EMILY WIROWEK FOR BRISBANE SCHOOL BOARD
CURRENT PARENT • ATTORNEY • COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER
Building on a strong foundation. Preparing our students for what’s next.
Brisbane has excellent schools because of dedicated teachers, engaged families, and a community that cares. I'm running to help our district build on that foundation—bringing a current parent’s perspective and keeping students at the center of every decision.
A Parent’s Perspective for Brisbane’s Next Chapter
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As a parent of a young child in Brisbane schools, I am experiencing the same questions many families are asking:
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How do we help children navigate technology and social media?
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How do we preserve the close-knit community that makes Brisbane special as our city grows?
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How do we prepare every child for a rapidly changing world?
Those aren’t tomorrow’s challenges—they’re today’s.
I'm running to bring a current parent’s perspective to the Board and help our district meet them together.
What I’ll Bring
I Bring a Parent’s Perspective
As a current parent, I’m experiencing many of the same questions and challenges Brisbane families face today. I’ll bring that firsthand perspective to the Board and keep students at the center of every decision.
I Lead Through Collaboration
I listen first, bring people together, and look for common ground. I’ll work openly with families, educators, staff, and community partners to develop practical solutions together.
I Make Thoughtful Decisions
With 17 years of legal experience, I study details and ask critical questions to ensure every board decision truly benefits all students. I will bring transparency and a student-centered focus to my work for our whole Brisbane community.
I Follow Through
I believe good ideas matter only when they lead to action. I’ll do the work, communicate our progress, and remain engaged from the first conversation through implementation.
My Top Priorities
Build on a Strong Foundation
Brisbane’s schools are strong because of dedicated teachers, engaged families, and a community that cares. I’ll protect what works and pursue thoughtful improvements that help every student thrive.
Academic Excellence First
Reading, writing, math, science, and critical thinking must remain at the heart of every student’s education. I’ll keep academic growth and strong classroom learning at the center of Board decisions.
Prepare Students for Tomorrow
Our children need the skills to navigate technology, social media, and AI safely and responsibly. I’ll support age-appropriate digital citizenship, media literacy, and healthy technology habits—without losing sight of core academics.
Support Families
Families need clear communication and practical support to help their children succeed. I’ll strengthen two-way communication and explore partnerships that expand access to after-school care and preschool.
Lead Through Collaboration
The best solutions come from listening to families, educators, staff, and community partners. I’ll bring people together, communicate openly, and follow through from conversation to implementation.
Rooted in the Brisbane Community
I believe community leadership starts with showing up and doing the work. From our schools to our streets, I’ve volunteered alongside Brisbane families to make our community safer, more connected, and better supported.
Showing up for Brisbane Schools
From classroom and field-trip volunteering to the Book Fair, Read Across BES, Science Exploration Day and other school events, I’m committed to supporting our students, educators and families
Helping Create Safer Streets
Through the Complete Streets Safety Committee, Safe Routes to School and efforts around BES and Visitacion Avenue, I’ve worked alongside families and city partners to make walking and biking safer for our children.
Bringing Our Community Together
From co-hosting the BEST PTO Spring Thing to helping lead Brisbane’s annual Halloween street closures, I’ve supported events that bring neighbors together and strengthen our sense of community.
"Emily is the right person to help guide our schools into a future that is changing quickly. As a current parent, she understands firsthand what Brisbane’s children and families need today - and she is deeply committed to the community they will inherit.
Emily listens closely, pays attention to the details, and takes the time to understand every side of an issue. She brings people together to develop thoughtful, practical solutions that consider the needs of students, families, educators, and our broader community. Emily is exactly the right person to help lead our schools into this next chapter."
