Pamela Parker

President

In her previous term as Editor-in-Chief last year, Pam oversaw the successful transition of The SMMC Crier from a physical magazine to an online newsletter and website. She is mom to a 20-month-old toddler and stepmom to three teenage boys. She works for ABC7 News Bay Area, and serves as SMMC President.

Why did you decide to volunteer?

I first volunteered because I loved making connections as a new mom and a newbie in town but as it slowly became clear how many people have paved the way to create something amazing that is both unique and precious, I decided I should do all I can to make sure this thrives for the next generation of parents. Also, it’s been really fun working on all sorts of projects with a bunch of cool and smart moms.

What are your priorities this year?

Bringing people together, giving everyone what they signed up for and returning the club to post-COVID life! And more specifically…Facilitating and sparking those life-long friendships!

Kimberly Kadesh

President Elect

A native to the Bay Area, Kimberly spent several years in the city before deciding to settle in Marin and currently lives in Greenbrae with her husband, 18 month old daughter Victoria and energetic dog Cooper. Working as a local realtor in Marin gives her the flexibility to spend time with her family, travel the world and hike Marin trails.

Why did you decide to volunteer?
I joined SMMC when I was pregnant with my daughter and became the playgroup leader for her age group.  SMMC has been the catalyst for many lifelong friendships of mine and volunteering is a way to give back to an organization that has created so much value in my life. 
 
What are your priorities this year?
My priorities are to enhance the new member experience by connecting new members directly with town leaders and playgroup leaders so they instantly make new connections and hopefully friendships and find it easier to navigate the many offerings of the club.

Kate Cayanni

Secretary

A current member of the Crier Editorial team, Kate Cayanni is a mother to two toddlers, a lover of baking at home and handwritten letters.  She is the founder of Good Smart Funny, where she helps small business owners develop a plan to hire their team and lead with intention.  

Why did you decide to volunteer? 
When my daughter was born and I was home and my husband was working, SMMC saved me with playgroups and mom meet-ups, where we could commiserate over coffees about our reliance on Amazon Prime, the best things to watch on TV while breastfeeding at 3am, and what to do when your baby does “x” that no one ever talks about before you have kids. And I found an outlet for some of these stories by supporting and writing for the Crier.  My hope is that my giving hours to this group helps give other moms comfort and a mom tribe that carries them through these times as well.

What are your priorities this year?
As the secretary, my priority will be to help coordinate bringing the board together, organizing  and supporting this amazing team’s efforts to do good things for moms in Marin.

Natasha Quel-Vronsky

Treasurer

Natasha grew up in Orange County, moved to San Francisco then to Mill Valley to enjoy warmer weather, hiking and wine tasting. Natasha worked at Gap Inc for 14 years, then decided to stay at home with their daughter Anastasia. She enjoys cooking, doing Pilates and directing family fun as the “cruise director.”

Why did you decide to volunteer?
I made the decision to volunteer after leaning on the SMMC community and volunteers that came before me when I became a mom.  As a volunteer run organization, I saw how critical it was to have parents volunteer, so I wanted to give back.  
 
What are your priorities this year?
This is my second term on the board, and I look forward to continuing to manage our financial health to ensure we serve our community today and into the future.  

Jacklyn Dab

Director of Membership

Jaclyn moved from San Francisco to Marin with her husband to raise their family. Passionate about the intersection of business, technology, and design, she works in product strategy and new business incubation. Jaclyn enjoys dabbling in photography, visiting local coffee shops, getting outdoors, and traveling. Becoming a new mother during the pandemic, she joined SMMC just after the birth of her son and formed a tight-knit group of lifelong friends.

Why did you decide to volunteer?
SMMC helps mothers and families form friendships and find support. I decided to volunteer to help others join the community and benefit from all that SMMC has to offer.

What are your priorities this year?
In my second term serving as Director of Membership, I am looking to continue to grow our membership and to foster community and connections for other members.  

Anna Beckmann

Director of Playgroups

Living in Tiburon, Anna, her husband Eric, and their two sons Jack and James enjoy playing on the beach, hiking the trails, rooting for Boston sports teams and taking long scenic walks with their rescue dog, Bing. She is passionate about mental health awareness for children and parents and has worked for four years managing a go-to-market team at Headspace Health.

