Who We Are

This page contains the organizational and biographical information for the team at School Wise Press. We are very proud of our people and feel that we have assembled one of the best client-oriented teams possible. Please take a moment to get acquainted with our staff. We are certain that once you have worked with them, you will agree that they are some of the best in the business. Simply select any of the names listed below to obtain a detailed look at that person or scroll down the page and view all of our personnel.

STEVE REES, PRESIDENT, EDITOR, AND PUBLISHER. In the first year of the accountability era, he launched the first professional reporting service for district leaders facing the transparency requirements of the NCLB act. By combining talent in the fields of analytics and data visualization, together with database publishing technologists, he brought to education leaders professional data, analytics and reporting skill previously available only to those in the financial and scientific fields. Mr. Rees currently sits on the advisory board of the Institute for Evidence Based Change, which encourages education leaders in both K-12 and higher education systems to use data to boost student achievement. Before launching the company, Mr. Rees worked in magazine publishing management and consulting for more than 15 years.

JEFF ANGUS, OPERATIONS - STRATEGIC PARTNER. Jeff Angus has been a management coach and public lecturer. His book, "Management by Baseball," was published in 2006 by Harper Collins, and is evidence of his expertise in both disciplines. He is also a statistician and member of the Society for the Advancement of Baseball Research. Mr. Angus has popularized baseball statistics for the Seattle Times, and also covered baseball in Seattle as a reporter for the Associated Press. His experience as a reporter and columnist in the computer journalism world prepares him well to contribute to our publishing team here at School Wise Press.

ALISON NAKASHIMA, BUSINESS ANALYST. Before joining School Wise Press in 2005, Ms. Nakashima worked with Educational Testing Service as a consultant to district staff on the California STAR testing program. Her additional work experience includes running a tutoring program for AmeriCorps and working in academic publishing. In her spare time, she is a board member and volunteer with a nonprofit mentoring program that pairs Asian American high school students with adult mentors. Ms. Nakashima has a BA in Mathematics from Oberlin University.

GREG SMITH, TECHNOLOGY - STRATEGIC PARTNER. Greg Smith is a technology advisor, database developer, programmer, and systems analyst. He has worked in computer journalism and small business systems consulting for 15 years. He has contributed to a variety of publications, including InfoWorld and PC World, where he directed their testing and usability labs.

GARY JONES, IT OPERATIONS MANAGER. Gary Jones began his career designing and installing production control systems in the oil fields and coal mines of Wyoming for companies such as Amoco, Amax, Union 76, Sun Oil, and ARCO. After moving to California in the early 1980's, he acquired more than 20 years experience in the information technology industry, primarily in network and systems management, and software and database development. Before joining School Wise Press, Mr. Jones held management and engineering positions with Bank of America, ProBusiness, and ADP.

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LEE SEIDEN, MANAGER OF PRODUCTION AND EDITORIAL. Before joining School Wise Press in 2005, Ms. Seiden worked as a freelance proofreader, a computer programmer, and a substitute teacher. She has two children enrolled in the San Francisco Unified School District, where she has been an active parent volunteer. Ms. Seiden holds a BS degree in psychology and elementary education from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a certificate in computer programming from New York University.

SUSAN GARRATT, PROJECT EDITOR. Ms. Garratt's editing experience includes illustrated book publishing and editing in the fields of engineering, ophthalmology, and education. She has combined her editing career with substantial volunteering in the classrooms of her two children and has been a member of the Mill Valley School District's PTA executive board for 12 years. In addition to working at School Wise Press, Ms. Garratt volunteers in the career planning office at her local high school. Ms. Garratt holds a BA in English from Wells College.

LAUREN MAHAKIAN, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT. Ms. Mahakian is a San Francisco native who graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School. She began her career with School Wise Press as a high school summer intern and has been with the company ever since. Her organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to communicate clearly with her coworkers enable the production department to run efficiently. Ms. Mahakian graduated from California State University, Sacramento, in 2009, and she earned her BA in environmental studies, with a minor in biology. She’s an avid Giants fan and goes to games as often as possible, and enjoys walking her dog on the beach. Her volunteer interests include Girls on The Run, an afterschool program for elementary school girls that is aimed at boosting self-esteem and self-confidence.

AMANDA ZEIER, PROJECT EDITOR. Before joining School Wise Press, Ms. Zeier worked as a Project Editor for Prima Games, a division of Random House and the industry leader in video-game strategy guides. A Bay Area native, she recently returned to Marin County after living in Davis for several years. Ms. Zeier holds a BA in both Political Science and English from University of California, Davis.

JENNY CHEN, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE. Ms. Chen is a sophomore at San Francisco State, majoring in pre-nursing. Her tremendous work ethic and a sharp eye for detail have enhanced School Wise Press operations considerably. When she's not in school, or handling a variety of tasks here at the shop, Ms. Chen volunteers at the Chinese Hospital. In her spare time, she enjoys reading romance novels, shopping (calling it her "favorite sport!") and paddling for the Community Youth Center's Chinese Dragon Boat Racing Team.

JOSH COLWELL, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/SALES ASSISTANT. Josh Colwell grew up in Northern California and attended public schools in Modesto, Napa, San Pablo, and Berkeley. He graduated with a BA in Art Practice from UC Berkeley. He has worked as an office administrator in various law offices in San Francisco and Oakland. He has volunteered with AIDS LifeCycle for several years; he enjoys riding his bike across the Golden Gate Bridge and all around California’s beautiful outdoors. Mr. Colwell is also a nature enthusiast and an artist, and he enjoys getting away from the city as much he does spending time in it.

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