FANA OLDFIELD
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND FACILITIES | FANA@YORK.ORG
By Joyce Sherry
Ask Fana Oldfield about her heroes, and she will tell you the remarkable story of her grandmother, shatterer of glass ceilings and multifaceted survivor who, on her way to becoming Ethiopia’s first woman pilot, also became Ethiopia’s first woman driver. Fana herself is multifaceted, bringing a keen business eye and strong financial sense to York’s Business Office at the same time that she applies her rich aesthetic taste to the beautification of York’s campus. She is as fierce an advocate for the safety of the School and its community as she is a Mindful, open-hearted, and generous shepherd of her colleagues and the students.
Ask Fana Oldfield about her heroes, and she will tell you the remarkable story of her grandmother, shatterer of glass ceilings and multifaceted survivor who, on her way to becoming Ethiopia’s first woman pilot, also became Ethiopia’s first woman driver. Fana herself is multifaceted, bringing a keen business eye and strong financial sense to York’s Business Office at the same time that she applies her rich aesthetic taste to the beautification of York’s campus. She is as fierce an advocate for the safety of the School and its community as she is a Mindful, open-hearted, and generous shepherd of her colleagues and the students.
Fana’s professional career has been marked by employers who quickly saw her qualities and entrusted her with increasingly weighty responsibilities. Starting as a quality control analyst overseeing a Department of Defense contract with Electronic Data Systems Corporation, Fana went on to work with MPC’s International Student Office, then Financial Aid Office, eventually overseeing restricted federal and state grants, and finally managing the whole $50 million budget. She continued working full time as she earned her Master’s degree, then moved to UCSC’s Office of the Chancellor, planning and budgeting for sizeable projects, including the introduction of a brand new, high tech academic information system, a $22 million project, and a ground up acquisition of faculty housing.
When the job opened at York School, Fana performed her own cost benefit analysis. Although hesitant at first to work with “rowdy” high school students, she liked the idea of being able to limit her commute during her daughter’s senior year of high school. She was quickly won over by York students. On her very first day, she was juggling her coat, paperwork, coffee cup, and car keys as she walked to her office. Crash! Her keys hit the ground. Three York students rushed to pick them up for her, asking if they could help her carry the rest of her armload. Her hesitation was swept away in a heartbeat by the kindness and compassion of the extraordinary York teenager. Many years later, she has found that she loves them even more.
York School
9501 York Road
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone: 831-372-7338
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone: 831-372-7338
We inspire and prepare a diverse community of creative, independent thinkers.
Since 1959, York School has created an exceptional college-prep experience for our youth: inspiring them to develop intellectual curiosity; challenging them to create and try new things; and preparing them to be passionate contributors in college and in life.
Since 1959, York School has created an exceptional college-prep experience for our youth: inspiring them to develop intellectual curiosity; challenging them to create and try new things; and preparing them to be passionate contributors in college and in life.
York School is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment and campus life. The School does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any access to and treatment in School programs and activities.