Meet The Board of Education
Chris Ann Horsley
CHRIS ANN HORSLEY
PRESIDENT
Trustee Area 1
(Term expires December 2028)
School Board Office: (909) 971-8200 Ext. 5101
Email: c.horsley@bonita.k12.ca.us
Chris Ann was born and raised on the Central Coast of California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She also has a Master’s of Educational Management from the University of La Verne. She currently serves as the President of the Soroptimists of San Dimas and La Verne which works to increase the opportunities for girls and women to have access to education. In both of her service roles, board member and Soroptimist president, Chris Ann is dedicated to realizing BUSD’s mission to help all students be well-educated, find their purpose, and realize their dreams.
Email: c.horsley@bonita.k12.ca.us
Chris Ann Horsley has been elected to serve on the Bonita school board from December 2022 until December 2024. She was elected to serve for the last remaining at-large seat serving all trustee areas in Bonita Unified, and she is excited to represent both the communities of La Verne and San Dimas. Chris Ann is a recently retired educator with a track record of helping students grow and thrive in BUSD schools. She brings strong leadership skills acquired in her 32 years as a teacher, University of La Verne Adjunct Instructor, Bonita High School Dean of Students, Shull Elementary Principal, and BUSD Curriculum Director.
Chris Ann lives in San Dimas with her husband. Within her blended family, her husband and two of their four children benefited from attending Bonita schools. She will seek to ensure ongoing support for excellent programs, strong intervention programs, fiscal responsibility, social and emotional support for children, well-maintained and safe schools, and a school district responsive to the needs of BUSD families and children.
Derek Bahmanou
DEREK BAHMANOU
VICE PRESIDENT
Trustee Area 2
(Term expires December 2026)
School Board Office: (909) 971-8200 Ext. 5101
School Board Office: (909) 971-8200 Ext. 5101
Email: bahmanou@bonita.k12.ca.us
Derek and his wife, Chaniga, moved to San Dimas in 2011. They have two children, Abigail Marie and William Amnuay, who attend Ekstrand Elementary. The Bahmanous attend One&All Church, a local church with great preaching and inspiring worship music. Derek loves being a parent, a husband, and he considers himself very fortunate to live in such a wonderful community. In 2018, Derek was installed as a Governing Board Member.
Derek’s educational career began at Mt. SAC. In his time at Mt. SAC, Derek played water polo and was on the speech and debate team. Derek received a BA in religion from Vanguard University in 2002, and a MA in Education from National University in 2010. Before becoming a teacher, Derek worked in a variety of jobs, including a mover at Mayflower, Youth Director at WCCC, an AOD supervisor at the Trinity El Monte campus, a general manager at a Subway restaurant, and a substitute teacher. Derek's top priority is seeing Bonita USD provide students with a rigorous and well-rounded education in an encouraging environment. This includes expanding the trade education pathways.
As an 8th-grade science teacher in Baldwin Park, Derek has been involved in various activities on campus such as AVID coordinator, leadership, school site council, teacher and principal hiring committees, and various other committees as assigned. He has also been a nonvoting union representative on a health benefits committee.
In addition to serving on the Bonita USD's Board of Education, Derek is a member of the San Dimas Masonic Lodge and represents Bonita USD on the La Verne-San Dimas Educational Foundation.
He considers himself extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to give back to the communities that have given so much to him and his family.
In his down time, Derek enjoys hiking, watching documentaries, and spending time with family and friends. Derek and his family enjoy travel, Disneyland, Angels baseball, theater, movies, comedy, and dining at many amazing local restaurants.
Jim Elliot
JIM ELLIOT
CLERK
Trustee Area 3
(Term expires December 2026)
School Board Office: (909) 971-8200 Ext. 5101
Email: elliot@bonita.k12.ca.us
Jim remains grateful for the opportunity to serve the students, staff, parents, and communities of Bonita Unified. Jim has lived in the district with his wife Susie since 1988, where both their children graduated from district schools. Jim holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees, is a certified correctional healthcare professional, a certified professional executive coach, and the Chief Executive Officer for California Correctional Health Care Services. He has thirty-seven years of executive healthcare administration experience ranging from non-profit rehab hospitals to teaching practices, community clinics, and correctional healthcare delivery for the incarcerated persons in California state prisons.
