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).
Jenn - President
Jennifer McDonald is the PAB President. She is serving her fourth year on PAB. She is the mom to a TCKS 4th grader, 2nd grader, and a 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!
Gwen - Vice President
Gwen Valles is the PAB Vice President. She and her husband Danny and have 3 kids- 5th grader, 3rd grader, and 1st grader. 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.
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 has enjoyed volunteering in her boy's classroom, serving as a classroom coordinator, being a part of the mentorship program, and hosting ‘Mom’s in Prayer.’ Brittany appreciates 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 - Communications Coordinator
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 is a Traut graduate and 7th grader at Kinard Middle School and Lucy is in the 3rd grade. Since attending CSU for graduate school, Andrea has been home and 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. 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.
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, 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.
Danny Mistry - Strategic Planner
Dr. Danny Mistry, MD, MS, ATC is board certified in Internal Medicine and an Athletic Trainer. He practices Primary Care Sports Medicine at the Aasha Brain Clinic™, Fort Collins, CO. Prior to moving to Colorado 11years ago, he was a Team Physician and Co-Medical Director for the University of Virginia Athletics Department in Charlottesville, VA between 2002-2011 during which he had developed numerous clinical programs for the health and safety of Division 1 athletes. He is a National Team Physician for USA Swimming, serves on the Sports Medicine Advisory Board for USA Swimming, is the Chair of the Concussion Task Force for USA Swimming and serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). He serves on the Technology Committee at Traut - committed to further development of the outdoor classroom, and is excited to serve on the PAB to do whatever it takes to foster our growth, while continuing to enhance Parent Partnerships which makes our school so unique and special! Besides work, he is an avid chef and is currently authoring the “Whole Soul Cookbook’, being written to support orphanages worldwide. He loves spending time with his wife Kelly and his son Jal (currently a second grader at Traut), exploring the great outdoors and traveling worldwide.