Winters Education Foundation 
Celebrating over 15 years of supporting our schools!

CONGRATULATIONS JILL AGUIAR - YOLO PHILANTHROPY HONOREE!
Jill Aguiar
Jill Aguiar

We are thrilled to announce that Jill Aguiar has been selected as an honoree at the 2024 Yolo Philanthropy Awards! Jill joins a group of incredible individuals and groups that have gone above and beyond to make a lasting impact in their communities. Jill will be honored at the Yolo Community Foundation Philanthropy Awards on November 19th at the California Agricultural Museum in Woodland.

Jill Aguiar has been a board member for the Winters Education Foundation (WEF) for more than ten years. Formally she serves as secretary, but she is much more—she steps in for the board president when he is away, she works alongside the treasurer, and she facilitates communication between WEF and all of the schools in Winters JUSD. She plays a key role in the mini grants program that is WEF’s core program enhancing Winters’s classes. All of this is part of her greater role in our community. She volunteers in support of PTA, she assists with Future Farmers, she works in the schools. Jill is part of the connective tissue that makes Winters a special community.

Jill is a treasure, and we are proud to have her as a valued member of the Winters Education Foundation Board.



YOUR DONATIONS SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!

WEF relies on your generous donations to fund programs that have a direct impact in our schools. Last year WEF distributed over $20000 in mini grants to our schools to support expanded educational offerings. And though we were thrilled to offer these grants the need indicated by grant requests was over $40,000! As a board we had some very difficult decisions to make. This fall WEF will again be distributing mini grants and we know the need will again be great.  You can give anytime and support our mission.

DONATING IS EASY AND FULFILLING!

Please consider donating by clicking this DONATION LINK or by mailing a check to

Winters Education Foundation
P.O. Box 1047
Winters, CA 95694

If you would like your donation to go towards our endowment fund please make note in the comment section when you donate, donations will otherwise be placed in our grant program fund.

Raising money within our community to subsidize our schools in response to the needs of all our children.

OUR VALUES:

WE CARE

EQUITY

EXCELLENCE

INTEGRITY

COLLABORATION



OUR VISION:
To secure an enduring model education for all children in Winters.

W.E.F.
P.O. Box 1047
Winters, CA 95694

e-mail: WEF


Winters Education Foundation Board Members

Biographies

Kurt Balasek, President
Kurt is a Professional Geologist and Certified Hydrogeologist practicing
environmental engineering and consulting. He has been a resident in the Winters
area since 1989.  Kurt has a passion for public education.  He comes from a long
line of school teachers and administrators; His wife Connie is a veteran
elementary school teacher in the Winters Joint Unified School District and has
just completed her 23rd year with the District.  In addition to his devotion to
quality public education, Kurt puts tremendous value on community service.  He
currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Solano Resource Conservation
District and the Water Resource Association of Yolo County as well as the Putah
Creek Park Committee.

Jill Aguiar, Secretary
Jill is a parent, community member and former teacher in the WJUSD. She is a strong advocate for education. She has been actively involved in the Winters Combined PTA since 2010, serving as President for three years. She was actively involved in the Winters Parent Nursery School where she also served on the Board of Directors. Jill and her husband John have three children, Emily, Joseph and Allison, who all attend school in the WJUSD. She has been serving on the WEF Board since 2012.

Don Palm, Treasurer
Don is a retired dean in a neighboring community college district. He has spent his life in higher education and believes deeply in the power of education to transform lives. He and his wife Laura Leach-Palm moved to Winters in 2010 after more than a decade of visits.

Diane Cary                                                                                                                                                                Diane is retired from UC Davis, where she managed the education, volunteer, membership, and communications programs at the Arboretum and Public Gardens. She and her husband Keith raised their daughter Nora in Winters (WHS class of 2004), and now Nora’s two sons are students in the Winters schools. Diane has been an active volunteer in the community for more than 30 years. She currently serves as co-president of Winters Friends of the Library. 

Liz Coman                                                                                                                                                                      Liz is a life-long member of Winters, arriving with her parents in 1955. She and her husband attended Winters public schools from kindergarten through high school as did their three daughters. Liz taught at Winters High School for thirty-six years prior to retirement in 2016. That year she was honored as the Winters High School Teacher of the Year and the WJUSD Teacher of the Year. Since then, she has worked for the school district on grants and special projects, currently as the District's College and Career Coordinator. Liz also serves on the Winters Participation Gallery Board which sponsors the Winters History Summer Mural Project. When she has some free time, she can usually be found curled up with a good book!    

Vasey Coman

Heather Davis 

Heather and her husband Wayne moved to Winters in 2022 from the Bay Area and quickly felt right at home in this amazing small town. With friends and family ties (including her two daughters Allison and Michelle) to Chico, South Lake Tahoe and Walnut Creek/Oakland, Winters is the perfect mid spot. Heather has taught preschool for over 30 years. She is looking forward to being an active community member through volunteering and substitute teaching. And Heather is very excited to be a part of the Winters Education Foundation.

                                                                   
Russ Lester
Russ is co-owner of Dixon Ridge Farms and a fourth generation California
farmer.  Dixon Ridge Farms is a vertically integrated organic walnut farming and
processing operation based in Winters. An advocate for farmland protection,
Russ serves on the Board of Directors for Solano Land Trust and as a member of
the California Advisory Committee for American Farmland Trust. In addition,
Russ is past president of the Winters Joint Unified School District and is the
Chairman of the Solano County Agricultural Advisory Board. Russ and Dixon
Ridge Farms have received numerous awards, among them the Golden Apple
Award from Yolo County for public education leadership and the 2008
Governors’ Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for
environmentally sound energy production.             

Dan Maguire
Dan is retired from the position of Economic Development & Housing Manager for the City of Winters and worked in the Public Sector for over 10 years. Prior to that, he had a long career in senior management of a large Bay Area beverage company. Dan served four years as Board President of the Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees and was honored as the 2012 Winters Citizen of the Year for his community involvement. His son Bryan is a Winters High School graduate.


Mary Jo Rodolfa
Mary Jo moved to Winters in 1990 where she and her husband proudly raised their two children, both who attended and graduated from Winters public schools. Holding a Master in Business Administration degree, Mary Jo believes in volunteerism and using her skills to give back to the community, especially in the interests of children and public education. She has served as a member and in leadership roles on the Davis Parent Nursery School Board, Winters Parent Teacher Association Board and for over twelve years on the Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees. Additionally, she volunteered and chaired the Winters Youth Day Committee for several years. In 2002 Mary Jo was honored as the Winters Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year for her contributions to the community.

Pam Scheeline