Board
The USDB Foundation has established a board of directors, a separate 501(c)3, an Organizational Assessment, a Memorandum of Understanding with USDB, and a Strategic Plan. The goal is to gain support and resources for USDB students and their families. The board implements best practices to ensure the nonprofit entity is set up properly and runs efficiently with transparency. One of the projects includes building an Outdoor Family Learning Center to benefit Utah’s children who are deaf, blind, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or visually impaired. For any additional information or documentation regarding the foundation please contact Amy Zaharis amyz@usdb.org
Education Foundation Staff
USDB Education Foundation, Executive Director
Meet our Board
Leslie Castle
Board Chair
Board of Directors
Leslie Castle is a career Registered Nurse and has served as a member of the State Board of Regents and an elected member of the Utah State Board of Education. She has also served on the Advisory Council of USDB. Castle serves as the interim Treasurer of the Foundation.
Al VanLeeuwen
Vice Chair
Board of Directors
Al VanLeeuwen has been the CFO and also a Vice President of Operations for several companies and has been part of each management team has helped them grow and increase profitability. He also has extensive experience with corporate reorganizations, sales and purchases with both strategic and private equity investors. His experience includes improving the company operations and performance to improve sales and profitability growth together with operational and product innovation.
Brad Ward
Member
Board of Directors
Brad Ward is the president of Ward’s MediaTech, a Springville UT company focused on educational technology. Brad has more than thirty years of volunteer leadership and governance experience with nonprofit organizations focused on improving communities and individual’s self-sufficiency. Brad and his wife Kim Ward have 6 children and nineteen grandchildren.
Christianne Green
Parent
Board of Directors
Christianne Greene is a mother of ten children and lives in Herriman. Three of her children are blind and have participated in the USDB Outreach, Short Term, and Study Abroad programs.
Joel Coleman
USDB Superintendent
Non-voting
Joel Coleman is the Superintendent of USDB. He has served as a State School Board member and a West Valley City councilman. He is also a founder of the Monticello Academy and was employed for many years as a seminary instructor for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joel and his wife Kim Coleman live in West Jordan and have 5 children. Kim serves as a legislator, in the Utah House of Representatives.