About Us

Our Mission

The primary objectives and purposes of the PHS Foundation are to raise funds to support and enhance education at Ponderosa High School through enrichment and development of programs, improvement of the physical plant, support of students' activities, and recognition of achievements. 

Accomplishments

Mini-Grants - As of the end of the 2024/25 school year, almost $85,000 has been given to Ponderosa teachers, departments, athletic teams, and clubs.

Scholarships - $38,500 given in scholarships to Ponderosa graduates.  

Amazon Gifting for Teachers -  As of the end of the 2024/25 school year, 529 items totaling $11,500 were donated to Ponderosa teachers.

Board of Directors for 2025-2026

Valerie Engelmann, President

Valerie Engelmann is returning to the board after a year hiatus to see her second and last Bruin through their senior year. In addition, when her children were younger Valerie served over a span of 10 years on the Rescue Elementary and Pleasant Grove Middle School PTC/PTOs.  With all of her knowledge gained through her years of service for non-profits she has also taken up the presidency of the El Dorado Youth Trap Team. As an educator by profession with California Virtual Academies she really enjoys helping to improve our local schools. 

Kris Meyer, Vice President & Pondo Pathway Coordinator

Kris Meyer discovered her love for volunteering when her kids were in elementary school. She has a 2021 Pondo alumnus son (currently attending Boise State’s Nursing Program) and a future 2025 Pondo graduate daughter. As soon as she began volunteering for the Green Valley Elementary School PTO, she never stopped her philanthropic efforts, eventually becoming PTO President for both the elementary school and middle school her kids attended. She also coordinated a few fundraising events, like the Harvest Festival for GV and Oktoberfest for Pleasant Grove Middle School. It didn’t take long for her to quietly assist in collecting donations for the Foundation’s Green and Gray Gathering, eventually joining the Board. Kris looks forward to making the 2023-2024 school year a wonderful one for Ponderosa High School. 

Jila Fishman, Treasurer & Webmaster

Although both of Jila Fishman’s children have moved on from Pondo, she is very happy to continue volunteering for the Ponderosa High School Foundation.  The PHS Foundation’s goal of enriching the education of every Bruin fits perfectly with what Jila has been working toward for almost two decades with her volunteerism: the improvement of our children’s education.  She has volunteered extensively with local schools, been a member of a Site Council, held both board and officer positions with several non-profit PTOs and Booster Clubs, and volunteered for years with both the Girl and Boy Scouts.  Jila has been with the Ponderosa High School Foundation since 2019.

Renee Ong, Secretary & Fundraising Coordinator

Renee Ong is the parent of a current Bruin. Renee is licensed in commercial real estate and works part time at a prominent Sacramento Development and Real Estate Firm. During her Bruin's earlier years she served on the William Brooks Elementary School-PTA and Camerado Springs Middle School – PTO including as vice-president. Renee believes it is important to be supportive, help encourage the kids, and be a small part of providing resources, so they feel more empowered and confident to pursue their dreams.

Kaylee Meinz, Director, Grants Coordinator & Staff Representative  

As both an alum (Class of 2008) and a current staff member, Kaylee Meinz has always appreciated the sense of community and camaraderie that she has experienced at Ponderosa High School and is looking forward to the opportunity to help support the Ponderosa Foundation in its mission of “supporting and enhancing education at Ponderosa High School”. Kaylee currently works as the Administrative Assistant for Principal Hunt and has been a part of the PHS Staff since 2021. In her spare time, Kaylee enjoys spending time with her  husband and their daughter, traveling, crafting and working on home improvement projects. 

Matt Thomas, Director & Staff Representative

Matt Thomas was born and raised in El Dorado County, moving back in 2014 from San Diego where he enjoyed a career in the restaurant industry. He returned home with his wife and two daughters to pursue a career in teaching. Matt received a BA and MA in Philosophy from SDSU and an MA in Education from the University of Phoenix. His first teaching position was at Independence High School, and then after 2 years, he transferred to Ponderosa High School. He has worked at Ponderosa now for 5 years and loves being a Bruin. Matt always had a passion for education, and besides spending time with his family, he can be found working outside, traveling, fishing, or boring people with philosophy and history.

Anna Wyllie, Director & Amazon Gifting for Teachers Coordinator

Anna Wyllie moved to El Dorado Hills in 2006 with her husband, Chris Wyllie. They are raising two sons in this wonderful community - Jack (16) a Sophomore and Owen (15) a Freshman at Ponderosa High School. Anna adheres to the saying that “Many hands make light work!” Volunteers do hard work; it takes many hands to get the work done. She believes that building a better community begins with promoting the health and well-being of our children. We all can contribute towards this endeavor, and she is passionate about doing her part. Anna shares a common vision with the Ponderosa Foundation, working “to enhance the quality of education for the students at Ponderosa High School.”

Jackson Robertson, Director & Scholarships Coordinator

Jackson Robertson moved from the coastside to the foothills about four years ago with his family, where he continues to support local schools. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, he was a financial advisor in San Francisco at Merrill Lynch. He switched careers and got his real estate license in 2004 - and has enjoyed helping people buy and sell property for over 20 years. He enjoys cooking, gardening, golf and staying busy with the community. He was President of Toastmasters Half Moon Bay, and spent 5 years on the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council. He committed over 5 years to the Board of the Cabrillo Education Foundation - on the Marketing, Fundraising, Events, and Endowment Advisory committees. Worked with all elementary school PTO presidents in the district to form Coastsiders for Better Education Funding - an advocacy group promoting fair and equitable funding at the state level. Also, he successfully Co-Chaired two ballot measures that helped teacher salaries and aging school sites. He’s inspired by the idea that good investments can help students reach their full potential. With an 8th and 9th grader, he's looking forward to a great experience at Pondo! 

Past Presidents

• Avis Jolly, 2020-2022 and 2023-2024

• Tracy Pearson, 2022-2023

• David Sargeant, 2005-2019