Board of Directors

• Steve Barr – Founder & Chairman, Green Dot Public Schools
• Charisse Bremond-Weaver – President & CEO, Brotherhood Crusade
• Oscar De La Hoya – Professional Boxer, Philanthropist and Businessman
• Glenn Dryfoos – Senior Vice President - Business Affairs, Univision Communications
• Susan Estrich – Professor, University of Southern California Gould School of Law
• Abigail Garcia – President, Asociacion de Maestros Unidos
• Mike Garcia – President, Service Employees International Union Local 1877
• Kevin Hall – Chief Operating Officer, Broad Foundation
• Rich Leib – Executive Vice President, Liquid Environmental Solutions
• Noah Mamet – President, Mamet & Associates
• Shane Martin – Dean, Loyola Marymount Graduate School of Education
• Pam Rector – Director of the Center for Service and Action, Loyola Marymount
• Richard Schaefer – Chief Executive Officer, Golden Boy Promotions
• Jeff Shell – President, Comcast Programming, Comcast Communications
• Timothy Watkins – President and CEO, Watts Labor Community Action Committee
• Joanne Weiss – Partner and Chief Operating Officer, NewSchools Venture Fund

Steve Barr – Founder & Chairman, Green Dot Public Schools

Steve Barr founded Green Dot Public Schools in 1999 with the vision of transforming secondary education in California by creating a number of high-performing charter high schools using available public dollars. Under Steve's leadership, Green Dot became the leading change agent in the region, starting in fall 2000 by founding one of the first comprehensive public high schools in the Los Angeles area in thirty years. In 2008, Green Dot began to operate Alain LeRoy Locke High School in Watts, re-structuring it into eight small public schools.

Green Dot's leadership in pushing for improved public education led the Los Angeles Times to name Steve as one of 100 most influential people in Southern California in 2006. In addition to leading Green Dot, Steve is a State Board of Education appointee to the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, where he provides policy recommendations to the State Board of Education on charter school-related issues.

Prior to founding Green Dot, Steve held a number of leadership positions in political and social service organizations. In 1990, Steve co-founded Rock the Vote. The Rock the Vote campaigns and field efforts led the way in the first upward surge in 18-24 year old in voting since the passage of the 26th Amendment. Following Rock the Vote, Steve led the successful efforts to pass the Motor Voter Bill, which was signed into law in 1994 by President Clinton. Thirty million Americans have registered to vote via Motor Voter.

Steve hosted President Clinton's National Service Inaugural event, which led to the creation of Americorps. He then oversaw an Americorps after-school program project in South Central and East Los Angeles that focused on helping single mothers transition off of welfare.

Steve has been active in politics throughout his professional career, serving several presidential campaigns and as a finance chair for the Democratic Party. Additionally, Steve has helped drive political change through television, as a national correspondent on the nationally syndicated Disney-produced "The Crusaders", as a contributor to Discovery Channel's "Why Things Are?", and as a writer in national magazines such as George. Steve authored "The Flame: An Unlikely Patriot Finds a Country to Love" (Morrow, 1987).

Charisse Bremond-Weaver – President & CEO, Brotherhood Crusade

In January 2006, Charisse Bremond-Weaver became President of the Brotherhood Crusade, the community service and development organization founded by her late father Walter Bremond. The Brotherhood Crusade supports underserved communities by funding and assisting numerous vital agencies. The Brotherhood Crusade supports families and individuals through ongoing supportive services, economic development, health services and education programs. Previously, she has served as the first woman President of the African American Unity Center and as the first-ever Executive Director of Sabriya’s Castle of Fun Foundation. Ms. Bremond-Weaver is a graduate of Utah State University, where she attended on a women’s basketball scholarship and received her degree in Communications

Oscar De La Hoya – Professional Boxer, Philanthropist and Businessman

Oscar De La Hoya leaped to the forefront of boxing with an inspiring Gold Medal performance during the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games. In the years that have followed, De La Hoya has won world titles at 130, 135, 140, 147 and 154 pounds to become one of only three boxers in the history of the sport to win world championships of five different weight classes. Along the way he has built a legion of loyal fans that pack every arena in which he performs. His fight in El Paso, Texas drew 45,000 people. Outside of the ring, Mr. De La Hoya is a leader both within his community and throughout the nation. He began the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation in order to give back to his community. Through the foundation, he opened a youth center where children learn about good citizenship, the importance of education, and the dangers of alcohol and drug use. Additionally he started a Learning Center, an after-school center for tutoring in schoolwork and developing of computer skills.

