Anupa Bajwa, Secretary

Anupa is a parent of a senior at Gunn and a long-time participant on school and district committees.  At Ohlone, she was a founding member and Chair of the Core Values Committee. At Terman/Fletcher she was the lead coordinator for the School Dance. She is a current volunteer on the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee, and the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) District Action Committee.

Anupa brings her experience and caring – head and heart – to serve on the Foundation to support our hard-working seniors' smooth transition from high school to college. She is an Aerospace Engineer and has been working at NASA Ames Research Center for over 20 years.

Rebecca Begley, Chairperson

Rebecca is the parent of a Gunn sophomore and a JLS 6th grader. Rebecca was an active volunteer supporting science and math at Fairmeadow Elementary, and loves seeing kids connect with new concepts and enjoy learning. She believes in supporting education and giving back to the community, and is excited to be a part of the Gunn Foundation to help students continue their educational journey after high school.

Rebecca and her husband have lived in Palo Alto since 1997. She has worked in biotech for 16 years, and enjoys spending time with her family.

Armie Duterte, Treasurer

Armie has been a part of the Palo Alto community since 1999 and is the parent of two Gunn students.  She has worked as a finance professional in various private and public companies across the Bay Area and brings this knowledge and a "heart to serve" to the Gunn Foundation.  Armie is thrilled to be a part of an organization focused on enabling and supporting students achieve their goals of going to college.

Lorenzo Gomez

Lorenzo Gomez has 10 years of high school experience where he has served in roles from instructional aide, community liaison and school registrar. He is going into his second year as a Counselor at Gunn and is excited to make a positive impact on students and help them reach their goals.

Emily Jaquette

A bay area native, Emily has been involved in many Palo Alto educational causes since moving to South Palo Alto in 2005. She has been a Project Cornerstone reader, the treasurer or auditor for both the Palo Verde and JLS PTA, and was a school chair and then board member for Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE). In 2014, Emily joined the PiE staff. In 2018, she served as treasurer for Measure Z, the bond measure for PAUSD. Emily is eager to help streamline Gunn Foundation's finance and donation management processes and is thrilled to be focusing on and enabling higher educational opportunities for the population of students served by Gunn Foundation. 

Claire Kirner

Claire is the parent of two Gunn students (a rising freshman and a rising junior) as well as a Gunn Class of '22 graduate. She holds a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education, and was a classroom teacher prior to having her own children. Her first two years of teaching were as a Teach for America corps member, which strengthened her beliefs around the importance of educational opportunity and access for all. She has been an active volunteer in her children's schools since preschool, often holding PTA leadership roles. She currently also works as a substitute teacher in PAUSD. Claire looks forward to helping students pursue their college goals by serving on the Gunn Foundation board.

Elizabeth Lam

Elizabeth Lam is the parent of a Gunn junior and a Gunn Class of '21 graduate. She has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, working as a community liaison and event planner. Because she understands that higher education is not a given for many students, she is excited to serve on the Gunn Foundation board and help students realize their dream of education beyond high school.

Kimberly Eng Lee, Chief Donations Officer

Kimberly is the parent of two Gunn graduates (2019 and 2023). She worked in the financial services industry for 14 years, and has served with Bay Area non-profits for over 20 years. Kimberly has been active in Palo Alto schools, including as Gunn PTSA President and Site Council Liaison, VP Communications at Nixon, Fletcher and Gunn PTAs, and as Chairperson for the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education. Kimberly has assisted numerous committees and organizations, focusing on literacy, mental health, equity, social-emotional learning and transition planning. Kimberly wholeheartedly supports the Gunn Foundation’s mission of providing resources for students to equitably access college and succeed in their post-secondary endeavors.

Jackie Liang

Jackie is the parent of a Gunn graduate of '23, and an 8th grader at JLS. Jackie has been serving in the Gunn PTSA executive board for the past 3 years and enjoys volunteering in the community. Jackie is a Certified Financial Planner™️ and has been working in the financial services industry for over 25 years. She loves hiking, reading and enjoys traveling with her family. Jackie is excited to join the board to help students achieve their goals and dreams.

Miguel Lopez, Chief Scholarship Officer

Miguel is originally from Mexico, where he earned his degree in Industrial Engineering. He is the parent of two boys, one at Gunn and one at JLS. Miguel has a career in tech and has been part of our community since 2018. Most recently Miguel’s family lived in New York City and before that Arizona, where he met his wife Helen while attending the University of Arizona. He is an avid runner and reader of history books. Miguel is really excited about helping students find a path to success.

Veronica Oropeza

Veronica is originally from Venezuela. She came to the US as a college student and is now an American citizen. Veronica has three children. Two of her children attend Gunn while her youngest is at Juana Briones. She has a background in neuroscience but Veronica has worked at different organizations helping prepare students from underrepresented backgrounds for college admission exams such as the SAT and ACT.  

Veronica enjoys hiking with her family, cooking and traveling. She is excited to be a member of the board and helping students achieve their academic goals.  

Wendy Stratton, Gunn High School Principal 

As our high school’s Principal, Wendy has a standing seat on Gunn Foundation's board.  She arrives at Gunn after a year at Paly having spent a long educational career as an Assistant Principal, Athletic Director, and award-winning teacher in Marin County.

Derek Truesdale

Derek is the proud parent of a Gunn Sophomore. He holds a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Leadership, a Masters of Occupational Education and has over 25 years of non-profit management in both government and higher education. A native of South Carolina - Derek moved to Palo Alto in the 2000 to continue his graduate work - followed by a move to Chicago in 2003 where he did his research and writing. In 2017 he and his family returned to Stanford. In addition to much experience in fundraising work throughout his career, Derek is also a photographer and painter.