About Us

Who is the Foundation ?

The Ponderosa High School Foundation was established in 2004 by a group of caring parents, alumni, staff, and community members. Our goal is to be able to make philanthropic giving as effective as possible. We are a public charity. Our common vision is to enhance the quality of education for the students at Ponderosa High School. 

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 2023/24, almost $78,000 has been given to Ponderosa teachers, departments, athletic teams, and clubs.

Scholarships - $36,000 given in scholarships to Ponderosa graduates.  

Amazon Gifting for Teachers -  As of the end of 2023/24, 404 items totaling almost $8,500 were donated to Ponderosa teachers.

Board of Directors for 2024-25

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 & Donations 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.

Diane Williams, Secretary & Grants Chair

Diane has been involved with the Foundation since 2018 when she was one of the first volunteers to help the retiring Board transition to nearly all new members. She has served as Vice President for 3 years and Grants Committee Chair for 4 years; she has updated by-laws, organized events, and developed a PHS Foundation presence on social media, in our school, and among the surrounding communities. Diane has worked at UC Davis Medical Center for almost 30 years working in the lab as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist for 10 years, as a registered nurse in Medical ICU for 11 years and Interventional Radiology for 9 years.  In her spare time, she volunteers in the community for Girl Scouts (as a GS Leader), Band Boosters, competitive dance events, local musical theater shows, Harris Center, as well as various church, school, and sporting events. Now that her daughter is off at college, she hopes to finally have a clean, decluttered house, try a new recipe every week, get back into baking, explore the US, and travel the world. And, most importantly, she plans to continue volunteering in our community.

Kaylee Meinz, Director & 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.

Jennifer Cartinella, Director & Scholarships Chair

Jenny and her family moved to this area ten years ago and love living in this small, beautiful community. Her son is entering his junior year at Ponderosa High School and thrives in the band programs offered. Jenny is a licensed child psychologist serving children and families in this area. She has organized and participated in various mental health charity events and projects across Northern California as well as served in volunteer roles and activities at her son’s schools over the last 12 years. Jenny is excited to join the board this year to help support students and staff achieve their goals and excel in their passions at Ponderosa!

Kris Fuchs, Director

Kris, a portfolio manager, and his wife Denese have raised one Ponderosa graduate and have one more currently in the pipeline. Each child has had unique interests, and Kris has been involved in supporting those from the early years of elementary school and PTO organizations all the way into high school. Kris has an affinity for growing community connections, and with that he enjoys meeting the community as our Fundraising Chair.

Niki Garrison, Director, Sponsorship Coordinator & Pondo Pathway Coordinator 

Niki is a parent of a 2022 graduate as well as a current junior at Ponderosa High School. Her occupation is a bookkeeper and political campaign specialist for River City Business Services as well as a new small business owner. Over the years, Niki has been very involved in her boys' school and extracurricular activities beginning in elementary school as Vice President and President of the Buckeye Elementary PTC and the Buckeye cross country coach for 2 years. She then moved to Camerado as the Camerado Middle School Robotics Club coach and as the Disneyland fundraising mom. She then devoted her time to the Ponderosa High School Band Booster program as VP of Fundraising and President (a total of 5 years in the organization!). Niki's family has also been very involved in the community; the Garrison family absolutely loves this community and gives 537% to everything they can. Niki is ecstatic to be a part of the Ponderosa High School Foundation to continue to give back to the community and our amazing Bruins.

Avis Jolly, Director & Social Media Coordinator

Avis Jolly is the parent of a current Ponderosa Student and one alum.  Her children's wide range of interests—including band, FFA, alpine ski team, Key Club, CSF, and more—is what drew Avis to the Foundation and its mission to enrich the education of every Bruin.  Avis brings a wealth of non-profit experience as a volunteer, board member and officer, contractor, and employee of numerous nonprofit entities in El Dorado County.  Her residence is within the Ponderosa district boundaries, and she realizes how a good school not only has an impact on its students but also on its community, and she values the support the Ponderosa High School Foundation lends in this endeavor.


Renee Ong, Director

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.

Marcia Stumpf, Director

Marcia Stumpf is our longest tenured member of the Ponderosa High School Foundation Board. Marcia and her husband, Blaine, are local small business owners who are huge contributors to our community. As a mother of a Bruin graduate, she has also enjoyed staying engaged with the school by assisting the drama program. She brings a wealth of community engagement to our board as she is also actively involved with the California Pony Express Association, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Posse, and the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce.

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.”

Past Presidents

Founding Members, 2004