Board of Directors
Andrew Surmani, President
Andrew Surmani is the Founder and President of the MATES Foundation. Mr. Surmani graduated cum laude with a BM from California State University, Northridge in 1986. After playing as the lead trumpet player for two shows at Walt Disney World in Florida, Andrew returned to California to work for Alfred Music Publishing and began working on his MBA degree, which he completed at CSUN in 1992. Andrew is currently the Senior Vice President of Marketing, and Managing Director of School and Church Music for Alfred and is co-author of Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory, used by music schools all over the world. He is a Founding Board Member and on the Executive Committee of the Jazz Education Network, and serves on the Advisory Board for the CSUN Masters in Music Industry Studies degree program, and the Advisory Board for the Bachelor of Science in Music Technology degree program at Indiana University – IUPUI.
Paul Lasiter, CFO
Paul B. Lasiter is the Chief Financial Officer for Pepperdine University. He earned a B.S. in Accounting from Pepperdine University’s Seaver College in 1988. He also completed the Presidential and Key Executive program at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management in 2005, earning an M.B.A. Paul began his career in public accounting with KPMG Peat Marwick and later served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller for Imperial Credit Industries. He has also served the University as its Controller from 2002 to 2006. Paul is a Certified Public Accountant and has over 20 years of banking and finance experience. Paul has also obtained certifications as an Accredited Fiduciary Investment Manager and a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor.
Sheri Polisini, Secretary & Founding Board Member
Sheri Polisini is a Founding Board Member of MATES and an enthusiastic supporter of Charter Schools. Sheri currently serves as co-chair for the Holiday Home Tour Committee for the MATES Foundation and looks forward to this as an annual event for the community. An attorney for over fifteen years, Sheri is currently a real estate investor and a former family law mediator.
Sharri Lear, Vice President
Jennifer Pena, Vice President
Brian Finefold
Karen Surmani
Board Meetings
The MATES Foundation Board of Directors will meet in person four times per year at one of the board member’s homes. The public is welcome to attend all open session meetings which typically begin at 7:30 p.m.
2009 – 2010 MATES Foundation Board Meeting Schedule