Skip to content

Three newcomers are challenging three incumbents in a particularly busy election cycle for the Marin County Board of Education.

“It’s very unusual for all of us to be opposed,” said Tiburon resident Marilyn Nemzer, one of the incumbents in the Nov. 3 election.

The seven-member board oversees the Marin County Office of Education, approving its budget, setting the superintendent’s salary and hearing appeals on issues such as charter schools, student discipline and interdistrict transfer requests. The annual budget is about $67 million.

Aside from Nemzer, the members running for new terms are Curtis Robinson of Mill Valley and Cynthia Johanson Irish of San Rafael. The challengers are Avery Lieberman of Tiburon, James Goddard of Mill Valley and Craig Stuart Adams of Marinwood.

Aside from Nemzer, the members running for new terms are Curtis Robinson of Mill Valley and Cynthia Johanson Irish of San Rafael. The challengers are Avery Lieberman of Tiburon, James Goddard of Mill Valley and Craig Stuart Adams of Marinwood.

Lieberman is running against Nemzer for the Area 5 seat, which covers all or parts of Larkspur, Corte Madera, Kentfield, Mill Valley, Tiburon and Belvedere. Goddard is running against Robinson in Area 6, which includes Sausalito and part of Mill Valley. Adams is running against Johanson Irish in Area 3, which includes Lucas Valley, Marinwood and part of incorporated San Rafael.

Nemzer, 84, a board member since 2001, is a former high school teacher and middle school counselor. She founded the California Study, Inc., an energy education nonprofit, and the Book Exchange, a literacy program in Marin that distributes free books to children.

“I’m running again because I love this work and am incredibly proud to be part of what the Marin County Office of Education does for students and teachers,” Nemzer said. “I’m continually inspired by our exceptional staff and the extraordinary programs and services that support Marin’s 30,000 kids.”

Robinson, 61, grew up in Mill Valley and attended local public schools before becoming a family physician and raising five children. He has been on the board for 21 years and is its current president.

Robinson said he “wants to continue supporting students, educators and public schools while helping ensure that the Marin County Office of Education remains focused on educational excellence, responsible governance, collaboration and the needs of every student we serve — paying close attention to those who need more to achieve the same.”

Johanson Irish, a 30-year educator, media publisher and nonprofit leader, was appointed to the board in February 2025. She said she is running for a full term “because I believe every student deserves an excellent education that combines academic rigor with well-being, joy and meaningful preparation for life after graduation.”

“During my year and a half on the county board, I have gained a deeper understanding of its important role in supporting Marin’s schools and its most vulnerable students,” said Johanson Irish, 60, who is executive director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation. “I want to continue bringing experienced, thoughtful, and collaborative leadership to that work while helping ensure students have access to multiple pathways for success.”

Goddard, 55, a graduate of Redwood High School, has lived in Mill Valley for 22 years. He is the chief financial officer of a commercial real estate finance and development company in San Rafael.

Goddard said he wants to address “the large difference in educational outcomes” among school districts in Marin.

“I wish to offer my business and finance experience spanning a 32-year career to help appropriately allocate financial resources to students through a new fresh viewpoint,” said Goddard, who is married to Sharon Nakatani, vice president of the Mill Valley School District board.

Adams, 64, is a real estate broker. He said he offers experience in areas such as negotiation, collaboration and business operations.

“I always had a political interest,” said Adams, a member of the Marin Republican Party. “I felt that at some point, I needed to do public service and give back. Now is as good a time as ever.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about relationships and doing what’s best for education and children,” he said.

Lieberman, 65, is a retired dentist and assistant professor of restorative dentistry at two area colleges. Lieberman said he entered the race at the urging of Nancy McCarthy, a two-year board member who has been critical of trustee health insurance benefits and other issues.

“Voters don’t realize that trustees can take the same paid health insurance package that’s offered to full-time Marin County employees,” Lieberman said. “I want that money to go where it can do the most good for our students — to the districts.”

The healthcare coverage, which has been available to board members since the 1980s, cost about $22,500 in the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to public records. McCarthy criticized board members for imposing the extra costs “while many of our children cannot read.”

“These incumbents are running for the money involved, not education,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy, who said she declined to receive the health benefit, does accept the monthly stipend of up to $800 for attending meetings. McCarthy is the only trustee who does not take the health coverage, said John Carroll, the county schools superintendent.

The Marin County Office of Education is still seeking applicants for the vacant Area 2 seat formerly occupied by Patricia Garbarino. The application deadline for prospective appointees is 5 p.m. Sept. 14. Applications and additional details are online at marinschools.org.