School Board

The School Board for 2023-24!

We are pleased to announced that the School Board was voted in at the PGM on 16th September 2023. This is the team that provides governance and strategic directions for Santisouk.
Congratulations and thank you to Rebecca, Garrett, Pom, Tina, Emilie, Valanty and Gerardo (absent in the photo)!

School Board Members

Garrett Young - Chair

I have been living in Vientiane with my wife Erin and our family for seven years. I have spent most of my career working in international public health. I have worked as the Country Representative for the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Laos since 2015 where we focus on strengthening the public health system to better manage communicable diseases, improve maternal and child health, and better respond to emergencies. We live here with our three daughters, Winnie (age 7), Maddie (age 5), and Hazel (age 3). Winnie and Maddie have both graduated from Santisouk, and Hazel has just started her second year at the school. We are so impressed by the energy and excitement the kids have brought home every day and have enjoyed being part of such a great community. I am looking forward to continuing supporting the work of the board to sustain and strengthen the school.

Christina Soukdala - Vice Chair

I am a local entrepreneur in the food and beverage sector. I am the founder of Dough & Co, a local cafe and bakery in Vientiane and a cofounder of a craft beer pub - Corebeer.

I am half Ukrainian and Lao, born in Ukraine and moved to Laos with my parents when I was three and have been living in Laos since. I started working in the auditing and public diplomacy sector before pursuing my education in the UK. I started being interested in Montessori teaching methods when I was expecting a baby and I was very keen on sending my child to a Montessori school, which focuses on the development of self-expression, self-reliance, and agility in interpersonal relationships. Our son Yogi is in Casa Rainbow and he loves it. We are happy how the teachers support the kids and the parents, especially those going to school for the first time. As a board member, I am looking forward to supporting the board and the school towards a sustainable future.

.

Rebecca Frazar - Treasurer

I have lived in Vientiane for one year with my husband Josh and our daughter Olivia. Olivia is currently in her second year at Santisouk and is in Casa Sunshine. Each school day, I look forward to hearing about all the amazing things she has learned as well as her garden adventures. I'm grateful we have had this opportunity to have Santisouk be her first school experience.

I have a financial and accounting background, specifically working as an auditor in public accounting and an accounting manager for a US publicly traded company. I believe I can help support Santisouk as Treasurer and board member. I look forward to serving a school that is doing a fantastic job in cultivating a lifelong love of learning!

Gerardo Dereviziis

I arrived in Vientiane for the first time in 1991, Italian, married with a Lao national woman and father of Franca a girl of 2 and half years in Casa Rainbow, for her, the first year with Montessori Santisouk.

My background comes from Hospitality Management with a BA in the fields and international hotelier experience

Since 2009, back to Vientiane, presently I am managing our family investments in restaurants, Import Export trading and properties development.

I wish to be part of the Board Members and to extend support to Santisouk Montessori with its well-reputed preschool children development programs.

We are facing hard times, pandemic has challenged all of us, we see the present situation as not an easy period for our children, that why supporting and sustaining Santisouk Montessori Preschool it’s a pillar task for our children.

Wipusa Sriyapai O'Hara (Pom)

I’m Thai and I have 2 Thai-American daughters.

I used to work in the airline industry for 9 years. Aviation is my passion. I love to fly. I like to meet new people and explore new places and what I like the most is to make someone happy so 8 years out of 9 I work as a flight attendant.

After the birth of my 1st child, I quit the airline and have been working part-time as a Vice President of an Au Pair company. We recruit candidates from Thailand to join our exchange program in the U.S. to expand their horizons and learn about new cultures. Now I’m a full-time mom and a member of the Santisouk Events Team which is the best team ever! I’m so glad to be a part of Santisouk family and the School Board. I hope to be able to help the school and our community as best as I can.

Emilie Saves

My name is Emilie, I’ve been living in Vientiane since 2018. We are now a family of four and my older son Charles is a student at Santisouk.

I have been working in the banking industry for over 10 years and over 12 years in Southeast Asia as I was living in Bangkok before moving to Laos.

I have a Business Management and IT background, but now I’m in charge of Risk and Compliance for a French bank subsidiary established in Laos.

I’m proud and happy to be able to contribute actively to Santisouk growth, sustainability, and promotion as a Board Member. Our main target is to support Santisouk students’ development in a friendly and inclusive environment.

Vanlaty Siphom (Bae)

I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Finance. I’ve currently been working as a procurement consultant in the World Bank Lao office for 4 years.

I have 2 kids; one girl is almost 4 years old and she is at Santisouk, another is a boy almost 8 months.

I don’t have any specific hobby because I am not an active person. Just try to make my routine efficient by working 8 hours a day, eating tasty foods, working out 30 minutes, drinking wine, and most importantly, spending time with my family.