About Us
Nina Ziskin
More than 30 years of experience teaching and counseling learning disabled and emotionally disturbed children and adolescents in a variety of therapeutic and educational settings.
She was the Behavior Specialist for the Oakland Unified School District until 2006. She has a Special Education Credential, a Pupil Personnel Services Credential, and an MA in Educational Psychology from UC Berkeley.
She recently discovered a passion for reading instruction and has added a reading specialist credential to her resume. Additionally, Nina has more than 10 years experience as a professional white-water rafting guide. She recently “ran the (Grand) Canyon” for her 3rd time.
Martín Francisco Muller
Engaged in the transformative education field for more than 35 years, as a course creator, consultant, teacher, counselor, and a director of an alternative school for “at-risk” youth. He is a fourth-generation San Franciscan from a proud mixed Latino and Irish heritage.
He is also a second-generation educator (on both sides) and was grateful to complete his father's last term on the Solano County Board of Education. Martín's practical leadership experience and intuitive communicative expertise allow him to connect with a wide range of people.
His related leadership, development, and communicative certifications and competencies include:
Crisis Communication trainer (CPI & PART), Outdoor educator (Outward Bound & National Outdoor Leadership School), Neuro-Linguistic Programming trainer (NLPU), Integral coach (New Ventures West), Yoga teacher (Niroga Institute), native Spanish speaker, decades long student of meditation, and a life-long practice of celebrating the radical humor at the heart of the Big Mystery.
Polaris Leadership is...
POLARIS is a not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1995. It began by providing a menu of education, training, and direct intervention services to local youth and educators.
It has continued to provide these services, and added integrally informed consultation, and related leadership development and communication programs, for a variety of social benefit agencies, community conscious organizations, and forward leaning individual leaders.
Our Mission
Polaris realizes it's mission by supporting the development of kindred spirits.
Board of Directors
Nina Ziskin
Executive Director
Debbie Glick
President
Professor, Nazarian college of Business,
California State University, Northridge
Stephan Traiger
Secretary
M.A. Education, Tufts University, Teacher in Alameda School District
Carol Eggers
Financial Officer
MBA Stanford University, Principal, Eggers & Associates
Steven Lanum
Former Attorney, Charles Schwab Corporation
Professional Advisory Board
Alan Calvin, Ph. D.
Professor and former Dean of Education University of San Francisco. President, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology.
Mae Lee Billet, Ph.D.
Past-President, California State Psychological Association.
Harold Kahn, Ed. D
Superintendent Spreckles School District
Eva Vasquez, R.N., M.A.
Child Development Consultant, California State Department of Education, Retired
"Sometimes I go about in pity for myself,
and all the while a great wind is bearing me across the sky."
Ojibwa Saying