Glenn Dryfoos – Senior Vice President - Business Affairs, Univision Communications

Glenn Dryfoos is the Senior Vice President - Business Affairs for Univision Communications, the nation's largest Hispanic media company, where he oversees business affairs for Univision's television, radio and online operations. Mr. Dryfoos joined Univision from Telemundo Communications Group, where he served as Executive Vice President - Business Affairs, and before that, as Telemundo's Senior Vice President & General Counsel. Prior to joining Telemundo in 2001, Mr. Dryfoos was the Sr. Vice President & General Counsel of Cisneros Television Group, a company which he helped create, first as outside counsel and then in-house. Previously, Mr. Dryfoos was an associate (1987-1993) and partner (1994-2000) of the law firm Greenberg, Glusker, Fields, Claman & Machtinger, LLP in Los Angeles, CA. At Greenberg Glusker he represented a wide range of clients in general business, entertainment and commercial law matters, with an emphasis on transactions in the field of international television licensing and distribution. Mr. Dryfoos is a Director of the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation, which provides recreational and educational opportunities to children in Los Angeles. Mr. Dryfoos is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B., economics) and New York University School of Law (J.D.).

Susan Estrich – Professor, University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Susan Estrich is the Robert Kingsley Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She serves on the Board of Editorial Contributors for USA Today, as a presidential appointee on U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and as a mayoral appointee on the City of Los Angeles Ethics Committee. Previously she taught at Harvard Law School, where she received tenure, and she also performed some private legal practice, serving as a counsel for the firm of Tuttle & Taylor in Los Angeles.

Ms. Estrich is also very politically involved. In 1979, she was the Deputy National Issues Director with the Kennedy for President campaign. In 1984, she was executive director for the Democratic National Platform Committee and worked as a senior policy advisor to the Mondale-Ferraro presidential campaign. In 1988, she was the national campaign manager for Dukakis for President.

Ms. Estrich graduated from Wellesley College as a Phi Beta Kappa scholar and later received her J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Abigail Garcia – President, Asociacion de Maestros Unidos

Abigail Garcia is the President of Asociacion de Maestros Unidos, the union representing Green Dot’s teachers and an affiliate of CTA/NEA. She has taught English at Animo Leadership Charter High School for two years. She was driven to the field of education after witnessing the discrepancies in the quality of education available to Latinos compared to other ethnicities and the disproportionately low number of Latinos in higher education. She sees teaching as a catalyst to encourage and promote higher learning among Latinos and empower students in underserved communities. Prior to joining Green Dot, she worked at an elementary school in Watts, California as the Parent Coordinator. Ms. Garcia earned her Masters in Secondary Education and received her BCLAD credential from Loyola Marymount University. She earned a double Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from the University of California at Berkeley.

Mike Garcia – President, Service Employees International Union Local 1877

Mike Garcia is the President of SEIU Local 1877, one of the largest locals west of the Mississippi.

In 1996, Mr. Garcia led the reorganization of the Los Angeles janitors and the creation of one single Statewide Building Services Union in the SEIU. Today Local 1877 represents 28,000 building service workers across the State with base operations in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco and Sacramento.

One of his greatest accomplishments was winning the historic janitors strike of 2000, an action he proudly notes "changed the lives of thousands of janitors and their families and was truly a story of hard working immigrant workers fighting to lift themselves out of poverty and achieve the American Dream." The strike also served as an example for bus drivers and mechanics, county workers, screen actors and others to also take bold action and help turn labor organizations in L.A. into a powerful voice for working families.

