Manisha Lakhanpal spent 10 years living in the midwest before moving to the Bay Area with her husband and young son. After a day spent playing at Washington Park and an evening eating ice cream on Burlingame Avenue, her son, then just three years old, declared that Burlingame should be their home by enthusiastically telling his parents, “I like this place!”
Manisha's decision to take on the important role of BIS Site Director stems from her appreciation of the district’s music program. “Our kids are so lucky that BCE supports the dedicated and wonderful music teachers in our district, among other important programs,” she said. “The pandemic affected kids in different ways and I think that music and PE have been great outlets of expression for them. I wanted to be part of an organization that positively impacts our children’s learning environment.”
An economist by qualification, Manisha works on energy policy matters in the public service sector. The busy mom, of a son at BIS, enjoys dabbling in natural health sciences, such as Ayurveda. She is particularly interested in food, wellness and sustainability, sometimes combining the three by finding recipes, ingredients and local produce to experiment with cooking. While natural health sciences is her passion, Manisha still maintains that her family’s perfect day ends with an ice cream and a walk on Burlingame Avenue.