About Us
Meet the PAB!
There are seven members of the Parent Advisory Board (PAB) who advocate on behalf of Traut parents and who work with the Teacher Advisory Board (TAB) to fulfill the mission and goals of the Site Based Management Council (SBMC).
Amy - President
Amy Hloucal is honored to serve as the PAB President again this year. A mother to two boys, one in 5th grade and the other in 8th grade at Kinard, Amy has served TCKS as a volunteer, classroom coordinator, musical production volunteer, two terms on PAB, and can't believe it's her ninth and final year of being a proud Wolverine!
Amy is a financial advisor with Thrivent Financial, and is delighted to serve with a very talented and dedicated PAB team. She also accompanies her church choir and serves as a Colorado All-State Choir judge at the high school level. She and her family enjoy traveling, exploring, the mountains, history, music, and Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Jenn - Treasurer
Jennifer McDonald is the PAB Treasurer. She is serving her third year on PAB. She is the mom to a TCKS 3rd grader, 1st grader, and an almost 3 year old. Jenn is a former teacher, and currently leads in local Women’s Ministry and manages a blog for a local attorney. Jenn’s experience as a teacher and leadership roles help her serve PAB and TCKS. In her free time, Jenn enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening, camping, a great cup of coffee and reading a good book!
Adrienne - Vice President
Adrienne Jacobson is the Communications Coordinator. She and her husband, Chris, have three girls. Darby, who is in Mrs. Salinas' 5th Grade, Macy, who attended Traut Kindergarten through 5th, is a 6th Grader at Kinard and Avery, who attended Traut Kindergarten through 5th, is a Freshman at Fossil Ridge High School. Adrienne as been a VIP, Classroom Coordinator, and volunteer in the classroom. Adrienne was born and raised in Colorado, moving to Fort Collins in 1999. Chris and Adrienne own a real estate team here in town and enjoy all the outdoor activities Northern Colorado has to offer.
Gwen - Communications Coordinator
Gwen Valles is the PAB Communications Coordinator. Her and her husband Danny and have 3 kids- 4th grader, 2nd grader, and kindergartner. Gwen was born and raised here in Fort Collins. She attended a small Christian college in California and received a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Gwen and Danny moved back to Fort Collins and worked at her family’s food distribution company- Yancey’s Food Service. After several years, her husband pursued real-estate and now works at The Group, Inc. where he sells residential real-estate and manages investments. Gwen became a stay at home mom after having her first baby. Ever since her kids started attending Traut she has been involved in the classrooms and school and has had a heart for the parent partnership Traut offers. One unique thing about Gwen is that she is a Traut Core Knowledge graduate (she was the first 6th grade class to attend the current building!) She has a passion for her kid’s education and believes that together, parents and teachers can provide an environment students will thrive in.
Sara Merrill - Strategic Planner
Sara Merrill is a parent to three Traut students and a long-time real-estate agent in the Northern Colorado community. With her kids being in pre-k, kindergarten, and 5th grade, success at Traut is incredibly important to her. Being a native of Fort Collins and educated in the Poudre School District, Sara is keenly aware of the challenges our educational system faces, culturally, financially and politically. She's been passionate about the improvement and well-being of all students, which is reflected in her coaching and volunteer work within the community and at Traut. Sara has been a classroom coordinator for five years five years, as well as being a part of the mentorship program. This work has allowed Sara to network with parents and have a front-row seat to the positive regard they have for their children and Traut staff. While working as a volunteer inside the classroom, Sara has been privileged to work with the students and embrace their unique qualities and differences. She has also been a coach with Battle of the Books and has participated as a coach for Fort Collins Arsenal soccer and basketball.
Brittany Weber - Secretary
Brittany Weber is a registered nurse who has stayed home to raise her three sons alongside her husband, Eric. She is mom to one Traut graduate and two current Traut students. She enjoys boating with her family in the summer and skiing with them in the winter, running, date night, and watching her boys play sports. She enjoys volunteering in the classroom and hosting Traut ‘Mom’s in Prayer.’ She has been a mentor mom in the past and loves being a part of the vibrant and supportive community at Traut. The core knowledge curriculum, the awesome teachers and the character education are a few of the various reasons why she and her husband chose Traut for their boy’s education. She is honored to serve the Traut community on the Parent Advisory Board.
Andrea Booth - Strategic Planner
Andrea Booth is serving her first term on the Parent Advisory Board and her 7th year as a Traut Parent. She and her husband, Andy Kalajian, have two daughters, Dylan who is a Traut graduate and 6th grader at Kinard Middle School and Lucy who is in the second grade. Since attending CSU for graduate school, Andrea has been home and heavily involved in their daughters education, activities, and sports, while Andy is a Dermatologic Surgeon at Fort Collins Skin Clinic. The family were drawn to Traut for its core knowledge curriculum, parent partnership, and character education. A Nutrition Scientist by training, Andrea has enjoyed serving as a Traut volunteer in and out of the classroom, a new student mentor, as well as a PSD substitute teacher. Andrea loves being around students and is excited to serve the parent community by listening, understanding their concerns, and taking action. Originally from Florida, Andrea and Andy have been in Fort Collins since 2010 and enjoy snowboarding/skiing, camping, hiking, traveling, watching movies with the family, and playing with their dog Rupert.