Board of Trustees

Karen Breslow

Karen Breslow, a litigation attorney, received her B.A. from Cornell University and her J.D. from Columbia University. She practiced in New York at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; in California at Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown; and Irell & Manella, and was Vice-President of Litigation and Assistant General Counsel for Sony Pictures. She is married to Robert Schwartz, a partner at Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart, and Sullivan. Their son, Ben, graduated from Bridges in 2017.

Kevin Yoder

Kevin is a senior strategic marketing and research executive with over 25 years of experience in branding, business development, and marketing. Kevin has a son who graduated from Bridges Academy.

Kevin joined the Board in 2018.

Courtney Behrenhausen

Courtney is an educator and lifelong learner who is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. She graduated from Amherst College with a joint degree in English and Political Science. She went on to earn her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and later completed a doctorate in Psychology, focusing on educational and developmental needs. Courtney is the Director of Educational Support Services at the Campbell Hall School, where she works closely with students, families, and teachers to create supportive and effective learning experiences.

Joanne Belonsky

Joanne Belonsky joined the Board in 2024. She has a son who graduated from Bridges in 2025.

Kathy Boltz

Kathy Boltz is a mom, scientist, and communicator whose son is part of the Bridges Academy Online class of 2026. She earned her PhD from Arizona State University. She runs her own small business that focuses on medical science communications.

Seri Bryant

Seri Bryant’s multifaceted background, combined with his acute business acumen and personal integrity, positions him as a trusted advisor in the real estate industry, dedicated to achieving optimal outcomes for his clients. Beyond his professional endeavors, Seri finds fulfillment in family life, residing in Sherman Oaks, California, with his two young sons. Their household is enriched by the presence of four dogs, two cats, five fish, and one snake—a testament to his children’s love for animals and strong negotiating skills In the event, that Seri has any “free time” he can be found in the gym training toward his Black Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Seri joined the Board in 2024.

Peter Godwin (on leave)

Peter Godwin has served as an in-house and private practice attorney and consultant for public and private start-up technology and telecommunications ventures for more than 20 years. He received his J.D. with a specialization in International Legal Affairs from Cornell Law School and his M.A. in Social Science and B.A. in Economics from The University of Chicago. Peter is married to Hilary Godwin, the Dean of and a Professor in the University of Washington School of Public Health. Their son started at Bridges as a student in the Phoenix program and graduated in 2019.

Peter joined the Board in 2014.

Max Goldberg (on leave)

Max Goldberg joined the Bridges Board of Trustees in 2015, becoming the Board’s first ever Bridges Alumnus to serve as a Board Member, having graduated with the Class of 2003 at Bridges‘ original campus in Sherman Oaks. Max achieved a Bachelor of Arts from Emerson College in Boston, studying Entrepreneurial Studies and stand-up comedy, helping to create Emerson’s first ever Stand-Up Comedy Major. Producing successful online content led to his launching several online marketing businesses, as well as serving the role of Senior Search Engine Marketing Specialist for advertising agencies and Fortune 1000 companies. Max’s actively strives to bring a “Bridges kid’s perspective” to all Board-related activities.

Brian Haskin

Brian Haskin is the director of marketing and business development at Poplar Forest Capital, where he is responsible for managing and directing the firm’s sales, client service, and marketing activities in the retail and institutional channels. Prior to joining Poplar Forest in 2017, Mr. Haskin spent 24 years in the investment management industry specializing in distribution, product development, and investment strategy across both traditional and alternative investment products. His experience includes senior management roles in the U.S., Asia, and Australia for firms such as Barclays Global Investors (now BlackRock), Wilshire Associates, Deutsche Asset Management, and Analytic Investors. Early in his career, Brian practiced as a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young and served as a senior financial analyst with The Walt Disney Company. He earned his Masters of Business Administration, with honors, from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. One of Brian’s children graduated from Bridges in 2017.

Brian joined the Board in 2010.

