Board of Directors

Constance Palaia, President

As a youth, Constance Palaia attended schools in several cities: Riverside and Sacramento, California; Evanston, Illinois; Washington D.C.; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Kensington, Maryland. She graduated with a BA from The Evergreen State College and has walked several career paths including many years as a rare bead collector and jewelry artisan, and fifteen years in the garment manufacturing and textile design business. She owned a textile design studio based in Seattle before she and her husband, Kevin Marr, purchased the Motel Del Rogue in 2000 and moved to Grants Pass. Their daughter, Sylvia attended Three Rivers Schools and graduated from Willamette University.

Constance has been active in the community and has served in several capacities on boards and committees. These positions include, Chair of the Josephine County Democratic Central Committee, board member of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Oregon, board chair of the Unitarian Universalists of Grants Pass, Oregon Employment Department Paid Family Medical Leave Small Employers Workgroup member, member of the Racial Equity Accountability and Leadership Committee of the Democratic Party of Oregon and founding member of the Three Rivers Schools Foundation which merged with Redwood in 2012.

Constance has worked as the school librarian at Fruitdale Elementary since 2006 and currently serves as a Native American Student Union Advisor for Three Rivers Schools.

Judith (Judie) L. Drummond, Secretary

Judie graduated from Watertown High School in Watertown, MA in 1970. After a successful business career in Boston, she returned to school taking night classes at Boston College until she moved to Grants Pass in 1988, where she continued at Rogue Community College and graduated from Southern Oregon University with a BS in Human Communications in 1992. During that time, she worked for several years with Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, and 12 years with Josephine County Mental Health. She and her husband Tom started College Dreams in 1998 helping bright at-risk youth stay in school and continue on to higher education and/or additional career training. It was during that time that College Dreams began their partnership with Redwood as students earned Scholarship funds for excellent grades and community service. Judie & Tom retired in December of 2018. She remains passionate about helping youth develop a dream, plan for their futures and achieving their goals.

Sean Ward, Treasurer

Sean Ward, a Grants Pass native, is the owner of Sean Ward Development, Inc. and Prime-Sean Ward Properties, where he serves as a real estate broker, developer, and consultant. A graduate of Grants Pass High School (’91), Western Oregon University (’94, BS), and Oregon State University (’98, Masters), Sean is deeply involved in the Grants Pass community through various associations, boards, and committee. He is married to Meagan and has two sons, Kaelum and Kase. A past president and long-time board member (25+ years) of Redwood, Sean is dedicated to providing better opportunities for students and, with his father Richard, stewards the Ward Family Scholarship Fund for Grants Pass High School seniors.  

Board Members

Bill Flaming
Service Drug, Retired Pharmacist

John ‘Jack’ Davis
Attorney, Retired

Brandon Bretl
Owner, Upshift Innovations

Constance Palaia Marr
Fruitdale Elementary Librarian

Holly Preslar
Attorney

Thomas (Tom) W. Drummond
Co-Founder of College Dreams, Retired

Tripp Androy
Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Burgerville

Jennifer Esmay
Public Benefits Representative, Center for NonProfit Legal Services

Brenda Aguilera
Program Manager, Project Youth+

Jim Polk
US Air Force technician and supervisor, City of Cave Junction Treasurer/Recorder, Retired