First elected to the Bonita Unified board in 2003, he served fourteen years, was president three times, and was proud to champion Measures C and AB bond measures, which funded much-needed modernization and new construction district-wide. In 2021, the Board appointed Jim to fill a vacancy, and he was then re-elected in November of 2022 to the newly created Trustee Area 3. However, Jim remains committed to represent every student and campus throughout the district.
With Jim’s seventeen years of school board governance experience, his guide-star will always be his advocacy for students first and last, coupled with his laser focus on ensuring that the district has the needed resources to maintain its commitment to excellence, an eye towards improving how the district communicates effectively with all stakeholders through transparency and dialogue in an ever changing world, and most importantly, the celebration of our shared successes.
Although Jim’s passion remains Bonita Unified, he served the City of San Dimas as a Commissioner for seven years, was a board member and exhibition chair for the San Dimas Festival of Arts, is a life member of the San Dimas Historical Society, and since 2012, he has served as a board member, and past board chairman, for McKinley Family Services, headquartered in San Dimas. Jim also serves in partnership with the City of La Verne Ad-Hoc Committee where two board members, and two city council members meet to work on shared problems and solutions.
As his children grew, Jim was a member of PTA, School Site Council, little league coach, softball coach, Boy Scout leader, choir dad, water polo fan, and chaperone. And in the many years Jim worked in nearby Pomona at American Hospital, Western University, and East Valley Community health center, he served on the Pomona Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Juneteenth Committee, was a long-time Rotarian, and he continues to be a longtime member of the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce.
“I take very seriously the oath a Board member makes to the office and believe strongly that public education must always be about what is best for students, and not about political agendas, or ideology. “I look forward to working with Superintendent Wien, the districts leadership, its employee groups, and my fellow board member colleagues as we take on the many challenges that lie ahead.
Greg Palatto
GREG PALATTO
BOARD MEMBER
Trustee Area 4
(Term expires December 2028)
School Board Office: (909) 971-8200 Ext. 5101
Email: palatto@bonita.k12.ca.us
Email: palatto@bonita.k12.ca.us
Greg lives in La Verne with his wife Joanna, an elementary school teacher. They have two children, Taylor, who attends Ramona Middle School, and Ryan, who attends Bonita High School. The Palattos enjoy camping, travelling, and spending nights at the field watching their children play their various team sports or sing in their school choir performances.
Originally born in New York, Greg came to California while in elementary school. He received his Bachelors Degree from UCLA in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration. He received his Masters Degree in Educational Psychology & Counseling, with a focus in Marriage & Family Therapy, and a Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Psychology. Greg has served as a school psychologist for over 20 years, currently working in neighboring Charter Oak USD. He also served in leadership positions with the State Council of Education for Student Support Services, with the California Department of Education Social Emotional Learning Task Force, and engages in guest speaking for the University of La Verne Educational Psychology department.
Greg is very active in the community in the local area. He is the President of the San Dimas Masonic Lodge and a founding member of the Satellite Rotary Club of Military Family Support. He enjoys serving on the La Verne Youth & Family Action Committee, as well as with the La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation. He has also enjoyed helping coach his children’s teams and sitting on their various youth sports league boards including La Verne Little League, La Verne Girls Softball Association, and San Dimas/La Verne Pop Warner Football.
Greg’s priorities for Bonita are to keep a positive culture among the district, to champion mental health programs & supports, broaden trades and career pathways for our students, and to keep our children safe in our schools, constantly evaluating best practices for school safety. Greg is very thankful to be able to serve his community and share his experience of educational and mental health leadership with the Bonita USD.
Greg was installed on December 11th, 2020 as a Governing Board Member.
Brittany Allison
BRITTANY ALLISON
BOARD MEMBER
Trustee Area 5
(Term expires December 2028)
School Board Office: (909) 971-8200 Ext. 5101
Email: allison@bonita.k12.ca.us
Brittany has a passion for education and community and her work history illustrates this commitment. She’s worked as a tutor, after-school teacher, summer school teacher, high school teacher, and community workshop facilitator.
