Governing Board

Phoenix Collegiate Academy Charter School is governed by a Governing Board. The Board holds the school's charter and thus is responsible for all fiduciary, legal, regulatory, and compliance issues. The members of the board represent a diverse set of professional backgrounds and have expertise in the areas of law, finance, real estate, education, non-profit organizations, governance, community organizing, strategic planning, and fund raising.

If you are interested in learning more about our Governing Board, please contact Rachel Bennett Yanof, Executive Director, at ryanof@phxca.org.

Current Governing Board

From left to right: Paul Beruman, J.D. Archer, Ana Lara, Rachel Bennett (School Director), Anahi Godinez, Michael Zimmerman, Akshai Patel (Director of Business and Operations), Mike McNulty, Drew Shaw, Mary Hostetler, Greg Linaman, Susan Ontiveros, Carrie Wypiszynski (Director of Curriculum and Instruction) - Not Pictured: Tina Skjerping

J.D. Archer

Registered Representative, Principal Financial Group

“PCA is necessary today more than ever. The environment that Rachel and her staff has built is a much needed refuge for students in the South Mountain area. The students that are fortunate enough to be a part of this environment are now focused on the goal of attending college in 6 years. This goal may have been only a dream before, but the staff of PCA will do everything in its power to make it a reality. As a former educator in the area, I have seen many kids come and go with the potential to do great things. Over the next six years for these students, PCA will enable maximum potential to be realized to become the next leaders of our community.”

Christine Southergill

Co-Founder & CEO, Loblolly Lane, LLC

“When I walk through the doors of Phoenix Collegiate Academy, I stand in a hallway lined with college pennants from around the country – scores of them. At the end of the hallway, painted on the wall, I read the words “A Seamless Path to College.” That says it all for me, and most importantly, it says it all to the students. It says that here, in the heart of South Mountain Village, PCA students are on a journey that has a defined goal – and the support to make it happen. Academics, ethics, enrichment; these are all part of the experience. Statistics tell us that, by 2013, around 85% of high growth, high wage jobs in Arizona will require at least a two-year college degree. PCA students are on the path that will take them there, to a future where they will have excellent choices and opportunities to become advocates and leaders in their community.”

Greg Linaman

Attorney

“For me, PCA is a response to our public education system's failures to sufficiently (i) motivate kids to want to reach their fullest potential and (ii) help the kids who do want to reach their potential get there. PCA addresses those problem specifically in a community where, paradoxically, those failures are most costly from society's perspective yet most prevalent.

“PCA opens doors to better individual lives and, thereby, organic positive changes in the community by setting high standards; requiring hard work; and implementing methods of instruction and a curriculum (including an ethics component) that have been proven to be highly effective at similar schools around the country. I can't imagine a better investment in lives who deserve it or in our community which needs it.”

Mike McNulty

Board Chair / Business Operations Manager, Intel Corp.

“The K-12 education delivered to students in the United States overall is struggling on many fronts. From apathy in school administrators down to individual students, to low performance expectations of both teachers and students, the list of issues that need attention is daunting.

“The sixth- through twelfth-grade students of South Phoenix, and in particular students in the South Mountain area, need more options. The students deserve excellent instruction, high expectations, personal attention, and better rewards and recognition for their efforts. Phoenix Collegiate Academy offers students better options in those areas, and it is important to me that PCA grows in both reputation for – and delivery of – alternative solutions.

“That is the key reason that I am involved with PCA. I am proud to be a founding board member and current Chair of the PCA Board. I consider it both a civic and a personal duty to provide time, talent, and treasure to those in the community that need support and assistance. My service to PCA spans all three of those areas. The time that I spend at the school, the talents I share in leading board discussions and efforts, and the financial support that my family and I provide to the school are all important pieces of how I support the community.”

Susan Ontiveros

Community Volunteer

“Phoenix Collegiate Academy(PCA) is a diamond in the rough for the South Mountain Village. The philosophy of PCA is that every child, no matter what their socio-economic status, their ethnicity or race deserve every opportunity to succeed. They deserve an opportunity to see a future. The quality of education in the South Mountain Community has historically been one of the lowest in the state. PCA offers an alternative to this. The bar is set high and remains high. There is consistency and high expectations. The curriculum is tough and challenging, but the students really embrace that challenge. They want and need to feel success and the possibility of a future that they didn't even know existed. PCA challenges the families to go outside of the comfort of what is familiar to them and dream big. I am proud to say that I am a founding board member of PCA and look forward to the exciting growth to come.”

Drew Shaw

Isaac School District, Teacher

“Phoenix Collegiate Academy needs to exist to address the necessity for students in high needs communities to attain the education they deserve. Many students in this state face enormous challenges based on socio-economic status, race, and language. In examining the current national educational landscape it is very apparent that Arizona, in particular, requires strong educational leadership and commitment. Arizona consistently ranks as one of the lowest states in national rankings in terms of student performance on standardized tests. Phoenix Collegiate Academy exists to prove that all students, regardless of demographics, ethnicity, language acquisition, or gender can and will achieve academically when given the opportunity.”

Michael Zimmerman

Law Clerk, US Bankruptcy Court, District of Arizona

Janene Miller

Manager, SRP

“PCA is necessary because it is where dreams of education reform and achievement are being forged into something tangible, achievable and inspiring. It is profoundly real bricks and mortar, sweat and tears, tests and triumphs real. It is working, as evidenced by the significant measurable progress seen in our students in just the first six months! And it motivates all of us to reach for our full potential as resourceful learners who can think critically, act responsibly and respectfully, and contribute significantly to the vitality of our community.”

Tomas Reveles

HR Manager, US Airways

“Phoenix Collegiate Academy is about opportunity. It places students on a direct path to college, and opens their eyes to a lifetime of learning and opportunity. In the process, it revitalizes our neighborhoods and enriches our community. Students learn that excellence, respect, integrity and accountability are more than mere words; they are a way of life. Phoenix Collegiate Academy has made an investment in the people of the South Mountain Village, which will pay dividends for years to come.”

Hal Elliott

District Sales Coordinator, Aflac

“Phoenix Collegiate Academy supplies a vital service to the south Phoenix community. It provides a neighborhood school where the students are individuals. The children develop a prime educational opportunity through relationship building with the educator that has proven to be THE primary motivator in individual educational student achievement. Through a philosophy of high student expectations, development of self-discipline, a small student-teacher ratio and a focused mission, Phoenix Collegiate Academy develops a vision for the future to the students and their families that will change generations.

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