The leadership team of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) has announced that Executive Director Laura Zimmerman plans to retire at the end of this year, and that longtime board Chair Debra Garber, will serve as the new executive director of the foundation beginning on Jan. 1, 2017.
Zimmerman, who will stay on as a member of the board of directors, described the transition as a big win for students and the community. “Deb and I have worked very closely together. She is very talented, experienced and dedicated to our schools. I cannot imagine a better choice for this important job, as I leave to devote more time to personal interests, including One Oak Vineyard, family and travel.”
She added that Garber's knowledge runs deep as she has served on the board since before Zimmerman joined the organization.
Zimmerman took the reins of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation in 2010, and she cites her strong partnership with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District, and her efforts to fund innovative new programs as two important accomplishments of her tenure. In addition she and her staff turned the Red & White Ball into a highly successful fundraising for the public schools of Sonoma.
In announcing the appointment of Garber, Charles Young, vice chair of the board, said, “We found the ideal executive director candidate within our own organization. Debra excelled as Board chair, performing duties beyond those expected of a person in that position, working closely with Laura, who will continue her contribution to the Foundation by remaining a member of the Board of Directors, a position to which she has been elected by the Board.”
Sonoma Valley Unified School District Superintendent Louann Carlomagno said Zimmerman and Garber have both been invaluable to the school community.
“Both the School District and the Foundation are stronger than ever before, gaining increased community support, and showing definitive progress in the classrooms,” says Carlomagno, adding, “With Laura and Debra's leadership, SVEF has helped launch important programs, including Preschool For All, the Summer Reading and Writing Academy, ViVO Music, and both the Engineering and Agriculture Academies at Sonoma Valley High School.”
Garber is currently the VP of finance and operations for a social media publishing platform. She has worked in finance and operations for three decades with both for-profit and not-for-profit start-up, technology, educational, and media-oriented companies. She holds a BS in Managerial Economics from UC Davis and an EMBA from UCLA. Garber, a Sonoma resident, is married to Evan Garber, a local artist and together they have four children.
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