Our Board
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Kavita Amar
Kavita Amar is Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at New Line Cinema, where she has managed all of the legal aspects of production on theatrical motion pictures such as “Sex and the City,” “Sex and the City 2,” “The Conjuring,” “The Conjuring 2,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” “Horrible Bosses 2” and Stephen King’s “IT.” Prior to going in-house, Kavita worked as an entertainment and business litigation attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, as an employment attorney at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, and clerked for a federal judge in the Western District of Washington. She attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she double majored in English and Economics. She received her joint J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. Kavita’s passion for writing led her to publish her poetry in a local magazine when she was in high school, and later she published a novel entitled “L.A. Style”—a fun, glamorous chick-lit read with an insider’s view of the City of Angels. An avid reader, Kavita recalls her childhood imagination being sparked by A Wrinkle in Time, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and The Wizard of Oz. She also appreciated everything she learned from Judy Blume’s novels. When not reading, writing, or watching movies, Kavita enjoys international travel, trying out new restaurants, and working out. |
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Jill Casselman
Jill Casselman is a government litigator and trial attorney. She is committed to pursuing justice for her clients and fairness in the legal system as a whole. One of Jill’s favorite children’s books is Roald Dahl’s Matilda. |
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Gail Fischvogt
Treasurer Born and raised in Cincinnati , OH, Gail moved to southern CA with her husband Mike in 1983. She attended California State University at Long Beach from 1987-1991 and earned a BS in Business Finance. She opened South Bay Sports Medicine Physical Therapy, an outpatient rehabilitation clinic, in Torrance, CA with her husband and two partners in 1988. She continues to work as Manager/Administrator for SBSM, which employs 20 people. She’s been married for 30 years, and has two sons, Ryan, born in 1989, and Travis, born in 1993. Gail has been an Access Books board member since 2001. She became involved when she organized a book drive at her son’s elementary school. One of her favorite children’s books is Bob and Jack: A Boy and His Yak, by Jeff Moss. |
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Steven Sines
Steve Sines is very mysterious. |
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Shelly Wood
Shelly Wood has dedicated her career to working with underserved youth. She spent the first twenty years of her career working for the California Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Justice. She was involved with implementing two nationally recognized state-wide programs, one focusing on restorative justice and the other focusing on arts and cultural Programming. Additionally, she started an intramural sports program. As a consultant, she had the opportunity to travel the country training justice advocates to implement similar programs to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. Since leaving corrections, Shelly’s worked with local charities that focus on programs designed to empower children, helping them to stay out of the criminal justice system. Through grant writing and coordinating special events, she has raised millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations, state agencies, and individuals. She’s also partnered with various Title 1 elementary schools and numerous law enforcement agencies, helping bring much needed resources benefiting children. Shelly received the Doris Tate Crime Victims Governor’s Award, was recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice for assisting crime victims, was awarded Victim Advocate of the Year by the LA City Attorney’s Office, was recognized by the NFL Retired Players Association, was recognized by the California’s Attorney General for her involvement with the Law Enforcement-Education Cadre, and was Teacher of the Year for the University of Phoenix, Dept. of Criminal Justice. Shelly received her Juris Doctorate degree from Western State University School of Law, did her graduate studies in Public Administration at Wayne State University, and earned a double BA in Economics & Management and Political Science from Albion College located in Michigan. Shelly served as the first full-time Executive Director for the Water Buffalo Club, a men’s organization that raises funds for children’s charities in Los Angeles county. It was during this time that Shelly fell in love with Access Books and she’s been committed to this organization ever since. Shelly’s favorite children’s book is The Little Prince. |
Advisory Board
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Mario Garcielita
Mr. Garcielita, principal of Hollenbeck Middle School, is an educational leader with 30 years of experience in the educational field. He emphasizes the interaction of school, parents, and community to close the achievement gap and set students on a successful path to college. Mr. Garcielita is a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1985. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Business Administration from Whittier College, a M.A. in Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge. His favorite children’s book is Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss |
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Jenny Hertz-Newman
Jenny Hertz-Newman is the teacher librarian at El Sereno Middle School in Los Angeles Unified Region East. She has been a librarian and an educator for over twenty years and is a mom to two daughters who attend high schools also in LAUSD Region East. Jenny studied modern literature at UC Santa Cruz and then received her MEd in Cognitive Development from UCLA before attending San Jose State's MLIS program. Jenny has always been a reader and has always loved matching children and books. She sometimes wonders how on earth there is a fabulous job where she gets to connect students with books all day! Her favorite books in middle school were anything written by L.M. Montgomery or Madeleine L'Engle and she still rereads Pride and Prejudice every few years. |
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Sergio Medrano
Sergio Medrano is an educator, a mentor, an aspiring writer, an entrepreneur, and a lover of books. Sergio has been in the business of youth development for the past 32+ years. He has made it his passion to share his talents and skills with kids of all ages, especially his love for books and reading.
