School Trustees are the “vision keepers” of the school. They hold the highest level of oversight and are responsible for appointing the Heads of School and the MMS Board of Directors. Here, in alphabetical order, are profiles of our School Trustees.
Brajesh Friedberg, Ph.D.
PAST PRINCIPAL MMS, MMC PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Brajesh has served MMS as School Principal, President of the Board of Directors, and member of the Executive Council. He shares a commitment to education and community. He serves as an advisor and is MMS’s first Faculty Emeritus.
- Ph.D., Political Science, Harvard University, 1965
- B.A., Cornell University, 1960
- Member of the Mount Madonna Center resident community since 1978
- Member, Hanuman Fellowship Board of Directors 1981‐2000
- Member, Mount Madonna Center Administration 1980‐present
- Instructor in Mount Madonna Center’s Yoga, Service, and Community Program 1994‐present
- Teacher of Yoga at Mount Madonna Center since 1978
- Member of the Council of Elders (Panchayat), Hanuman Fellowship
- President, Mount Madonna Institute
David Vishwamitra Prisk, B.S.
MMS CURRENT PARENT, ALUMNI PARENT
- B.S., Business and Industrial Management, San Jose State University
- Senior Technical Recruiter at Plantronics, Inc.
- Member, Hanuman Fellowship Board of Directors
- Member of the Council of Elders (Panchayat), Hanuman Fellowship
- Parent of MMS Alumni Matthew ’96 and An Mei, 8th Grade
Dayanand Diffenbaugh, B.A.
MMC DIRECTOR, MMS FACULTY
Dayanand is one of the founding members of MMC and has served as Director of MMC since its inception. He is the father of two MMS Alumni, Suresh ’92 and PK ’95.
- B.A., Religious Studies (cum laude), UC Santa Cruz, 1971
- MMS Faculty: World Religions Class, MS Camping Trip and ROP
- Founding member of Mount Madonna Center resident community
- Member of the Council of Elders (Panchayat), Hanuman Fellowship
- Member, Board of Directors, Mount Madonna Center
- Member, Mount Madonna Center Administration 1978‐present
- Founder of and Instructor in the Mount Madonna Center Yoga, Service, and Community program, 1994‐present
- Joined Mount Madonna School in 1980
Jivanti Rutansky, M.S.
DIRECTOR OF HIGH SCHOOL, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE COUNSELOR, ADMISSIONS TEAM
- M.S., Pupil Personnel/Education Counseling, Florida International University
- B.A., Sociology, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Member: National Assoc., College Admissions Counseling
- Joined Mount Madonna School in 1981
Janardan Farley, B.A.
FOUNDING MEMBER OF MMC
Janardan is a founding member of the Mount Madonna Center and is dedicated to the ideal of community building with spiritual values as a foundation. He teaches regularly at MMC and serves as a Pujari (priest) and administrator of the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple sited at MMC.
- B.A. in Psychology from California State University, San Jose
- Member of the Board, Sri Ram Foundation
- Member of the Council of Elders (Panchayat), Hanuman Fellowship
Kalpana Kachuck, Ph.D.
PAST PRINCIPAL MMS
Kalpana has been involved in the field of Education since she began teaching in 1978. She is dedicated to the vision of Mount Madonna School as an integral part of the Mount Madonna Center community. She was the first principal of MMS and has continued to serve as an advisor. She continues to work on her teaching and research into learning theory as it relates to Education, Mathematics and Yoga.
- Ph.D., UC Berkeley Science and Mathematics Education
- B.A., M.A., UC Santa Cruz
- Professor at Evergreen Valley College 1987‐present
- Member of the Council of Elders (Panchayat), Hanuman Fellowship
Richard Timan, J.D.
FOUNDING MEMBER OF MOUNT MADONNA CENTER, CURRENT PARENT, FORMER PARENT
Richard was an attorney in Watsonville, specializing in real property and construction law. He has a deep connection to MMC and its long term goals. He has acted as attorney for Mount Madonna School, Mount Madonna Center and the affiliated organizations on a pro bono basis since their founding.
- J.D., Stanford University Law School
- B.A., Cornell University
- Member of the Council of Elders (Panchayat), Hanuman Fellowship
- Trustee of the Sri Ram Orphanage in Hardwar, India
- Parent of Grace, 6th Grade
Sadanand Ward Mailliard, B.A.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY, STUDENT GOVERNANCE
Sadanand serves on the Executive Council and faculty. He pioneered the course Values in World/American Thought, bringing world thinkers and leaders in conversation with MMS Juniors and Seniors. His latest projects are: a collaborative venture, called “Project Happiness,” with the Dalai Lama Foundation; the annual “Chautauqua” learning conference at MMS; and the blog from the recent 2008 South Africa trip.
- B.A., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Founding member of Mount Madonna Center resident community
- Member, Board of Directors, Mount Madonna Center
- President, Hanuman Fellowship
- Member of the Council of Elders (Panchayat), Hanuman Fellowship
- MMS Faculty: “Values in World Thought” Class
- Instructor in the Mount Madonna Center Yoga, Service, and Community program, 1994‐ present
- Joined Mount Madonna School 1987
Sarada Judith Diffenbaugh, Ph.D.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL
Sarada served as Head of School from 1979-2008. She brings a vision to the school of academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. She has two sons, MMS alumni Suresh ‘92 and PK ’95.
- Ph.D., Education with an emphasis in Design and Development of
- Education Programs, and dissertation on Moral Education, Minor in Psychology, Stanford University
- M.A., San Jose State University, Education
- State of California Lifetime Multiple Subject California Teaching Credential
- Reading Specialist Credential
- B.A., Religious Studies and Psychology, UC Santa Cruz
- Instructor, MMC Yoga Program
- Founding Member of MMC resident community
- Joined MMS in 1979
Supriya Mary McDonald, B.A.
HEAD OF SCHOOL, SECRETARY OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, FINANCE COMMITTEE, ADMISSIONS/MARKETING COMMITTEE, DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, ELEMENTARY HEALTH EDUCATION TEACHER
Supriya began teaching elementary school in 1977. For 10 years prior to joining the MMS Staff, she taught in Washington State. At Mount Madonna School, she was Elementary Director for 10 years and then served as Co-Head of School for 6 years. She became the Head of School in 2015. Her passion for creating a meaningful education for students and keeping their love learning alive inspires her work as Head of School. Supriya is parent of two sons who are MMS alumni, Ramesh ‘99 and PK ‘04.
- State of California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, P/K‐Adult
- State of Washington Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Pre/K‐Adult
- Teacher Certification, University of Washington, Seattle
- B.A., in Education, Western Washington University, Bellingham
- Joined Mount Madonna School in 1987