SANDI PASSALACQUA, Founder, has served Sonoma County as a dedicated educator for more than fifty years. Mrs. Passalacqua’s roles have ranged from classroom teacher to consultant, principal, and founder of The Healdsburg School. She has designed and implemented ESL and Title I programs, as well as foreign language curriculums. She holds a Master of Education from Sonoma State University and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Northeastern University. Mrs. Passalacqua’s vision for The Healdsburg School was to create a unique independent school that prepared students to successfully navigate the global workplace and community through a program of rigorous academics, service-learning, and character development. Her goal of creating this positive, child-centered school where each student’s individual gifts are seen and nurtured has become a thriving reality. Now a mere 15 years since its inception, The Healdsburg School is recognized as a premier independent school in Sonoma County. Mrs. Passalacqua is also an accomplished painter and pianist and is an avid world traveler. She is married to Tom Passalacqua and has three children and eight grandchildren.