Leadership

Tony Hawk
Chair

His long history and success as a professional skateboarder helped Tony pursue a career with worldwide reach. In 1992 he founded the renowned Birdhouse Skateboards brand, which he still owns and operates today.

The most recognized action-sports figure in the world, Tony is also President of Tony Hawk Inc., a worldwide leader in action-sports video games, merchandising, events, endorsements, and film and digital media. He regularly appears on television and in films, hosts a weekly show on the Sirius XM satellite radio network, and frequently takes his talent on the road with the Birdhouse Skateboards team. Tony’s success and good fortune have inspired him to do what he can to help young people, so in 2002 he launched the Tony Hawk Foundation (which in 2020 became The Skatepark Project) to help achieve that goal.

Jim Thiebaud
Vice Chair

Jim Thiebaud is a skateboarder—always has been, always will be. He spent several years as a pro, touring the world and skating everything he could, before co-founding and helping build San Francisco’s Deluxe Distribution, purveyors of some of skateboarding’s top brands. As the company’s President, Jim splits his time between work, his family in the East Bay, or doing what he’s always done ... skating. He’s been a driving force behind several goodwill and charitable causes, most recently Actions REALized, and he brings decades of experience and dedication to skateboarding to his role on The Skatepark Project Board Of Directors.

Brent Eyestone
Treasurer

A skateboarder for over three decades, Brent Eyestone owns and operates Dark Operative, a music company established in 2018 to assist established artists in an evolved capacity. The company invests heavily in the upkeep of artists’ mental and physical health, places music in motion picture and television projects, and provides other vital services intended to sustain the longevity and wellbeing of careers in creativity.

In 1997, Brent started Magic Bullet Records in his college apartment, where he also served as President of Penn State’s late night, non-alcoholic weekend programming. He has toured and performed around the world with various bands and currently sings in the hardcore punk band Bleach Everything. When not serving The Skatepark Project, Brent also focuses on regional food-bank fundraising, clean-water well projects, and mental-health awareness. More often than not, you can catch him at Del Mar dog beach.

Mimi Knoop
Secretary

Mimi Knoop is one of the most respected female skateboarders in the world. Since first turning pro in 2003, she has claimed five X Games medals in women’s vert and has cinched titles at some of the world’s most prestigious bowl contests. Always pushing for progression, Mimi has been one of the most active women in skateboarding behind the scenes, as well.

As an advocate and entrepreneur, she has been dedicated to growing the sport for the girls of the next generation by co-founding The Alliance in 2005, Hoopla Skateboards in 2008, and Women’s Skateboard Alliance (WSA) in 2015. Mimi represents women’s skateboarding with passion and enthusiasm. She is a tremendous advocate and ambassador for young girls breaking into the skateboarding and action-sports scene, and brings this collective experience to her role on The Skatepark Project Board Of Directors.
(Portrait by Ricoy Photo)

Brandee Barker
Director

Brandee Barker was the first communications executive at Facebook, where she joined when the company had 100 employees and five-million college users. As Director of Global Communications and Public Policy, she helped to shape Facebook into a service that changed communication and connection for more than a billion people worldwide.

Brandee has spearheaded brand development and strategy with a variety of notable technology companies—AirBnB, Dropbox, Nextdoor, Spotify, Square and Uber among them—and has managed every aspect of communications, from launching innovative products, advising founders/CEOs on company narratives to tempering large-scale crisis. She was instrumental in launching Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead and is an advocate for women's leadership in business, both in action and example. Building on much learning from a 20-year career, Barker recently co-founded The Pramana Collective to provide counsel on all matters of executive, business, product and consumer communications strategy.

Brandee serves as the Chair of the Development & Communications Committee of the Board.