Kevin Hall – Chief Operating Officer, Broad Foundation

Kevin Hall is the Chief Operating Officer of the Broad Foundation, a foundation focused on dramatically improving K-12 urban public education through better governance, management and labor relations. Prior to joining the Broad Foundation, Mr. Hall was co-founder and Senior Vice President of Business Development of Chancellor Beacon Academies, which manages public charter and private schools across the U. S. Prior to working at Chancellor Beacon, Mr. Hall was a Senior Vice President of infoUSA, a publicly traded information services company. He has also held management positions at McKinsey & Co., Goldman, Sachs & Co., and Teach for America. Mr. Hall also served as an elementary school teacher, and a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University. Mr. Hall received a B.A. with honors in political science and economics from Swarthmore College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Richard Leib – Executive Vice President, Liquid Environmental Solutions

Rich Leib serves as the Executive Vice President for Liquid Environmental Solutions, a company that collects, transports, processes and disposes of non-hazardous commercial liquid waste in Arizona, Texas and Louisiana. Prior to joining Liquid Environmental Solutions, Mr. Leib was the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of U.S. Public Technologies from 1994 through 1998, continuing as Vice President of Legislative Affairs for Lockheed Martin IMS' Photo Enforcement Group during the two-year transition period. In these capacities, he led these companies' efforts on behalf of successful photo enforcement legislation in fifteen U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. Prior to joining USPT, Mr. Leib co-founded the Investment Management Group at Stone & Youngberg, California's leading municipal debt underwriter.

Before entering the private sector, Mr. Leib was a leading political fundraiser and served on the legislative staff of two California State legislators and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

His education includes a J.D. from the Loyola University School of Law, an M.A. in Public Policy Analysis from the Claremont Graduate School, a Public Affairs Fellowship with the Coro Foundation, and a B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara. Mr. Leib is an attorney admitted to practice in California. He currently serves as an appointee of the Governor on the Board of the California Community College System, recently having completed a two-year term as President.

Noah Mamet – President, Mamet & Associates

Noah Mamet is the founder of Noah Mamet & Associates, a consulting firm that helps businesses, foundations, non-profit organizations, progressive political groups and Democratic candidates build strategic relationships and raise funds. He joins the Green Dot board as a representative of the Wasserman Foundation. Mr. Mamet founded NM&A in 2004, after seven years as National Finance Director for the House Democratic Leader, U.S. Representative Richard A. Gephardt. Mr. Mamet led donor development and all fundraising activities for Leader Gephardt, including efforts to raise over $238 million for the Democratic Congressional Campaign and other fundraising committees between 1996 and 2002. Mr. Mamet has worked directly for the top national and international political leaders and business executives, including President Clinton, President Gorbachev, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Russell Goldsmith, CEO and Chairman of City National Bank, among others.

Shane Martin – Dean, Loyola Marymount University Graduate School of Education

Dr. Shane Martin is the Dean of the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University after having served as professor, coordinator of secondary education, and associate dean. He has over 20 years of experience in the educational field working as an educator, administrator, and campus minister. Dr. Martin is a graduate of University of Southern California’s Ph.D. program in International and Intercultural Education and holds degrees in Theology and Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. Dr. Martin is the author of Cultural Diversity in Catholic Schools and a frequent contributor to numerous academic journals on education and educational anthropology.

Pam Rector – Director of the Center for Service and Action, Loyola Marymount University

Pam Rector is the Director of the Center for Service and Action at Loyola Marymount University. The Center supports alternative break immersion programs, community-based learning, post-graduate service, volunteer service, social justice programming and action. Prior joining LMU in 1998, Ms. Rector served as a counselor and administrator in the Lennox School District for seventeen years. She began her career at Berendo Junior High School in LAUSD. Ms. Rector received a bachelor of arts degree in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance, and a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Richard Schaefer – Chief Executive Officer, Golden Boy Promotions

Richard Schaefer is the Chief Executive Officer of Golden Boy Promotions, the fastest-growing promotional organization in boxing. He is also the business manager of Oscar De La Hoya, managing all of Mr. De La Hoya’s financial dealings and negotiating the terms of his fights. Mr. Schaefer graduated from a business school in Bern and worked for Swiss Volksbank. He then spent the next twelve years in the US offices of Swiss Bank Corporation before transitioning from banking to boxing. At Swiss Bank Corporation, he worked as a western regional manager and deputy chief executive for domestic private banking.