- Jessica aloft
BES Parent / Head of Digital Health & AI Strategy, Gilead
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COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Endorsed by Brisbane Parents, Neighbors & Community Leaders
Krystal and Alex Alcaraz — Panorama Parents
Lei Gonzalez — BES Parent / Senior National Account Manager at Georgia Pacific
James Christie — BES Parent / Former Complete Streets Safety Committee Member / Senior Hospice Chaplain
Jessica Aloft — Founding MOB Member and Brisbane Community Activist
Cliff Lentz — Brisbane City Council Member
Mika Frisk — BES Parent / Attorney at Law
JJ Frisk — BES Parent / Life Long Brisbane Resident
Lyora Zadik — BES Parent / Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Karen Cunningham — Former Brisbane Mayor and City Council Member
Emmett Cunningham — Brisbane Resident
Renee and Zak Russo — BES Parents
Carl Lam — BES Parent / BEST PTO member
Patricia Siordia — BES Parent / Fellowship Coordinator at Stanford University School of Medicine
Jiami Jiang — Former BES Parent / Brisbane Resident
Shang Liang — Former BES Parent / Brisbane Resident
Janice Au-Young — Complete Streets Safety Committee Member / Brisbane Resident
Paul Bouscal — Complete Streets Safety Committee Chair / Brisbane Resident
Rich Fernandez — BES Parent / Senior Team Lead
Jose Moreno — Complete Streets Safety Committee Member / Brisbane Resident
Cristian Cabrera — Complete Streets Safety Committee Member / Longtime Brisbane Resident
Ty Lee — BES Parent / Aerospace Engineer
Mea Christie — BES Parent / VP of Ecommerce
Prathap Sridharan — BES Parent / Sr. Software Engineer, BioHub
Linda and Harrison Chen — Southern Hills Residents / Registered Nurses
Lauren Paves — BES Parent / Global Brand Director at Google
Matt Paves — BES Parent / Owner, WMP Consulting
Adria Faust — BES Parent
Tom Faust — BES Parent
Kristin Kallapur — BES Parent / Senior Clinical Scientist at Genentech
Abhi Kallapur — BES Parent / Staff Research Scientist at Google
Michelle Kasten — BES Parent / Executive Business Partner
Carl Kasten — BES Parent / Assistant Service Manager at Toyota
Gozde Eskici — BES Parent
Haluk Osbry — BES Parent
Adriana Moreno — Brisbane Resident / Early Childhood Development Specialist
Jeannie Moreno — Brisbane Resident / Program Manager, AI Company
Linda Montenegro Dettmer — Longtime Brisbane Resident / Former Complete Streets Safety Committee member
Mario Gonzalez — BES Parent / Material Operations Technician at Genentech
Tracy Robertson — BES and Panorama Parent / Hospitality Expert
Steven Robertson — BES and Panorama Parent / Union Electrician
Ashley Wright — BES Parent / Sr. Director Talent Management at New Charter Technologies
Kyle Wright — BES Parent / Senior Risk Analyst at Marqueta
Alejandro Cerda — BES Parent / Incident Response Engineer at Salesforce
Bonnie Lam — BES Parent / Admissions and Records Clerk at City College
Krystle Nixon — BES Parent / Silverspot Nursery Co-Op Member and Past Board Director and Treasurer
Devin Nixon — BES Parent / Silverspot Nursery Co-Op Member
Ming-Song Lee — BES Parent / Senior Scientist at Illumina
Jennie Lok — Brisbane Resident / Founder Zen Coast Homes
Calvin Chin — Brisbane Resident / Founder Zen Coast University
Juan Medrano — Brisbane Business Owner
Alison Anderson — BES Parent / Domestic Engineer
Ryan Anderson — BES Parent / Vice President of Customer Success, EDGE Markets
Theodore Vecchione — BES Parent / Parks and Rec Preschool Parent / Physicist
Lori Mae Vecchione — BES Parent / Parks and Rec Preschool Parent / Nurse Practitioner
Ginnie Amor Bakander — BES and Lipman Parent / Substitute Teacher Brisbane School District
Dr. Jens Bakander — BES and Lipman Parent / Director of Energy and Materials, Toyota Research Institute
Lucy Lee — BES Parent / Senior Vice President at Valuation Research Corporation
Jennifer Alvendia — BES Parent / VP of Banking
Glenn Alvendia — BES Parent / Law Enforcement Officer
Paul Mangiamele — BES Parent / Public Art Advisory Committee Member / Member of Technical Staff at AWS
Steffi Paepcke — Brisbane Resident / Director Robotics User Experience
Khalia Harding — BES Parent / Director of People & Culture at Google Deepmind
Kayla Lee — BES Parent / Scientist
Sandip Patel — Former Planning Commissioner / Former Complete Streets Safety Committee Member
Tim Kelso — BES Parent
Marc Hebert — BES Parent / President of peopletopolicy.com
Frank Kern— City Council Member
Shana Hughes — BES Parent / Scientist
Emrah Arslanturk— BES Parent / Sr. Director of Customer Engineering
Sabrina Marechal— Brisbane Resident / Director, Community at Salesforce
Brandon Ahlstrom — Brisbane Resident
Kader Arslanturk— BES Parent
Jyotsna Shevade— BES Parent
Shalina Taylor— BES Parent
Bruno Leveque— Brisbane Resident / Meowtel Co-Founder and CTO
Anil Shevade— BES Parent
Kevin Cho— BES Parent / Revenue Accounting Manager
Jayne Cho — BES Parent / Area Head of School at a private school
**City titles are for identification purposes only. City committee, commission, council members listed above do not represent the city of Brisbane
What People Are Saying
“I wholeheartedly support Emily's candidacy for the Brisbane School Board. I have worked with Emily on several initiatives in her capacity as Complete Streets Safety Committee chair, and she has always shown the highest standards of leadership, creative problem-solving, and teamwork. She has the ability to move things forward, while also including different voices and interests in her thinking.
