Margarete Minar, President
An interest in local history as well as graphic design led Margarete to offer her services to the production of the SHS newsletter back in 2017. From creating a new look for the publication, she quickly ascended to newsletter editor and has been serving in that capacity until 2022. Margarete also designed the current website and creates fliers for museum events, such as the bi-annual teas. California native Margarete Minar was born in Los Angeles and grew up in San Diego. She currently lives in Saratoga with her husband Igor and two elementary school-aged children. Margarete lived and worked in Central Europe for a number of years and taught English in both Slovakia and Austria before moving to Silicon Valley in 2006. She holds a certificate as a technical writer from San José State University and created product user guides for IT companies, learning graphic design skills through that experience. Margarete’s leadership skills and innovative ideas in the newsletter editing team led to her appointment to the general board of directors in 2019. She started her term as president of the society in June of 2022.
Joanna Levasseur, Treasurer
Joanna Levasseur was born and grew up in a family of historians in Poland. She first moved to Sunnyvale in 2002. Joanna earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from San José State University. After graduation, she started her career as a financial
data analyst and spent the next decade working for a boutique investment management firm in Menlo Park. As a portfolio manager Joanna provided comprehensive investment management and financial planning services to high-net worth individuals and families. After the firm was acquired by Bank of New York Mellon, she served as a Vice President, counseling individuals and families on a variety of financial planning issues. Joanna is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Joanna earned her Master of Science in Taxation (MST) from San José State University in 2019 and holds an active California CPA license. She has also worked in public accounting as a tax preparer.
Joanna and her husband are raising two children and are very grateful for the wonderful and caring community of Sunnyvale. In her free time, Joanna likes to hike and go for runs, and travel with her family. She loves volunteering for the museum which brings people closer as a community and connects past and present so citizens can understand and preserve our heritage. As an immigrant herself, Joanna is happy to see the celebration of diversity that is at the heart of Silicon Valley’s prosperity.
Rose Kausek, Board Secretary
Rose Kausek was born in San José, CA and has lived in Santa Clara Valley almost her entire life. She holds a BS in Social Services from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA, and an MBA from Santa Clara University. After she married Thomas Kausek, the couple moved to Sunnyvale in 1977. In 2004, Rose and Tom completed the Leadership Sunnyvale training course. As a result of that training, Rose joined the Sunnyvale Heritage Preservation Commission and served as a commissioner from 2004-2008.
At the same time, she started attending Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association meetings, since the two organizations have much in common. Rose became a member of the association in 2004 and was president of the Board when the new museum opened in 2008.
Rose stepped into the role of SHSMA board secretary in 2023. She is involved in various aspects of museum life and enjoys helping with setting up new rotating exhibits. An avid knitter, Rose always has a knitting project going. She also enjoys attending Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Laura Babcock, Museum Director
Laura is a long-time community leader, former Planning Commissioner and Heritage Preservation Commissioner with a life-long passion for preserving history. She served on the Orchard Heritage Interpretive Exhibit Project Advisory Board for the society and was the Project Manager during its construction. Laura also chaired and served as Project Manager and Coordinator for the successful Museum Barn Relocation Project for the City of Sunnyvale in 2003, for the construction of the museum in 2008, and the city-wide Centennial Celebration in 2012.
Laura is a 1986 graduate of Leadership Sunnyvale and serves on the Historical Society Board of Directors. She brings extensive experience in leadership, project development and project management to this team. Laura has been a resident of Sunnyvale, California since 1979.
Shanna Gaudenti, Museum Manager
Shanna is the first person to hold the newly created position of Museum Manager. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the museum, including opening and closing on the days the museum is open to visitors, scheduling maintenance work and inspections, fielding research inquiries, and scheduling docents, among many other tasks.
Shanna has a special interest in Sunnyvale’s agricultural past from her own upbringing in a small farming town in the Central Valley. Before she joined the museum, Shanna was a social worker for the City of San José and an elementary school teacher in Fresno. She earned her BA in Liberal Arts and teaching credential from CSU Fresno, as well as an MA in Counseling Psychology from National University. Shanna currently serves as vice chair on Sunnyvale’s Heritage Preservation Commission.
Shanna’s family moved to Sunnyvale in 2005 and she and her husband raised their two children in this city. She enjoys visiting museums of all kinds and spending time at the beach, on urban walks, or practicing yoga.
Other advisory committees and chairs are established as needed.
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