Join Next Year's PTA Board
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Our PTA is led by a volunteer board of directors who are happy to serve the Franklin community. Please reach out to any of us with your questions, concerns and queries. We're here to help you!
2021 - 2022 Franklin PTA Board Members

Co-President: Heather Vandenberg, president@mybenfranklinpta.org
This is my 4th year on the board and 6th year at Ben Franklin. I have a 5th & 2nd grader at the school and more often than not you will find my crafting away on one project or another. I’m passionate about giving back to our community and have tried a plethora of roles, but my favorite is event planning as I enjoy bringing our community together. The PTA has given me the opportunity to connect with so many parents, students and staff over the years, when our paths might not have crossed otherwise, and those connections are priceless.

Co-President: Astrid Staneff, president@mybenfranklinpta.org
This is my 2nd year on the board. I have a 2nd grader at the school and her younger sister will join her next year. I truly feel fortunate to have found such a welcoming community here at Ben Franklin and I hope I can help extend that to other families. Being around all the happy and laughing students and watching them grow has been incredibly uplifting and an honor. I look forward to a wonderful year working with you all!

Secretary: OPEN POSITION, secretary@mybenfranklinpta.org

Co-Treasurer: Diana Wu, treasurer@mybenfranklinpta.org
This is my 3rd year on the PTA board, and I am grateful for how the PTA has helped provide opportunities to serve our students and staff, as well as connect with the Franklin community. This year my children are 3nd, K and a graduate. I look forward to meeting you!

Co-Treasurer: Lakshmi Kuduganti, treasurer@mybenfranklinpta.org
I am Lakshmi Kuduganti and this is my first time on the Ben Franklin PTSA board. Excited to be a part of the largest child advocacy organization in the community and looking to see how I can make a difference. I have two boys (Zubin- 9) and Zian (5.5) who would love to be active in the Franklin community as much as we do:).

VP Communications: Sinan Ussakli, communications@mybenfranklinpta.org
Sinan has 2 children Batu (1st) and Duru (4th). When he has time left from his busy engineering job, he always tries to find some new ways to give back to community. He believes communication is a key aspect of improving relations between communities, so he uses this as an excuse to spam people's inboxes. He always have some tricks in his sleeve, be careful.

VP Education: Sheila Van Bergen, education@mybenfranklinpta.org
I am excited to join the Ben Franklin community this year. I have two kids, Brinkley (graduate) and Evelyn (4th grade). We are new to the Kirkland area and recently moved from the East Coast. We love hiking, exploring new areas, and watching sporting events (especially our Clemson Tigers)! I look forward to supporting our teachers, students, and parents.
VP After-School Enrichment: Luke Johnson, afterschool@mybenfranklinpta.org
Luke is excited to join the PTA Board this year! Looking forward to making the best of the schools continued growth for afterschool enrichment. His two kids are at Ben Franklin, in 2nd and 4th grade.

VP Health & Wellness: OPEN POSITION, health@mybenfranklinpta.org

VP School Support: Emily Sorensen, schoolsupport@mybenfranklinpta.org
This is Emily's fifth year on the PTA board. Emily has a 4th grader at Franklin, and and a middle schooler. As an Australian expat, she is passionate about building a strong, supportive community for our Franklin families from all over the world, and as a former teacher, she's keen to support our school staff in any way possible.
I have two children, Ashton (2nd) and Beckett (joining Ben Franklin next year). I am excited to lead our fundraising efforts to provide the resources to help build an enriching school environment through the PTA. Let's have a great year!
Appointed Positions
Membership: Sameer Tejani, membership@mybenfranklinpta.org
Learning Center Liaison: Farhat Remtula-Tejani, specialeducation@mybenfranklinpta.org
Reflections: Genn Zentz, reflections@mybenfranklinpta.org
Sustainability: Julia Kadro, sustainability@mybenfranklinpta.org
Emergency Preparation: Julia Kadro, emergencypreparation@mybenfranklinpta.org
Family and Community Engagement: OPEN POSITION
Join the Board
Would you like to join the PTA board this year? If you're interested in learning more, contact The PTA presidents at president@mybenfranklinpta.org. We look forward to talking with you!