Board of Directors
Board of Directors’ meetings are held every second Wednesday of the month (subject to change) on Zoom.
Please check the NCS calendar for connection information and scheduled meeting dates.
Interested in serving on the NAEF Board of Directors? Download, complete, and email this application to Sarah Winter.
Daniel Spohr-Grimes – President
Daniel Spohr-Grimes joined the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation Board in July 2021. His background in the arts spans decades in both education and experience. He is an alumnus of the Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts, earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University, and a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Tennessee State University.
Daniel spent ten years as a choral director in middle and high schools and is the founder of two private arts schools in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2015 he moved to Sacramento with his husband and son. He has extensive experience as a performer in theme parks across the midwest and east coast, community theaters, and film. His directing resume includes shows like Sound of Music, Annie, Oliver, Bridge to Terabithia, and many many more. In 2016 and 2017 he was the artistic director of the Sacramento RiverTrain’s Magical Christmas Train. Currently, Daniel is the Program Administrator for the United States District Court in the Eastern District of California and can be heard singing with the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus. He is a proud parent of a Star Academy student.
Rachel Farrell – Vice President
Rachel Farrell joined the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation Board in Feb of 2021. She has over 25 years of experience at Weyerhaeuser Distribution and is currently the Sales Manager for the Northern California market. Rachel is from Vietnam and currently lives in Sacramento, California. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Saint Mary’s College. Rachel’s family includes her husband Brett and three children, Noah, Bailey and Maggie.
Jeanne Quinn – Board Treasurer
Jeanne Quinn joined the NAEF Board in August of 2024. Jeanne Quinn has been a Social Studies teacher at Natomas Charter School’s Performing and Fine Arts Academy since August of 2008. She spent 12 years teaching 9th and 12th graders before moving to Middle School to teach 7th and 8th graders. Jeanne received her BA in History and her Teaching Credential from CSUS. She has also received her Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology from American College of Education. She loves working with students so much she has led 5 European Trips with students, been class advisor to many classes and is the WEB co-coordinator for the 8th graders who mentor the new 6th graders at PFAA Middle School. She is also the proud parent of a STAR Academy 4th grader.
Michael Wang – Board Secretary
Chien-Yu Michael Wang joined the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation in June 2019. Michael is the managing attorney at Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC in Sacramento and practices immigration law. He obtained his Juris Doctorate at Southwestern Law School. He also graduated from U.C. Davis. He is the former President of the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento and is active in the community. He is also a proud parent of a Natomas Charter School student.
Gene Lee
Gene Lee joined the NAEF Board in 2023. He works for the State of California in accounting for the Water Resources and Control Board. He has helped other non-profits with his accounting background. His daughter goes to PFAA and has been at Natomas Charter since Kindergarten. He enjoys traveling and hiking with his family.
Mandy Sohal-Gosal
Mandy Sohal-Gosal joined the NAEF Board in July of 2023. After starting out in public relations work, Mandy embarked on her journey in education as a high school English Teacher in 2003. Mandy holds an MA in Education, and a BA in Political Science.
Mandy is active in her involvement in community projects and initiatives aimed at promoting education equity and access for all. Her decision to join the NAEF board is a result of her commitment to making a difference in the lives of students, encouraging them to become active contributors to a global community. Mandy and her husband are the proud parents of twins, and have been a part of the NCS family since 2017.
Eze Uzosike
Eze Uzosike has resided in the Natomas district of Sacramento since 2016. He grew up in Alameda County in the Bay Area, California. He finished his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, and later proceeded to study Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. He completed his residency training in Adult and Family Medicine at University of Chicago in 2015, and soon afterwards, relocated back to California where he continued his postgraduate studies, completing additional training in Sports Medicine. He enjoys traveling, sports, movies, health education, and spending time with his wife and son. He is currently a practicing physician in the Adult Medicine department of Kaiser Permanente Sacramento where he sees patients.
Sarah Winter – Director
Sarah Winter joined the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation Board in March 2022. She first joined the Natomas Charter School family in 2018 where she served as the PFAA Technical Director and Stagecraft instructor until 2022. In 2023, she returned as the Arts and Outreach Associate Coordinator for NCS and Director of NAEF.
Sarah’s educational and professional experience in theatre arts spans close to twenty years in the Central Valley, San Francisco, East Bay Area, and Sacramento. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and Technical Production from San Francisco State University and her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Fresno Pacific University. She has trained and worked with companies such as San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, Exit Theatre, Z-Space, Epiphany Dance Theater, Sacramento Theatre Company, and more. She continues to professionally design lighting with theatres in the Sacramento area whenever she can.
