ABOUT JOY
It’s all about community.
I've always been drawn to people.
At ten years old, on a family trip to Morocco, I watched a souk shopkeeper's face light up when I tried to negotiate in his language. Something clicked in that moment about what becomes possible when you genuinely try to meet people where they are. I've been chasing that ever since: as an engineer trained at Columbia, through an MBA in Milan, and across two decades in the private sector, uniting around difficult problems.
Living abroad taught me what community really means.
My husband and I spent almost 7 years raising our three sons in Hong Kong and Singapore where I also served on a school board, supported foster families, and even competed in dragon boat racing, which taught me quickly that no single paddler wins the race. We win when everyone is in sync and the whole boat commits. I think about that a lot when I consider what unity and good governance look like.
Those years also gave me something harder to quantify: a genuine understanding of what it feels like to be an outsider. That experience informs everything I do and drives my passion for inclusion and belonging.
Coming home to Mill Valley, I dove straight in.
Since 2017, I've been embedded within this community in elected and appointed roles across our school districts, from Site Council and bond oversight to PTA boards to major fundraising efforts and leading the Marin Youth Job Fair. Through it all, I've worked alongside the students, teachers, and staff who make our schools what they are. I have a deep appreciation for all of them as well as a deep sense of care.
The challenges facing this board right now demand exactly the skills I have developed over a career as an engineer, MBA, and program strategist.
I trained as a mechanical engineer at Columbia University and earned my MBA from SDABocconi University in Milan. I spent nearly two decades in the private sector, launching pharmaceutical therapies at Merck & Co, building scientific advisory boards at a pre-IPO biotech startup, and directing client programs at a medical education company. Along the way I developed one skill I rely on every single day: building coalitions across diverse stakeholders and finding solutions that work for everyone at the table.
More recently, as Program Strategist at World Affairs, I produced events connecting government officials, academics, and community leaders across cultures and continents. I've built relationships with foreign consulates, and produced sold-out programming that challenged the status quo. I know how to bring people together even when the stakes are high and the room is divided.
My inspiration.
In Spring 2025, the TUHSD board voted against renewing the contracts of the two leaders of the Black Student Success Team without an explanation. The community showed up to voice their concerns including many students who had valued their leadership. The board didn't listen. That moment moved me from concerned community member to candidate. Because showing up isn't enough anymore. I believe every student deserves to graduate with purpose, confidence, and a sense of belonging, and right now, our board isn't delivering that.
I'm Joy Koo, and I'm asking for your vote this November, 2026.
