Karen Loebbaka, the president of the Redwood High School Foundation, was appointed to the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) board of trustees on Tuesday, August 13. She replaced Barbara Owens, who resigned in July due to personal issues.

“I’m very passionate about education, and about access to public education for all,” Loebbaka told the Marin Independent Journal. “This is our opportunity to really give [students] the tools they need.”

Along with her time on the advisory council for Bridge the Gap and on the district’s financial advisory committee, Loebbaka worked as a co-chair with Dana Steele on the Measure J parcel tax campaign, a part of the TUHSD’s effort to mitigate its recent budget crisis. 

“I just stood in awe watching her pass the parcel tax with Dana Steele. Such a professional job,” Owens said. 

Loebbaka will finish out Owens’ term, which expires in December of 2020, and decide in November of that year whether to run for a full four-year position on the board.