Board of Trustees
CAROLINE CHOE '92
PRESIDENT
Caroline is CEO of NewBridge Investments, a privately held real estate investment company. She is a Los Angeles native and an alumna of St. James’ and Harvard Westlake. Caroline has extensive experience in real estate, banking, and investments in private companies. Upon approval by the Federal Reserve, she served as director and Vice Chairwoman of a local bank, overseeing the successful recapitalization, repositioning, and sale of the financial institution. Caroline serves as the Vice President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2013. Caroline is an advocate for women and children’s issues. She served on the board of Asian Pacific Women’s Center, a nonprofit with one of three transitional shelters focused on API victims of domestic violence, which successfully merged with Center for the Pacific Asian Family (CPAF). She currently serves on board of United Way of Greater Los Angeles and on the Community Impact cabinet. She is a founding board member of the Harvard-Westlake Korean-American Alumni Network. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and earned her Master’s in Real Estate Development at USC and MBA at UCLA Anderson School of Management. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband Jin S. Chun and three children. Her daughter and son attend St. James’.
JOHN ROMAN
VICE PRESIDENT
John Roman is the President of West Side Advisory, a boutique merger and acquisition consulting firm which also makes private equity investments in leading midsize companies. Previously, he held investment banking positions at Macquarie Group, Stifel Financial, and Phillip Roman Company. A graduate of Harvard-Westlake, John earned his undergraduate degree in Economics and Sociology with distinction from Tufts University and his MBA from Northwestern University. He has two children enrolled at St. James': Jake ‘24 and Charlotte ‘27. John also serves as an Admission Ambassador for St. James'.
ERICA HANSON
TREASURER
Erica is the Controller and Tax Director of DoubleLine Capital LP. Prior to joining DoubleLine, she was a Partner in PwC's Asset Management practice where she spent 11 years providing tax services to numerous asset management clients in the Southern California market. Erica started her public accounting career at Deloitte & Touche. She has been a speaker at industry events such as the PwC Asset Management series and the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries. Erica holds a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She is a licensed CPA in the state of California. Erica grew up in Illinois and lived in New York before moving to Los Angeles. She lives with her husband and three daughters, two of which attend St. James'.
AUGUSTINE CHUNG '93
SECRETARY
Dr. Augustine Chung, '93 is an alumnus of St. James' and an active parent volunteer. He chairs the school's medical advisory taskforce and volunteers regularly for alumni and admissions initiatives. A graduate of Harvard-Westlake, Augustine earned his undergraduate and graduate public health degrees from Johns Hopkins and his medical degree from Case Western Reserve, going on to residency at Cornell where he served as a chief resident and lastly completing his fellowship training at UCLA. He remained on faculty at UCLA, where is a leader in the field of Interstitial Lung Disease and teaches in the medical school.
KEN ROBBINS
TRUSTEE
Ken leads the Beyond Wealth Partners of Raymond James. Before entering the financial services industry, Ken was instrumental in the development of Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Southern California, serving in a variety of management roles and completing his tenure as regional vice president for Los Angeles. Ken graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 1978 with a degree in history. He is active in two community organizations: The Silver Lake Picture Show, founded by his sons, Nick and Vince, and The Los Angeles Food Policy Council of which his daughter, Clare, is executive director. In his spare time, Ken is an avid tennis player and hiker. He is a native Southern Californian and lives near Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
THE REV. DR. KATE CRESS
TRUSTEE
Rev. Kate serves as Rector of St. James' in the City Episcopal Church. Previously Rev. Kate served as Rector of Church of Our Savior in Somerset, Massachusetts following her ordination in 2009. Prior to her calling to the priesthood, Rev. Kate worked as a social scientist and teacher earning her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Harvard University as well as her M.A. Ed from Brown University and M. Div from Boston University. In addition to her academic achievements, Mother Kate has spent a considerable amount of time abroad. She lived in Botswana for two years, three years in South Africa and Uganda, and two years in Korea.
ESTHER CHANG
TRUSTEE
Esther Chang is a partner at WME in the Talent Department. She represents a diverse roster of leading talent and filmmakers such as Steven Yeun, Karyn Kusama, Keri Russell, Andra Day, Bob Odenkirk, Deborah Chow, Elisabeth Moss, Gemma Chan, Michael B. Jordan, and Olivia Rodrigo. Chang began her career at the William Morris Agency. She is a graduate of Columbia University, where she majored in English literature and minored in Asian American studies. Chang is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is also on the board of both Women In Film and the American Cinematheque. Chang resides in Los Angeles with her husband and two young children.
