This summer, DPIE saw a total of 723 students enroll in DPIE enrichment and academic courses in our elementary, middle and high school academies. For the first time in three years, summer courses were taught in-person and not online. Students and teachers alike agreed that in-person classes provided a much more powerful learning experience for students. This was particularly true for students enrolled in the elementary and middle school classes, which were all hands-on, activity-based that allowed students to build, problem solve and be actively engaged in their learning.
One of the most exciting aspects of the summer programs was to see the rapid growth in the demand for middle school enrichment courses, where 250 students enrolled in a wide variety of course offerings including coding, robotics, filmmaking, drama, computer science, writing, Medical Detectives, as well as public speaking and finance. Even more students (293) enrolled in the elementary program and both programs ran for four weeks from June 13 – July 8.
New Archery & Drama Courses Draw Rave Reviews
While all courses had their fair share of enrollments, this summer’s stars were the new “Archery for Kids” class taught by Fallon instructor, Mr. Eric Lamonica and the drama class “Are You Ready for Broadway” that culminated in the performance of the original play, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.
Archery Hits the Bullseye!
Our archery class was open to students in grades 5 – 10 and demand was so great, that a third class had to be added to accommodate student requests to enroll. An astounding 110 students enrolled in the three, two-week archery courses.
Asked why the program was so popular with students, Mr. Lamonica said, “Archery is a sport where everyone can excel with practice. You don’t have to be the biggest or strongest kid to experience success in the sport. Archery challenges kids every time they step to the shooting line and every day they can see and measure their improvement.I give the kids small achievable challenges each day. We play games, hold mini tournaments, and have bullseye competitions where kids keep track of their stats. But they especially enjoy carnival day when we put balloons on the bullseye and for whatever reason, kids just don’t tire of hearing those balloons pop.”
DPIE and Mr. Lamonica are already making plans for next summer’s program and rumor has it, that DPIE will host its first ever Archery tournament, so keep your eyes and ears open for information about next year’s summer academy.
A Star is Born
Since the elementary and middle school programs were both housed on the Fallon Middle School campus, DPIE introduced a new three week, three-hour per day, drama program for students entering grades 4 – 8. The class was led by professional actors and directors from Kenn Adam’s Synergy Theater and resulted in two performances at the end of the course. The program was so popular that a second class was added at the last minute and filled in just three days. Each of the performances were well attended and the kids had a lot of fun performing for their family, friends and neighbors. More than 70 audience members were there to enjoy the performance on the last day and judging by the laughter from the audience, our young thespians weren’t the only ones having fun.
Asked about the success of the drama classes, Mr. Kenn Adams who is the proprietor of Kenn Adams Synergy Theater and the author of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp play said, “In this program, the kids learn the value and importance of being a productive part of an ensemble. They learn to succeed through teamwork and collaboration which are important skills to take with them into adult relationships and careers.The class is popular because it offers the exciting experience of being in a play, but its full of games and activities that allow for creative exploration, personal expression and social bonding. Students work hard, but they spend a lot of time laughing while making new friends and memories that last a lifetime.”
The drama class will also return in next summer’s program, so those of you who are aching to achieve stardom will get your chance to star on stage.
Elementary Program Soars
Just like the middle school program, enrollments in the elementary program grew this year. Students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of hands-on and learn-by-doing classes that were full of exciting activities that were fun and challenging at the same time.
A total of 25 classes ran and students had the choice to learn coding, build their own robots and have them compete against one another, create their own stop motion animation projects, improve and practice their competitive chess skills, discover what artificial intelligence is about, enhance their public speakers skills, explore their own talents as artists or to effectively problem solve in some very creative classes like Slimetopia, Pets Palooza or Wizardry Camp where kids were seen laughing every day.
There was never a dull moment in these classes as students were engaged in “learn by doing” activities.
High School Academy
The idea of being in the classroom five hours a day and then doing 1 – 4 hours of homework each day may not seem like a great way to spend your summer vacation, but the vast majority of the 182 Dublin High School students who enrolled in Advanced Algebra 2, PreCalculus, Biology, Honors Chemistry or PE this summer, seemed to feel it was a positive experience for them.