Her and her husband, Thomas met at the University of La Verne while Brittany was studying education (and graduated first in her class). After leaving the classroom to be home with their children, Brittany co-founded the Social Justice Advocacy Project, Inc. alongside her husband. This organization would go on to win the 2020 nonprofit of the year award for assembly district 41. She currently serves as Vice President and manages operations.
Brittany enjoys being involved in the community and at her kids’ school. Her oldest two, Antalya and Tommy, attend Roynon elementary, while Malik still has a few years before becoming a Raccoon. She considers it a privilege and an honor to serve all the students of BUSD and the community in this capacity.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Contact Us
Please use the following link to send an email to all members of the Board of Education and Superintendent:
A Board member may respond, as appropriate, to an electronic communication received from a member of the community and should make clear that his/her response does not necessarily reflect the views of the Board as a whole. Any complaint or request for information should be forwarded to the Superintendent in accordance with Board bylaws and protocols so that the issue may receive proper consideration and be handled through the appropriate district process.
Like other writings concerning district business, a Board member's electronic communication may be subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.
Student Board of Education Representatives
Student Board of Education Representatives
Student Board
The Governing Board believes that engaging the student body and seeking its input and feedback regarding the district's educational programs and activities are vital to achieving the district's mission of educating district students.
To enhance communication between the Board and the student body and to encourage student involvement, the Board includes one student Board representative selected by the district's high school students at Board of Education meetings, October through May.
Student representatives serving the 2025-2026 school year:
Student representatives serving the 2025-2026 school year:
- Savannah Morua | Bonita High School
- Rachelle Torress Armenta | Chaparral-Vista High School
- Jacob Pardus | San Dimas High School
Bonita High School
Savannah Morua is a senior at Bonita High School and has been part of the Bonita Unified School District since third grade. She served as the Freshmen Class Council Vice President her Freshman year and has been a part of ASB since her Sophomore year. Alongside leadership, she is a part of Link Crew, Best Buddies, Varsity Cheer, Varsity Field Hockey, NHS, CSF, and Yearbook, while also having taken 5 AP classes during her time at Bonita. After graduation, Savannah plans to attend a four-year university and pursue a career in sports business; either in media or in game-day operations for a professional baseball team.
Chaparral-Vista High School
Rachelle Torres Armenta is a senior at Chaparral High School and a member of the Renaissance class. Rachelle is dually enrolled both Chaparral and Citrus College, where she is currently enrolled in College English and History Prior To 1877. On Chaparral's Campus, Rachelle has been involved in Yearbook, Volleyball and completed in the annual Pick of the Litter competition. She was also on the Junior Prom Court.
Rachelle lives with her parents and she has one older brother and an older sister. She enjoys take care of her niece Karina who is three month old.
Following graduation, she will continue studies at MT SSAC in Interior Design. Following obtaining her Associate’s Degree, Rachelle plans to transfer to a university to earn her Bachelor's Degree.
Rachelle is honored to be selected as Chaparral's Student Board representative and looks forward to the experience.
Rachelle lives with her parents and she has one older brother and an older sister. She enjoys take care of her niece Karina who is three month old.
Following graduation, she will continue studies at MT SSAC in Interior Design. Following obtaining her Associate’s Degree, Rachelle plans to transfer to a university to earn her Bachelor's Degree.
Rachelle is honored to be selected as Chaparral's Student Board representative and looks forward to the experience.
San Dimas High School
Jacob has been an ASB leader through all four years of his high school career. He began his leadership journey as the Freshman Class President and then continued on as Sophomore Class President. Jacob then moved to ASB Executive Vice President in his Junior year, and he currently holds the role of ASB Executive President.
At San Dimas High School, Jacob is a member of the boys’ volleyball team. He is going into his fourth year as Varsity Captain. His athletic achievements include being named two-time First Team All-League Academic Athlete, Scholar Leader and the 2025 League MVP. Jacob is deeply involved in the school community.
He is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, the Environmental Awareness Club, among others. After high school, Jacob plans to attend an East coast school to study Business and hopefully play volleyball.