Currently, Sergio is a Library Aide managing two of L.A.U.S.D.’s elementary school libraries, one at Weigand Ave School (in Watts – also an Access Books recipient) and at San Gabriel Ave School (in South Gate). One other project that Sergio is proud to be involved with is teaming up with Access Books, where he willingly and happily volunteers his time spreading the love of and the access to books with kids throughout the year. Sergio's favorite book is "Dreamers" by Yuyi Morales. |
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Franny Parrish
Franny Parrish has a loooooong and varied career going back to Texas where she began her education at multiple colleges including the University of Texas in Austin before finally landing in Santa Fe, New Mexico at St. Michael's College. There, Academy Award-winning actress Greer Garson offered her an acting scholarship. After completing her degree, the bright lights of Los Angeles and a Canadian gentleman beckoned, and they are all still together. After spending years doing stage work, voice overs, running a successful recording studio, music publishing company, and a music production company, Franny tired of "the industry" and wanted a less stressful job. She became an LAUSD elementary school Library Aide and, eventually, after being laid off multiple times, a very active member of her union. Her union work has focused on saving the libraries of LAUSD and the jobs of those who run them. She has also advocated for libraries in schools where children lack community access to books. Most students do not have the ability to just walk to the neighborhood library, so the school library is critical. Someone asked Franny if she missed acting. "Well, yes and no," she said. "I give 28 performances a week at my school. They aren't big productions, but my audience gives me big hugs all the time. I feel like a rock star." |
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Amanda Sobremesana
Dr. Amanda Sobremesana is an accomplished educational professional with an extensive background in K-12 education, Higher Education, and Adult Learning. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Sobremesana has held various pivotal roles including teacher, curriculum specialist, K-12 district office math administrator, and preschool-8th grade principal. Sobremesana's educational journey began with a B.A. in Liberal Arts, followed by a Masters in Teaching and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Her commitment to continuous learning led her to earn an Ed.D in Higher Education and Adult Learning. She currently serves as an elementary principal and supervisor for student teachers at Western Governors University. During her tenure as a principal for an urban district in LA County, Dr. Sobremesana showcased her innovative leadership by spearheading transformative initiatives. She established a pioneering LEGO Robotics Lab for students in grades K-2, successfully implemented Project Lead the Way for students in grades 3-5, and designed an exceptional Middle School ESports and Computer Science Pathway. Recognized for her exceptional work in social-emotional support for students, Dr. Sobremesana and her dedicated staff were honored with the prestigious 2022 California Pivotal Practice award. Furthermore, she was nominated for Administrator of the Year by the Black Student Achievement Department, reflecting her unwavering commitment to equity and social justice for all student subgroups. Her favorite children's books are the Phantom Tollbooth and The Chronicles of Narnia series. |
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Marcia Sidney-Reed
Marcia Sidney-Reed is a proud product of the Los Angeles Unified School District with experience as a student, a playground supervisor, a teacher, a coordinator, and an administrator. She moved from the playground to the principalship. Mrs. Reed is currently the Principal of 186th Street Elementary School. She received her professional training at the University of Southern California where she received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees in Education. She received her administrative credential from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Under Mrs. Reed’s leadership, 186th Street was awarded the prestigious California Gold Ribbon School Award and the California Distinguished School Award by the California Department of Education, a Title I Academic Achievement School Award, an Arts Banner School Award, an Honor Roll Award from the California Business for Education Excellence, a Golden Bell Award for Collaborative Community Partnerships from the California School Boards Association, and a National Award for Peace Collaboratives from the Peace First Organization. Mrs. Reed lives in Long Beach, California with her husband Marty, and she is the proud mother of three young adult children, Maree, Marques, and Marti. They are known as the “Mar” Reed family. She firmly believes “every child deserves a golden opportunity and every golden opportunity deserves a child; the opportunity is waiting for a courageous leader to just ask.” With the joy of reading, her students are soaring academically, artistically, and peacefully!!! She encourages her students to read to lead so they can go places in their wildest imagination. Her favorite book is Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. |
