Eric Hall, President

Eric Hall has 32 years of district administrative level experience in a broad variety of areas including human resources, facilities, finance and business services. In his 27 years with the San Dieguito Union High School District, he served as Director’s of Personnel & Administrative Services, Business Manager, Assistant and Associate Superintendent, Business Services. Eric negotiated with developers and property owners and established nine separate Community Facility Districts encompassing 15,000 dwelling units and $450 million in bonding capacity.

Eric retired from the District in July, 2006 to start up a consulting firm, Eric Hall & Associates. Eric provides districts with advice and support in school facility and business services areas. Since retiring from SDUHSD, Eric has served as Interim Chief Business Officer for several districts.

Eric has been recognized as an expert in school facility and business services. Eric is also effective in understanding the complexity of the regulatory process and is familiar with the funding available to school districts since he served in a state wide leadership capacity, as Chair of California's Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) from 2002 to 2004.

In addition to providing consulting services, Eric continues to serve as a teacher, mentor and coach for other professionals. He is a core facility member of the CASH leadership academy and provides instruction and mentoring for the CASBO (California Association of School Business Officials) Chief Business Officials training program.

Bob Nicholson, Associate

Bob has recently worked as the Director of K-12 Education for JCJ Architecture in San Diego. Bob previously worked as the Senior Director, Facility Planning Services for the San Diego County Office of Education. Bob brings a combination of proven technical skills assisting Districts with school facility challenges and he also possesses the collaboration and relationship skills demonstrated in his leadership role and the excellent outreach services provided to Districts with the San Diego County Office of Education.

Bob brings added value to school districts with his knowledge and expertise in the following areas:

  • Developer fee reports
  • Community meeting facilitation
  • State Agency site and plan approvals
  • Environmental agency applications and approvals
  • Long Range Facility Master Plan development and coordination
  • State funding maximization in a variety of facility program areas
  • Redevelopment agency agreement negotiations and funding allocations
  • Taxpayer organization endorsements for capital improvement bond elections
  • Classroom capacity studies and demographic analysis review and application

Susan Ryan, Associate

Susan has over 10 years of experience in school facility planning including management level positions with the Riverside County Office of Education, the Lodi Unified School District, and the Vacaville Unified School District. Susan recently worked with NTD Architecture as an Educational Facility Planner and providing State and Federal Legislative Advocacy for the firm and its clients. Susan brings a comprehensive knowledge of school planning functions from site acquisition through occupancy.

Susan currently serves as a member of the C.A.S.H. Legislative Advisory Committee and as an Executive Board Member for the Californian's for School Facilities (CSF) Federal lobbying coalition. Susan is a graduate of the C.A.S.H. School Facilities Leadership Academy and currently serves as a Mentor for the Academy. Susan graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelors of Sciences degree in Business Administration.

Susan has experience in all stages of K-12 school planning including:

  • Facility Master Planning and Educational Specifications 
  • State Agency Approvals (DSA, CDE, OPSC) 
  • Project Management and Budgeting 
  • Site Acquisition and Environmental Review (CEQA, DTSC) 
  • Demographics and Development Tracking 
  • Sustainable Strategies and Community Planning 
  • Securing State, Federal, and Local Funding 

David Randolph, Associate

David has thirty years of experience in construction, producing award-winning residential projects, green buildings, affordable housing, and successful school capital programs. He is a licensed General Contractor and a graduate of the CASH Leadership Academy.

David combines "nuts & bolts" knowledge of building, business, regulatory code and construction management to provide facilities’ leaders with blue prints for legally compliant, transparent and cost effective capital programs that will be embraced by the district community and tax payers alike.