Anthony Bucci
Director

Anthony Bucci is a software developer turned entrepreneur, and the founder and former CEO of RevZilla.com. After bootstrapping to over $100M in sales, RevZilla was acquired by Comoto Holdings to create the largest retail motorcycle apparel and accessories group in the world. Anthony left Comoto’s day-to-day operations in early 2017, but remains active on the board, advising and occasionally participating in RevZilla media. Currently, Anthony is angel investing, advising, and mentoring within the tech and startup communities. In addition to his work at The Skatepark Project, he also sits on the board of goPuff and on advisory boards for the National Retail Federation and Drexel University. Anthony’s early career was focused on technology, eCommerce, and digital marketing. He is also a lifelong lover of all things skateboarding, and these days spends most of his time riding mini ramps and sharing the joy of skating with his kids.

Tony Conrad
Director

A founder of about.me and Sphere, Tony is also a Partner at True Ventures, an investor in WordPress, MakeBot, Blue Bottle Coffee, FitBit, Slack, Typekit, High Fidelity, Lowercase Capital, Ne Timeas, Samovar, Saltwater and August, and an advisor to Noise Pop, an SF organization championing independent music and culture. Tony grew up in a small Indiana farming community, and has since lived in New York, New Delhi, Jakarta, Chicago, Paris, and San Francisco. Before venturing into high tech, Tony worked a range of jobs, including short stints as a baseball umpire, basketball camp counselor, pharmacy stock person, high-school sports reporter, book-bindery glue-machine operator, fraternity janitor, college newspaper ad salesman, and yogurt merchandiser, to name a few.

Lenore Hawk Dale
Director

Lenore Hawk Dale spent fifteen years as a classroom teacher and another ten years as the Director of Bilingual Education for a school district in Southern California. In her years in education, she worked with families in several low-income school districts. For ten years, Lenore was the Director of the Tony Hawk Fan Club. She responded to requests from fans, parents, and teachers, and coordinated meetings for special-needs fans.

Sandy Dusablon
Director

The COO of Tony Hawk, Inc., Sandy is a long-time contributor and advisor to The Skatepark Project. As the organization continues to grow, Sandy’s financial acumen and action sports business background are a critical resource in a complex fundraising environment.

Sandy serves as the Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee of the Board.

Allen Gibson
Director

Allen Gibson is the Chief Investment Officer of Centaurus Capital LP and Investment Manager for the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Prior to Centaurus, Allen was a Senior Vice President in institutional asset management at Royal Bank of Canada. He serves on the Advisory committee for TSSP Adjacent Opportunities Partners, Equity International V, OakHill Advisors European Strategic Credit Fund, and Cerberus Investment Partners V, and on the Board Of Directors for Global Atlantic, Cell Site Solutions, and Suntex.

Allen received a B.A. in Political Science from Emory University and a M.A. in Philosophy from Boston College. He is a life-long skateboarder, hosts regular sessions at his indoor bowl in New Jersey, and with his wife Stacey has been vital in promoting The Skatepark Project’s work on the East Coast and cultivating donors nationwide.

Jon Gray
Director

CEO of the Bronx-based food collective Ghetto Gastro and a marketing mastermind, Jon works to synthesize the worlds of art, architecture, design, and luxury—worlds he’s deeply immersed himself in for more than a decade—in the culinary space. Since its founding in 2012, Ghetto Gastro has grown into a cultural force, literally and figuratively cooking up projects that verge on performance art for clients including Apple, Bank of America, Cartier, and Instagram. Ghetto Gastro honors the block-to-block shifts and overlap in international cuisine and culture that happens in his borough. The collective is committed to feeding, inspiring, and growing young entrepreneurs in the Bronx.

Jon Gray, along with director Ibrahem Hasan, also released a short film called ‘Family Over Everything’, which follows the Public Housing Skate Team and focuses on coming-of-age in the Bronx while highlighting family and the stamina that it takes to break barriers.

Pat Hawk
Director

Pat served as the COO of Tony Hawk, Inc. for over fifteen years, until her retirement from the organization in 2019. She has a unique background in entertainment, sports marketing, endorsements, licensing and management, and has played a crucial role in the growth of THI and its affiliates.

Steve Hawk
Director

Steve Hawk was the founding Executive Director of the Tony Hawk Foundation, which became The Skatepark Project in 2020. He has been a journalist for more than 30 years and is the former editor of Surfer magazine and executive editor of Sierra magazine. Steve was also a staff writer on the HBO television series John From Cincinnati, and is currently editor of the Stanford Business magazine.

