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 fourth year on the SMES PTA board and second year as President! My husband Dustin and I live in South Atascadero, and we have one fun-loving and friendly fourth grader, Rusty. I am the Membership & Partnerships Manager at Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance 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 2026/2027 school year, GO MUSTANGS!
Vice President
Ansley Brannon
Hi Mustang Families! My name is Ansley Brannon, and this is my fourth year serving on the SMES PTA Board, and second 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 fourth grade, and our little boy, Callum, just turned 4 and will be entering TK! 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 fifth 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 third year on the SMES PTA Board, my second year serving as Treasurer, and I am excited to work with this fabulous group of women. My husband, Craig, and I have two kiddos - Caden will be in fifth grade this year, and our daughter Cori is five 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!
Treasurer Elect
Kristin Smith
Hi SMES families! I’m Kristin Smith, the Treasurer Elect, and I am so excited for my first year on PTA. My daughter Morgan is in 5th grade, and my son Nolan is in 3rd grade this year. As a Central Coast native, I was so happy to move to Atascadero about a decade ago after stints in SoCal, the Central Valley, and the Bay Area for school and work. I can’t think of a better place to raise my kids. My day job is ECommerce/DTC Sales in the wine industry, but I love to spend my free time reading, swimming, watching K-dramas, or traveling abroad with my kids. I’m looking forward to contributing to our kids’ wonderful school!
Teacher Representative
Brooke Boring
Hi! My name is Brooke Boring, and I teach first grade at SMES. This is my second 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 fifth year on the PTA serving as the Teacher Representative. This will be my tenth year teaching kindergarten at SMES. I am a mom to two daughters — Amelia is 10 and is in 5th grade this year, and Heidi is 7 and in 2nd grade. My husband, Sam, and I have lived on the Central Coast for 20 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 s'mores 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!
Hospitality Chair
Mary Gibson
Hello, Mustangs! This is my fourth year serving as your PTA hospitality chair. I have two daughters at SMES; one is in 5th grade this year, and my youngest is in 2nd 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!
Room Parent Coordinator
Stephanie Hamm
Hi! I’m Stephanie Hamm, and this is my fourth 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 4th grade, and Tyler is going into 1st grade! 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 6th, 4th, and 2nd 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).
Events & Volunteer Coordinator
Ali Akers
Hi! My name is Ali Akers, and this will be my fourth 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 13 years. We have a daughter in 4th grade and a son who will be in Kindergarten this year. I'm excited to be working with the amazing parents and staff at SMES again this year. Go Mustangs!
Fundraising Chair
Hailey Rose Switzer
Hi, my name is Hailey Rose Switzer. My husband Josh and I have two girls, Holley-Faye & Hattie Rae. Holley is a Santa Margarita Elementary alumnus and is a freshman this year, while Hattie is headed into her first year at SMES as a TK student. Josh and I own and operate the Santa Margarita Feed Store and live here in town. This is my second round serving on the PTA board. During Holley’s elementary years, I served on the board for 3 years and was part of the team that started the Mustang Ball!
I look forward to jumping back in and helping out our amazing little school while Hattie is here!
Membership Coordinator
Alex Levandusky
Hello Mustang families! My name is Alex Levandusky, and this is my second year on the PTA as the Membership Coordinator. My husband, Mark, and I have two active and fun kids. My daughter Olivia is in 2nd grade, and my son Boe is in Kindergarten. We feel so blessed to have both our kids in this amazing Mustang family! We moved here 10 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 Committee
Katie Prodoehl
Hi all! I'm Katie Prodoehl, and this is my third 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 six years ago, and we couldn’t be happier with that decision. Our daughter will be starting 6th grade at AMS, and our son is in 2nd grade, and I'm so happy we still have another four years with him 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 second year on the PTA as part of the Communications Committee. I have two very active boys at SMES—one in 1st grade and one in 3rd 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.
Social Media Chair
Alex Marino
Hello Mustangs! My name is Alex Marino, and I’m excited to serve as the SMES PTA Social Media Chair this school year. My husband, Chris, and I met at Cal Poly and have lived in Santa Margarita since 2015. We’re excited for our son, Luca, to start TK at SMES, and our one-year-old son, Arlo, is a future Mustang!
Before staying home with my boys, I taught at the elementary school level for nine years. I currently serve on the Board for the SLO Children’s Museum and love supporting opportunities for children to learn through play and hands-on experiences.
Our family enjoys camping, kayaking, and spending weekends at the soccer and baseball fields. We’re excited to be part of the Mustang family and look forward to a great school year, and I can’t wait to be a part of the SMES board!