About Charter Council | Meeting Calendar | Charter Council Members
Charter Council can be contacted by email at: chartercouncil@woodlandstarschool.org
The Woodland Star Charter Council is comprised of 9 members who form the exclusive governing body of the Charter School. They are dedicated to our mission, vision, core principles, and to ensuring ongoing educational success and fiscal responsibility of the school. The Board of Directors gives final approval to all personnel, budget, and policy decisions and ensures that the school’s practices are consistent with the vision and mission of the school. Four Board members are voted in by the WS community, three are appointed by the Board and two are appointed by the WS Faculty, each serving a term of two years. Elections are held in the spring when vacancies occur. The board delegates operating of the school to the WSCS administration.
The Charter Council meets monthly on the third Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. (unless the date falls on a school break) in the Main Hall. As a public agency, the WS Charter Council must adhere to the Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s open meeting law. The law’s intent is that the actions of public commissions, boards, and councils in California be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. (Government Code section 54950.)
Woodland Star Charter Council Meeting Calendar 2022-23
August 17, 2022
September 21, 2022
October 19, 2022
November 16, 2022
December 14, 2022
January 18, 2023
February 15, 2023
March 15, 2023
April 19, 2023
May 17, 2023
June 21, 2023
July 21, 2023
Charter Council Members
Seth Olyer | President
Seth has been an active member of the Woodland Star community since 2015. He has been a class volunteer, field trip chaperone, Sprite’s Night writer/director/actor, Educational Foundation board member and president, auction gala MC, and Jogathon hype man! Seth has been a firefighter in Oakland for 24 years, and is also the vice president of the Oakland Firefighter’s Union, IAFF Local 55, where he helps negotiate contracts, settle labor disputes and grievances, conducts monthly and quarterly meetings, and endeavors to protect the wages, benefits, working conditions, and due process rights for five hundred Oakland Firefighters. He lives in Sonoma with his lovely and ridiculously talented artist wife Annette Goodfriend, and his 12-year-old son Izzy, who is smart, funny, kind, and (mostly) well behaved.
Sallie Romer | Vice President
Sallie taught public Waldorf kindergarten for 20 years before retiring in 2022, teaching six years at Stone Bridge School and fourteen years at Woodland Star. She earned her BA in English from Wesleyan University and her California multiple subject credential from Dominican University. She studied Waldorf education at Rudolf Steiner College and curative education with Robyn Brown. Sallie’s son attended Waldorf schools from pre-school through high school, and her husband was instrumental in the development and founding of Woodland Star and Credo High School. Sallie is currently enjoying her several artistic passions: music, sculpture, and playwriting. She is deeply proud of Woodland Star and honored to serve on the Charter Council.
Monica Conway | Secretary
Monica has been working in RSP Classrooms since 2015. Her first three years in RSP were at Woodland Star Charter School, as the RSP Assistant for 1-1/2 years, then as the Education Specialist for 2 years. She feels fortunate to have interned at Mulberry Woods in Fairfax during the 2019-2020 school year. She was the RSP teacher at SunRidge School in Sebastopol from August 2020 – October 2021. She has lived in Sonoma, California since 1992 with her family Paul, her husband, and three children, Kaylyn, Kyle, and Kamryn. She is thrilled to be back at Woodland Star. Her three children attended Woodland Star Charter School, Live Oak Charter School, and Credo High.
Evelyn Godinez | Parent Association Representative
Evelyn is very involved in the community and has a long history of volunteerism at Woodland Star. She enjoys being a member of the Parent Association, a class parent, a driver for field trips, and working on school yearbook pages. Evelyn works at Redwood Credit Union and has three beautiful children in 6th, 5th, and 3rd grade.
Joe Hencmann | Board Member
Joe was born and raised in Denver Colorado. He moved to Sonoma to pursue a lifelong dream of owning an ice cream shop. He has been making ice cream for over 30 years. He started scooping ice cream at 15 years old and has loved it ever since. He has the most amazing wife and best friend in life, Ramie. She is a co-owner of their two businesses, Sweet Scoops and Darling, and she continues to help and support our amazing dream. We are raising two wonderful kids, Caden and Mila. Although they look like twins they are far from it. Both have unique personalities which creates the amazing kids they are. Joe and Ramie are both very active in the community as well as in our great school, Woodland Star.
Geordie Carr | Board Member
Geordie is a small business owner, winemaker, and organic farmer in Sonoma Valley. He is the parent of Nico and Malena, students at Woodland Star Charter School, and husband to Mieko Imai, a member of the Educational Foundation. Having been involved in sponsorship, volunteer efforts, and a parent at Woodland Star for nine years, he is grateful to now serve the community as a member of the Charter Council.
Geordie grew up in the coastal New England town of Stonington, Connecticut. He has been greatly influenced by his family’s dedication to education, the arts, and the community. He graduated from the University of Western Colorado with a degree in Business Administration. He studied Wine Business Administration at Sonoma State and viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College. Prior to starting Bump Wine Cellars, he worked in the Sonoma wine industry, finance, and banking. His personal interests include trail running, gardening, cooking, skiing, and just about anything that gets him out into nature. He aspires to contribute to the Woodland Star Charter School community, through nurturing and supporting Waldorf ideals, celebrating our children and teachers, and continuing to build a strong future.
Bill Kobabe | Faculty Representative
Bill is a Waldorf-trained teacher who was a class teacher for seven years and spent many years before that teaching Woodwork and subbing for various local Waldorf schools. He completed his teaching credential program at California State University, Monterey bay. He is a veteran Waldorf parent who was active in his school community and served as president of the school board. Bill has been a member of the Institute for Public Waldorf Education since its inception and is committed to bringing Waldorf into the public realm. Bill’s enthusiasm for Waldorf education and love for children are palpable. A Sonoma State graduate in physics, Bill also trained for years as an electrical engineer.
*Note: Two appointed seats are vacant.