Students performed remarkably well in their summer courses, with classes taught at an accelerated pace, of a full-year’s program being taught in just six weeks. 88% of the students felt the program was beneficial to them, not too challenging and said they feel prepared to advance to the next course in the new school year.
All three Academies will return next summer and believe it or not, plans are already in progress to make next year’s programs bigger and better than ever.
Lillian Radwan, a proud Dublin High School alumna, joined the DPIE team in December 2022. With a bachelor’s degree in Art and English Literature from Saint Mary’s College of California (Go Gaels!), she blends her educational background with professional experience in administration and childcare. Passionate about education and the arts, Lillian is dedicated to fostering educational enrichment at DPIE.
Gary joined DPIE in 2024 after a career in finance and accounting and business development and is now thriving in his role as a non-profit leader. But above all else, Gary is a family man, married for over 45 years to his wife LaDonna and blessed with a son and daughter, each married with their own son and daughter. “DPIE came along in my career at just the right time and leverages my skills, strengths and passion for educating children.” Gary loves spending weekends watching his grandkids play sports and enjoying restaurants, wine tasting and vacations with LaDonna.
Angela joined the DPIE team in December 2017, bringing with her a wealth of experience from a marketing career in finance and asset management in London and Sydney, Australia. Before joining DPIE, she took time to move to the United States with her husband and focus on raising their two children. On weekends, you’ll often find Angela exploring Oakland Zoo, camping, hiking, or experimenting with new recipes for her family!
“As a former room parent and active member of the PFC for several years, I’m passionate about education and shaping young students into well-rounded individuals. As Program Director here at DPIE, I’m dedicated to introducing diverse enrichment programs into classrooms, helping students explore new opportunities and broaden their horizons.”
Kristen joined DPIE in 2025, bringing a wealth of experience in community involvement and a passion for education. She previously served as the Communications Director on the PFC Board, where she helped elevate the school’s outreach efforts and fostered strong connections between parents, staff, and the community. Kristen also owned a successful photography business in the past, where she captured a variety of events and milestones for families.
Kristen’s career at Dublin Elementary allowed her to engage with students and staff, supporting the school’s mission to create a positive and dynamic learning environment.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Kristen enjoys spending quality time with her husband and daughter, whether it’s going for walks in Dublin or traveling to new destinations. She finds joy in exploring new places and making lasting memories with her family.
With a deep commitment to enriching the lives of children, Kristen is excited to continue making a meaningful impact at DPIE.
Bill Moy
Board Treasurer
Bill is the senior partner of Timpson Garcia, LLP, CPAs and Consultants and is the primary partner in charge of the firm’s management. He is also responsible for the quality control function of the firm’s accounting and audit practice and the firm’s internal IT requirements. He has extensive experience in all phases of accounting, from the preparation of tax returns to performance of audit, review and compilation services. His experience includes servicing clients in the areas of: self-storage; health insurance and health care organizations; manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors; trade associations; attorneys and professional corporations; real estate; contractors; transportation; continuing care retirement communities; not-for-profit health and welfare organizations, including Single Audit applications.
A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley (1976), Bill joined the firm in 1976, received his CPA certificate in May, 1980 and was made a partner in October, 1985. Bill holds memberships in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA). He is past member of the CalCPA Peer Review Committee and a past chairperson of the CalCPA East Bay Chapter Credit Grantors Committee and California Group of Accounting Firm’s Information Technology Committee.
Bill has been a Dublin resident since 1981. He is a current member and past president of the Rotary Club of Dublin and the treasurer of the Dublin Partners in Education
Rachna Handa
Board member
Rachna Handa is Head of Hardware Products at GM Energy, where she helped lead the launch of GM Energy’s Vehicle to Home (V2H) HW solution, in addition to supporting the development of GM Energy’s other home charging solutions. Prior to this role, Rachna led the development of EV first microgrids to support GM’s fleet customers as they transition to electric vehicles. Over her career, Rachna has had key roles at Pacific Gas and Electric, OSIsoft, EPRI and the U.S. Department of Energy where she led the deployment of several programs funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009). She has an MBA from Wharton with a focus on Finance and Accounting and earned a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.
