Dimond Improvement Association
Election June 2020
Candidates for Board of Directors
Brief Bios & Visions
Jay Ashford
Jay has lived in the Dimond district since 2005. Since moving to Oakland, Jay has served on several City of Oakland boards and commissions, including the Public Ethics Commission, the Budget Advisory Commission, and the Community Policing Advisory Board. He has been active in his daughters’ elementary and middle school PTA organizations, and volunteered for several local and statewide political advocacy organizations. Professionally, he is the founder of ATS Partners, Inc., which provides technology project management and business process improvement consulting services to its clients.
Jay’s vision for the Dimond is to create a vibrant, inclusive destination commercial district that draws residents from across Oakland, and to strengthen a shared sense of community among local residents.
Zandile Christian
Zandile has been a resident of the Dimond for 25 years and has served on the DIA board for seven years. She has participated in many efforts and on many committees, including Executive, Finance, Database, Membership, Keep Dimond Clean, Oaktoberfest, Crime & Safety, Dimond Public Art and Art in the Street.
Zandile’s vision is to have the Dimond be clean and safe for all and to maintain the district’s charming characteristics.
Fran Donohue
Fran is a local realtor who has lived, worked, and played in Dimond for 12 years. As a DIA board member for the last 11, she has served as Vice Treasurer, Chair of the DIA’s Finance Committee, has been active on the Executive Committee, Membership Committee, Oaktoberfest committee, and has supported the Keep Dimond Clean team. A long-time fan of the Dimond, she has represented many in our community both as home buyers and sellers, and is always available to discuss the market.
Fran’s vision is to see the neighborhood continue to revitalize, to see the Dimond come to life through art and beautification projects, and to develop a safe and vibrant commercial district, with new businesses bringing variety, both for the enjoyment of our residents and introducing new customers to our community.
Paul Epstein
Paul and his family have lived in the Dimond-Glenview area since 2005. Paul is a trusts and estates attorney, and has practiced law for over 20 years. For several years, Paul served on the Board of East Bay Trusts and Estates Lawyers (EBTEL). His wife is a psychologist and their daughter will soon attend Oakland School for the Arts. She learned to ride a bike on the tennis courts at Dimond Park. Paul enjoys trying new, healthy recipes, exercising, spending time with his wife and daughter, and noodling around on the guitar. He wishes he could boast of being an avid gardener but, alas, he is not. Paul joined the DIA board in 2020.
Paul’s vision is to build on the great work that the Dimond Improvement Association has already accomplished. He envisions the Dimond as a vibrant, clean, and safe shopping district, with more murals, more art, and more trees.
Tomasz Finc
Tomasz has lived with his wife and daughter in the Dimond since 2016 and the Berkeley, San Francisco, and Oakland area since 2000. He’s volunteered for local organizations like Code 2040, Wikimedia Foundation, and the Circus Center along with local industrial arts groups like Flaming Lotus Girls and the Crucible. At the DIA, he focuses on technology tools, Keep Dimond Clean fundraiser, and the Communications Committee. Tomasz has been on the DIA board since 2018.
Tomasz’s vision for the Dimond is to retain the diversity that motivated his family to move here, fill in the empty storefronts and vacant lots with thriving businesses, and upkeep Dimond Park and creek.
Chris Harper
Chris remembers visiting the Dimond as far back as 1972 when his grandmother lived on Dimond Avenue. In 1986, as a young teacher he made the Dimond his permanent residence, and in subsequent years he married and raised two children. In 1998, Chris joined the faculty of Head-Royce School, where he has taught Physics, Astronomy, and Robotics ever since. Chris served on the DIA board from 2011 to 2015, and rejoined in 2018. Most of that time he has served as Board Chair. Improving the fiscal management within the DIA and transitioning to a new listserv have been two significant achievements for Chris.
Chris’ vision for the Dimond is to further its growth as a community built by involvement. This means facilitating communication between community members, DIA members, merchants, visitors, and the many organizations that have the Dimond as their focus.
Julie Johnson
Julie was born in Oakland and is a 25-year resident of the Dimond, where she raised her two daughters. She loves Oakland and working to benefit our community. A DIA board member for 13 years, she is currently Treasurer, Dimond Public Art Committee Co-chair, and Finance Committee member, she has also been active on the Economic Development Committee and Oaktoberfest Committee. In the accounting field for 30+ years, Julie works as finance department head at Ray’s Electric. Her hobbies include masters swimming, gardening, hiking, travel, cooking and baking, sewing, decorating, and paper collage.
