With his father’s 1963 transfer to March Air Force base, Tom, a self-affirmed `Air Force brat,` landed in Riverside on his 7th birthday and began his life-long commitment to our community. Attending elementary, middle, and high school in Riverside, Tom attained his AA degree from then Riverside City College before transferring to UCLA and graduating in 1978 with a B.A. in Political Science.

Following the focus of his degree, Tom relocated to Louisiana where he joined a campaign team that saw the election of the states first Republican governor since Reconstruction. Tom served on the Governors executive staff before his appointment, at age 27, as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Urban and Community Affairs. Later, Tom entered private business in Baton Rouge but his roots in Riverside soon led him to reunite with, and soon after marry, his La Sierra High School sweetheart, the former Geri Diane Pepiot.

In 1987, the couple returned to Southern California when Tom was recruited to head up a state-wide business association. In 1994, Tom founded his own consulting firm, Hunt Public Relations, which serves the public affairs and strategic planning needs of Inland Empire-focused development interests. In March, 2007, Tom joined PSOMAS, a 65-year old civil engineering, planning, construction management and design firm, with offices throughout four western states and some 650 employees, as Vice President in the Inland Empire Offices.

Tom remains active in local organizations including serving on the Board of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, KSGN radio station, Riverside Poly High School Girls Water Polo Boosters, and Riverside Educational Enrichment Foundation. Tom and his wife Geri have two daughters, Whitney and Taylore. Taylore is in Poly High School’s class of 2009 and Whitney graduated from Poly High School in the class of 2006. Tom can be reached at 951-565-8006 or thunt@rusd.k12.ca.us .
 

Thirty years ago Chuck came to Riverside as principal of John W. North High School, having recently completed a PH.D at the University of Iowa. Prior to settling in Riverside, Chuck served as a middle school and high school teacher, department chair, Curriculum Director of Social Studies and English K-12, vice principal and principal for Shawnee Mission Public Schools, a 45,000-student district in suburban Kansas City.

After eight years at North, Chuck went on to become Deputy and Acting Superintendent of the District before retiring in 1993 with 42 years as an education professional.

Following retirement from RUSD, he was elected three times as Riverside City Councilman for Ward One. On November 8, 2005, Chuck was elected to the RUSD Board of Education. In addition to serving on the RUSD Board, Chuck serves on the Board of Directors for the Mission Inn Foundation, Downtown Partnership, Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, and the Mt. Rubidoux Manor. Recently he agreed to join the Riverside Community Hospital Advisory Board.

With his wife Sally, the Beatys enjoy an active and rewarding family life (six children, fourteen grandchildren), travel, entertaining and attending community events, hiking, and reading.

Dr. Beaty can be reached by e-mail at cbeaty@rusd.k12.ca.us or by phone at 951.787.8984.
 

Gayle Cloud has been involved in education at the state and local levels for over fifteen years. She has a B.A. in English from Chapman University and a current California elementary teaching credential. Her interest in reading has led her to tutor children and adults in basic reading skills.

She has six children: a son in his emergency room residency in New York, a daughter working at Cal Baptist University, twin students attending Riverside Community College, and daughters in high school and middle school in the Riverside Unified School District. Mrs. Cloud has been involved in curriculum issues at the state level and has served on several panels including the Instructional Materials Advisory Panel. She is an active volunteer on the city Homeless Committee, on the YMCA Visioning Committee, and serves on the Board of Mt. Rubidoux Manor. She attends The Grove Community Church. She loves to read, write, garden and quilt.

Mrs. Cloud can be reached by e-mail at gcloud@rusd.k12.ca.us or by phone at 951.788.9394.
 

Mr. Lewis Vanderzyl

A native Riversider and long time educator (1960-1991), Mr. Vanderzyl was a middle school principal for twenty-one years. Long active in community affairs, he currently serves on the boards of the Riverside Community Foundation and the Riverside Kiwanis Club. With his wife Mollie, he has five married children and eleven grandchildren. He particularly enjoys visiting his grandchildren and reading, anything from detective novels to brain research.

Mr. Vanderzyl can be reached by e-mail at lvanderzyl@rusd.k12.ca.us or by phone at 951.784.2016.
 

Kathy Allavie has a long history with RUSD schools. Her grandmother attended Riversides All-Girls High School. Her father was class president at Old Poly. She herself attended Emerson, Alcott, Victoria and Benjamin Harrison Elementary Schools, Chemawa Middle School and Poly High School. Her three daughters (Erin, Kellyn and Jaclyn) have attended Poly High School, King High School and John W. North High School! After graduation, she attended USC, graduating with a degree in Journalism/Public Relations in 1976. She married her husband, John Allavie, a local ophthalmologist, in 1978.

As a longtime volunteer, Mrs. Allavie has chaired the City of Riversides Youth Action Plan and sat on the RUSD Measure B Citizens Oversight Committee. She has served on over 25 community non-profit boards, and been president of the Junior League, the National Charity League and the Riverside Arts Foundation, as well as PTA President at three schools. She has been awarded the 2004 YWCA Woman of Achievement, the 2005 Family Services Family of the Year for volunteerism and the Junior League Silver Raincross. She has been Volunteer of the Year at Earhart Middle School (twice) and John W. North High School. In her free time she enjoys giving tours at the Mission Inn and working with the Riverside Arts Museum.

Mrs. Allavie can be reached by e-mail at kallavie@rusd.k12.ca.us or by phone at 951.684.2349.