St. Martin of Tours Academy & Preschool
Pilon® Workshop Way® School | U.S. Dept. of Education Green Ribbon School | Fair Trade School | La Mesa, CA
Governance
St. Martin of Tours Academy fosters confidence, curiosity, and independence through a climate of cooperation and trust by preserving dignity throughout the learning process, accentuating all children’s God-given gifts in a Catholic environment.
SMA Advisory Board
The purpose of the SMA Advisory Board is to recognize and respect the role of the Pastor and Principal and exercise responsible advisory recommendations in collaboration with the school leadership team for development and oversight of the fidelity to mission, academic excellence, and operational vitality. (NSBECS Standards 5 & 6)
Joseph Horejs
Catholic Identity
Phil Giordano
Finance
Lauren Ramers
Academic Excellence
Learn about Joseph Joseph Horejs was born and raised in San Diego, California and grew up at Good Shepherd Parish in Mira Mesa. He attended the University of San Diego, and majored in Theology & Religious Studies and Spanish. Joseph obtained his Masters in Education with a focus in Character Education while heI taught middle school at Nativity Prep Academy. He began working for the Diocese of San Diego in 2005 and is currently the Associate Director of the Office for Evangelization & Catechetical Ministry. Most importantly, Joseph is the proud father of four wonderful children, three of whom attend Catholic School and he is married to a Catholic school teacher. Joseph looks forward to serving the community of St. Martin of Tours Academy.
Learn about Phil Phil is a long-time parishioner who was actually baptized at St. Martin’s of Tours and attended our Academy as a child himself. He currently also serves as Chairman on the Church Finance Council. Phil has loved seeing multiple nieces & nephews attend St. Martin’s over the years and 3 of them are still currently attending. He has owned his La-Mesa based business, SFS Life Settlements, for 15 years and prior to that worked in the commercial banking & real estate industries. Phil is also a member of the San Diego Financial Planning Association and La Mesa Village Association.Phil received his B.S. in International Finance from Brigham Young University where he also played football throughout his college education. Phil resides with his wife of 22 years, Charlene, at their home in La Mesa.
Learn about Lauren Lauren H. Ramers is adjunct faculty in the Department of Learning and Teaching at the University of San Diego where she studies national and international education reform, social justice in K-12 education, teacher education for diverse populations, and pedagogy research. She has collaborated on several articles regarding Catholic education (in-press and published) based on her work with the Academy of Catholic Teaching at USD. She is currently an adjunct program designer for New Leaders, an organization dedicated to preparing school leaders in America’s highest-need schools. A former high school English and AVID teacher, Director of Professional Development at AVID Center, K-12 instructional coach, and international AVID consultant, Lauren has dedicated her professional career to serving all students and especially those least served by our school systems. Lauren earned her B.A. in English and Education from UCLA, her M.A. in Education and Teaching from Stanford University, her principal’s certification from the University of Washington, and she is currently working on her Ph.D. at the University of San Diego in leadership studies. Lauren’s oldest son attends St. Augustine Catholic High School, and she is hopeful to have an OLP Pilot next year!
Ally McGrory
Advancement & Development
Tom Ritz
Physical Plant
Learn about Tom Thomas Ritz and and his wife, Kathleen, have been a part of the St. Martin of Tours Community for over 60 years. Tom is an Alumnus of the Academy as are their five children. Tom and Kathleen recently celebrated 45 years of marriage and they are proud grandparents of 3 children. Tom has been active as an adult in youth Scouting for over 24 years. He can often be found wearing his scout master uniform leading young children in activities that strengthen their moral, academic, and social abilities. Knowledge and experience from over 45 years in the maintenance and construction field plus a humble willingness to give back to the St. Martin Community brought Tom to the SMA Advisory Board. He recently retired from the City of San Diego as the Building Maintenance Supervisor for Qualcomm Stadium. Tom is a true asset to our unique 70 year old building.
Learn about Ally Ally McGrory Reyes is the Chief Operating Officer of La Jolla MJ Management, LLC, a real estate investment company. She grew up in San Diego and attended the University of San Diego, receiving her Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. Ally serves on the Board of Trustees for the National MS Society and is the Community Engagement Chair and Immediate Past Governance Chair for the Pacific South Coast Chapter. She is a member of the Junior Achievement YES Board, Bucks 4 Buses Chair for Patrons of the Prado, Board Member of the San Diego Sports Association, Member of the San Diego Honorary Deputy Sherriff’s Association, Board Member of the University of San Diego Sports Banquet Committee, City Liason to Mission Trails Little League, and is Immediate Past President of the Benchley-Weinberger Foundation. She is also Co-Chairing the Auction/Gala for St Martin of Tours Academy this year. Ally and her husband Indo have four young boys, Cruz, Kash, Kane and Clay.
