024, 4 pm

Meeting Location: OCASA College Prep, 31522 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Teleconference Location: OCASA Elementary, 29292 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677