Press Release: PEF Welcomes New Executive Director

March 21, 2017 – The Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF) is pleased to announce that Heather Frank will be joining the organization as Executive Director beginning on April 17. With a strong background in fundraising operations and management, Heather comes to PEF from the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco where she has served in a variety of fundraising roles, and most recently as the Director of Development Operations. She brings additional relevant experience and expertise from her tenure at the Society for the Blind in Sacramento, including four years as Executive Director.

With strategic guidance and direction from the PEF Board of Directors, Heather will act as manager and director of operations. She will oversee all PEF activities, including fundraising, events, grants, communications, volunteer coordination and services for other school support organizations. Heather will work with and oversee the PEF team of three part-time staff members.

With no end in sight for the need to augment public education funds with private fundraising, PEF hopes to continue to increase its contributions to the District. The organization now supports all of the major fundraisers for the Piedmont schools, raising nearly $3 million each year, or approximately 8% of the District’s budget. The primary PEF fundraisers are the annual Giving Campaign, Spring Fling, Partners Program, and Scrip. Dress Best for Less also makes a generous annual donation to PEF. In addition to fundraising, PEF provides valuable services to the school community, such as Summer Enrichment programs, the Student Directory, the Portal website, and fundraising support for other school support organizations.

PEF welcomes Heather to the team. We look forward to working with her on our mission to promote academic excellence, champion innovation and provide sustained financial support to the Piedmont Unified School District.

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The Executive Director search was conducted by a search committee that was appointed by the PEF Board of Directors. The search committee was comprised of the following community members, several of whom are non-profit professionals themselves: Rick Smith, Amy Kaminer, Dana Serleth, Molly Ashford, Hilary Cooper and Christine Wente von Metzsch. The final candidates participated in three rounds of interviews, which included meetings with Superintendent Randy Booker, the other PEF staff members, and additional community members.