ABOUT DIA

Chris is a Bay Area native who has lived in Oakland since 2015 and moved to the Dimond with his family in 2018. Over time, he has developed a profound appreciation for the City of Oakland and is looking for a platform to give back to his neighborhood. Chris has worked in residential/commercial real estate since 2010 and has also been cooking professionally since 2013. He thoroughly enjoys helping and providing in any way to support his community and peers. His family includes his wife Estefania, their newborn daughter Camila and their first born son Whiskey(Dog). Hobbies include cooking, wood working, photography, heavy metal music and Jiu Jitsu.

Alex has been a Dimond resident for most of his life, beginning in the early 1990s. He’s worked as a journalist and researcher in the Bay Area and around the country. You can read some of his work at his website, www.alexcpark.com. Alex has volunteered with the DIA’s beautification committee since 2018 and has been involved with most of its major projects in that time. 

Alex’s vision for the Dimond is a refuge for in-person connection with friends and neighbors of all backgrounds, where people feel welcome and all who live, work, and enjoy the neighborhood can be confident their voice is heard and their wants and needs are recognized. 

Erica has lived in the Dimond since 2013 and in Oakland since 2009. She and her husband John founded Oaktown Spice Shop in Oakland in 2011, and Erica works full-time as co-owner. The shop provides fresh, small-batch spices and herbs for home cooks and chefs alike. She currently has two children at Sequoia Elementary School. She enjoys good food, spending time with friends and family and going for runs in the neighborhood.

Erica’s vision for the Dimond is a safe, inclusive and welcoming neighborhood where residents of diverse backgrounds feel they belong, and where a thriving, attractive business district adds to the joy of everyday life.

Bret has lived in the Dimond with his wife since 2015, where they are raising their growing family. He moved to the Bay Area in 2010 from Hawaii, where he worked on a submarine in the Navy. After completing his PHD at UC Berkeley he now works as a microbiologist at a cancer immunotherapy company in Berkeley. He is a daily bike commuter and loves taking trips on AC transit with his son on the weekends. Bret cares deeply about homelessness and housing affordability and spends time volunteering to promote pro-housing policies and zoning reform.

Bret’s vision for the Dimond is a healthy, bustling and diverse commercial and residential center where the pedestrians’ pleasure and safety is prioritized over expediency for privately owned vehicles, and where enough housing exists to support a diverse range of Oakland residents that have a shared stake in their neighborhood.

Ryan moved to the Dimond in 2016, after three years working in Oakland and living in San Francisco. Originally from Washington state, Ryan has worked in technology, real estate, and community development, including as Executive Director of the Pioneer School Community Association and the Pioneer Square Business Improvement District in Seattle. Ryan is currently Regional Director of Operations for KIPP Public Schools, an Oakland-based nonprofit network of 17 charter public schools operating across the Bay Area and Northern California. Ryan joined the DIA board in 2017, and has served as Chair since 2020.

Ryan’s vision for the Dimond is a robust, safe, and highly walkable commercial district, with increased density and mixed-use development that brings more residents to the transit-rich neighborhood, and a DIA that is an engaged and responsive voice of the community.

Michaela was born and raised in Oakland and feels deeply connected to the city.  She and her husband are raising two kids in the Dimond and are proud Sequoia parents.  After completing her Master’s in Organizational Development, she worked for the City and County of San Francisco and Accenture, delivering human capital strategies to improve the effectiveness and experiences of employees.  Michaela currently works for the Clorox Company where she designs and implements key moments that matter in an employee’s life cycle.  She loves bringing people together, hosting large meals with friends and family and cheering on the Warriors.

Michaela’s vision for the Dimond is a place where all Oaklander’s feel they belong, have a safe place to live and are excited to visit the growing shopping district, beautiful parks and restaurants.    

May, along with her husband David, own and operate Grand Lake Kitchen.  Soon after the first location of GLK opened in Adams Point, she started looking for a second location that could offer more space and a shorter wait.  She quickly fell in love with Dimond, even when neighboring areas were more in fashion. When renovations began on the exterior of the building, she thought that she had missed the chance, but thankfully that was not the case and GLK will be celebrating its 3rd anniversary this spring.  May also enjoys celebrating with family and friends, all animals especially dogs and horses and pursuing the perfect chile relleno.

May’s vision and greatest hope for the Dimond is to be a vibrant, safe, and prosperous neighborhood where local business owners, big and small, can come together to help each other help themselves through networking and the use of existing resources.

Victoria is an East Bay native and 20-year Dimond resident. She is retired from AC Transit, where she managed service information, marketing, and outreach programs. Her long-time interests include the environment, public transportation, and history. She joined the DIA board in 2006, and currently serves on the Beautification and Public Safety committees. She is very concerned about the community’s (and the city’s) urban forest, seeing street trees dying at an increased rate and current city restrictions preventing equivalent replanting. 

Victoria’s vision for the Dimond includes people walking and taking the bus more, and driving less, and generally knowing each other and local businesses better. She would like to see greater environmental stewardship and a flourishing greenscape. She hopes more of the community will get engaged in local projects and activities because it’s gratifying and fun!

Originally from Santa Cruz, Kevin has lived in New York and San Francisco before becoming a homeowner in the Dimond district in 2019. He has a background in theater, film, stand-up, and graphic design, and currently works as a publisher for Horsley Bridge Partners, a global private equity fund-of-funds, in San Francisco. He’s also produced live theater and comedy events, including the nerd comedy shows “Eureka!” and “You Should Know This!” When he’s not spending time with his wife and baby daughter, he loves to cook, travel, and write. Kevin joined the DIA board in 2020.

Kevin’s vision is to continue the work of others in creating a thriving and prosperous commercial district and making sure the Dimond is a safe and beautiful place for those in the community.

Marty is from Michigan. When she came to California 45 years ago, with a California native, she knew she wanted to live here someday. A retired pediatrician who later focused on those suffering from addiction, Marty finally moved to Oakland in 2013 to be closer to her daughters. She currently volunteers in the Santa Rita Jail, has been pleased with nearby business development, and and is thrilled to get more involved in the neighborhood in which she lives.

Marty believes in shopping and playing near home and believes deeply that the community can do more to make it a livable community for all.