2026 LAGUNA BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD
Joan Malczewski. Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal. Kimberly Smith.
Three School Board Votes for Excellence.
Meet Joan, Shaheen, and Kimberly
Joan, Shaheen, and Kimberly bring complementary experience in education, law, and business, along with a shared commitment to putting students first.
JOAN MALCZEWSKI
Education & Policy Expert
Current LBUSD trustee
District parent
University professor
Education historian
Teacher mentor
Former CPA
School board experience · Academics · Literacy · Responsible budgeting · Collaboration
SHAHEEN SHEIK-SADHAL
Parent & Community Leader
District parent
Attorney
Business owner
Longtime school volunteer
Former PTA president
SchoolPower trustee
Transparency · Trust · Listening to families and educators · Student support
KIMBERLY SMITH
Executive & Organization Leader
LBUSD parent of two
Technology CEO
Business leader
Nonprofit board leader
Philanthropist
Organizational strategy and growth
Organizational leadership · Financial management · Strategy · Student-centered decisions
Joan Malczewski
Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal
Kimberly Smith
Current LBUSD trustee
District Parent
University professor
Education historian
Teacher mentor
Former CPA
School board experience · Academics · Literacy · Responsible budgeting · Collaboration
District parent
Attorney
Business owner
Longtime school volunteer
Former PTA president
SchoolPower trustee
Transparency · Trust · Listening to families and educators · Student support
District parent
Technology CEO
Business leader
Nonprofit board leader
Philanthropist
Public Benefit Corporation executive
Organizational leadership · Financial management · Strategy · Student-centered decisions
Education & Policy Expert
Parent & Community Member
Executive & Organization Leader
Joan Malczewski
Education & Policy Expert
Current LBUSD trustee, parent, university professor, education historian, teacher mentor, and former CPA. Joan brings direct school board experience and a strong focus on academics, literacy, responsible budgeting, and collaboration.
Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal
Parent & Community Leader
LBUSD parent, attorney, business owner, and longtime school volunteer. A former PTA president and SchoolPower trustee, Shaheen focuses on transparency, trust, listening to families and educators, and ensuring every student feels seen and supported.
Kimberly Smith
Executive & Organization Leader
An LBUSD parent of two, CEO, and nonprofit board leader with experience managing budgets, teams, organizational strategy, and driving growth. Kimberly brings the discipline to lead a mission-driven company and make decisions that benefit students.
Why Laguna Teachers Support All Three
Empowering Great Teaching
in every classroom
Restoring Trust
and transparency
Putting Students
and academics first
Ensuring Responsible
financial leadership
Bringing Stability
back to LBUSD leadership
Laguna Beach has exceptional students, educators, and schools.
We need School Board leadership grounded in excellence, stability, transparency, and trust.
Joan, Shaheen, and Kimberly bring complementary experience in education, law, and business, respectively, and share a commitment to putting students first. Together, they offer steady, principled leadership grounded in this community, dedicated to showing up for it, and focused on protecting and strengthening Laguna Beach’s tradition of educational excellence.
Laguna Beach Teachers and Staff Voted to Endorse All Three
Laguna Beach Unified Faculty Association (LaBUFA)
California School Employees Association (CSEA), LB Chapter 131
90% of participating LBUSD certificated teachers and staff voted “no-confidence” in the current Board majority consisting of Dee Perry, Howard Hills, and Sheri Morgan.
It is time for change. LBUSD Teachers and Staff know what our schools need. This November, our community has the chance to fix this.