ABOUT THE CANDIDATE

Pamela has been a resident of Ladera Ranch for over 10 years. She and her husband have two sons, one who will be starting 9th grade at Capistrano Valley High School and one who will be starting 7th grade at OCSA (Orange County School of the Arts) in Fall 2020.

She grew up in San Diego where she attended San Diego area public schools. After high school, she attended U.C. Berkeley and graduated with honors with a B.A. in Political Science. She then attended Loyola Marymount University where she received her law degree. After law school, she practiced civil litigation for two large, LA-based firms for 4 years. She went on to be in-house counsel for the J. Paul Getty Trust for over 10 years, where she primarily practiced contract and employment law and civil litigation. She and her husband started two successful restaurants in the Dallas area 7 years ago.

Pamela has been an active volunteer in CUSD for over 8 years, serving as a parent volunteer in the classroom as well as an active member of the Executive Board of Oso Grande Elementary's PTA. She served 2 years in each position of Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Secretary and and Deputy V.P./V.P. Ways and Means, where she oversaw all fundraisers including the Jogathon and Golf Gala.

Last year Pamela worked as a part-time special education substitute teacher's aide in CUSD. This gave her additional firsthand experience working with students in a classroom setting. Seeing some of the highlights and challenges our teachers and students experience everyday has been a great motivation for Pamela to run for school board.

Within the greater community of Orange County, she is a CASA (a Court Appointed Special Advocate) for foster youth, serving as a mentor and advocate for them in the educational and legal system.

Pamela has a deep connection with the CUSD community. She is not running for the Board of Trustees as a stepping stone for higher office. She is running because she truly believes she can make an impact and bring a fresh perspective to the board. As a CUSD Trustee, she will be student-centered in her decisions, take time to understand teachers' needs as they are on the front lines, and will lead with the goal of listening and communicating with parents and the broader CUSD community.

Pamela Braunstein....Working Together for a Better Classroom!