Candidate for
Board Member; Los Altos School District

Margot Harrigan ...Commitment and Experience

Margot Harrigan is currently a Trustee with the Los Altos School District, first elected in 1999, and is seeking re-election for a second term. Margot served as Board President from 2001-2002, steering the Board through several difficult decisions. Margot Harrigan is the most experienced candidate prepared to represent children and parents in our district and to deal with the challenging decisions ahead.

Margot has served in a variety of school, school district and community leadership positions, including chairing the successful campaign to renew the parcel tax, Measure E, in 2000. Margot has just completed a two-year term as Santa Clara County PTA President and is currently an Education Commissioner to the Calif. State PTA Board of Managers.

Prior to serving on the School Board, Margot was a member of the school district's Facilities Master Plan Committee, Citizens Advisory Committee for Finance, Curriculum Council (twice), School Boundaries Committee and Covington School Site Committee. Margot is certified as a Substitute Teacher and beginning her ninth year as a Los Altos Art Docent. Margot began her public service as PTA President at Loyola School (2 terms) and then served as PTA Council President of the Los Altos- Mtn View Council for two terms.

Margot currently sits on the Board of the Los Altos Cultural Association (LACA) where she was a member of the Performing Arts Facility Funding (PAFF) Steering Committee for the high school theatres. In addition, Margot has taught Religious School at St. Nicholas, been a volunteer at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and completed the Los Altos Community Foundation sponsored Leadership Advancement (LEAD) class in 1998. Margot and her daughter are active members of the National Charity League, a mother /daughter philanthropic organization.

Margot was born and raised in Los Angeles, one of four siblings, and graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BA in English Literature. Her original intention was to be a primary grade teacher. However, with teaching positions at an all time low, while working on her Masters in Education she changed directions and instead pursued a career in retail, working in merchandising, management and Information System positions for department and specialty stores in Southern California.

After meeting and marrying her husband, Mike, she moved to the Bay Area and segued to a high tech career in retail software development and training. Margot's last high tech position was with Hewlett Packard as a Retail Marketing Manager. After leaving HP, she worked as an independent contractor and consultant to Hewlett Packard, before retiring to focus on family and community.

Margot and Mike have one child who attended Loyola and Blach schools and is now a student at Los Altos High School. The Harrigans are the owner/managers of Image Arts Etc, a digital imaging and services business, located downtown Los Altos.

Community and Leadership Experience

Trustee, Los Altos Elementary School District, 1999-2003

• President of the Board, 2001-2002
• Rep to Santa Clara County School Board Assoc.
• Rep to Art Docents
• Rep to Los Altos - Mtn View PTA Council
• Board Liaison, Curriculum Council

• President, 6th District (Santa Clara County) Sixth District encompasses more than 33 K -12 school and community college districts in Santa Clara County with more than 200 schools in 6th District PTA jurisdiction.
• Vice President Leadership (1999 - 2001)
• Leadership Training Workshop Coordinator (Sept 2000)
• Chair, Volunteer Committee, 2001 PTA State Convention
• Board of Managers, Education Commissioner 2001-2005

• President 1997-99 (2 terms) At that time, the council consisted of 15 schools in 3 school districts in Los Altos and Mountain View.
• Vice President 1999-2001 (2 terms)
• Chair: Holiday Brunch (2000); Chair: Annual Luncheon (2000, 2004)
• Honorary Service Award Committee (2003, 2004)

• Facilities Master Plan Committee
• Citizens Advisory Committee for Finance
• Curriculum Council
• School Boundaries Committee
• Covington School Site Planning Committee

• Homecoming Reception Co chair (2003)
• Parliamentarian (2002- 2003)
• Lunch cart and office volunteer (weekly)
• Textbook distribution coordinator

• Graduation Dance Decorating Committee
• Holiday Faire Co-chair
• PTA Nominating Committee
• Graduation Dance (2001) Parent in Charge
• Donut Sales Coordinator

• President 1995-97 (2 terms)
• 1st Vice President 1997-99 (2 terms)
• Walkathon - Co chair 1994
• Measure H Campaign - Loyola School Co-chair (1998 Facilities Bond Measure)
• Site Council Member - 1998-1999
• Jr. Olympic Coach,6th grade girls track, 2000
• Numerous classroom volunteer, library volunteer and committee related positions (1994-2000) including Gift Wrap sales coordinator, Beverage Sales chair,and Scrip Program Chair.

• Board member, 1997-2000
• Art Show Committee Chair (1999, 2000, 2001)

• Patroness, 2001- present

• Board of Directors, 2001 - present
• Performing Arts Facilities Fundraising (PAFF) Steering Committee Member (2001-2002)

• Chair

• Member, Committee for County Districting

• Member, 2002 - present

• Information Desk volunteer (weekly)
• Family Health Library volunteer (weekly)

St. Nicholas Parish Religious Education 1996- 2000
Team teacher of fifth graders. Planned and prepared lessons and materials for weekly (Oct- May) instruction.

Honors and Recognitions

• PTA Golden Oak Award: Blach Middle School, 2002
• San Jose Magazine and Junior Leagues of the Peninsula
  "Women Making a Mark" Award, 2001
• PTA Continuing Service Award- Los Altos - Mountain View Council of PTAs, 2001
• PTA Continuing Service Award - Loyola School PTA, 2000
• PTA Continuing Service Award - Loyola School PTA, 1997
• PTA Honorary Service Award - Loyola School PTA, 1996

• Partner/Owner, Image Arts, Etc., 2002 -
• Independent Marketing Consultant; 1993- 2002
• Hewlett Packard Co. 1988-1993; Retail Industry Market Program Manager
• ACA Joe Inc. 1985-1987; Manager, Information Systems
• Gary North & Associates 1984-1985; Training and Implementation (software) Manager
• Bullocks Dept. Stores 1982-1984; Merchandise Distribution Manager (corporate),Store Merchandise Mgr.

Education

• California State University, Long Beach; BA English Literature
• California State University, Long Beach; additional graduate Business Administration and Marketing courses.