She is always well-informed on the issues, and investigates all angles to come up with solutions that work for everyone. She is easy to work with, and genuinely cares about our town and schools. I also appreciate that she is a parent with children in Brisbane District schools. I know Emily would bring a solid sense of purpose to the School Board, as well as the strong relationships she has built with the City of Brisbane, Brisbane schools, and various civic organizations. Because of both her personal qualities and professional abilities, I fully support Emily for School Board.”
- Jessica aloft
Founding Mothers of Brisbane Member / Brisbane Community Activist
“I can’t think of a better candidate for the School Board than Emily. She is thoughtful, intelligent, compassionate, and deeply committed to serving our community. Emily genuinely cares about the students and families in our district—not just today, but for generations to come—and she consistently works to create meaningful, lasting improvements.
Emily is highly engaged in the community and, more importantly, has a proven track record of turning ideas into action. In the short time I have known her, I have seen her play a leading role in numerous community initiatives, from advocating for safer streets to helping create the beloved tradition of closing streets for Halloween. She was also instrumental in expanding aftercare opportunities at BES, giving families access to much-needed support. Emily’s dedication, leadership, and ability to bring people together make her an incredible asset to our community. I am confident she will bring the same passion, thoughtfulness, and results-driven approach to the School Board, and I wholeheartedly support her candidacy”
- Mika Frisk
BES Parent / Attorney at Law
“I greatly appreciate the work and dedication that Emily has applied as a member of the Complete Streets and Safety Committee to make Brisbane streets safer. Her leadership skills of bringing people together for community causes, listening to residents' concerns and putting them into action, and applying her sincere commitment to make public organizations transparent and accountable will make Emily an outstanding contributor on the Brisbane School District Board”
- cliff lentz
City Council Member
“Emily will bring significant expertise and leadership to the school board. Bridging vision and big picture goals with everyday operational expertise, Emily will undoubtedly ensure the school district is committed to student achievement. Emily also brings valuable knowledge of the Brisbane community and of the current student experience. A vote for Emily is a vote for excellence!”
- anonymous Brisbane resident / bes parent
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“I’m proud to endorse my neighbor and friend Emily for the Brisbane School Board. I’ve seen her care for our community firsthand through her work on the Complete Streets Safety Committee, including walk audits and thoughtful input on safer routes to Brisbane Elementary and Lipman Middle School. She listens, follows through, and cares deeply about students and families throughout our district. She will bring that same commitment to the School Board”
- jose moreno
Complete Streets Safety Committee Member / Techonology & Ops Executive
“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Emily for about four years, and during that time, I’ve watched her consistently look for ways to support and strengthen the Brisbane School District. Her passion for our schools and, most importantly, for our kids is something that has always stood out to me.
Emily is someone who shows up. She listens, asks questions, and genuinely wants to understand the experiences of the families, students, and staff who make up our district. She doesn’t just talk about wanting to make a difference—she looks for ways to help and gets involved.