Jeff Shell – President, Comcast Programming, Comcast Communications

Jeff Shell joined Comcast Communications as the President of Comcast Programming in May 2005 after serving for three years as the Chief Executive Officer of Gemstar-TV Guide. Prior to joining Gemstar-TV Guide, Mr. Shell served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Cable Networks Group from April 2000, overseeing more than 20 major domestic cable and satellite networks, including FX, Fox Sports Net, and its 21 owned or affiliated regional sports networks, among others. As a member of the News Corporation Executive Committee, Mr. Shell was responsible for integrating these networks' strategic operations into other News Corporation and Fox Entertainment Group assets and activities. Mr. Shell joined Fox Television in 1994 as head of new business development, overseeing a number of acquisitions, strategic alliances and new business launches. In 1996 he joined Fox/Liberty Networks as its Chief Financial Officer and first employee. In 1999, Mr. Shell was named President of Fox Sports Networks.

Before joining Fox, Mr. Shell served in various positions in the Corporate Strategic Planning department of The Walt Disney Company; and before that, at the New York investment-banking firm of Salomon Brothers Inc. He graduated from Harvard University with a Masters of Business Administration, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Timothy Watkins – President & CEO, Watts Labor Community Action Committee

Tim Watkins is currently serving his third term as President and CEO of WLCAC, having served in this position since 1993 following the passage of Ted Watkins, his father and founder of WLCAC. Mr. Watkins assumed the role of advancing Ted’s legacy which was to identify solutions to the challenges facing people that live in poor places. From 1965 until 2000, Mr. Watkins led the development of many of WLCAC’s programs and projects. During that time as well, Mr. Watkins owned and operated the Environmental Maintenance Company, a licensed landscape contracting firm with close to fifty employees. Today the business is operated by his wife, Janine. Mr. Watkins is a life-long resident of Watts in Central Los Angeles.

Joanne Weiss – Partner and Chief Operating Officer, NewSchools Venture Fund

Joanne Weiss is Partner and Chief Operating Officer at NewSchools Venture Fund, where she focuses on investment strategy and management assistance to a variety of the firm's portfolio ventures, and oversees the organization's operations. As part of this work, she serves on the boards of Aspire Public Schools, Leadership Public Schools, New Leaders for New Schools, Revolution Foods, Rocketship Education and Teachscape.

Prior to joining NewSchools Venture Fund, Ms. Weiss was CEO of Claria Corporation, an e-services recruiting firm that helped emerging-growth companies build their teams quickly and well.

Before her tenure at Claria, Ms. Weiss spent twenty years in the design, development, and marketing of technology-based products and services for education. She was Senior Vice President of Product Development at Pensare, an e-learning company that created business innovation programs for the Fortune 500 market. Prior to Pensare, Ms. Weiss was co-founder, interim CEO, and Vice President of Products and Technologies at Academic Systems, a company that helps hundreds of thousands of college students prepare for college-level work in mathematics and English.

In the early 1990s, Ms. Weiss was Executive Vice President of Business Operations at Wasatch Education Systems, where she led the product development, customer service, and operations organizations for this K-12 educational technology company. She began her career as Vice President of Education R&D at Wicat Systems, where she was responsible for the development of nearly 100 multimedia curriculum products for K-12 schools.

Ms. Weiss has a passion for education, and has spent much of her career pioneering innovative ways of using technology to increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning processes. She holds a degree in biochemistry from Princeton University.