Piedmont board honors three departing trustees and community members at final meeting

The Piedmont Unified School District board began Wednesday's meeting with a moment of remembrance and extended tributes for trustees who are leaving the board.

Superintendent Dr. Hahn asked the board and audience to observe a moment of silence after naming three community members who died in a Nov. 27 car crash. "We lost 3 community members, 3 alumni... Jack Nelson, Krista Tsukahara, and Soren Dixon, died tragically in a car accident on November 27," Dr. Hahn said, noting the community had rallied in response.

Board President Veronica Anderson Thigpen and colleagues then turned the meeting into a celebration of service for three departing trustees. Trustee Hillary Cooper offered a remembrance of the trio's work and called for carrying the board's shared values forward: "Rest in peace, Krista, Jack, and Soren, and all of our collective love, hopes, and prayers to Jordan," she said.

Public commenters and student leaders echoed the praise, thanking trustees for efforts on governance, equity, and student voice. Student representative Shakila and others described recent school events and the value of volunteer-led programs. The board reserved time during the transition meeting to allow departing trustees to speak and to give incoming members a chance to weigh in at the January second-reading votes on several items.

The tributes occupied a large portion of the meeting as trustees, staff and community members recounted multi-year initiatives — from Measure P implementation to updated strategic and equity planning — that they said were strengthened by the departing trustees' leadership. No formal action was taken on these remembrances; they were ceremonial acknowledgments recorded at the start of the meeting.