Violette ("Vi") Huang

Vi was born in New Jersey and raised in Hong Kong. Prior to graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lafayette College, Vi passed the State of Pennsylvania NCEES fundamentals of engineering examination. She was one of the founding members of the Society of Women Engineers Lafayette College Student chapter, as well as serving as President of the International Students Association. She was also both a Student and Professional Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Vi has worked for the petrochemical, contracting, and aerospace industries, specializing in the areas of mechanical equipment design, waste treatment, and project engineering. Vi is married to David, a retired engineering manager who previously worked in the aerospace industry and holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of California at Berkeley. Their son Nick graduated from Bridges and attended the College of Wooster in Ohio.

Vi joined the Board in 2015.

Emily Lehrer

Emily Lehrer is a Managing Director and Partner at ICG Advisors, where she leads the operational due diligence and investment structuring efforts. She previously served in a similar role at Guggenheim Partners. She received her B.A. from Yale University. She is married to BJ Rimel, M.D., and the proud parent of two children, Avi, 16, and Sol, 12. Sol started at Bridges as a 4th grader and is an expert in vehicles of all kinds.

Emily joined the Board in 2024.

Kate Merritt

Kate Merritt is a Missouri native with a degree in Communications from Wake Forest University. After graduating, she moved to California to be with her husband Sean, a naval aviator, and began a career in independent school development at Cate School. Following seven years at Cate School, Kate moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where she became the Assistant Director of Development at Shorecrest Preparatory School. In 2018, Kate was appointed Director of Advancement at The John Thomas Dye School, a K-6 day school in Los Angeles, overseeing all fundraising, alumni programming, events, and communications. Kate and Sean live in Los Angeles with their twin boys. Their son Miles is a current Bridges student.

Kate joined the Board in 2024.

Rob Rader

Rob Rader is a highly experienced executive with over 20 years of general counsel, business and legal affairs, operations, and government relations experience for multi-billion-dollar media / tech companies, high-growth digital media companies, major and boutique law firms, government bodies, sports teams, and non-profit organizations, including over $7 billion of M&A and financings. Presently, Mr. Rader is General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at the Ovation TV network, a 30 million household television cable and Connected TV (CTV) / OTT / streaming VOD network focused on arts and culture where he supervises a team of over 25 outside and in-house counsel.

Rob joined the Board in 2024.

Tom Ropelewski

Tom Ropelewski has written, produced and directed for film and television. His documentary work includes the award-winning Child of Giants: My Journey with Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange as well as 2e: Twice Exceptional and its sequel 2e2: Teaching the Twice Exceptional, which focus on the challenges and rewards of twice-exceptional education and features staff, teachers, and students from Bridges Academy.

In 2024, Tom was inducted into the 2e Hall of Fame by the Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development.Tom resides in Berkeley, Calif., with his wife, screenwriter Leslie Dixon. Their son graduated from Bridges Academy in 2014.

Tom joined the Board in 2011.

Ellen Rosen (on leave)

Ellen Rosen is an attorney who received her JD from Villanova University School of Law and earned her BA with honors in psychology at La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA. She was associated with the law firm of Simke Chodos in Los Angeles where she practiced in commercial and business litigation. Prior to her tenure at Simke Chodos, she was associated with the firm of Lamb, Windle & McErlane in Pennsylvania and practiced in business, real estate, municipal and governmental law. She is married to Martin Rosen. They have three children, one of whom graduated in 2016 from Bridges Academy.

Robin Schader

Robin holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, with a focus on talent development and the role of parents, from the University of Connecticut. She was the Parent Resource Specialist for ten years at the National Association for Gifted Education. She was also the founder and director of Music House, a non-profit “home away from home” for highly gifted pre-college music students who needed to live near the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has served on the boards of several public and private institutions, including the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Neag School of Education Advisory Board, the Berkshire Hills Music Academy, the Butte Valley, California Public School Board, and Apple Computer’s National Dealer Advisory Board (she owned and operated an independent Apple dealership for 15 years prior to graduate school).