The Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) is proud to announce Dr. Sarah Pearson as its recipient of the 2024 Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award.
“The Board and I are thrilled to recognize Sarah Pearson for almost two decades of service to Piedmont’s youth and the Piedmont community, overall,” said PUSD Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Hawn. “The many submissions to nominate Sarah highlighted her tireless volunteer efforts to make a difference in the lives of our youth, efforts that continue today in her current role as a Facing History & Ourselves Board advisory board member. Sarah has been an integral part of Piedmont for 22 years, giving her time, energy, and passion to make a positive impact on our community. It is with great honor and gratitude that we recognize Sarah Pearson.”
Dr. Pearson, a two-term Board of Education member and longtime volunteer in the schools and community, will be officially honored at the May 8 Board of Education meeting. The award is presented each year to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the community and to Piedmont’s youth through volunteer service over a period of many years.
Dr. Pearson, a Pediatrician by profession, has been a fierce advocate for children in Piedmont and the East Bay. She stands at the ready to support the schools and community, as is evidenced by her vast and exhaustive list of volunteer activities which include, serving on the Wellness Center Advisory Board, facilitator on the Piedmont Parents Network, the Ann Martin Center Clinic Board, the Wildwood and Piedmont Middle School Board, and as co-founder of Turkey Trot Children’s Book donation. She was also the founder and creator of Launch Pad for Seniors, co-chair on the Measures B & E parcel tax campaigns, and currently serves as a board member of Facing History.
Dr. Pearson is a highly respected community member; her insights and perspective on children and the communities that support them continue to be valued by many.
The Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to individuals who have volunteered their efforts over a period of time and made a difference because of their involvement and commitment to Piedmont’s youth. Arthur ‘Art’ Hecht was a tireless community volunteer dedicated to students in both Piedmont and Oakland. He served on Piedmont’s Board of Education from 1970 to 1982, and was instrumental in developing the Piedmont Continuation High School (now called Millennium High School). In 1998, the Volunteer of the Year Award was established in his memory.
Previous recipients include: Hunter McCreary (1998); Ann Chandler (1999); Ruth Cuming (2000); Lisa Lomenzo (2001); jointly by Cathie Geddeis and Marion Souyoultzis (2002); jointly by Fritz and Mary Wooster (2003); Elizabeth (Betsy) Gentry (2004); Cynthia Gorman (2005); Grier Graff (2006); Julia Burke (2007); Maude Pervere (2008); jointly to Anne-Marie Lamarche and Mark Menke (2009); Janiele Maffei Tovani (2010); Andrea Swenson (2011), June Monach (2012), Bill Drum (posthumously) and Mary Ireland (2013), Ray Perman (2014), Jennifer Fox (2015), Katie Korotzer (2016), Hilary Cooper (2017) Holly Hanke (2018), Cathy Glazier (2019), Sue Smegal (2020), Ken Li (2021), Eileen Ruby (2022), and David Ragones (2023).
Well deserved!! Congratulations Sarah!!