Santa Margarita PTA

Santa Margarita Elementary School invites you to meet your PTA. We are a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to fostering a strong sense of community among students, parents, family members, teachers, and staff while raising funds to support school programs, activities, and essential supplies.

President

Mandy Bauer

Hi, my name is Mandy Bauer, and this is my third year on the SMES PTA board. After serving two years as Secretary, I’m now honored to be serving as President! My husband Dustin and I live in South Atascadero, and we have one fun-loving and friendly third grader, Rusty. I am the Wine Club, Events, and Hospitality Manager at Caliza Winery in Paso Robles and feel blessed to volunteer, work, and raise my family on the beautiful Central Coast, where I was born and raised. I look forward to a great 2025/2026 school year, GO MUSTANGS!

Vice President

Ansley Brannon

Hi Mustang Families! My name is Ansley Brannon, and this is my third year serving on the SMES PTA Board, this year as your PTA Vice President. I wouldn’t have taken this position if I didn’t have this outstanding group of PTA ladies supporting me at every step. My husband, Zak, and I have three kids. Our twins, Fox and Blakely, are in third grade, and our little boy, Callum, just turned 3! I love the Santa Margarita community, and I’m thrilled to be able to support our teachers and children. Go Mustangs!

Secretary

Mercy McClendon

Hello. I’m Mercy McClendon and am honored to continue serving on the PTA board. I’m a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager and work as the Hospital Administrator at Animal Care Clinic in SLO. My husband, Kelly, is a Transportation Planner for Cal-Trans. We moved to the San Luis Obispo area in 2012 and are happy to be raising our daughter, Ellie, in Santa Margarita. Ellie is in fourth grade this year and is excited for the upcoming school year. Our family truly loves the warm, supportive community and dedicated staff at Santa Margarita Elementary, and we feel fortunate to be a part of it.

Treasurer

Kristen Darnell

Hi Mustang Families! My name is Kristen Darnell and this will be my second year on the SMES PTA Board. This year, I will be serving as Treasurer and am excited to work with this fabulous group of women. My husband, Craig, and I have two kiddos - Caden will be in fourth grade this year, and our daughter Cori is four years old and can’t wait to be a Mustang too. Our little school does wonderful things, and I am proud to be part of the PTA!

Hospitality Chair

Mary Gibson

Hello, Mustangs! This is my third year serving as your PTA hospitality chair. I have two daughters at SMES, one is in 4th grade this year, and my youngest is in 1st grade. It has been incredibly rewarding to be involved in PTA. We truly have an extraordinary group of parents, teachers, and staff, and I am proud to call myself a Santa Margarita Mustang! When I’m not wearing my PTA hat, I love to garden, make fun crafts with my Cricut machine, or enjoy some local craft beer with my husband, Anthony. Can’t wait for another great school year! Go mustangs!

Teacher Representative

Brooke Boring

Hi! My name is Brooke Boring and I teach first grade at SMES. This is my first year as a teacher representative for our amazing PTA. I love our community and school, and feel honored to be a part of it!

Teacher Representative

Anna Potter

My name is Anna Potter, and this is my fourth year on the PTA serving as the Teacher Representative. This will be my ninth year teaching kindergarten at SMES. I am a mom to two daughters — Amelia is 9 and is in fourth grade this year, and Heidi is 6 and in 1st grade. My husband, Sam, and I have lived on the Central Coast for 19 years and we feel so lucky to call this place home. As a family, we enjoy playing board games, paddle boarding in Morro Bay, and roasting smores in our backyard. I am looking forward to being part of this wonderful team that works hard to provide many opportunities for our teachers and students!

Events & Volunteer Coordinator

Ali Akers

Hi! My name is Ali Akers and this will be my third year on the PTA. I will be serving as your Events and Volunteer Coordinator. My husband, Cody, and I were born and raised on the Central Coast and have lived in Atascadero for the last 12 years. We have a daughter in third grade and a son who will be starting TK this year. I'm excited to be working with the amazing parents and staff at SMES again this year. Go Mustangs!

Room Parent Coordinator

Stephanie Hamm

Hi! I’m Stephanie Hamm and this is my third year serving on the SMES PTA board as your Room Parent Coordinator. My husband, Nate, and I have two energetic boys at SMES. Jeffrey is in third grade and Tyler started Kinder this year! Also part of our family are our dogs Maddie and Chloe, our cat Pepper, and our betta Fred. I work as a Forensic Psychologist for the Board of Parole Hearings. When not working, I stay super busy with the boys’ sports activities, enjoy anything fitness-related, and love taking travel trailer adventures with my family. We adore the Santa Margarita community. I look forward to another year of being on this amazing PTA and supporting SMES!

Book Fair Coordinator

Blair Gracey Stoudenmire

Hi! I’m Blair Gracey, mom to a 5th, 3rd, and 1st grader here at Santa Margarita Elementary. I’m a big fan of all things book fair and love helping kids discover their next favorite read. I love being part of this amazing PTA and how we all join forces for the kids (kind of like superheroes, but with more coffee)

Historian

Kerry Sansone

Hello, Mustang supporters! I'm Kerry Sansone, your PTA Historian. My husband, Matt, and I are Central Coast natives. Together, we specialize in residential real estate and are proud to help families purchase homes and investments throughout the county. Our daughter, Cora, loves being a student at SMES, which makes contributing to the school community a true joy. Our family enjoys entertaining, so our home is always open to friends and neighbors. If I'm not at my desk, you'll find me in the barn with the horses or tending to my garden. I look forward to getting to know you all as our kiddos grow and learn together.

Membership Coordinator

Alex Levandusky

Hello Mustang families! My name is Alex Levandusky and this is my first year on the PTA as the new Membership Coordinator. My husband, Mark and I have two active and fun kids. My daughter Olivia will be in 1st grade and my son Boe will be starting at Santa Margarita in TK. We feel so blessed to have both our kids in this amazing Mustang family! We moved here 9 years ago and we couldn’t be more thankful for this wonderful school and community. I’m so excited to be a part of the SMES PTA this year! Go Mustangs!

Communications & Social Media Chair

Katie Prodoehl

Hi all! I'm Katie Prodoehl and this is my second year serving on the PTA. It’s been so fun working behind the scenes, helping bring amazing events and fundraisers to life for our school community. By day, I’m a graphic designer handling marketing and web design for a fitness company in Orange County. My husband and I moved from the Bay Area to the Central Coast five years ago, and we couldn’t be happier with that decision. Our kids are in 5th grade and 1st grade, and I'm already mourning the fact that this is our daughter's last year at SMES. This school is truly something special, and I feel so grateful that our family gets to be part of it.

Communications & Social Media Committee

Jennifer Fultz

Hello! I’m excited to be serving my first year on the PTA as part of the Communications Committee. I have two very active boys at SMES—one starting Kindergarten and one heading into 2nd grade. My oldest is all about sports, especially soccer, and my youngest loves trucks, arts and crafts, and being creative.

We live in Santa Margarita and love being able to walk around town and occasionally, to and from school. I also play soccer and do my best to keep up with their energy! I grew up here on the Central Coast, so it’s really special to now be raising my kids in this same community.

Communications & Social Media Committee

Natasha Sanchez

Hello Mustang Families! My name is Natasha Sanchez, and I’m excited to join the Santa Margarita Elementary School PTA for my first year as a member. As a proud Santa Margarita native and former SMES student, this school has always held a special place in my heart.

My husband and I have three children, two of whom attend SMES, Selah (3rd grade) and Brixton (1st grade). I look forward to supporting our students, families, and staff, and helping make this a fun, memorable year for our Mustang community.