Meet your Executive Board
TVEA's Executive Board (EB) is composed of four officers, seven Area Representatives elected At-Large to represent the needs of: elementary school, middle school, high school, and special education, student support services and our membership coordinator.
The responsibilities of the EB is to coordinate the activities of the Association. They act for the Leadership Council when school is not in session.
The EB directs the bargaining activities and grievance processing of the Association, subject to policies set by the Leadership Council. They are to approve appointment and removal of bargaining team members by a two-thirds majority vote. The EB adopts the Grievance Procedure and directs the grievance activities of the Association.
The EB recommends a budget for the Association to the Leadership Council. They approve by majority vote all appointment and removal of committee members, including chairpersons. The EB adopts the Standing Rules for the Association. The EB exercises all the business and organizational powers and duties for the Association as prescribed by law and the Association bylaws, subject to any restrictions imposed by the Leadership Council.
Bargaining Committee Liaison
President
Edgar Diaz
GMS
tveapresident@gmail.com
¡Saludos! to all of my colleagues.
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I am now in 26+ years in education. I am not quite sure how it has passed so quickly. I grew up in an unincorporated area between Whittier and Pico Rivera, a community outside of Los Angeles. I had the opportunity to work at SummerBridge based out of UC San Diego for many summers working with struggling students from Barrio Logan at the Bishops School in La Jolla for three summers, this experience taught me the impact I had with students in helping them reach their goals. I graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a major in History, and minor in education intent in teaching at the high school level in a disadvantaged area.
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As it turned out, I was hired for a 5th grade teaching assignment in Fremont, California at the dawn of class size reduction. For many who were not around, that was a 20:1 ration in K-3rd grades and lower sizes in 9th grade English. Imagine that! Getting this job offer in January of senior year was an offer I could not pass up. Growing up in an underserved community, I knew that I wanted to work with underachieving students and connect with the community around them, but I didn’t realize I would enjoy accomplishing this with children at this age level.
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In 2004, my wife and I made the heartbreaking decision to leave the Bay Area and the dual language immersion program we taught in and move closer to family. For 7 years I enjoyed working with the dedicated staff and motivated students of Vail Elementary. The next 10 years I had a blast exploring topics in U.S. History with 8th grade students at Gardner Middle.
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Although time consuming, I take pride in giving back to the profession I love through my work with TVEA. In my first few years teaching, it was veterans who coached me on voicing what I believe is best for students and learning and how to organize around matters of consequence; working conditions that are conducive to learning, a positive working environment the allows you to grow, compensation that attracts talented educators and helps support their family goals, and allowing colleagues to focus on what matters… teaching.
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After 26 years in the classroom, I am now proud to serve as President for TVEA. I am committed to building our union strength, where we have firm union support at each site. Where we can engage in problem solving to advocate to improve learning and working conditions. It takes time and effort. For many years, my four children followed me to meetings and sites before heading to soccer or some other activity. The investment was in our students and in us, TVEA.
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In solidarity, Edgar
Hi, My name is Jennee Scharf and I am honored to serve as Temecula Valley Educators Association‘s Secretary. It is my 26th year of teaching and of being a proud union member. I graduated from San Francisco State University in 1995 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Teaching English and earned my teaching credential through LAUSD’s Internship Program. I later went on to earn my Masters in Teaching Adolescent Literature from National University and eventually became one of TVUSD’s first National Board Certified Teachers.
I began my teaching career in July of 2000 at John Marshall High School in Silverlake in Los Angeles, CA. I taught 9th grade Language Arts and helped begin a Small Learning Community called Humanitas that focused on a humanities driven approach to learning. I have been at Great Oak High School since 2007 and was lucky enough to teach its first graduating class as seniors. Over the last 18 years as part of the Wolfpack I have taught 9th grade English, 10th grade English,12th grade English, AP Lang and Comp, and the Expository Reading and Writing Course for seniors. I also served as a grade level strand leader, on the First Day Committee, the Academic Integrity Council, and for the past six years, I have been the English Department Chair and a part of Great Oak’s Vision team. Teaching has always been a passion and continues to be so today.
I look forward to serving TVEA’s incredible body of educators as they serve the Temecula Valley.
Elementary Area Director
Jennifer Catalano
AES
tveaelemarearep@gmail.com
Elementary Area Rep Squads
AES, BES, FVES, HIIA/VHES, LES, NVES, PES, RES, Summit Academy
Safety Committee Liaison
Hi my name is Jennifer Catalano, and it's my pleasure to serve as one of your Elementary Area Directors. This is my second year as director. I’ve served as site rep at Alamos for the past 7 years. I received my BS degree and credential from Cal State Fullerton. This will be my 29th year as an educator, and this is my 11th year with TVUSD. I have taught multiple grade levels in elementary school and I have even taught 6th grade at the middle school for a few years. I previously taught in Colorado before coming to Temecula. I first started in Temecula as a literacy specialist for both Vintage Hills and Paloma. I moved to Alamos and have been there ever since. Currently, I teach first grade.
In my free time, I love to read, shop, DIY, and work out. I am married and have 2 adult daughters.
I am excited to help elementary voices be heard! We work so hard to make students successful in the classroom and go above and beyond every day. I look forward to supporting elementary educators.
Middle Area Rep Squads
BVMS, DMS, GMS, MMS, TMS, VRMS
Adhoc Budget Committee Liaison
Thank you for honoring me with your vote! I am excited to be serving as your our Middle School Area Director. I am an Alumni of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Masters in Education and Bachelors in Psychology. My career started in elementary school in 1993 in the same school district I attended K-12, Fairfax County, Virginia. After earning National Board Certification, I relocated to Rancho Elementary in Temecula in 2002. A few short years later I made the move to middle school math and science at Bella Vista. Brief stints at TVCS and GMS were followed by getting my supplemental credential in math. I was asked to serve as a math specialist in 2014 at CHS which I did for a few years before returning to Bella Vista in the new role.