While serving as the Associate Bond Program Manager for the Eastside Union High School District, David helped with the planning and implementation of a capital program valued at over half a billion dollars. David`s services include:

Capital Program Launch
  • Project Prioritization
  • Campus Allocations-Equity & Buy-In
  • Program and Project Budgeting
Risk Management (Waste Avoidance-Claims Reduction)
  • Contractor Pre-Qualification Programs
  • Contract Development & Review
  • Architect Master Agreements
  • Contractor "Front Ends"
  • Work Authorizations (AR, CM, IOR)
  • Sustainable Design Review
  • Waterproofing Details
  • Durability
  • Ease of Maintenance
  • District Standards Development & Design Implementation
  • Constructability Review
  • Project Delivery Options
Board & CBOC Support
  • Program Metrics Development
  • Proposition 39 Performance Audits

Regulatory Compliance (CEQA, SWPPP, Title IX, AB 300)

Legal Support (Waste Recovery)
  • Payment Application Audits
  • Field Work Forensics

Victoria Carreón, Associate

Victoria "Tori" Carreón is an Associate with Eric Hall & Associates. Ms. Carreón worked at the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) as a Consultant, Business Advisory Services, from 2003 to 2011. In this role, Victoria advised school districts on fiscal and policy issues. She has helped train school finance directors and Chief Business Officials in many aspects of school finance and reporting. Victoria also has expertise in leveraging state and federal categorical funds and has participated in District Assistance and Intervention Teams (DAIT) for school districts in Program Improvement under the No Child Left Behind Act. She has been active in leadership positions in the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) and has made presentations on a variety of school finance topics.

Prior to working for SDCOE, she worked at the Legislative Analyst's Office in Sacramento, CA analyzing K-12 finance issues. Victoria earned an AB from Stanford University with honors in Education. She also earned a Masters in Public Policy from University of California- Berkeley.

Victoria brings added value to school districts with her knowledge and expertise in the following areas:

  • Budget development and reporting using the SACS software
  • Year End Closing and the associated forms on the SACS software
  • Revenue Limit calculations
  • Proposition 98
  • Cash Flow Projections, including analysis of the impact of state deferrals
  • Leveraging State and Federal Categorical funds
  • Analysis of school district processes and recommendations for improvement
  • Training and presentations on school finance topics

Barry Dragon, Associate

Barry was the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for the Escondido Union High School District in Escondido, California for the past 6 years, and the Chief Financial Officer for the Sweetwater Union High School District, the largest secondary school district in the nation located in Chula Vista, California, for 16 years. His experiences span from managing the finances and business operations for large and small school districts to extensive leadership experience in strategic financial management/planning in the private sector including executive positions with Avon Products, Inc., a Fortune 500 company.

Barry also has expertise in managing the Information Technology functions. Barry has demonstrated a strong background in managing financial operations and developing financial structures for large construction projects and facilities rehabilitation. In addition to his role as both a CBO and Financial Officer, Barry has extensive experience in the areas of leadership training. He was an adjunct professor at San Diego State University to administrative credential candidates in Educational Leadership. In addition, as a facilitator for FranklinCovey’s many programs in leadership, including the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Principle Centered Leadership, he has conducted workshops for rover 1,500 school district leaders. Barry earned his B.S. from Northern Illinois University with a comprehensive major in accountancy.

Schahrzad Berkland, Associate

Schahrzad has a breadth of analysis and research experience in the real estate, environmental, and software industries. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Nebraska – Omaha, and an MBA from Arizona State University. In 2005 she forecast the San Diego housing market downturn, then the 2008 mini-boom, and the current slow decline. Most recently she advised hedge funds, the San Diego City-County Reinvestment Task Force, and the City of Poway. Schahrzad updates the website, publishes the Hall Monitor, conducts analysis, produces reports, and provides office support.

Laurie Brandes-Hall, Associate

Laurie Brandes-Hall retired from Taylor Made adidas Golf in 2008 to support her husband, Eric, with reporting, contracts, financials, and setting up the company website for Eric Hall & Associates. Laurie has extensive background in Marketing/ Forecasting/Planning with major companies in San Diego. She graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Business.