SANDRA LEE
TRUSTEE
Sandra Lee is a recognized leader in the marketing industry where many Fortune 500 companies have benefited from her counsel, providing strategic solutions to expand markets and drive growth.
Sandra is the President and CEO of ES Advertising, a Los Angeles based full-service advertising agency specializing in multicultural markets. ES Advertising has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Marketing Agencies in the nation by Agency Spotter in 2020.
In 2022, Women We Admire named Sandra Lee as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Los Angeles. She was recognized as one of the countless women who is making a significant impact on gender equity.
In addition to her professional role, she is appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles to serve on the Board of Los Angeles City Tourism Department (Term: 2022 to 2027). She also serves as A board member to National Association of Women Business Owners California, Koreatown Youth & Community Center, & Asian American Advertising Federation.
KEVIN MACLELLAN
TRUSTEE
Kevin MacLellan is a senior media, digital, and production executive with over twenty-five years’ experience launching and managing entertainment businesses around the world. Most recently he served as Chairman, Global Distribution and International at NBCUniversal, where he was responsible for over $7 Billion a year in revenue and managed over 2,500 employees across 36 offices in the US and worldwide. MacLellan also had direct oversight of NBCU International Studios, which produced over 1,000 hours a year of high-quality programming, including Downton Abbey, Hanna, Last Kingdom, and Click Bate. Additionally, he managed the Business Development and M&A functions for NBCUniversal and their parent company, Comcast, outside of the United States. Prior to joining NBCUniversal in 2010, Mr. MacLellan held senior roles at several premier media companies, including Comcast, Sony Pictures, and HBO. Mr. MacLellan is a founder and Trustee of the Soho Recovery Center, one of the largest rehabilitation facilities for drug and alcohol recovery in Europe. He also proudly serves on the Boards of several charities including Tribute to Humanity, and Covenant House California. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his husband of 29 years and their two wonderful sons, who bring them joy every day.
SARAH LEE O'BRIEN
TRUSTEE
Sarah Lee O’Brien, MD is a double board-certified physician specializing in the reduction of suffering from chronic pain, trauma, addiction, and mental health disease. Her clinical practice focuses on empowering patients through the integration of ancient traditions of healing, modern medicine, and evidence-based neuroscience. With her background and training in cognitive neuroscience, acupuncture, Reiki, sound healing, breathwork and meditation, her clinical goal is to widen access to treatment approaches which address the root causes of chronic illnesses rather than simply addressing outward symptoms, specifically in underserved populations. She serves on the Pathways to Partnership Physician Leadership Development Program for new associate physicians at Kaiser Permanente as well as volunteering on St. James’ Medical Advisory Board, on the Committee on Trustees, and the Executive Committee. Sarah and her husband Jack are parishioners at St. James’ and parents of Ramsay '29 and Beau '30. In her free time, she loves playing tennis, boxing, spending as much time with her family outdoors as she can, traveling, and exploring the unknown.
EFFIE TURNBULL SANDERS
TRUSTEE
Effie Turnbull Sanders is a current St. James' parent and she brings over two decades of experience advancing the rights of underserved Los Angeles communities to lead the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z) as its Executive Director. Previously, Effie was Assistant General Counsel to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and an attorney with Richards, Watson & Gershon. Effie is the past vice-chair of the state's coastal commission and a member of the congressional council for Mayor Karen Bass. She previously was a presidential appointee to the executive staff of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Effie earned both her undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.
ADAM WOLF
TRUSTEE
Adam Wolf is a Shareholder with the law firm Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, LLP. A civil litigator, Adam has argued cases in the U.S. Supreme Court and appellate courts throughout the country. He is a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Michigan Law School. Adam and his wife, Sumana, have two children at St. James, Naveed ’27 and Nikhil ’29. In his spare time, Adam enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and cheering on the Michigan Wolverines.
.JENNIFER LIN
TRUSTEE
Jennifer is the Managing Partner at Gonring Lin Spahn. She specializes in public affairs, with extensive experience in federal, state, and local government relations, community outreach and fundraising. She provides counsel to Fortune 100 corporations, private companies, prominent individuals, philanthropic foundations, and non-profit organizations seeking to build coalitions and achieve their policy goals. Jennifer also leads political fundraising for the firm, amassing tens of millions of dollars for Democratic candidates each cycle.
Jennifer previously worked at DreamWorks SKG where she directed the company’s government, political and community affairs. She was also responsible for special fundraising events and political giving on behalf of the studio and its principals.