While serving as a Math Specialist, we were blessed with three precious children who are now in TK, 1st and 5th grades. They love to travel and ask me each summer to attend Camp NEA at the NEA RA which we’ve attended for the past 4 years. My union involvement has continued to grow over these last 10 years and include site leader, NEA RA, State Council, Bargaining member, and Exec Board.
As a newly elected member of the TVEA exec board, I will strive to listen and do my best to ensure all voices are heard at every level. Protection of the interests of our teachers and students is my top priority. I will bring back all I am learning on the State Council’s Safety Committee and am eager to engage with you all on how I can best represent you.
High School Area Director
Stephanie (Stevie) Collins
TVHS
tveahigharearep@gmail.com
High School Area Rep Squads
TVHS, SAEC
Equity & Human Rights Committee Liaison
Hi, my name is Cyndy Lopez, and I have been an active member of TVEA for the past 8 years. It's been my privilege to serve as the TVEA Vice President for the past 3 years.
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I've worked in education for over 30 years, and this is my 10th year with TVUSD. I am a Speech-Language Pathologist by profession, but I also have seven years of experience as an elementary school teacher.
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I’m excited for what this year holds for TVEA and look forward to all that we can accomplish together!
Howdy, all!
My name is Derek Heid, and I'm your TVEA Treasurer. I'm a seventeen-year teacher in the TVUSD, but my history with Temecula's schools goes all the way back to elementary school: I started Kindergarten at Nicolas Valley Elementary, attended middle school at Margarita and James L. Day, and graduated Class of 2004 from Chaparral High School. Temecula's schools have shaped me into the educator I am today, and it's because of those formative experiences that I am compelled to give back through TVEA.
In my time with our organization I've served as a Site Rep, High School Area Rep, and PAC Chair; in addition to my current role as Treasurer, I'm also serving as one of your CTA State Council Representatives. I'm drawn to the work that we do as a union because we are always, always stronger together. It is through using our voices and our strength to support one another in and out of the classroom that we are equipped to best serve our students, their families, and the greater Temecula community. When we all take strides together, we all make progress -- and I'm proud to be a part of that movement!
Member Engagement Committee Liaison
Position Specialist Groups
SLP, Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Nurses, LCAP
LCAP Consult Liaison
Hello! My name is Tina Mey and I have been the TVEA Support Services Area Representative since the spring of 2023. I am honored to advocate for counselors, SLPs, social workers, nurses, school psychologists and other "behind the scenes" educational professionals who serve a vital role in the success of students and schools.
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My educational career started in 1994, and I have been with TVUSD since 2014. After completing college at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and earning my teaching credential from Ottawa University in Phoenix, I started teaching high school English in Peoria, Arizona. I then earned a MA Ed in Educational Leadership from NAU and then continued my graduate studies in School Counseling at Ottawa University. After 10 years in the classroom, I transitioned into school counseling. I have been a school counselor at Centennial High School in Arizona, an LCAP counselor at Temecula Valley High School, and most recently a school counselor at Chaparral High School before moving to the district office to serve as the Counselor on Special Assignment (COSA). Now, I support all TVUSD counselors and mentor counselors who are new to our district.
Outside of school, you will find me on some kind of adventure with my husband, Rick. We love to watch our son play college football, and are planning several trips to England this year where he is playing for Leeds Beckett University. We make several trips home to Arizona each year to see our youngest daughter and our extended family. Our oldest daughter lives close by so we find lots of fun things to do with her family, and spend as much time as possible spoiling our 2 granddaughters. I also do a little traveling, reading, gardening and yoga whenever I can.
Position Specialist Groups
RSP, Special Education
Special Education Committee Liaison
Hi, I am Suzanne Kurtz and am your Special Education Area Director for TVEA. Back in 7th grade was when I knew I wanted to work with students with special needs. I graduated from Baylor University and began teaching in Texas but have also taught in Virginia and Wisconsin. So if you ask me how long I’ve been teaching, I have lost count. Currently I am a TK-5th CLS teacher at CHES.
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When I’m not doing teacher responsibilities, I am relaxing doing any of the following: reading, spending time with the hubby, spending time with family, petting any of my 5 pets, traveling, or reclining on the couch with a glass of wine.
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Prior to this role in TVEA, I was a site rep for CHES then the SDC Rep and am currently on the Special Education Committee. I am here to ensure you have the support and resources you need so please reach out. I am looking forward to serving as your Special Education Area Director.
Hello! My name is Stevie Collins and I am honored to serve as one of your High School Area Directors! I have been in education for over 20 years and have been a proud ASL teacher in TVUSD for the last 12 years. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Interpreting: ASL/English, a Master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, and have served TVEA as a site leader and member of the Equity and Human Rights Committee for the last five years. My goal as your High School Area Director is to make sure that the voices of our teachers are being heard so that they can focus on serving TVUSD’s diverse student population and providing them with the engaging and rewarding learning experience that our district is known for.
When I am not in the classroom or serving our membership, you can find me working outreach for Heartsong Interpreting, advocating for disability or LGBTQ+ rights, or spending time with my two adopted daughters. I am most happy when I am with them, whether it be at the beach, up in the mountains, or just simply watching movies in our living room.
I look forward to meeting our high school colleagues on school site visits and engaging in productive conversations on how we can best represent you and serve the students of TVUSD.