Why did you decide to volunteer?
I love the mission of SMMC and as an active member with a new baby, I wanted to go a bit deeper into the organization - as you very much get out of a club like this what you put in! I also decided to volunteer to become a more rooted member of the Marin community by connecting with other young families and specifically women who are working hard to build the community.
 
What are your priorities this year?
As the director of playgroups, my priorities are 1. to ensure our playgroup sign-up process is seamless for new members so people can make connections quickly 2. to deliver constant relevant updates and communication to all of our groups so that everyone can maximize the benefits and ongoing events of SMMC.

Laura Quine

Director of Events

Laura returned to Marin after 5 years in Philly and New Jersey and lives in San Anselmo with her husband and their two girls, Olivia (6) and June (2). They love exploring the trails with their lovable lab, Warren. Laura is a CPA, a certified yoga teacher and a self-proclaimed mindfulness guru. She loves reading, knitting, needlepointing, crafting and deep conversations.

Why did you decide to volunteer?
Community and connection are high on my list of values. They are imperative to our well-being as we all navigate the most rewarding yet challenging role: motherhood. We need one another, and I want to do my part to bring us together. 

What are your priorities this year?
As Director of Events, my priority is to bring us together! After a long two years I’m excited for what this year has in store. From the Preschool Fair to Holiday Party, we have so much planned! And dang it, it feels SO GOOD to be back together again. 

Turner Varady

Director of Activities

Turner Varady has been an active member of SMMC’s Jul-Sept 2020 playgroup with her firstborn daughter, Emerson. She is currently pregnant with her second, and will be co-leading the next playgroup with Rachel Rubinstein. 

Why did you decide to volunteer?
I wanted to make sure that other moms in Marin were able to build connections and gain a new community of friends. Having moved to the area while pregnant, SMMC has been the best way for me to feel like I belong in a new neighborhood and stage of life and with more activities in person able to happen again it seemed like a great opportunity to make others experience this collective feeling.

What are your priorities as a director this year?
Having in-person activities again is a key initiative for me and I want to expand and improve upon what is already in place. Making sure children and moms of all ages are reached is important too because each stage of life has new things to navigate and having a group of moms to go through them together is part of the journey.

Janet Carter

Director of Philanthropy

Janet loves the natural beauty and outdoor adventures Marin has to offer. She's excited to serve on the board and continue to build opportunities for SMMC members to connect with one another and foster community. Janet teaches yoga, pilates, and yoga + mindfulness for kids, in-person and online, inspiring others on their path to greater wellness in all areas of their life.

Why did you decide to volunteer? 
I began volunteering in grade school, and ever since then, I’ve always prioritized volunteering in my community.  I have a wide array of volunteer experience over the years; one of my favorites is serving as an AmeriCorps member.  I decided to continue on the SMMC board when the opportunity to direct philanthropy opened.
 
What are your priorities this year? 
I want our members to learn more about the wonderful organizations in Marin that support children, youth, mothers, and families.  I plan to offer educational and hand-on service opportunities for the whole family. 

Misa Beach

Director of Technology

Misa joined SMMC after serving on the board of the Novato Mothers Club. She credits NMC for some of her closest friendships, 12 years strong. Now with an expanded blended family, she is cultivating new friendships with her SMMC playgroup and fellow board members! You can find them in their backyard grilling, coordinating sports with nap schedules or on daily walks in San Anselmo to Baan Thai for lychee ice tea. 

Why did you decide to volunteer?
I decided to volunteer because I love serving my community, especially connecting with other parents and children.
 
What are your priorities this year?
I really would love to focus on improving the UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) of our website and mobile app. Additionally, I’d like to create a social media plan that drives more user engagement on our social media platforms.

Celeste Ezell

Editor-in-Chief

Celeste was an SMMC member in 2007 when she had her first, moved to Ross Valley, and started Chronos Academy with her husband Daniel. Now that she's back in the group, she's excited to bring her English teacher skills to The Crier as Editor-in-Chief. She plays guitar at church, bassoon in a concert band and sings songs to help her students memorize facts.