I know Emily will bring that same thoughtfulness and dedication to the School Board. She is committed to strengthening our programs, expanding opportunities for our students, and creating more ways for kids to learn, grow, connect, and discover what they love.
Emily truly cares about our community and wants every child in Brisbane School District to have the opportunity to thrive. I’m proud to support her and excited to see what she can bring to our district."
- krystal alcaraz
Panorama Parent
“Serving alongside Emily on Brisbane’s Complete Streets Safety Committee, I’ve seen firsthand what a thoughtful and effective leader she is. She listens carefully, asks good questions, and makes sure every voice has an opportunity to be heard. Emily has a real talent for bringing people together, finding common ground, and turning ideas into practical solutions. She is also a dedicated community volunteer who shows up, does the work, and follows through on her commitments. Her collaborative approach, attention to detail, and genuine care for Brisbane inspire trust in everyone who works with her. I know Emily would bring that same energy, sound judgment, and community spirit to the Brisbane School Board, and I’m proud to support her.”
- PAUL BOUSCAL
Complete Streets Safety Committee Member / Long Time Brisbane Resident
“I wish to express my strong support for Emily Wirowek for the Brisbane School District. Emily is a community member, educator and parent who devotes significant amount of time and effort for our schoolchildren. I met Emily when I joined the Complete Streets Safety Committee for the City of Brisbane this year, and I became aware of her work over the past few years. In order to maintain a safe environment for parents and students attending Brisbane Elementary School, Emily was instrumental in securing the OLG church parking lot for morning and afternoon drop-offs to alleviate traffic jams at Glen Park Way and San Bruno Avenue. In addition, her work with the CSSC for the 2025 Halloween street closure was a huge success for the community and our trick-or-treaters. The closure required extensive planning with the City of Brisbane and Brisbane Police Dept. I note that working alongside Emily is very productive as she is efficient, articulate and objective. I have seen Emily’s dedication firsthand, and I am confident her vision of education for the school district will make a positive difference for Brisbane’s school district.
I invite Brisbane community members to vote for Emily Wirowek in the November school board election.”
- jANICE AU-YOUNG
Complete Streets Safety Committee Member / Long Time Brisbane Resident
Why I'm Running
Brisbane is where my family has put down roots, and our schools are at the heart of the community we love. As the mother of a current district student, I see what makes our schools special: dedicated educators and staff, engaged families and a small district where people know and care for one another.
I am also experiencing the questions families are navigating right now. How can we protect strong academics while preparing children for a changing world? How can we help students develop critical thinking, sound judgment, creativity, and healthy habits around technology? How can the district communicate and partner more effectively with working families? And how can BSD plan responsibly as our community grows?
I am running because I believe the next Board should honor what is working while looking ahead with care. I want to help keep students at the center, support educators and families, ask thoughtful questions, and make decisions that serve both today's students and future generations.
HOW I'LL LEAD:
My leadership style is practical and collaborative. I listen before deciding, invite different perspectives, look closely at the facts, and follow through. I do not believe good governance means arriving with every answer. It means asking the right questions, respecting the expertise of educators and staff, explaining decisions clearly, and remaining accountable for results.
EXPERIENCE I BRING:
For 17 years, I have worked as an estate planning attorney, helping families understand complicated choices and make careful decisions that reflect their goals. That work requires listening, discretion, clear communication, attention to detail, and an understanding of long-term consequences -- all skills I would bring to the School Board.
Over the past two years, I have served on the Complete Streets Safety Committee, including as the chair for one year. I have worked with families, residents, staff and community leaders on Safe Routes to School, safer crossings and drop-off access, Halloween pedestrian safety, and civic participation that is more accessible to working families.
I am an active PTO member and classroom volunteer, regularly attending BEST PTO meetings and I believe strongly in showing up - not only when decisions are made, but throughout the work it takes to turn community concerns into constructive solutions.
WHY NOW:
Brisbane has a strong foundation. The opportunity now is to protect academic excellence, prepare students with the broad skills they will need for the future, strengthen partnerships with the families, and plan responsibly for growth. I would be honored to contribute a current parents's perspective, careful judgement, and collaborative follow-through to that work
CONTACT:
Reach Emily via emily@emilyforbsd.com
or
415-449-1855