About Us – Serving the needs of our youth community since 2001
Valley Oak was created in 2001, providing education support for students in the San Francisco Bay Area and program support for the Pleasanton Unified School District. In 2007, the organization moved to Montana and in 2010 began working with opportunity youth and at-risk populations in Ravalli and Missoula Counties. In 2016 Valley Oak became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit partner of Bitter Root Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc.
Our staff provides:
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college/career workshops and programs,
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academic coaching,
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scholarship and internship assistance, and
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acts as a liaison for college to college course equivalency, policy interpretation, and program navigation.
Our Education Coordinators help schools and youth organizations develop and manage:
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internships,
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service learning and civic engagement programs,
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write grants, and
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develop policies and procedures.
Meet our Team, Board & Advisors
Wendy Coy,
Board Director
Wendy has over 25 years of experience as a communications and media arts specialist. Since 2015, Wendy has served as Communications Director for Audubon Canyon Ranch, a 501(c)(3) conservation organization. Ms. Coy has 10 years of non-profit leadership experience in the area of education reform, serving as founding Executive Director of the Oak Grove Education Partners, which funds and develops curriculum-based programs for art, music and Spanish for K-8 students. Previous consulting includes on the communications strategy team of New Technology Foundation (a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focus project), a network of 41 high schools throughout the U.S. utilizing project-based learning as the focus of education learning.
Joe Bruno
Board Member
Guest Speaker / Coach
Joe Bruno received his BS from University of San Francisco. He worked for 3COM Corporation, AVANTEK Inc, ON Semiconductor Inc, and Fujitsu and other semiconductor and technical companies in finance, human resources, engineering and operations. He worked his way up the ladder assembling equipment and then found ways to make the production more efficient, which earned him several promotions including Director of Planning & Customer Satisfaction, Director of Operations, and General Manager.
Wendi Fawns
Executive Director
Lead Education Coordinator
Wendi Fawns received her BA in Sociology with a MIS focus. She maintained a successful career in Information Technology with a large San Francisco Bay Area county while also volunteering with Child Protective Services and Juvenile Probation. In 2014, she received her Master’s of Education Leadership from the University of Montana and has since focused her efforts on helping rural students obtain college and career pathways.
Leanne Deschamps
Education Coordinator
Leanne Deschamps currently teaches at Florence-Carlton Schools, grades 8-12 English as well as an adjunct with the University of Montana English Teaching Program. Valuing the importance each individual student brings to the community, Leanne seeks a variety of teaching strategies and community opportunities to engage students with their learning in and beyond the classroom. In the words of W.B. Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Leanne embraces these words each day of teaching, knowing that igniting that passion for using one's talents builds for a stronger community.
Mimi Ahern
Board Member
Mimi Ahern received a BS and Liberal Arts Certificate from the University of San Francisco and a Multiple Subject Credential from San Francisco State University. As an educator for many years, Mimi believes wholeheartedly in learner engagement with teacher encouragement. She is most proud of her Volunteer of the Year Award from Arundel Elementary School and the numerous hours she has given to nonprofit organizations focused on helping at-risk populations.
Rebecca Fawns
Board Member
Service Learning Committee Chair
Rebecca Fawns is the founder of Community Cooking Connections, a service-learning program focused on youth civic engagement. She received her BS from MSU Bozeman in Secondary Education. Currently, she is a high school teacher and National Honors Society, and Key Club youth leadership advisor in Montana. Rebecca Fawns was awarded several college scholarships based on her commitment to youth education. She was also awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship with the Newberry Library in Chicago and The Core Value Excellence Award.
Pamela Fawns
Board Member
Education Coach and Social Media
Pam Fawns is the founder of Fundraising with Flowers and Youth Building Remodel, projects for which she was awarded the Prudential of Spirit of Community, Presidential Service Gold Level, ServeMT, and Violet Richardson awards. She was the BioScience Team Leader for Ravalli County and interned with National Institution of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories as a high school and college student. Currently, Pam is an Academic Advisor for Yavapai Community College in Arizona where she coaches students on their college/career pathway goals and scholarships.
Marion Dial
Board Member
Marion taught for years and has a passion for helping women gain higher education. She is a member of P.E.O. International and serves with a local chapter on their scholarship committees. She received her BA in Education and began teaching immediately helping to form one of the first charter schools in California focused on proficiency education. After teaching for years she retired to assist her husband and raise her grandchildren in Montana. In Montana, Marion is an active member of P.E.O International and serves on their scholarship committee helping women gain scholarships to further their education and career plans. As a valued member of the Valley Oaks team, Marion is gifted in helping students write successful essays and navigate career choices.
Kent Barbian,
Former Board Member
Guest Speaker
Kent Barbian was raised in Montana and received his Masters of Microbiology from the University of Montana. He has worked since 2000, for the National Institute of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of NIH, as the Genomics Units Senior Microbiologist. For the past ten years Mr. Barbian has been a mentor for high school and college students who are awarded NIH Internships and supports youth in their extra curricular activities by refereeing local and State soccer games.
Dr. Pamela Small,
Guest Speaker / STEM Consultant
Dr. Small is a retired University of Tennessee Professor, National Institute of Health research medical microbiologist, and World Health Organization advisor. She published a book for foreign medical students in India and obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Stanford University. Time spent in the tropics stimulated Dr. Small's interest in microbial pathogenesis along with a desire to conduct research in an area relevant to improving health conditions in resource poor countries. Since 1996 Dr. Small's research has focused on understanding the pathogenesis of the environmental pathogen Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer. Passionate about education, she continues to help high school and college students through guest speaking and mentoring.