Why did you volunteer?
We recently moved our house to Kentfield and our school to Larkspur. I joined the Board to network with local moms in my new neighborhoods.

What are your priorities this year?
Our stories inspire and encourage each other. I want to capture these unique perspectives on parenting & life in The Crier! My goal is to empower SMMC members to share their wisdom and experience through writing, even just one article.  

Veronica Gilrane

Director of Advertising

Originally from Atlanta, Veronica spent six years in Virginia outside of DC in grad school studying Organizational Psychology. After eight years at Google, she decided to stay at home with her daughter Sofia. She’s grateful to have this time with her daughter and aims to give back to the Marin community as SMMC’s Director of Advertising! 

Why did you decide to volunteer? 
As a new mom who is also new to Marin, I was looking for the opportunity to build community with other parents, while finding ways to promote and support local businesses. As the director of advertising, I’m excited for the opportunity to do both!

What are your priorities this year? 
In addition to maintaining the amazing partnerships with local businesses that SMMC has developed over the years, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to engage in outreach to new businesses in the area. 

Sejal Iyer

Director of Community Partnerships

Sejal moved to San Francisco in 2018, and Marin in 2020 - right in the middle of the pandemic! She was born in Chicago, grew up in Houston, spent a decade in New York City, and now lives in Tiburon with her husband Vivek and their daughter Raina (20 months). She works at Old Navy, leading digital strategy and volunteers as SMMC’s Director of Community Partnerships.

Why did you decide to volunteer?
As someone who has recently moved to Marin I could think of no better way to get to know my neighbors, and my neighborhood, than to join the SMMC Board and actively working with local businesses. I had been to a couple of marquee SMMC events last year and was very impressed with how fun and well-organized they were, and how nice and welcoming everyone was. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to have a more active role in this organization. 
  
What are your priorities this year?
As the Director of Community Partnerships my priority is to get back out into the community and introduce our mamas to new local businesses. So much has happened since the start of COVID and there are so many amazing entrepreneurs in Marin who are looking to connect with our members. I am excited to help make that happen! 

Shannon Kaiser

Emeritus Board Advisor

After a wonderful and productive year as SMMC President and eight years in the club, Shannon is serving the Board as an Emeritus Advisor. Shannon lives in Tiburon with her husband Rolf, three kids Will (8), Isla (6), and Luke (4), and a crazy dog Teddy and keeps busy chauffeuring her kids, sailing, reading, napping, drinking wine, and enjoying the beauty of life in Marin.

Why do you volunteer?
SMMC is such an amazing volunteer run organization. What you put into it you get so much more back through the friendship, camaraderie and sense of belonging in the community. I have so enjoyed volunteering with SMMC for the past 8 years and have developed so many great friendships. It's been a great way to get to know other families while giving back to our community.

What is your hope for the club this year?
I am excited to offer support to the Club and provide some of the institutional knowledge that I have picked up over the years. I look forward to SMMC continuing to grow, thrive and provide support to Marin families for years to come.

Michelle Squire

Emeritus Board Advisor

Michelle grew up in Fresno and has lived in the Bay Area for 25 years. She currently resides in San Rafael with her husband Ezra, 5 year old son Gideon, 10 month old daughter Marlowe, and cat Mr. Sox. She owns Studio SQUIRE, a residential interior design firm in San Anselmo and enjoys cooking, bike rides, live music, gardening and fixing up her home.

Why do you volunteer?
Community and networking with other moms and families is very important to me.  Not only does it make me happy to connect with other members of our amazing community, but I truly believe that we are stronger together!  Being a parent is tough and all of the ideas and information I have gained from being an SMMC member has been invaluable to my family and I.  I have also made so many friends that are amazing people that I will probably know for the rest of my life.  Any time I can give back to this wonderful community is time well spent!

What is your hope for the club this year?
I look forward to helping people connect through SMMC’s playgroups and events. These are some of the key avenues towards meeting other parents and forming meaningful friendships through SMMC. I look forward to continuing to help people navigate their way through the club to find their tribe!