Our Founders

Christina Gagnier

Chief Executive Officer

Christina Gagnier is a co-founder of Our Schools USA.

Christina served as a school board member in Chino Valley, CA, from 2018 to 2022, and served as school board president in 2022.

Christina currently serves as leadership in her Chamber of Commerce and leads a regional innovation council. Christina is a member of the adjunct faculty at the UC Irvine School of Law.

Christina has served on the boards of various non-profits and initiatives relating to civic engagement, technology access, and empowerment through technology.

Christina served as a member of the California attorney general’s Cyber Exploitation Task Force. In addition, she was designated as a subject matter expert on cyber exploitation for California's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Children’s safety online and bullying prevention is a core part of Christina’s advocacy work and legal practice.

Christina has served on the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee and currently serves on the EC-Council Cybersecurity Exchange Advisory Board.

Christina holds a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from the University of California, Irvine, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and J.D. from the University of San Francisco.

Christina resides in Chino, California, with her husband, Abe, and their two dogs, Panda and Teddy.

Kristi Hirst

Chief Operating Officer

Kristi Hirst is a co-founder of Our Schools USA.

Passionate about public education, Kristi taught in Chino Valley Unified School District from 2003 until 2017, transitioning to volunteer work after the birth of her third child. Kristi has served in a variety of educational capacities, teaching 6th grade, high school health, and as an elementary intervention specialist where she was responsible for student attendance, parent education and support, the anti-bullying program, running student study teams, and teacher support and training.

Kristi became active in the local school board community after listening to misinformation being spread at school board meetings. As a parent, she is active at her children’s schools and in their classrooms serving on school site council, being the guest art and writing teacher, and serving on district committees. Above all, Kristi is passionate about public education and helping all kids.

Kristi holds a B.A. in Child and Adolescence Studies and a Master’s Degree in K-12 Administrative Leadership from California State University, Fullerton.

She went on to obtain a multiple subject credential, a single subject credential in Health Science, and an administrative services credential.

Kristi resides in Chino, California, with her husband of 20 years and their three children.

Hello Moms (& Dads, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Neighbors & Everyone),

I want to take a moment to talk to you about the importance of getting involved in your local public schools. As a mother myself, I know that your time is valuable and that you have a lot on your plate, but I want to encourage you to make time to invest in your child's education by being involved in their school.

You see, research has shown time and time again that parental involvement in education is crucial to a child's success. When parents are involved in their child's education, students are more likely to earn higher grades, have better attendance, and are more likely to graduate from high school.

But your involvement doesn't just benefit your child, it also benefits the entire school community. Your involvement can help to create a positive school culture, promote collaboration between teachers and parents, and provide valuable resources to teachers and students.

And there are so many ways you can get involved! You can volunteer in the classroom, participate in parent-teacher conferences, serve on the school's PTA or PTO, attend school events, and even offer to help out with extracurricular activities.

Now, I know that getting involved in your child's school can be daunting at first, but I promise you that the rewards are well worth it. By being involved, you'll have the opportunity to make a difference in your child's life and in the lives of all the students at the school.

So, I encourage you to take that first step and get involved in your local public school. Whether it's attending a PTA meeting or volunteering in the classroom, your involvement can have a positive impact on your child's education and the entire school community.