With great sadness, on March 26, 2022, CASBO had to say goodbye to one of our longtime professional development presenters, Tina Lynn Kannarr, of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, a CASBO associate member.
Born September 26, 1961, in Peoria, Illinois, Tina was the second child of Harold E. Kannarr and Joan H. (Harding) Kannarr. She attended elementary schools in Maryland and Hawaii, as well as Hilo Intermediate School and Hilo High School, from which she graduated in 1979. She earned her B.A. in journalism from the University of Southern California in 1983 and her J.D. from the College of William and Mary School of Law in 1986.
Thereafter, Tina began her lifelong career at AALRR. During her almost 36 years as an attorney there, she represented California public school and community college districts and county offices of education in all aspects of education, employment and labor law. In addition to being an extremely knowledgeable school law attorney, labor negotiator and statewide expert on employee leave, Tina was a mentor to many of her colleagues, serving as both a willing and generous source of guidance and knowledge and as a fierce friend. She was always accessible and happy to provide insight to and collaborate with her AALRR colleagues, helping them learn and improve their skills and expertise and provide the best possible advice to their clients. She was also passionate about empowering women in all aspects of their lives and actively supported women’s causes and women-run businesses.
Tina’s support and generosity with her time and expertise made an impression on her CASBO family as well. A longtime CASBO associate member and presenter, Tina presented frequently to human resources and payroll professionals on school employee leaves of absence, helping many of our members gain an overall understanding of the different types of leave available, as well as how to track, explain and monitor them, with a special focus on the Family and Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act.
One CASBO member who experienced Tina’s generous spirit firsthand is Mike Stribling, CPP, payroll administrator for the Riverside County Office of Education. In his role as chair of CASBO’s Payroll Professional Council, Mike worked closely with Tina to secure her teaching talents for CASBO’s professional development program and will never forget his time with her. “Tina was always quick to share her time and expertise with others. She was a passionate advocate who had a great way of connecting with people. Her passing is a big loss for CASBO and for school districts throughout the state.”
According to her obituary, “To know Tina was to have a devoted friend for life.” She had lifelong friendships from college, high school and first grade. Her dedication was expressed in old-school, catch-up phone calls that maintained her close relationships and in thoughtful gifts and gestures. She was deeply committed to her family and was the first to investigate their family history, and she loved sharing the stories and connections she unearthed.
Tina loved sports of all kinds, especially baseball, and had a goal of visiting every MLB park, making sure she attended Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2,131st consecutive game. She was a lifelong traveler who visited many places across the U.S., U.K., Paris and New Zealand. An avid concert-goer, Tina also had a love of music that spanned many genres, from Hawaiian to jazz to pop and rock. Born into a family of professional photographers, she drew on her expertise to capture spectacular places and moments shared with family and friends.
Tina is survived by her brother Galen Kannarr and wife Beryl; brother Tracy Kannarr; sister Cheri Kannarr; nieces and nephews Alisha Kannarr, Travis Kannarr, Sam Cubbage, Kira Cubbage and Gillian Cubbage; and her “adopted” family, Jim and Sarah Galloway and their four children, Laura, Gordon, Jessica and Emily. She was predeceased by her parents.
Tina will be deeply missed by those of us at CASBO who worked with her to provide our members with exemplary professional development training. If you’re one of those people and would like to honor her personally, memorials may be made to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Planned Parenthood, or a favorite that helped Tina in college, the USC Annenberg Student Emergency Assistance Fund.