Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
This year, St. Francis Catholic High School, with Bishop Soto’s approval, adopted Policy Governance®, an integrated board leadership paradigm created by Dr. John Carver. In the words of Dr. Carver, “This is a groundbreaking model of governance designed to empower boards to fulfill their obligation of accountability for the organizations they govern. The model enables the board to focus on the larger issues, to delegate with clarity, to control management’s job without meddling, to rigorously evaluate the accomplishment of the organization; to truly lead its organization.” We are pleased that our Board of Trustees has embraced this new model and our members are looking forward to advancing the mission of St. Francis Catholic High School.
Roxanne Elliot ‘94
Board Chair
Roxanne Elliott, a graduate of the Class of 1994, works for Folsom-based homebuilder Elliott Homes. With four siblings who are also alumni of local Catholic high schools, she continues her family’s tradition of supporting and valuing Catholic education. Bishop Soto selected Roxanne to serve on the Board of Trustees in 2014. Roxanne is a parishioner at St. Ignatius Loyola in Sacramento, where she serves in various educational ministries.
Dr. Pam DiTomasso ‘72
Board Member
Dr. Pam DiTomasso joined the Board in 2014. She owns DiTomasso Dental, a thriving dental practice in midtown Sacramento and she resides in East Sacramento. Pam received the Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2001.
Mary Ellingson ‘67
Board Member
I am a fourth generation Sacramento and I’m number six of the seven children in my family. We all attended the Catholic schools K-12. I graduated from St. Francis with the class of 1967 and I’ve been active on the reunion committee since graduation. I have stayed involved with the school both as a class contact and as the mother of two daughters who attended(Amy, ’94’ and Sarah ’97’). While the girls were attending I chaired the Father-Daughter dance for 2-3 years and was the Parent Club president.
Alison Morr ‘89
Board Member
Alison Morr graduated from St. Francis in 1989 and joined the Board in August of 2015. She received her BA in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara and a JD and High Tech Law Certificate from Santa Clara University. Most recently she served as Executive Director of Development and External Relations managing the development and marketing/ communications efforts for the UC Davis, School of Education.
Helen Manfredi Pierson ‘74
Board Member
Helen Manfredi Pierson graduated from St. Francis in 1974 and joined the Board of Trustees in August 2016. As a former member of the St. Francis Board, she brings valuable insight and experience with policy governance which is the new procedure for the St.
Celia Puff
Board Member
Celia Puff joined the Board in 2017. She is President and CEO of TeleDirect Communications, a national Business Process Outsourcer. Her commitment to clients is evident in everything she does. Celia’s daughter Kristen graduated from St. Francis Catholic High School in 2016. When asked to share her fondest memories as a parent, Celia noted, “Attending Masses, particularly the Baccalaureate, always blessed and encouraged me watching more than 1,000 young women sing and praise God.” She is excited to continue serving the school and our Troubadours in her new Board capacity.
Celestine Syphax
Board Member
Be your authentic self, know your self worth and always tell yourself “I am enough.”
My vision for the board is that it becomes as inclusive and representative of our Catholic faith and Dioceses’ congregations and mirrors the rich cultural diversity of Sacramento community as a whole. In embodying the riches of our parishes and our community the Board will be well positioned to maximize our mission in service to our faith and the young women St. Francis empowers.