Jonathan has been a proud director at Summit Tahoma since 2015. Previously he worked for PUC Schools in Los Angeles as the Director of Teacher Development, leading a partnership grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He was a teacher trainer in the Peace Corps in Namibia and has been an instructional coach in Oakland Unified and LAUSD. As a teacher, he received an award for Exemplary Work in the Education of Highly Able Students from Johns Hopkins University. Jonathan holds a B.A. in American Studies with a concentration in Education Policy and an M.A. in Education Leadership from U.C. Berkeley.

Julieta is the Dean of Operations at Summit Tahoma. Julieta believes there is a strong link between operational leadership and student learning and that students do better when they feel better. For that reason, Julieta’s primary goal at Tahoma is to create a safe and healthy environment to promote each student’s academic success and social and emotional well-being.

Before joining Tahoma, Julieta spent ten years managing operations, family engagement, and enrollment for a Spanish immersion school. She witnessed the impact of nurturing the “whole child” and using positive discipline. She continues teaching classes for parents and childcare providers at Healthier Kids Foundation.

Julieta was born and raised in northern Argentina. She immigrated to the United States to pursue her Masters in Communications at San José State University. She also holds a B.A. in Public Relations from Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in Buenos Aires.

Devonna is the Dean of Culture and Instruction at Summit Tahoma. She began her experience in education in the correctional system, teaching incarcerated individuals college math. Soon after, she moved to San Jose to continue her teaching journey and her work to dismantle systems of oppression in education. She has spent the last seven years serving as a Summit teacher, mentor, and cooperative teacher, where she centers her practice around empowering young people and providing them with equitable access to education. Devonna was born and raised in Southern California and received her B.S. in Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona.

Sheena Iwamoto (she/they) is a Dean of Culture and Instruction at Summit Tahoma. Prior to this role, Sheena was a World History teacher and mentor at Tahoma for 7 years. As a teacher leader, they served as an instructional coach, advisor to multiple student organizations, and cooperating teacher to student teachers in their classroom. She believes deeply in the transformative power of educational spaces. They were born and raised on the island of Kaua’i. Sheena holds a B.A. in Asian American Studies and Sociology from Scripps College and an M.A. in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Dina was born and raised in San Jose, CA, and received her B.A. in English Literature and Ethnic Studies at USC. After graduating, she left Los Angeles with a mission to increase tolerance in the world and serve young people, returning to San Jose to first serve her community. As a child of immigrants, an English language learner, and a first-generation college student, she is passionate about providing equitable and trauma-informed practices to students and families. She has spent the last six years at Summit as a tutor, teacher, and school leader, and she is currently the Dean of Expeditions, helping students connect with community partners to inform their concrete next steps.