Board of Directors
Nicole Meador Mace – President
Nicole Meador Mace lives in Scotts Valley with her husband, Craig, step-daughter, Avery, and daughter, Isabelle (Izzy). They also have a furry friend (puppy), Harper Rose, and love living on this side of the hill.
Nicole was born and raised in Silicon Valley. She moved to Tempe, Arizona in 1995 to earn a BA in Political Science and Business at Arizona State University. She then returned to the Bay Area to pursue a career in education. She earned a CA teaching certification K-12 and an MA in Literacy from Santa Clara University, while teaching at various grade levels in both public and Catholic schools. Eventually, she returned to Arizona, Tucson this time, to earn a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Arizona. While earning her Ph.D., she volunteered her services as a teacher mentor and literacy specialist at a struggling school that served migrant children and Native American students. She currently has a private practice helping students (elementary to college age) with academics and mental health.
Nicole has always had a passion for education and a strong commitment to service. Over the years, she has given countless hours to a number of causes including homeless projects, animal shelters, and of course, schools and students. Since moving to Scotts Valley in 2016, Nicole has coached softball with her husband Craig, volunteered in classrooms in Scotts Valley and Boulder Creek, helped with multiple school auctions and read-a-thons, worked on campus beautification, volunteered at a number of other Brook Knoll campus events, served on the board of the Brook Knoll PTO as Vice President and the SVEF Representative, and writes grants for SVUSD and local animal shelters.
Nicole also loves to spend time reading and she is a distance runner and dancer; she still spends one night a week (sometimes two nights if time permits) teaching dance classes. Her favorites are ballet and tap, but she also is trained in jazz, lyrical, modern, and contemporary.
Nicole is excited to serve the school district and community as the President of SVEF.
Jessalyn Rizzi – Vice President
Grace O’Malley – Secretary
Matt Ochoa – Treasurer
Matthew “Matt” Ochoa lives in Scotts Valley with his husband, Jorge, and their two dogs – Milo & Boco. Originally from Massachusetts, Matt relocated to Scotts Valley in 2020. Matt has a B.S. in Business Management from Northeastern University and an MBA from CSU – Monterey Bay.
Although he has no kids in SVUSD, Matt has worked in K-12 school finance for over sixteen years. He brings a passion and commitment to supporting youth to obtain the high-quality education they deserve and to provide tomorrow’s leaders with the resources, and access to be their best and most authentic selves. He joined the SVEF Board of Directors in November 2021 as the Treasurer and is eager to support SVEF and all students in Scotts Valley.
When not working or volunteering, Matt enjoys time with family and friends, traveling, and exploring the outdoors, especially Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
Teri Goldwasser – Social Media Coordinator
Teri Goldwasser is a proud Scotts Valley resident with her two teen-aged sons and their cats Sirius and Tonks. Originally from Manhattan Beach, CA, Teri moved up to Santa Cruz in the mid-90’s to attend UCSC. There she earned her B.A. in Psychology and later went on to earn her M.A. in Clinical Psychology.
Teri’s professional background runs the educational gamut from instructing students with autism at a local nonpublic school, providing mental health services as a Marriage and Family Therapist,
contracting with local schools as a Behavior Specialist, and she now works as a funding consultant for California school districts. Her volunteer efforts include helping out in her kids’ classrooms, serving on Vine Hill’s Site Counsel, VH auction procurement, serving as Social Media Coordinator with SVMS, cooking meals with her son for local family shelters, and helping out with the Drama Department at SVHS. She also raises funds for charities such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Santa Cruz Rotary Club, the Scotts Valley Theater Guild, and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Teri joined the SVEF Board in the fall of 2022 and is passionate about ensuring all students
attending SVUSD schools receive a well-rounded, supportive, inclusive, and high-quality education.
In her free time, Teri loves to hang out with her family and friends, play with her kitties, see live
music, train for and compete in triathlons, travel, and explore California’s amazing trails, beaches, hot springs, mountains, and rivers.
Janine Snyder – Volunteer Coordinator
She started as a teacher aid at a Catholic preschool in Phoenix from 2019-2021 and then took a gap year to live in a community with a group of religious sisters and missionary volunteers in Glasgow, Scotland where we provided retreats at local Catholic high schools in the area. After her gap year ended in July 2022, Janine got a job at the Champions Before and After School program at Vine Hill where she worked as the lead Tk/K teacher. In February, Janine started a brand-new opportunity as a primary teacher assistant at Montessori Community School in Scotts Valley. When she’s not working, Janine can be found volunteering for various SVEF and community events or hiking with the family black lab named Gus.
Lori Gentile – Technology Director
Lori has been an active volunteer in the community for over 10 years. She has served SVEF for ten years in various technology positions and as a school representative. Lori currently serves the City of Scotts Valley as the Chair of the Planning Commission and as a member of the General Plan Advisory Committee.
Lori’s previous volunteer experience includes serving as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner and Chair, serving as a member and Chair of the Vine Hill Elementary Site Council and Middle School Site Council, and serving on multiple fundraising events for the Vine Hill Elementary Parent Teacher Association.
Lori’s background ranges from customer support to program and database management. She currently works as the Director of Business Services for Scotts Valley Unified School District. Lori holds a B.A in Psychology from San Jose State University.
