Castro Valley Unified School District

Dolly Adams

Trustee Area 1
President
dolly.adams@cv.k12.ca.us
Term: 12/2024-12/2028

Dolly‌ ‌Adams‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌dedicated public‌ ‌school‌ ‌teacher‌ who worked with ‌Castro Valley Unified School District ‌for‌ ‌21‌ ‌years‌ of her over 30 year teaching career.  Dolly holds a B.S. in Physical Science - Geology and an M.S. as an Education Specialist. As a teacher and parent of two children who attended Castro Valley public schools, she ‌is ‌an‌ ‌advocate‌ ‌for‌ ‌children‌ ‌and‌ ‌their‌ ‌families‌ ‌in‌ ‌education,‌ ‌health‌ ‌care‌, ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌environment.‌ Dolly and her family moved to Castro Valley in Nov. of 1989‌ because they were seeking a good education for their son. Her daughter was later born at Eden Hospital. Her two children have attended Marshall, Proctor, Canyon, Redwood HS, and CVHS, where her daughter graduated with high honors.

Dolly‌ ‌was an executive ‌board‌member with the ‌Castro Valley ‌Teachers‌ ‌Association,‌ securing better‌ ‌conditions‌ ‌for‌ ‌both‌ ‌students‌ ‌and‌ ‌teachers‌. ‌As‌ ‌a‌ ‌community‌ ‌activist‌, ‌she‌ ‌has‌ advanced ‌numerous‌ ‌measures‌ ‌to‌ ‌improve‌ ‌education‌ ‌from‌ ‌early‌ ‌childhood‌ ‌to‌ ‌community‌ ‌college. She has served on several local, county‌‌, and state organizations as a board member or delegate. Dolly‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌curriculum‌ ‌expert‌ ‌with‌ ‌an‌ ‌intricate‌ ‌understanding‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌K-12‌ ‌system‌, ‌including ‌expertise‌ ‌in‌ ‌general and special education, with‌ ‌particular‌ ‌attention‌ ‌to‌ ‌mental‌ ‌health.‌ ‌Dolly teaches all subjects in high school and is ‌credentialed‌ ‌in‌ ‌Math, English,‌ and Science‌. 

Dolly and her fiance, Jaye, love to take walks with their dog Blue and when possible again will continue their weekly Cajun dancing. She has a passion for exploring other cultures, both nationally and internationally, notably she has been to 48/50 states. To relax she practices yoga, an activity she shares with her students.

Sara E. Raymond

Trustee Area 4
Vice President / Clerk
sara.raymond@cv.k12.ca.us
Term: 12/2022-12/2026

 
Sara was elected to serve as a Trustee in 2022.  She is the parent of two current CVUSD students and has lived in Castro Valley since 2009.  Sara has worked as an attorney for over two decades with much of her career being oriented around advocating for parents and children.  As a parent who has spent countless hours as a classroom volunteer during her kids’ elementary school days, Sara has a tangible appreciation for the work our teachers and school staff carry out every day. 

Sara is a graduate of Smith College (BA) and Golden Gate University School of Law (JD).  In her spare time, you’ll likely find Sara sewing, painting, reading, messing around in the backyard, or otherwise engaged in the daily activities of managing a busy family.  As someone who has always loved being involved in local issues and community organizing, Sara is happy to be serving Castro Valley as a Trustee.
 

Gary C. Howard

Trustee Area 4
gary.howard@cv.k12.ca.us
Term: 12/2022-12/2026

Gary C. Howard has served on the Board of Education for 9 years. He received a PhD in biological sciences from Carnegie Mellon University and completed fellowships at Harvard and Johns Hopkins. He worked 22 years as a science editor and writer for the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco and continues to edit and write books. He is vice-president of the Castro Valley-Eden Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Rotary Club of Castro Valley. He and his wife Shirley have lived in Castro Valley for more than 29 years, and their two daughters completed their early education at Proctor School, Creekside Middle School, and Castro Valley High School. 

Michael Kusiak

Trustee Area 5
michael.kusiak@cv.k12.ca.us
Term: 12/2024-12/2028

Mike Kusiak was elected to the Castro Valley Unified School District Board of Education in 2020. He has worked for more than two decades in higher education research policy and administration and currently serves as Director of Grant Administration at California State University, East Bay. His career has focused on advancing research, shaping public policy, and building partnerships across government, academia, and the nonprofit sector.

A longtime community advocate, Mike was a founding member and past president of Castro Valley Matters, a grassroots organization that promotes local control and civic engagement. He led the “Castro Valley Stands United Against Hate” campaign and helped launch the regional “Bay Area Stands United Against Hate” movement. He also chaired the successful “Yes on Measure G” campaign, which secured $123 million to improve school facilities in Castro Valley.

Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and German from the University of Richmond and a master’s degree in European Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. He and his wife, Melissa, have lived in Castro Valley since 2009. Their sons, Teddy and Ollie, began their education at Castro Valley Elementary and Chabot Elementary. They are now in high school.

Lavender Lee Whitaker

Trustee Area 2
lavender.whitaker@cv.k12.ca.us
Term: 12/2024-12/2028

Lavender has lived in Castro Valley for 12 years. She has a 21 year old child who attended CVUSD schools. Lavender has a BS from the University of California, Davis in environmental and energy policy and a MBA in organizational development from the University of California, Davis. Lavender worked for electric utilities (both Federal and public) for 15 years focusing on environmental policy, compliance, and employee innovation. Since March 2019, she has worked as director of environment health and safety for a large biotech company. Her passions are community, to help others that cannot speak for themselves, bring people together, and sustain the environment for generations to come.