Our Leadership Team
SMMCTA is a democratic organization. The Officers, members of the Board of Directors and site Representatives are elected by the membership. Members of Committees are appointed by the President and approved by the Rep Council. Read the complete Powers and Responsibilities of SMMCTA Leadership.
Officers
Term ending June 30, 2020
Sarah Braff – President
Shelly Erhke – Vice President (Lincoln) Grant Clark – Treasurer (Franklin Elementary) Barbara Ransom – Secretary (JAMS) |
President's Bio

Sarah Braff has served in the SMMUSD as a fifth and third grade teacher for twenty-five years. Sarah earned her Bachelors degree at Michigan State University in both Regular and Special Education. Sarah earned her Masters of Education, in Curriculum Design at CSUN Northridge. She was the first female elementary negotiator for the Association and served on the bargaining team for over fifteen years. Sarah had been the Vice President for seven years prior to her election as President in 2014.
As the Association President, Sarah plans to visit each campus regularly to improve two-way communication within the Association, and energize our membership. With leadership from the Board of Directors and support from the membership, Sarah intends to lead the Association toward meeting goals including: developing the role of the teacher in Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District budgetary decisions, permanently lowering class size at all grade levels, securing planning time and professional development for all members to implement the Common Core State Standards. Sarah has already been supporting the effort to have more of our own expert teachers involved as Professional Development Leaders in the District.
Sarah will continue to work closely with District administrators, School Board Members, PTA leaders, and community groups to strengthen communication and partnerships that benefit all of our Santa Monica-Malibu schools.
As the Association President, Sarah plans to visit each campus regularly to improve two-way communication within the Association, and energize our membership. With leadership from the Board of Directors and support from the membership, Sarah intends to lead the Association toward meeting goals including: developing the role of the teacher in Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District budgetary decisions, permanently lowering class size at all grade levels, securing planning time and professional development for all members to implement the Common Core State Standards. Sarah has already been supporting the effort to have more of our own expert teachers involved as Professional Development Leaders in the District.
Sarah will continue to work closely with District administrators, School Board Members, PTA leaders, and community groups to strengthen communication and partnerships that benefit all of our Santa Monica-Malibu schools.
Board of Directors
Term ending June 30, 2021
Jenny Lipson / Grant Elementary Representative
Mikela Lee-Garcia / Lincoln Middle School Representative |
Term ending June 30, 2020
Ned Acker / SAMOHI High School Representative
Claudia Bautista / SAMOHI High School Representative Catherine Handelman / Roosevelt Elementary Representative Danielle Murawski / Malibu Malibu Representative Roxanna "Roxie" Patton, CDS |
List of 2019-2020 Representatives (This is still being updated.
Ned Acker / Samohi nacker@smmusd.org
Claudia Bautista / Samohi sra.bautista@gmail.com Lulu Benitez / Muir lulu716@hotmail.com Wendy Berman / Webster wbermanbaker@gmail.com Vincent Bernota / SUB vincentbernota@yahoo.com Sandra Brumer / Edison Cathe Cammorata / Grant athecay@juno.com Jimmy Chapman / SAMOHI Jorge Cierra / JAMS Laura Collin / Muir collinla@yahoo.com Amy Cordes / Grant amyclevy@gmail.com Liz Cowgill / JAMS Ed Curry / McKinley Anne Ernst anneernst@msn.com Nikki Fiske / Franklin nikkifiske@gmail.com Nate Garden / Franklin Laurie Ann Gutierrez / Samohi Erin Haendel / SMASH Kenneth Harris / Point Dume Sharon Hart / Lincoln Melissa Herman / Rogers |
Mayra Herrera / Rogers mayraherrera@earthlink.net
Carl Hobkirk / SAMOHI Jessica Katz / Lincoln Annabella Large-Fullerton/Edison apunkit6@earthlink.net Peggy O'Meara / Roosevelt Roxanna Patton / CDS Jacqueline Papale / Rogers jmpapale@aol.com Roxanna Patton / CDS roxannalea@msn.com Valerie Peterson-Brandt / Roosevelt Barbara Ransom / bransom@smmcta.com Anne Serapiglia / SMASH Amanda Valenzuela / Lincoln Tara Warren / Grant Maria Waul / Samohi |