Julie’s vision for the Dimond is a thriving business district with a variety of cool offerings, including interesting retail and dining experiences. She would love to help usher in more public art and is passionate about retaining some of Dimond’s architectural aspects from the past.
Marjorie Jones
Marjorie has been a resident of the Dimond for 26 years. She was active in various parent groups at both Sequoia Elementary and Bret Harte Middle schools, where her three daughters attended. Her small business, MarjTax, provides tax preparation and bookkeeping services for non-profits. She feels fortunate to work with a variety of amazing agencies with a diversity of missions, including: at-risk youth, scientific research, animal rescue, environmental education, human
trafficking rescue, and municipal improvement districts. She also serves as treasurer for the Dimond Business & Professional Association. Marjorie joined the DIA board in 2020.
Marjorie’s vision for the Dimond is a place that continues to have amazing grocery options and a variety of affordable diners. Going forward, she envisions fun and appealing places for young folks to safely gather and regular entertainment events for families.
Marion Mills
Marion started her volunteer activities by picking up litter in the upper Dimond. She’s been on the DIA board since 2014 and served as chair of the Homeless & Panhandling Committee for five years. She is currently on the Beautification Committee and recently served on the ad hoc committee on Strategic Planning. Marion leads the DIA’s weekly litter walk in Dimond Park. She is also a board member of Friends of Dimond Park and was involved in planting eight trees there in 2019.
Marion’s vision for the Dimond is to make it a more attractive place to live through beautification projects in the Dimond commercial district and in Dimond Park. She wants to increase the community’s knowledge of DIA, with the hope that more people will join and volunteer to add greater strength to activities that improve community living.
Ryan Romaneski
Ryan moved to the Dimond in 2016, after three years working in Oakland and living in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Originally from Washington state, Ryan has worked in technology, real estate, and community development, including a stint as Executive Director of the Pioneer School Community Association and the Pioneer Square Business Improvement Area 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. Ryan joined the DIA board in 2017.
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.
Ben Stein-Lobovits
Originally from San Francisco, Ben returned to the Bay Area in 2009 and moved to the Dimond in 2017. In the tech sector since 2008, he is currently the Lead Web and Analytics Engineer at Ripple, a finance-tech company. Ben is a hospice volunteer at Pathways, visiting patients with his canine good citizen, a goldendoodle named Cow. He also volunteers at the Oakland Hebrew Day School. Using his tech skills to give back to the community, Ben has created websites for a number of nonprofits. Ben lives with his wife and baby daughter. He enjoys gardening, listening to his record collection, and building furniture. Ben joined the DIA board in 2020.
Ben’s vision for the Dimond is to improve this already thriving community by creating safer walking spaces, cultivating new businesses and supporting those already in the area, and ensuring that the community remains inclusive for all.
Daniel Swafford
Daniel joined the DIA board in 2005. He is executive director for two Oakland-based non-profits and Business Improvement Districts (Laurel and Montclair). He is also vice chair for the Oakland BID Alliance and a past member of the city’s Small Business Task Force. As a past DIA chair, Daniel worked to modernize and grow the organization. He helped found the NCPC 22X, worked aggressively on business attraction, and was a founder of Oaktoberfest in the Dimond—the principal fundraiser for the DIA and Dimond merchants association. He is currently managing director of Oaktoberfest and Co-chair of the DIA Public Safety Committee.
Daniel’s vision for the Dimond is to see positive, progressive solutions for the challenges that currently face the Dimond District and the City of Oakland.
JoAnn Tracht-Rawson
JoAnn has lived in the DImond for nine years. Before moving here, she was a board member on the Ocean Avenue Revitalization Collaborative in San Francisco and helped form a successful Community Benefits District (CBD). She has been on the DIA board for eight years and helps lead the Keep Dimond Clean fundraiser. She is chair of the Communications Committee and also serves on the Dimond Public Art Committee. JoAnn was instrumental in the design and launch of the new DIA website and the quarterly e-newsletter.
JoAnn’s vision for the Dimond is to see the continued growth and health of a vibrant commercial district, serving a diverse, lively community with equality and inspiring community involvement. With more strollable streets, we can come together to enjoy the history, art, nature, and events of a very special neighborhood.
Victoria Wake
Victoria is an East Bay native and 18-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, Communications, and Executive committees.
Victoria’s vision for the Dimond includes people walking more and driving less, knowing each other better, and spending more time patronizing our businesses and enjoying our magnificent park. She would like to see more of the community engaged in local projects and activities, believing strongly that “involvement builds community” and that it’s gratifying and fun to connect and contribute.
Kevin Whittinghill
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.