Peninsula People Nov 2017

Ed
foundation
Roma Mistry put the
Peninsula Education Foundation
on a solid footing
during her two term
presidency
by David Mendez
Despite her two-term presidency of the Peninsula Education Foundation’s
Board of Trustees, Roma Mistry doesn’t think what she’s
done merits much consideration, compared to the community of
volunteers that she lives among
“I’ve lived on the hill for 22 years…people seem to be involved in so
many wonderful organizations, giving back to the community,” Mistry said.
“I don’t think what I’ve done is anything unique beyond what other people
have given back.”
But during her two years as PEF’s President, Mistry saw two consecutive
executive directors move on in quick succession, and helped stabilize the
foundation to continue its mission of supporting the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Unified School District.
“We have a great community, principals and teachers who care, and volunteers
who come together to keep our schools successful,” Mistry said.
“We’re ensuring our kids have the tools they need to be successful.”
The former child welfare attorney for Los Angeles County has lived on
the hill with her husband Sameer since 1995. The two met when they were
working on their postgraduate studies; Roma was at Pepperdine Law
School, while Sameer was studying medicine at USC.
They first moved to the South Bay after they were married, when he accepted
a residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and lived in Redondo
Beach.
“We would drive around, and I had never heard of PV before,” Mistry
said. “I remember thinking it would be awesome if we could live there,
and as a young couple, the timing was right — we saved and bought a
house before we had kids.”
The two, she recalls, were the youngest on their block when they moved
in. Roma was 27, Sameer was 30. They fell in love with their new neighborhood.
“We were young, no kids, working hard, and we knew we wanted to live
there, where the schools were great,” Mistry said.
Former two-term Education Foundation president Roma Mistry.
Photo by David Fairchild
November 2017 • Peninsula 23