SMA PTG
The purpose of the SMA Parent Group is to work with and assist the principal and teachers, to raise funds to support the school, and to provide for parent education.
(NSBECS Standards 5 & 6)
Katie Scheie
President
Rosario Burgos Santoyo
Vice President
Colm Driscoll
Treasurer
Learn about Katie I am the mother of two kids, Shanna (6th grade) and Ethan (2nd grade). I have been part of the SMA since Shanna was in Kindergarten. I have been involved with the PTG since my first year at the school, and I have also been the Room Parent for Shanna’s class since 1st Grade. Through these experiences I have seen first hand how important it is for the school to have a strong parent community. I look forward to continuing to cultivate a strong, open, and collaborative Parent Teacher Group. Professionally, I serve as the Chief Operating Officer at the University of Arizona Global Campus and I have my Master’s in Education. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as the President of the PTG.
Learn about Rosario I would like to contribute to the St. Martin Academy Parent Group because, as a parent, I truly care about the opportunity and quality education provided to our children. I am a mother of two students: Paul (7th Grade) and Alina (5th Grade). I served as Parent Teacher Association Secretary at my children's previous school and also serve as Player Agent for the Lake Murray Little League Board. Professionally, I am a managing attorney, which provides me with the experience necessary to work effectively in a team setting.
Learn about Colm Iam the proud father of three children, Victoria (Gr. 3) Ruairi (Gr. 1) and Padraig (entering Kinder in Fall ‘22). The 2021-2022 school year marks the 2nd year our children have attended SMA though we have been parishioners at St. Martin’s since 2015. Catholic-educated from Kindergarten through college, I have been fortunate to experience the gift of faith based education first-hand. Along with math, science and cursive, I learned that service of others is a cornerstone of the Catholic faith. In service of our school, our children and their educators, I am proud to serve as the SMA Parent Group’s Treasurer. I believe that my professional experience as Chief Financial Officer at Precision Diagnostics, a San Diego-based toxicology laboratory with over 450 employees as well as my experience as a Board Member of Cristo Rey San Diego High School would lend itself well to serving in the role as SMA Parent Group’s Treasurer.
Erin McCarthy
Secretary
Learn about Erin I have a first grader (Delia) and have been around SMA for a few years, starting at the preschool. I love this school so much and want to help contribute to its on-going success. I am an Associate Scientist 2 for small, start-up biotech company in Sorrento Valley, working on forensics. I would love to see SMA get even stronger in STEM. I am also the Secretary of my rather large HOA and I currently volunteer in God’s Garden at the school.
Sally O'Brien
Room Parent Coordinator
Learn about Sally I am excited to serve as the Room Parent Coordinator at SMA! All 3 of my kiddos have attended SMA since Preschool. We are so blessed to have a 1st grader, 2nd grader, and 4th grader this year! The Workshop Way and Catholic Faith integration are some of the biggest factors in choosing SMA. We have loved watching our kids grow in confidence, knowledge, and love of Christ. As Room Parent Coordinator, I hope to streamline communication and increase parent involvement on campus. My experience as a Room Parent both for the Preschool and Academy, serves as my foundation for “stepping-up” this year, to ensure our parents are kept in the loop, and our kids build lasting memories! I am a Budget Analyst at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, serving on various teams and managing resources will come in handy this year, as we navigate all the adventures this year will bring!
Carlos Saucedo
Sports Advisory Council
Learn about Carlos: Carlos U. Saucedo is a father to a 5th grade student, Giuliana. He was born and raised in San Diego. He is currently a district administrator for a local school district and has worked in the field of education for over 20 years. Carlos’ passion is supporting students with disabilities, providing access to appropriate supports and services, equitable and inclusive practices.
Parent Teacher Group
2022-2023 Meeting Schedule
08/22/22 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
09/06/22 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
09/14/22 Schoolwide PTG Meeting: Guest Speaker -Jodee Blanco 6:00 – 7:00 pm (hall)
10/03/22 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
10/26/22 Schoolwide PTG Meeting: State of the School & Catholic High School Representatives 6:00 - 7:00 pm (hall)
11/07/22 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
12/05/22 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
01/09/23 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
01/23/23 Schoolwide PTG Meeting: TBA
02/06/23 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
03/06/23 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
03/22/23 Schoolwide PTG Meeting: TBA
04/03/23 Executive Officers & Committee Chairs 4:00 – 5:00 pm
04/26/23 Schoolwide PTG Meeting: TBA
