Personnel Commission

• Board of Education Appointee
• Appointment Date: December 1, 2020
• Years of Service:  2 Years

Honors & Awards

• 2011 inductee into San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame
• Soroptimists Distinguished Woman of the Year Award
• South San Francisco Honorary Service Awards

Karen Schwarz joins the Commission with recent experience as a member of the governing board of the San Mateo County Community College since November 1995.  She has served five terms as President of the Board and completed her 25-year tenure as Board President. She is the Past President of the San Mateo County Colleges Educational Housing Corporation Board which oversees the operations of the College Vista and Cañada Vista residential communities for faculty and staff.  She previously served as an elected member of the San Mateo County Board of Education (1988-1994), including two terms as Board President.  She has been elected and appointed to several educational and community associations, including the San Mateo County School Boards Association (President, 2001-02), California State School Boards Association, California County Boards of Education.  She has extensive PTA executive leadership experience as past President of South San Francisco PTA Council.

Karen has been a resident of San Mateo County for more than 40 years.  She currently resides in Redwood City.  She is a long-time member of the League of Women Voters, was appointed member of the Redwood City Library Board, Past President of the Peninsula Hills Women's Club, and serves on San Mateo County Office of Education Compensation and Classification Advisory Committee. President of the Redwood City Friends of Literacy and member of the Canada College Presidents Advisory Council.

• Classified Employees Appointee
• Appointment Date: December 1, 2019
• Years of Service:  3 Years

Ms. Veronica Palmer brings to the Commission an employment background in public service. Ms. Palmer worked as a Classified Employee of San Mateo County Office of Education for 20 years. During this time, Ms. Palmer has held various positions with California Schools Employee Association Chapter 887. Ms. Palmer is an active member of School Personnel Commissioners Association and currently serves on the San Mateo County Office of Education Merit Rules Advisory Committee.  Ms. Palmer’s biggest passion is life-long learning about issues impacting the world today and advocating for human rights causes.

• Personnel Commission Appointee 
• Appointment Date: July 13, 2022

Education:

• Skyline College 1985-1992
• Chabot College 1988-1987

Ms. Annette Shreve joins the Commission with a long employment background in education and public service. Ms. Shreve worked as a Classified Employee of Jefferson Elementary School District for 20 years and is an active and long time resident of Broadmoor Village in Daly City. Ms. Shreve has been active in the School Personnel Commissioners Association since 2010 and elder and current chair of Finance on the Session (Executive Board) of Broadmoor Presbyterian Church. She is formerly on the Executive Board of California School Employee Association Chapter 524, Executive Board Member of Garden Village PTA, Ben Franklin Middle School PTA, and Executive Board Member of Westmoor High School PTSA. Ms. Shreve states whether you are appointed or elected, it is important to serve your community whenever you are able.