Jennifer, appointed by President Biden, serves on the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. She also serves as the Chair of the Exposition Park and California Science Center Board, and on the board of Emily’s List.
Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and English. Her husband, Allan Edmiston, is a partner at the law firm Loeb & Loeb LLP. They reside in Los Angeles with their children.
PETER REINKE
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Peter Reinke serves as Head of School at St. James', a role he has held since July of 2018. Mr. Reinke has announced his retirement over the next two years; the board has named him Head Emeritus upon his retirement. The trustees have also established the Peter S. Reinke Endowment Fund in his honor. It is the first time in the school’s history that such honors have been given to a Head of School.
Mr. Reinke has worked in the field of education for almost 30 years, having served as an Assistant Head of School and other key administrative roles prior to coming to St. James'. An honors graduate from Brown University, Mr. Reinke began his career as an aide to Rhode Island U.S. Senator John H. Chafee on education, banking and child welfare policy. Mr. Reinke's father's ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Rhode Island and served as soldiers in George Washington's army. On behalf of Senator Chafee, Mr. Reinke worked with a coalition to establish a federal stamp honoring African-American revolutionary war soldiers.
Later in his career, Mr. Reinke was one of the only Democrats nominated by Governor Schwarzenegger to the board of trustees of the California State Teacher Pension System (CALSTRS), the nation's second largest public pension fund. Mr. Reinke was appointed twice as a CALSTRS trustee, during the 1st and 2nd Schwarzenegger administrations. Mr. Reinke was founding chair of the system's corporate governance committee and vice-chair of the STRS investment committee. Mr. Reinke has lectured at Stanford Law School and the Haas Business School at U.C. Berkeley on pension security and governance of public agencies. His perspective on public pension security has been cited by Business Week and the Associated Press.
Mr. Reinke spent several years on the Board of Standards of CAIS, the accrediting body for independent schools throughout the state. He continues to chair accreditation visiting committees for CAIS. Mr. Reinke co-founded and was board treasurer for the Vincent Academy, a K-5 charter school, and he was a founding trustee of the San Francisco Friends School, then the only Quaker school in the California Association of Schools (CAIS). With the late U.S. Senators Ted Kennedy, Jim Jeffords and several Congressional and Senatorial staffers, Mr. Reinke worked to create Everybody Wins, a Washington, D.C. literacy project; the project was featured at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Mr. Reinke spent over a decade on the California board of Common Cause, a citizen organization that ensures transparency in government. He continues to be an active volunteer for Common Cause. Mr. Reinke also served as vice-president of the city of Oakland's municipal ethics commission, the committee which sets city council salaries. On the commission, he helped curate one of the first limited public financing programs in the nation and lobbied for instant run-off voting, which is now used throughout Alameda County.
In addition to his BA from Brown, Mr. Reinke earned his MA in Educational Leadership from Teachers College at Columbia University.
Mr. Reinke is an active volunteer for Brown, serving on the University's Annual Fund Leadership Council which partners with the Advancement Office to raise almost 50 million annually for Brown. Mr. Reinke has been appointed several times to his class leadership gifts committee and serves as a vice-chair of his 30th reunion gift committee. Mr. Reinke was a class marshal for his 25th class reunion. Previously, he served on the Brown Corporation's ad-hoc committee on government relations, the advisory council on relations with Tougaloo College, and as co-president of the Brown Club of the Bay Area.
A lifelong Episcopalian, Mr. Reinke is a trustee of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles Investment Trust, board treasurer of the Episcopal School of Los Angeles and he chairs the audit committee of the Diocesan neighborhood youth association. Mr. Reinke serves on Bishop Taylor's advisory group on clergy/lay compensation and as a member of the Diocesan Commission on Schools, the accrediting body for the Episcopal preschools and K-12 schools in the Diocese of Los Angeles.
At the parish level, Mr. Reinke is a past senior warden and has been elected several times as a Diocesan Convention delegate. He is an active member of St. James' Episcopal Church in the City where he is a lector, intercessor and usher. Mr. Reinke is also a past trustee of the Episcopal Diocese of California's school for deacons and of the Canterbury Foundation, which provides services to Episcopal and Anglican students at the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Reinke also served as board chair of Clausen House, an Episcopal board and care facility which provides essential services for almost 200 developmentally disabled adults. He is very proud of his brother Steven, a longtime resident of Clausen.
In his spare time, Mr. Reinke loves fostering animals, writing, photography, hiking and kayaking and spending time with his godchildren. Mr. Reinke also collects antiques, particularly those related to American political history, which he thoroughly enjoys sharing with the St. James' History club.