Meet the Friends of Skinner West Board for the 2026-2027 School Year

We bring different perspectives to the table, but we’re united by a love and support for the Skinner West Community.

Close-up of a woman with light skin, long blonde hair, smiling, wearing a dark blue top, in a room with a wooden bookshelf in the background.

Lisa Gardner

Lisa is an Early Childhood Education Specialist and Speech Language Pathologist. She’s also our chief rule-follower. She keeps Friends of Skinner West organized and finds new ways for us to build community, fundraise, and champion education for our students.

You can find her bribing her kids with ice cream for a job well done at school.

President
A woman with medium skin tone, shoulder-length black hair, and a warm smile, standing in front of a cream-colored curtain, wearing an orange button-down dress with a belt.

Kristian Gist

Kristian is a branding, marketing, and communication pro who works in urban planning, connecting communities to bold ideas, helping them navigate change, and connecting people to destinations across the country.

You can find her sneaking sips of her kid’s juice box (because she’s probably dehydrated) and needlepointing at the playground.

Vice President
A woman with long black hair smiling and crossing her arms, wearing a white shirt and jeans, in front of a gray background. 
Treasurer

Barbara Yeung Lu

Barb is a Certified Public Accountant who loves a good spreadsheet almost as much as she loves supporting the Skinner West community. She's passionate about financial transparency and keeping things organized. A familiar face around the halls, she's volunteered as a room parent, on the Communications Committee, with the theater program, and just about anywhere she's needed. 

You can find her clapping the loudest at her kids' performances or logging miles as a chauffeur to their extracurriculars.

A woman with dark brown, wavy hair wearing a black blazer and gold jewelry against a plain light gray background. 
Secretary

Alexandra Demo

Alexandra is a marketing executive and branding aficionado with a passion for sharing stories in creative waves. She finds joy in everything and brings fresh ideas to every campaign.

You can find her giving her kid the full Chicago experience with inside knowledge of all of the latest hot spots.

Friends of Skinner West is powered by an extraordinary team of advisors, volunteers, committee leads, faculty, staff, and community partners who work together to provide ideas, planning, support, and staffing for all our work.

Interested in getting involved?

Become a Friend of Skinner West

Say Hello

Have a question about Friends of Skinner West? Want to get involved? Connect with us via the form below.