ABOUT DIA

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.

Originally from San Francisco, Ben returned to the Bay Area in 2009 and became a homeowner in the Dimond in 2017. He has worked in the tech sector since 2008, most recently as the Lead Web and Analytics Engineer at Ripple, a finance-tech company in downtown San Francisco. Ben is a hospice volunteer at Pathways, where he visits 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, including Doctors of the World and the International School Counselor Association. Ben lives with his wife and baby daughter. He enjoys gardening, listening to his record collection, and building furniture.

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. 

JoAnn has lived in the DImond for over 10 years. Before moving to the East Bay, 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 nine years and helps lead the Keep Dimond Clean fundraiser. She is co-chair of the Beautification Committee and also serves on the Membership and Outreach Committee. JoAnn has a background in Graphic Design and was instrumental in the design and launch of the DIA website and the new bi-monthly e-newsletter.

JoAnn’s vision for the Dimond is the growth and renewed health of a vibrant commercial district, serving a diverse community and inspiring involvement with its residents. Seeing its growth as a leader of community art installations and maintaining its natural beauty with Sausal Creek and Dimond Canyon.

Originally from Massachusetts, Lindsey moved to Dimond to start a family with her husband in 2017 after three years in the Grand Lake neighborhood and 10 years in San Francisco.  Lindsey has spent most of her professional career in brand and growth marketing – managing creative teams, planning memorable events, and producing useful and compelling content.  Lindsey is currently working as Head of Brand for a multinational Ed-Tech company and raising two girls. She enjoys entertaining friends and neighbors, hiking around JMP, and gardening. 

Lindsey’s vision for the Dimond is for existing businesses in the district to reach their full potential, to usher in interesting new occupants in the vacant spots, and for residents to feel empowered and invested in creating a beautiful, vibrant neighborhood that is safe, clean and inclusive for all.

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.