Rameet Kohli
Board Vice President
Rameet Kohli is currently Co-Founder/President & COO of Metrical, Inc. and his career has spanned both the private and public sectors. In the private sector, Rameet has worked for both non- and for-profit entities in the areas of business development, strategy consulting, project management and government relations. Organizations included GE, Chevron, IBM, FHI 360 and BSR, along with several venture backed technology startups. Rameet’s work in the public sector has focused on public policy and public-private sector alliance building. This occurred while he was at the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), respectively. Rameet also served on the Planning Commission for the City of Dublin, CA (Chair of the Commission in 2016) and was an appointee to the City of Dublin, CA’s Community Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Rameet currently sits on the Board of Directors of the NGO Dublin Partners In Education (DPIE). Rameet holds an MBA from the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of California at Davis.
Tara Bhuthimethee
Board member
Tara Bhuthimethee believes in long-term planning for the benefit of both current and future generations. As a landscape architect and park planner with over two decades of experience creating community through consensus building, designing public spaces, creating master plans, and improving park equity, Tara takes the centurieslong view when planning parkland and applies that lens to DPIE by advocating for long-term planning for current and future educational opportunities. Tara served on the City of Dublin’s Planning Commission for eight years, with two years as the Commission Chair, and she currently serves as the Board Secretary of the City of Fremont’s Art Review Board. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Business from San Francisco State’s Executive MBA Program.
Michele Haubert
MICHELE HAUBERT, MHA
Board member
Michele has been our Board Secretary since 2019 and recently retired from Stanford Health Care as a Project Coordinator. Previously, she worked for Dublin Unified as an Admin and a Health Clerk while getting her Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration. She also loved working for DPIE as a Program Manager running the Career Academy from 2007-2010.
Michele is passionate about education and brings her positive energy and enthusiasm to this board.
Michele has been married for 32 years and has 3 children who all went through the Dublin schools
Sobia Qureshi
Board President
Sobia Qureshi is a dedicated advocate for education, passionately empowering students and fostering their academic success. With a background in Science and experience in the pharmaceutical industry, she brings a unique perspective to her educational roles. For the past seven years, Sobia has been a vital part of Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE), where she currently serves as President, driving the mission to enhance the educational experiences of students in the Dublin Unified School District. Her commitment extends beyond DPIE, as she actively participates in various educational initiatives, served on the School Site Council (SSC) at Kolb Elementary, Amador Elementary and still currently serving Fallon Middle School and Dublin High School. As Chair of the Citizen Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC), she has ensured transparency and accountability in the use of bond funds for improving school facilities and infrastructure. Additionally, she is involved in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), the School District Budget Committee, and the Site Equity Team (SET), advocating for equitable access to resources and opportunities for all students. Sobia has led efforts to pass two bond measures, demonstrating her commitment to investing in Dublin’s schools.
Outside her professional work, she is a wife and mother of four children, all of whom have attended schools in the Dublin Unified School District. Currently working at Fallon Middle School in the student accounts department, she continues to support the educational needs of students and families. Her 11 years of residency in Dublin, CA,coupled with her unwavering dedication to the school district, exemplify her deeprooted commitment to the community. Sobia’s passion for education and her desire to make a positive impact on students’ lives drive her advocacy efforts, making her a driving force for positive change for Dublin students.
Joseph Dunham
Board member
Joe Dunham is currently VP of Personal and Business Banking at City National Bank in Pleasanton. His career in Finance has spanned over 25 years on Wall Street in Capital Market firms such as PaineWebber Securities, Bank of America Securities, UBS Securities and Bank of New York/Mellon to name a few. During that time his focus was in mortgage-backed securities. While in California, he has worked almost entirely in residential and commercial lending with banks and credit unions and has been with City National for the last two years in retail banking. His specialty has been predominantly in Sales, Business Development, relationship building as well as public speaking. He is currently on the board of directors for the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and recently joined the board of directors for Dublin Partners in Education. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a degree in dramatic arts and music. He is an actor, recording engineer and songwriter. He lives in Oakland with his wife Marika who has been in academia for over 25 years.
