About Dana
Personal Background
- Stanford University B.S., M.S., Electrical Engineering
- K-12 public schools in San Francisco; Lowell High graduate, 1979
- Palo Alto resident since 1998
- Married to Nancy Kawakita, two sons in PAUSD schools (Jordan Middle School and Palo Alto High School)
School Board Service
- Elected to Palo Alto Unified District Board of Education, 2005
- President, PAUSD Board of Education, 2008
- Vice President, Santa Clara County School Boards Association, 2009. Advocacy and leadership serving all 33 school districts in the county.
- Elected by Santa Clara County school boards to California School Boards Association (CSBA) Delegate Assembly, the governing body of CSBA, since 2008. Represented our district and county at the state level.
- Member, CSBA Government Relations Teams, advocating with state legislators.
- Completed CSBA Masters In Governance training that covers all areas of a school board member’s responsibilities, 2008
Professional Experience
- 22 years in the high technology industry as Engineer, Manager, and Corporate Training Manager.
- Managed multi-million dollar project budgets
- Created and implemented management training programs
- Oversaw organizational changes which increased efficiency and effectiveness
- Directed large staffs of managers, engineers, and artists
- Oversaw professional development, helping employees do their best work
- Led diverse, multi-functional teams to achieve results
Community Service
- Measure A Parcel Tax PTA Communication Chair, 2005
- President, Duveneck PTA, 2004-05
- Co-chair, Duveneck Site Council, 2002-04
- Parent Representative, PAUSD Strategic Planning Team, 2004
- Vice President, Children’s Corner Preschool, 1999-04
- Advisory Board, Notre Dame de Namur Business School, 2001-04
- Palo Alto Rotary Club; Vocational Education Scholarship Committee, since 2006
- Ambassador, Palo Alto Family Resources program
- Coach: AYSO Soccer, Palo Alto Little League, YMCA Basketball, since 2000
- Advisor to Duveneck Student Newspaper, 2004-05
