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Board of Directors

The Redwood Heights Association (RHA) Board of Directors consists of between nine and fifteen members dedicated to serving your community.
Learn more about the people serving you.

Carla Gerardu-Low, President

Carla Gerardu-Low

President

In 2002, when looking for a conveniently located and family-friendly neighborhood, Carla Gerardu-Low and her husband, Eric, found and moved to Redwood Heights. Carla is originally from Denver, Colorado. She has an undergraduate degree in accounting from Colorado State University and an MBA in Marketing from Brandman University. Today, she owns a boutique marketing consulting company focused on helping small businesses, and serves as the President of the Redwood Heights Association. It's her strong belief in the value of a connected community that fuels her drive to grow this organization. Connected communities, residents who look out for each other, are more resilient, and ultimately, happier and healthier. Therefore, she believes that volunteering for RHA is a great way to contribute to her local community and help keep it Oakland strong.



Dave Dunn

Vice President

A resident of Redwood Heights since 1991, Dave Dunn grew up in San Carlos and graduated from Stanford University. Following military service, he received an MBA from the Wharton School. After several years in advertising with J. Walter Thompson in New York City, he worked in marketing positions with large consumer products companies around the U.S., returning to the Bay Area to start his own Internet firm in Jack London Square. Active in the Oakland business community, he chaired the Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau from 2005 – 2007. He now splits his time between volunteering and working on a technology start-up.

Dave Dunn, Vice President

Kennan Scott, Secretary


Kennan Scott

Secretary

Kennan Scott was born and raised loving transportation and the New York City Subway. After receiving his Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University he bolted for the west coast and the allure of automated public transit. Shortly after arriving in the Bay Area he found work with BART, the automated transit system he coveted and began designing transit infrastructure. It was during his time working with BART on the eBART extension that he was able to reconnect with and seek out his own emotional and social connections with transportation. Kennan Scott is passionate about creating healthy communities, advancing the field of education through interdisciplinary approaches that merge planning, engineering, advocacy, and coalition building.



Rick Levy

Treasurer

Rick and his family are 15 year residents of Redwood Heights, living on Jordan Road. He grew up in Southern California and lived in Oregon and Wisconsin before landing in the Bay Area where he always aspired to be. His two children attended Redwood Heights Elementary school (RHS) and are now both students at Oakland Tech High School. While at RHS, Rick served two years as PTA Treasurer and also co-chaired the annual Harvest for Learning Auction for two years. Beyond his family, passions and interests revolve around travel, nature, environmental stewardship, and the outdoor world. You may find him hiking our East Bay parks, cycling, backpacking, paddling, skiing, or tending to his beehives on any given day. He is a proud Oaklander and feels privileged to be part of our vibrant and diverse Redwood Heights community.

Rick Levy, Treasurer

Kelly Lathrop, Redwood Heights Park Project Coordinator

Kelly Lathrop

Redwood Heights Park Project Coordinator

Kelly is a passionate grassroots organizer who is excited to lead the charge to renovate the Redwood Heights Park. This project will take a village! As a Piedmont/Oakland native, she and her partner joke that they bought a house a stone’s throw away from the park where they spent a lot of time during their teenage years, hanging out and having fun! Kelly was raised with the mindset that a bit of well-spent time can move mountains in a community; and in her experience, it is true. Which is why she joined the Peace Corps and can't wait to rejoin after retirement. Kelly is a bit of a firecracker, and is excited to be the mover-and-shaker that motivates and brings together like-minded folks to make this park amazing! Hopefully, her energy is contagious and renovating the Redwood Heights Park will be just the beginning for Oakland.



Mary Gregory

Volunteer Coordinator

Mary Gregory is a Bay Area native and has lived in Redwood Heights for 5 years. Mary has a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and has spent her career in the non-profit sector, currently working in fund development at the Oakland Meals on Wheels program. She has managed volunteers in several positions and is excited about connecting Redwood Heights residents with volunteer opportunities that will strengthen our neighborhood and greater community.

Mary Gregory, Volunteer Coordinator

Mary Pryor, Fundraising

Mary Pryor

Fundraising

Mary Pryor is an Oakland native and has lived in Redwoods Heights for 24 years. She is married to John who was raised in Redwood Heights. Her son, Ian, graduated from Oakland Technical High School. Mary has an MBA from California State University East Bay and is employed by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. She has been a long time volunteer and key fundraiser at her son’s schools. She currently leads the silent auction committee for the Ligure Scholarship Association and is the Sponsorship Committee Lead for the Network for Executive Women, Northern California Chapter. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, sewing, entertaining and taking walks around Lake Merritt. Mary believes that Redwood Heights is the best neighborhood in the Bay Area and is excited to play an active role in fundraising. She believes we are all “One Community” and is ready to hit the ground running to help make the community grow.


Mary Pezzuto

Community Relations

Mary Pezzuto is a freelance communications consultant, content developer, and editor with a background in graphic design and public information for web and print. As a parent leader at Redwood Heights School between 2004-2013, she led numerous fundraisers, supported parent communications and community engagement, and advocated for integrated curriculum and character education at RHS. She also served on OUSD’s GATE Parent Advisory Board for 3 years, and acted as a community participant in OUSD’s Strategic Initiatives process. She currently serves on East Bay School for Boys Builder’s Guild as a major fundraising lead. Mary lives in Redwood Heights with her husband, Paul Farrington, and her two teenage children.

Mary Pezzuto, Community Relations

Richard Cowan, Government Liaison

Richard Cowan

Government Liaison

Richard Cowan has lived in Redwood Heights since 1989. Originally from Pennsylvania, he came west to attend U.C. Berkeley, moving to Oakland in 1986 after stays in San Francisco and So. California, where his wife Kathy attended school. They decided on Redwood Heights since it struck them as an ideal place to raise their daughter Maegan, now 24 and living in Hong Kong. Today, Richard is semi-retired after a long career in non-profits and government, initially as an Executive Director at a mediation organization and then at LAS, a senior-serving legal services agency. Following this, he became Chief of Staff for Jean Quan in the City Council and Mayor’s office. He currently divides his time between travel, gardening in Oakland and Tucson, and volunteerism. He is the former Chair of the RHNA, and believes the new Association to be an excellent way to act locally while thinking globally.


Amy Skonieczny

At Large

Profile coming soon...


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