Board of Trustees

Steve Schultz is the first former student of FVSD to become a school board trustee and the youngest ever to be elected to this office. Mr. Schultz is an educator at Fountain Valley High School, where the students have twice voted him Teacher of the Year. The students also voted him Staff Member of the Month, and the Teachers of HBUHSD gave him the WHO Award for his leadership contributions to improving the entire Huntington Union High School District.

For eleven years, Steve Schultz wrote a monthly magazine column on leadership, education, and being a more loving neighbor published in Fountain Valley Living magazine. His writing has been used by police and fire departments to train their officers in churches, hospitals, businesses, and various organizations. His ideas on better ways to educate have been published nationally in Educational Leadership Magazine, the books A+ Teaching and Hey Leader: Wake Up and Hear the Feedback, and his essays have been published nationally ten times in Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Mr. Schultz earned his bachelor’s degree from Cal State Long Beach and two teaching credentials, and he earned his Master’s degree in Leadership Administration Coaching from Concordia University.

Mrs. Sandra Crandall  President Pro Tem   [email protected]

Sandra Crandall received a B.A. in Sociology from Principia College, Elsah, Illinois. She earned a Lifetime Standard Teaching Credential for K-9 grades with a Specialty in Early Childhood. Mrs. Crandall taught for 39 years in Fountain Valley School District at Kindergarten and first grade and as a reading specialist serving Fountain Valley Elementary, Moiola, Courreges, and Oka Schools. 

Mrs. Crandall has proudly served as a member of the FVSD Board of Trustees since 2010. She is currently serving as the Board of Trustees liaison to the Safe Schools Task Force, Superintendent-Parent Council, and County Council Nominating Committee.

Her awards and accolades include 2005 Moiola School Teacher of the Year, 2005 Fountain Valley School District Teacher of the Year, Huntington Union Council PTA Honorary Service Award, Carol Applegate Education Award, Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and 3-time awardee. 

Additionally, she serves as a volunteer for the Fountain Valley Community Foundation and at church. She is the Chairman of the National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation and the National Right to Work Committee.

Mrs. Crandall enjoys spending time with her husband, Larry, and their family. They have three children (two who went through FVSD schools) and four grandchildren who

attended/attend FVSD schools.

Mr. Dennis Cole  Clerk  [email protected] 

Dennis Cole has served in public education for 27 years as a teacher, school principal, and currently as Director of District Partnerships and Operations for the Orange County Department of Education. He is in his first term as a Fountain Valley School District trustee.

He is also past president of the Association of California School Administrators, Region 17, serving on their board for 12 years. Dennis is a member of the executive council for Boy Scouts Orange County, Junior Achievement Orange County Board of Directors, the Fountain Valley Schools Foundation Board, the Orange County Sheriff’s Advisory Council, and several other boards. He is also a member of the Vanguard University Teacher Education Advisory Council and Concordia University Dean's Advisory Council. He has served as a Schools First Federal Credit Union President's Advisory Council member. ​

In high school and college, Dennis was a featured performer of the Young Americans. He plays guitar and has performed in North America, Central America, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Dennis and his wife, Christine, have adopted five children and have been foster parents for 11 kids. He and his family are committed to their church family, where he has led worship music every week for over 25 years. His current passion is hosting a group of 30-35 college students at his home every Friday evening for dinner, mentoring them through school and life, and ensuring their success through young adulthood and into their marriages and careers.

Mr. Phu Nguyen  Member  [email protected] 

Phu Nguyen’s family, like so many Vietnamese families, came from humble beginnings.  His family left Vietnam on a small boat in the early 1980s, and after nearly a month at sea, they were rescued and taken to a United Nations Refugee Camp. They were then sponsored to come to the United States and began building their American dream.

In 1996, Phu graduated from Mater Dei High School.  He then earned his BA in Political Science at California State University Fullerton and his Masters in International Peace and Justice from the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies.

In the community, Phu has served on the Measure M Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee for the Coast Community College District, overseeing our local colleges' $700 million improvement.  Phu has also previously served as the president of the Vietnamese Community of Southern California and the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California.

Phu Nguyen is also an entrepreneur and Fountain Valley business owner.  Phu’s family business has serviced the Vietnamese community in remittances and package shipping for 30 years.  He also owns a poke restaurant in Fountain Valley. 

Phu Nguyen is a parent of 3 current students at Plavan, Masuda, and FVHS.  For ten years, Phu and his wife Dahlia have been active parents in the Parent Teacher Organization at Plavan, serving on district committees such as Superintendent’s Presidents Council, LCAP, and School Site Safety Teams. 

Mrs. Jeanne Galindo Member galindoj@fvsd.us 

Jeanne Galindo received her bachelor's degree in German and English from San Diego State. She received a lifetime teaching credential from San Diego State. After teaching middle school English for five years in Duarte, she moved to Orange County, where she worked for the city of Fountain Valley for two years, then took a break to have three children. 

She was a substitute teacher in Fountain Valley for five years. At that time, she also earned her master's degree in public administration from the University of Southern California. She went on to teach technology in its early stages at Saint Jeanne’s in Tustin. After four years, IBM hired her as an education marketing manager.  She went on to work for Oracle Corporation and Cisco Systems, spending 21 years supporting technology use in classrooms.

Mrs. Galindo is married and has lived in Fountain Valley for over 45 years. She has served on the school board for ten years. Her hobbies include traveling and spending time with her ten grandchildren.