Executive Board

List of 5 items.

  • Bernardo van der Laat

    Member
    Costa Rica | Managing Director PredictaBill
  • Dr. Kevin Ferreira Van Leer '09

    Secretary
    Associate Professor of Child & Adolescent Development at California State University, Sacramento | UWC Costa Rica Graduate.
  • Eric Muñoz

    Vice-Chair
    Costa Rica | Chief Human Resources Officer at Good Foods Group, LLC | UWC International Council Member | UWC Red Cross Nordic.
  • Susan Mullins

    Chair
    United States | Mediator & Community Conflict Consultant; Member of UWC International Council and Nominating and Governance Committee.
  • Tom Dickerson UWC Atlantic ’68

    Treasurer
    United States | Partner in Venture Capital Funds for the Healthcare Industry | UWC Atlantic College graduate | Former Board Chair UWC USA.
Structured as a foundation under Costa Rican law, UWC Costa Rica is limited to five governing body members, known in Spanish as the Administrative Board and referred to in English as the Executive Board.

The Board of Trustees provides broad oversight, strategic direction, and ongoing fundraising and is responsible for the legal and financial aspects of the college*.

The Board works closely with the school principal and Management Team, who oversee the management of academic affairs and the school's day-to-day operations.

*The Executive Board may delegate certain aspects of its authority to other bodies but retains overall responsibility for the institution's legal, financial, and strategic operation.

All members of the Executive Board are expected to cover their expenses for attendance at all meetings and are requested to make appropriate financial donations to the college.

To carry out the broader governance goals of the college and to help carry out the mission of the college more effectively, the Board of Trustees created a Board of Directors in 2013.

Board of Trustees

List of 13 items.

  • Alonso Venegas

    Costa Rica | Chief of Commercial Banking, Business Banking Management Department at BAC.
  • Manuel Carballo

    Costa Rica, United States | VP and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Oberlin College | He/Him
  • Antonio Galván

    México | CEO, Co-Founder & Senior Consultant at Gálika.
  • Darlene Fisher

    International Accreditation Leader at NEASC | IB Lead Educator.
  • Elke Ruge

    Costa Rica | Designer, Creative Director, and Co-Founder of Montunas.
  • Laurie S. Frank

    United States | Passionate about human interaction in environments where everyone is empowered.
  • Luis Javier Castro

    Costa Rica | Founder and CEO of Mesoamerica Investments.
  • Michael Stern

    United States | Angel Investor at Aug X Labs | Managing Director at Kinneret Group, LLC | UWC-USA graduate.
  • Ronald Chang-Díaz

    Costa Rica | Civil Engineer & Director at Chang-Díaz Hermanos
  • Rosemary Engels

    Costa Rica, Canada | Co-Chair at La República Media Group.
  • Tracy Robinson

    United States | Strategic Thinking Partner
  • Zdenka Piskulich

    Managing Director at Enduring Earth | Executive Director at Forever Costa Rica Association | President at RedLAC
  • Tim Dougherty

    Chief Advancement Officer at Silver Hill Hospital
The Board of Trustees operates in partnership with the Executive Board to accomplish UWC Costa Rica's mission and goals.

Responsible for broad oversight, strategic direction, and fundraising for the College - Trustees are expected to take leadership roles on board committees and project task forces and to provide support and advice to the Head of College, the Management Team, and other staff as required.
 
The Board comprises 15 – 30 people (including the members of the Executive Board). Together with the Board of Trustees, the Head of College and selected members of the College Management Team actively represent the College and are often present at meetings by invitation.
 
The Board meets three times a year, usually in October or February, and at graduation in May. Typically, there are two meetings a year at the College, and when there are opportunities to expand the reach of the College for fund-raising or publicity purposes, there is the possibility that the third meeting will be held at another (Latin or North American) location.

Trustees are expected to cover all their expenses for attending meetings. Additionally, they are expected to make suitable contributions to the future of the College, both in terms of service and in contributions to its financial sustainability.

Management Team

List of 9 items.

  • Annette Grew

    Admissions Director
    United States/Costa Rica | She/Her | Contact
  • Guillermo Chan

    Finance & Operations Director
    United States | He/Him | Contact
  • Jose Pablo Rojas-Brewer

    Development Director
    Costa Rica/United States | He/Him | Contact
  • Katy de la Garza

    Education Director
    Costa Rica | She/Her | Contact
  • Luis Abarca

    Co-Curricular Director
    Costa Rica | He/Him | Contact
  • Mauricio Viales

    Head of College
    Costa Rica | He/Him | Contact
  • Natalie Taylor

    Residential Life Director
    Costa Rica | She/Her | Contact

  • Paula Morán

    Academic Director
    Spain | She/Her | Contact
  • Vanessa Céspedes

    Human Resources Director
    Costa Rica | She/Her | Contact

Our Management Team reflects the values of UWC Costa Rica’s intentional diversity and comprises professionals from different educational, international, and social justice backgrounds.

UWC Costa Rica’s operational structure is divided into Areas, Programs, and Initiatives. Each Area and Program has its Director, and together they form the "MT" or the Management Team. Most, if not all, Staff report to the “MTs,” who then respond to the Head of College. The Head of College reports to the Board of Trustees.

Each Director is in charge of its corresponding Area or Program staff members. If you are looking to contact any staff member, please refer to the corresponding Director by clicking on their contact button.
Our mission: To cultivate in young people the passion and ability to serve humanity and our planet—learning from nature and from each other for a lifetime.

San José, Costa Rica. 10901.
+506 2282 5609 | info@uwccostarica.org
 
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