An Evening to Inspire

Meet Sandra Tyson, 2025 Gala Honoree

Sandra Tyson’s passion for service and dedication to the Carlsbad Educational Foundation (CEF) has left a lasting mark on the Carlsbad community. With an impressive career spanning over 30 years as a Certified Public Accountant, Sandra has brought her financial expertise, leadership, and boundless energy to countless initiatives that have enriched the lives of students and families throughout Carlsbad. 

Sandra’s professional career began at Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC), where she honed her skills auditing Silicon Valley’s tech firms. She then moved to the Newport Beach, CA office for several years, and met her husband, Chuck, before taking her expertise abroad to London. After returning to California and stepping away from corporate life to raise her two sons, Sandra’s commitment to education and community service took center stage. From the moment she arrived in Carlsbad in 1996, she dove headfirst into volunteerism, first as a PTA Treasurer, then as a Cub Scout leader, and later as a key figure in CEF’s Finance Committee, where she has served for nearly two decades. 

Her impact on CEF is nothing short of extraordinary. As a dedicated grant writer, Sandra helped secure nearly $100,000 in funding for environmental science programs, ensuring Carlsbad students had access to hands-on learning experiences. She played a pivotal role in organizing CEF’s fundraising events, lending her expertise to silent auctions, financial planning, and donor engagement efforts. Her commitment to equity in education was most evident in her work, spearheading affordable, self-guided 4th-grade field trips to Sacramento and Gold Country, allowing hundreds of students to experience California history firsthand, many for the first time. 

Sandra believes that leading by example is the most powerful way to inspire volunteerism, a philosophy instilled in her by her parents. Her dedication to CEF has set a shining example for others, proving that when passion meets purpose, the impact is immeasurable. She credits her husband and sons with supporting her volunteering endeavors throughout the years.