SVEF Board of Directors

Michele Sparks – President

Coming Soon

Tina Fellers – Treasurer

Tina has been involved in education her entire adult life and is the mother of two children who attend schools in SVUSD. After receiving her BA in Sociology and Minor in Education from UC Irvine and her Masters in Education and Elementary Teaching Credential from Pepperdine she taught in Newport Mesa USD for six years. Once her children were in school she returned to the classroom in SVUSD as a substitute teacher. In addition she has served on the board of the PTA/PTO groups at every school level including president for the elementary and high school groups. She brings her knowledge of nonprofits, passion for education and dedication to making an impact on every SVUSD student. Tina became involved with SVEF because she knows what is possible when communities come together to support public education.

Laura Glick – Secretary

After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Laura Glick worked in human resources, then channel sales in the IT industry. When her children were young, Laura chose to step back from the workforce to be a stay-at-home mom.

She became involved with Saddleback Valley schools as a parent volunteer when her children entered the district in 2008. Laura’s volunteer roles in the SVUSD community have included PTA president, Reflections chairperson, School Site Council member, PTSO treasurer and Saddleback Valley PTA Council treasurer, membership VP and parliamentarian. She looks forward to drawing on her volunteer experience to help build SVEF programs that enable all students to thrive in our schools.

Now that her children are off to college, Laura has eased back into the corporate world working for a major telecommunications company. She’s currently managing meeting logistics and event planning for an enterprise sales team. In her spare time, Laura can often be found cheering for her son at high school track meets and at her daughter’s collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling meets, or on nearby hiking trails with her husband and dog.

Laura Bissonette – Board Member

Laura Bissonette joined the SVEF in 2024. She has two children who attended schools in the Saddleback Valley district. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business/Marketing from CSULB and a Certificate in Interior Design. She began volunteering when her first child was in kindergarten by chairing several PTA fundraisers. She served on the Valencia Educational Foundation for a 2 year term. Her PTA service continued into several roles such as Executive Vice President and President. Along with the members of SVEF, Laura hopes to be able to impact all students through additional programming that can enrich their education.

Chris Mackey – Board Member

Chris Mackey joined the SVEF in 2011. She has five children who attended schools in the Saddleback Valley district. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA and has always had a passion to serve people whether in civic or non-profit organizations. She led many fundraisers over the years serving on various boards within the community from schools to churches. She held numerous positions in the PTA including President, and Ways and Means for the Education Foundation at her children’s elementary school. She served as one of the Commissioners for the Parks and Recreation in the City of Laguna Hills for six years. She is currently serving as Chair of the Traffic Commission in the City of Laguna Hills. Chris believes that if everyone is given the same opportunity, each can learn and grow which in turn, elevate everyone to a higher level. Her vision is to have businesses, schools and cities work together to reach a common goal: to educate and enrich our children’s lives, help develop them to become good citizens, and build a better future.

Pammi Mathur – Board Member

Pammi Mathur joined the SVEF Board in 2014. Prior to that, she worked as a Software Engineer at Unisys Corporation for over 15 years. She has an MS in Computer Science from Syracuse University, an MS in Bio-engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an MS in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology. She is passionate about helping schools in our community create a better future for our children. Pammi volunteered as a PTA Webmaster for many years at schools that her daughters attended in the Saddleback Valley School District. She and her husband have lived in Laguna Hills for 25 years. They love to travel and enjoy the beautiful beaches, parks and trails in California. They also appreciate arts & culture and support the Pacific Symphony’s education program for children.

Avis French – Advisor

Avis has been on the SVEF Board since 1987 and has served in various positions over those years, most recently as Member at Large/Advisor. She worked in several writer positions in her 27 years at Unisys until she retired at the end of 2001. Since then she has remained active in SVEF as well as continuing to volunteer in a wide array of programs within the local educational community. Avis has been a member of the National Management Association (NMA) since 1986, was named national Member of the Year of NMA in 1995, and currently serves as an NMA Associate Director. Since 1984, Avis has conducted several blood drives every year for the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross., and she had received awards from the Orange County chapter and from the Desert to the Sea Region of the Red Cross. She has been a trustee of the Rehart Memorial Scholarship since 1995. Avis has been a member of ToastMasters International since 1986; she has been the recipient of several awards including the Beckwith Award for leadership, humor, and community service; from 2003-2017, she served as the leader of the Founders District Judges Bureau that provides assistance for a variety of speaking and academic events sponsored by local service organizations and educational institutions; she continues to serve as a mentor to ToastMasters clubs and individual members,’ she continue to serves as a judge for Toastmasters Speech Contests.