About Us

David Amateau Petty

David was born in Berkeley, CA, and grew up playing with his younger brother Sam. He later attended UC Berkeley and studied a cornucopia of relevant topics. David and Stacy met when they were assigned to co-teach a Kindergarten level chess class together. Learning that Stacy was pre-med, David asked her what to do about his injured foot. She told him to relax. Two weeks later they biked through the Berkeley Hills on their first date. David was worried that Stacy wouldn’t be able to make it up Spruce Street (a treacherous climb), but was pleasantly surprised by Stacy’s stamina. Three years later, engaged and on the brink of a move back to Stacy’s hometown of Rochester, David co-organized a three week bicycle trip from Seattle to San Francisco. Now in Rochester, David spends most of his time watching Pancho, an incredibly dependent miniature schnauzer. In his spare time he manages ChessKid.com and teaches for the Rochester Chess Center.

Stacy Leah Salerno

Delivered by her father, Brian Salerno, at home in Brighton, NY, Stacy was born ready for life. (Ask Noreen Salerno for the details.) Growing up she enjoyed playing in a wooded area next to 590 North. She rocked a bowl cut for a number of years. During elementary school, Stacy aspired to become a physician and/or professional snowboarder. After a serious leg injury, she stuck with the former. Stacy attended the University of Vermont and UC Berkeley for her undergraduate studies. While living in Berkeley, Stacy began teaching at the Berkeley Chess School. She met David during her first class, and they have since been inseparable. Stacy studied global health at UC San Francisco and worked in Africa (Tanzania and Kenya) for almost a year before starting medical school back home at the University of Rochester.