President - Ms. Kathy Rallings - krallings@carlsbadusd.net - Term Expires: 12-26 / Trustee Area 5

Vice President - Mrs. Michele Tsutagawa Ward - mward@carlsbadusd.net - Term Expires: 12-26 / Trustee Area 1

Clerk - Mrs. Gretchen Vurbeff - gvurbeff@carlsbadusd.net - Term Expires: 12-26 / Trustee Area 4

Member - Mrs. Alison Emery - aemery@carlsbadusd.net - Term Expires: 12-28 / Trustee Area 2

Member - Mrs. Laura Siaosi - lsiaosi@carlsbadusd.net - Term Expires: 12-28 / Trustee Area 3

For questions or to contact the Board of Trustees, send an email to: boardoftrustees@carlsbadusd.net

Kathy Rallings, President - Email: krallings@carlsbadusd.net / Trustee Area 5

Kathy Rallings was elected to the Carlsbad Unified School District Board of Trustees in 2014.  She grew up in Huntington Beach, California, and is a product of the California public school system.  She received a B.A. in Speech Communications from California State University, Long Beach, and an M.A. in Negotiations and Conflict Management from California State University, Dominguez Hills.  She has an adult son who is attending the University of Washington and pursuing a baseball career and a son who attends elementary school in the district.  She is currently a Health Benefits Specialist, assisting public school districts throughout California to become more knowledgeable purchasers of health care.  Her vision for Carlsbad schools is to create an environment of engagement with parents, teachers, and community members to support our students and to prepare them for the future.  In her spare time, Kathy enjoys spending time with family, playing tennis, water and snow skiing, and watching her older son play baseball.

Michele Tsutagawa Ward, Vice President - Email: mward@carlsbadusd.net / Trustee Area 1

Michele Tsutagawa Ward was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2022. She lives in the Village with her husband, Sam, where they raised their two children, Max and Maddie, who both attended Carlsbad schools from kindergarten through graduation from Carlsbad High School. Michele received her teaching credential at the University of California, Davis in 1999. First teaching in the New Haven Unified School District, Mrs. Tstutagawa Ward spent the rest of her teaching career in the Carlsbad Unified School District, where she was named Calavera Hills Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2012. Michele also was part of the California Teacher Association-Region 4, Institute for Teaching Think Tank. Mrs. Tstutagawa Ward continued her career as an Assistant Principal and Co-Principal in the Vista Unified School District at the Vista Innovation and Design Academy. Michele is currently a Principal in the Poway Unified School District. Mrs. Tstutagawa Ward is active in Carlsbad, having served as a Carlsbad Education Foundation Board Member and Carlsbad Education Foundation Student Leadership Council Mentor. She believes that we all have a responsibility to give back to our community and support our students to create better futures. Michele Tsutagawa Ward believes in joining organizations that raise awareness and the voice of all people of different races, cultures, and ethnicities. Michele joined the California Association of Asian and Pacific Leaders in Education as a founding member to support AAPI communities and their allies. 

Gretchen Vurbeff, Clerk - Email: gvurbeff@carlsbadusd.net / Trustee Area 4

Gretchen Vurbeff was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2022.  Born and raised in upstate New York, she has a degree in Movement Science and Masters degrees in Exercise Physiology from SDSU and Theological Studies: Cross Cultural concentration from Fuller Seminary. She settled in Carlsbad in 2000 with her husband, raising two children, one who graduated from CHS and one still in CUSD. Gretchen is a wellness educator who currently serves as a program manager for the County of San Diego’s Feeling Fit Club, where she also developed a wellness curriculum to train educators for the California Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Aging.  She has been an active community volunteer for over 15 years in the classroom and with the PTA. Gretchen is committed to helping our students prepare for life beyond the classroom by improving academic achievement and outcomes, strengthening social and emotional learning in a safe environment, and providing expanded career pathways.  In her spare time, she enjoys going to the beach, running with her dog, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. 

Alison Emery, Member - Email: aemery@carlsbadusd / Trustee Area 2

Alison Emery was elected to the Carlsbad Unified School District Board of Trustees in 2024. She grew up in Carlsbad where she attended local area schools. She and her husband, Tom, have a daughter, Chloe, who currently attends Valley Middle School. She received her bachelor's degree from SDSU and then went on to receive her teaching credential from CSU San Marcos. Later in her career, she went on to receive her Masters in Curriculum in Instruction in Mathematics from Concordia University. Ms. Emery is a highly qualified educator with over twenty years of classroom teaching experience. During her time in schools she has served as a mentor teacher, been a site lead for the teacher’s union, represented the teachers in collective bargaining, was a founding member of the equity team, has served on several curriculum adoption committees, as well as having been a nominee for teacher of the year. She is dedicated to supporting and giving back to her community, the schools, and students.

Laura Siaosi, Member - Email: lsiaosi@carlsbadusd / Trustee Area 3

Laura Siaosi was elected to the Carlsbad Unified School District Board of Trustees in 2024. Born and raised in Orange, CA, she earned her degree in Business Administration from Chapman University. Laura and her husband Fred have called Carlsbad home since 2002, raising their six children here in CUSD. Owning a Carlsbad based business, she brings decades of experience in budgeting, accounting, communications and human resources that will be invaluable assets to the board. A firm believer in being the change you want to see in the world, Laura has invested thousands of hours into our community, serving as a board member for both the PTA and Carlsbad Pop Warner as well as coaching Odyssey of the Mind and teaching the Art Masters program here in CUSD for 16 years. As the parent of three CHS graduates (and counting), she is dedicated to continue building a community where every student feels empowered, encouraged and supported in their endeavors and that upon leaving our district every student feels confident in their abilities to take on whatever opportunities and challenges life holds.