David has over 26 years of professional and teaching experience in the field of Architecture and has practiced in New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco. He is currently Project Director at Naylor & Chu Architects in San Francisco, and his professional career has included completed projects from residential to large scale commercial.

David earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree at the University of Kentucky and a Masters in Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, and is a California registered Architect and holds a LEED accreditation. A Fulbright Scholar in Architecture, David has collaborated on Archaeological excavations in Sardinia and has served as adjunct faculty in Architecture at Columbia University and the New York Institute of Technology, and as a teaching Assistant at U.C. Berkeley. David has had a lifelong passion for learning and teaching and joined the Leap Board of Directors in 2008.

Andrew joined the Leap Board of Directors in 2002 and accepted the Chair position in 2007. Andrew is committed to the success of Leap, to educating the public regarding the engineering profession, and to supporting our local artistic and educational communities through the resources of the building industry. He is an active volunteer in many youth-based and community-based activities, including the Leap Sandcastle Classic, the Engineers Alliance for the Arts, the ACE Mentorship Program, and Rebuilding Together. Andrew is a licensed Structural Engineer with Degenkolb Engineers in San Francisco, pursuing a broad range of challenging projects from building design and seismic retrofit, to deep excavation shoring and Contractor means and methods. Andrew is originally from Southern California, but now resides in the Richmond District of San Francisco with his wife, Kirsten, and is an avid surfer, cyclist, and outdoor explorer.

A Chicago-area native, Ken studied art and life in Paris his sophomore year and earned a BA in economics at Occidental College and an MA at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. After corporate and international banking stints based in Chicago and NYC, Ken did transactional work for Citicorp-SF for nine years. Ken then chose entrepreneurship and family over a suit and tie. Under the dba ‘Clearwater Projects’ since 1990, he serves as a part-time CFO for technology and medical device start-ups. Ken has steered non-profit boards through transition and transaction-intensive periods and mentored Haas MBA students. He also coached and refereed for ten years while his two sons played youth soccer. Ken is a life-long cyclist and fly fisherman with a deep belief in the roles of art, architecture and nature in early education. He joined the Leap Board in 2008.

Kyle is an Associate with SmithGroup, Inc. in San Francisco. Trained in Boston, she came to San Francisco in 2000. With 13 years of architectural work experience, she has been responsible for every phase of the building design and construction process. Kyle focused her master’s thesis on the fundamental principals of designing with nature to enhance the healing capacity of the built environment. An avid painter and sketcher, she draws on these skills to keep her inspired. She believes in the strength of art and architectural education to build creativity and imagination and wants every child to be touched by this inspiration through their public education experience. Kyle resides in San Francisco with her husband, son and dog and has been teaching with the Leap program since 2002. She joined the Board of Directors in 2006.

Linda Fairchild is a contemporary art dealer and founder of Linda Fairchild Contemporary Art, Inc. in San Francisco. A native of Nova Scotia, Linda was educated in New England and moved to the Bay Area in 1978. Passionate about art, architecture and design, she earned her BA in Visual & Environmental Studies at Harvard University in 1977. For 10 years she worked in the children’s clothing industry and created a unique aesthetic of large scale textile prints designed by fine artists for her manufacturing company, Sugar Gliders. She views the arts as critical to a child’s complete education, creating an awareness and sensitivity to the world that cannot be achieved through other media. An experienced Board member, she supported Fiberworks in the 80’s, and is currently a Form Agent and fund-raiser for St. Paul’s School.

Kevin Hickey is the Director of Youth Programs at Jewish Vocational Service and teaches public policy at the University of San Francisco. Kevin is a passionate advocate for young people, serving on several public advisory boards and supporting the efforts of Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University and a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco. Kevin is committed to strengthening the work of the nonprofit sector and its key role in representative democracy.

Marielle is a graphic designer with over ten years of experience working in the AEC industry and has practiced in New York and San Francisco. She is currently Principal of 5 Spice Design, a graphic design studio working with architects, engineers, and developers. Marielle believes that education is the great equalizer, and that any child can succeed given the opportunity to receive a good education. A member of the Board of Directors since 2009, she is thrilled to help Leap continue to provide excellence in arts education.

Marielle holds a Bachelor of Art from the University of Southern California and Master of Science from Pratt Institute. In addition to her duties with Leap, she is Co-Chair of Financial Development for the Society for Marketing Professional Services, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. She is a dedicated yogi and runner, hones her budding architectural photography skills while traveling, and can be found madly cheering on her USC Trojans throughout the football season.