ABOUT DIA
Our Vision
For Oakland’s Dimond District to be a vibrant, safe, and beautiful place for everyone to live, work, shop, and play.
Our Mission
We are a community-based, non-profit organization, with membership and participation open to all. We bring together residents, businesses, agencies, and other groups to engage in collective efforts to beautify our neighborhood, promote a thriving commercial district, improve public safety, and build a stronger sense of community and belonging.
Our Values
Inclusiveness: We seek diversity on our board and in community involvement, with openness to all voices and interests.
Respect: We treat each other, and the community, with consideration and kindness.
Collaboration: We prize teamwork, transparency, and the sharing of opportunities to shape our work.
Leadership: We each take initiative and responsibility for aspects of the organization, and aim to inspire each other and the community to make a difference.
Impact: We focus on making significant and meaningful contributions to the community, continually assessing and improving our effectiveness.
Our Motto
Involvement Builds Community
Volunteering
The Dimond Improvement Association has many committees and projects to benefit the community. Take a look at our Projects & Committees page and see what might interest you! There are opportunities to volunteer from once a year to once a week.
Serving on Our Board
If you are interested in becoming a board member, please email us at nominations@dimondnews.org. Our board election takes place every April, with nominations open several months in advance. New board members may also be appointed by the board at other times of the year if there are vacancies. Our 2025-26 Board roster is here.
Public Information
- Our board meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at the Dimond Branch Public Library at 3565 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland, CA, 7-9pm, unless otherwise announced. Committee meetings take place as determined by the individual committees.
- The public is invited to our board meetings. If you would like to request an item added to the agenda, please email our chair, David Gross, at DavidG@DimondNews.org.
- Board meeting minutes are posted to this page approximately one month after the meeting, following board review and approval.
General Meetings
DIA General Meetings are held approximately four times a year and are announced to the community in advance. See the Events Calendar for upcoming meetings and topics.
Board Minutes 2025
Board of Directors 2025-2026
Erin Brown
Erin has lived in the Bay Area for 15 years, and settled down with her family in Oakland in early 2020. As a mom of young children, she values the vibrant community of the Dimond district and enjoys taking long walks while looking at the architecture and landscaping of the neighborhood, as well as spending time at the Dimond Library and Dimond Park with her family. Professionally, Erin is a project manager in the tech industry and wishes to bring these skills to the many efforts of DIA.
Erin’s vision for the Dimond district is to prioritize safe public spaces, a bustling and diverse commercial zone, and a thriving community of neighbors.
Zandile Christian
Zandile has been a resident of the Dimond for 26 years and has served on the DIA board for eleven 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.
David Gross
David has been a resident of the Dimond since 2006. Both of his children attended Sequoia Elementary, where he has been active as a volunteer parent for the Dad’s Club and after-school chess classes. He has also served as a baseball coach in the NOLL / SOLL Little League for the past several years. Professionally, David is a practicing attorney specializing in commercial real estate transactions in California and throughout the United States.
David’s vision for the Dimond is to support and grow a thriving business district, maintain clean and safe parks and public spaces, and to encourage the involvement of all residents in making the Dimond a safe and welcoming neighborhood for everyone.
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 taught Physics, Astronomy, and Robotics for 25 years. Chris served on the DIA board from 2011 to 2015, and rejoined in 2018. He has served as Board Chair through 2019. 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.
John Jacobs
John has been an Oakland resident for the past decade and recently moved to the Dimond neighborhood with his wife in late 2023. He is a Product Manager at Google Maps and also holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. His professional background includes Product roles at Aurora, Uber, Workday, and GE. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, cooking, traveling, and rooting for Chicago sports teams. He is excited to contribute his skills and experience to the DIA and help strengthen the community he now calls home.
John’s vision for the Dimond is a vibrant and thriving neighborhood that attracts families and the next generation of proud Oaklanders. He wants to see an active, safe, and diverse commercial district with a robust merchant community and minimal retail vacancies. He envisions the Dimond becoming a key destination within Oakland, where people visit to shop, play, eat, and socialize.
Craig Johnson
Craig made the Dimond area his home in 2020 and loves supporting local businesses and enjoying everything the neighborhood has to offer. By joining the board, he aims to strengthen his ties to the community and leverage his expertise in urban planning and commercial real estate for positive local impact.
Craig envisions a Dimond district that is vibrant, safe, and flourishing—one that actively celebrates and embraces the character of the surrounding community.
Marjorie Jones
Marjorie has been a resident of the Dimond for 30 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 Merchants Association. Marjorie previously served on the DIA board for two years, 2020-2022.
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.
Rolfe Kasling
Rolfe is a Dimond enthusiast, having lived in the neighborhood since 2009. He and his wife raised their two children in the neighborhood and have walked to and from Farmer Joe’s at least five hundred times. Rolfe has been an educator in downtown Oakland for 15 years and is currently the Director of Technology at St. Paul’s Episcopal School, where he spends his time fixing student Chromebooks and teacher MacBooks. In addition, he is a DJ and aspiring skipper.
Rolfe sees the Dimond as one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Oakland and wants to continue to facilitate that diversity and help support the continued growth and awesomeness of this neighborhood.
Judy Klinger
Judy is a retired high school teacher and union leader. She has lived in the Dimond for 25 years and is delighted to finally have the time to be actively involved in our neighborhood! What she loves about the Dimond is that it has personality — it has amenities, but isn’t gentrified. As a union president, she has experience with organizing and pushing levers within political systems to create change. She and her dog, Crumpet, enjoy neighborhood walks and hikes in the woods.
Judy sees an opportunity to figure out, then use City and County systems to help Dimond be even more vibrant.
Maria Rincón
Maria was born and raised in Oakland and her love for our city runs deep! She’s lived in the Dimond for the past 20 years and has been spending time here since her days as a student at St. Jarlath’s School, where she studied from kindergarten to 8th grade. Maria has spent countless hours in Dimond Park and Dimond Library, both as a child and with her own two children. She loves to read and be in nature. Maria has worked as an elementary school teacher since graduating from college in 1994. She recently took on the role of Dean of Community Wellness at St. Paul’s Episcopal School, where she’s taught for the past 19 years.
Maria’s vision for the Dimond is that it be a thriving neighborhood that welcomes everyone. She’d love for it to be a place where all people feel safe, connected to their community, and cared for.
May Seto Wasem
Along with her husband, May owns and operates Grand Lake Kitchen. Soon after the first location of GLK opened in Adams Point in 2012, she started looking for a second location and quickly fell in love with the Dimond because of its authentic community energy and central location. GLK Dimond will be celebrating its 6th anniversary this spring. May also serves on the board of the Dimond Merchants Association and believes strongly that both associations do their best work when doing it together.
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 Wake
Victoria is an East Bay native and 23-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, most recently serving on the Beautification and Public Safety committees, and overseeing the Keep Dimond Clean program.
Victoria’s vision for the Dimond includes people walking and taking the bus more, driving less, and generally knowing each other and local businesses better. She would like to see greater environmental stewardship, particularly more and healthier street trees. She hopes more of the community will get engaged in local projects, because it’s gratifying and fun!
Jaime Watson
Jaime, originally from the Pacific Northwest, swapped rain for sunshine when she moved to San Francisco in 2003. In 2022, she and her husband found their perfect spot in the Dimond, where they quickly fell in love with the community’s warmth and charm. With over 10 years working in residential real estate, Jaime is passionate about helping people find spaces where they can truly thrive. When she’s not helping clients, you can find her looking for opportunities to engage with her community, exploring the outdoors, hopping on a plane to explore new places, or enjoying time with the people she holds closest.