Board of Directors
AMANDA BONDS, CHAIR
Amanda Bonds serves as Program Director at Words Alive, providing leadership for a portfolio of programs that connect children, youth and families to the power of reading. Amanda also manages agency evaluation efforts and represents Words Alive on multiple education-focused community partnerships across the county. Believing in the power of learning, her teaching history includes college-level writing at UCSD, elementary age classrooms in Jamaica and summer programs at the San Antonio Zoo. As chair of the DEEP’s Early Learning Network, Amanda believes that the greatest opportunities for young people in the Diamond come by way of imaginative and collective effort!
JULIA M. BRIDI, VICE CHAIR
Julia M. Bridi has been in education for over two decades. She has been a classroom teacher, peer coach/staff developer, school administrator, and currently works as an Executive Leadership Coach with the San Diego County Office of Education. Julia believes in school improvement that relies upon a strong theory of action that includes professional learning, high quality leadership, and teacher efficacy. She has been a strong advocate for DEEP since the organization’s inception. DEEP’s theory of action mirrors Julia’s beliefs and espouses a system that promotes equity for all children.
ERIC LARSON, TREASURER
Eric Larson is Vice President, Finance & Treasury Manager at Mission Federal Credit Union. Eric has a 35+ year history in Community Banking in San Diego, having previously held the role of Chief Financial Officer at CalPrivate Bank and prior to that at San Diego National Bank. He believes strongly in educational opportunities for children and the work that DEEP does to create them.
DONALD DUFORD, INTERIM SECRETARY
Donald Duford is a business leader with over 40 years of management experience in private equity M+A strategies, turnarounds, and start-ups. His experience is primarily in the insurance services sector, including managed care, cost containment, claims, and customer service. He has held leadership positions in Sales, Marketing, and Product Development as well as CEO/President roles. He is active with Social Venture Partners and is committed to working with DEEP to close opportunity gaps for children in southeastern San Diego.
NORMAN “NORM” F. HAPKE, JR.
Norm is the board secretary of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation and the Jacobs Family Foundation. Norm spent his career as a U.S. Marine Corps Officer, and commercial pilot. He has a strong interest in public policy issues and is an advocate of self-help community change strategies and school reform. Norm is especially dedicated to improving the education of our children in the Diamond neighborhoods and has been a critical supporter of DEEP since its inception. DEEP has Norm’s wholehearted financial and moral support. He is proud to serve on its Board of Directors.
MALIA ADLER PFISTER
For over 25 years, Malia has been involved in government, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education that use innovation and the power of community to bring large-scale impact to underserved communities. Currently an independent contractor, Malia continues to help mission-driven organizations build their capacity and achieve their goals. As a board member for DEEP, Malia is committed to collaboration and reciprocal relationship-building working towards a more equitable and inclusive world where all families can thrive.
KATHRYN SHADE
Kathryn is currently the Director of Human Resources for the National Center for Conflict Resolution. Formerly, she was the Senior Program Manager of NCRC’s Center for Community Cohesion (CCC) where she worked with local agencies, organizations and residents to promote a culture of inclusivity, community empowerment and cohesion. Dedicated to community advocacy, she has worked in prior years for the Alliance for African Assistance, and the Coalition of Neighborhood Councils. Kathryn is a certified restorative practices circle facilitator and a passionate advocate for the important role of restorative justice in our educational systems as an alternative to the punitive systems that have disproportionately impacted students of color. She has been actively engaged in DEEP’s literacy outreach in southeastern San Diego.
RONALD PRESTON CLARK
Ronald Preston Clark, a San Diego native and Hampton University graduate, is the Lead Teacher for the Black InGenius Initiative (BiGI) at the University of San Diego, where he supports literacy and social-emotional growth for multicultural middle school students. He is the founder of Club FBS (Fitteds, Books, and Sneakers), a book club and mentorship program for Black and Latino young men in San Diego. An award-winning author and dedicated community leader, Clark also mentors aspiring leaders through RISE San Diego.