Steve serves as Chair of the Governance & Nominating Committee of the Board.

Steve Larosiliere
Director

Steve Larosiliere is the President of STOKED, an award winning youth development program. Steve has been named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Black MBA, Honored as a Hometown Hero, and given a Community Impact Award. His work has appeared in the New Yorker Magazine, ESPN, Huffington Post, Nylon Magazine, Fuel TV, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, and Transworld Business.

Steve speaks worldwide on the subject of youth empowerment, social entrepreneurship, closing the opportunity gap, and action sports. Prior to STOKED, Steve began his career with an independent marketing firm that he cofounded.

Stephanie Murdock
Director

Stephanie Murdock, “Baltimore’s Best Hon,” is a skateboarder and skatepark advocate born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the founder and President of the Skatepark of Baltimore, Inc. (SOB), a volunteer based non-profit organization dedicated to the construction of public concrete skateparks in the City of Baltimore. She led the organization in bringing a world-class facility to Hampden’s Roosevelt Park and continues to work with Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks to bring additional skateparks to underserved communities.

Stephanie is on the Board of USA Skateboarding, the National Governing Body responsible for coordinating United States participation in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. In 2010 Murdock was awarded a fellowship with Open Society Institute’s Baltimore Community Fellows program where she created; “Skateboarding for Success,” an after-school, weekend and summer program for at-risk middle and high school students in Baltimore. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Towson University in Political Science and Communications and her master’s degree in Political Management at George Washington University in DC.

Stephanie serves as the Chair of the Grants Committee of the Board.

Joe O’Hara
Director

Joe O’Hara is the President and General Counsel at LifeLine Financial Group, a multi-family office headquartered in Beverly Hills serving the business management and investment needs of professional athletes, entertainment industry talent and other high net worth individuals.

Prior to serving at LifeLine, Joe spent 17 years in private law practice advising companies, investors and celebrities on a wide variety of business, investment and endorsement transactions. Joe also serves as a General Partner for the LifeLine Family Heritage Fund, a co-investment venture fund formed to provide LifeLine clients access to in-demand tech and venture investment opportunities. Joe is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. In between degrees, Joe served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Doug Palladini
Director

A veteran of the action sports industry with more than 25 years of leadership across marketing, sales and product, Doug Palladini served as the Global Brand President of Vans for nearly 20 years. In this role, Palladini oversaw the strategic direction of Vans’ more than $4 billion global business, while enabling the regional teams to develop and deliver local strategies to drive continued worldwide growth. Prior to stepping into his current role in 2016, he also served as the general manager of the Americas region and the vice president of global marketing. During his time at Vans, Palladini played an integral role in Vans’ transformation into a global icon of creative expression in youth culture, becoming the largest action sports footwear and apparel brand on the planet, available in more than 97 countries.

Oliver Percovich
Director

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Oliver Percovich grew up in Papua New Guinea, where he first skated in an empty pool at the age of six. Since that day, he’s travelled to over 50 countries with his skateboard. In 2007 Oliver moved to Afghanistan, where he founded the nonprofit organization Skateistan (www.skateistan.org), a grassroots “Sport for Development” project that began by teaching skateboarding to kids in the streets of Kabul.

Today, Skateistan is an award-winning international organization with skate schools for at-risk children in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and South Africa. Each week, skateboarding and educational classes at Skateistan’s five locations worldwide are attended by over 1,500 students, nearly 50 percent of whom are girls.

Oliver holds an honors degree in Environmental Chemistry and is excited to bring his diverse background and a decade of experience in youth development through skateboarding to The Skatepark Project Board Of Directors.

David Proctor
Director

David Proctor is a retired Principal of global trading firm Jane Street Capital and has been an active board member of The Skatepark Project for over 8 years. He first discovered his passion for skateboarding as he watched his son learn to skate and develop a sense of community and camaraderie through the sport. David continues to be active in fundraising for The Skatepark Project and for skateparks in the New York City area.

In addition to The Skatepark Project, David supports a number of charitable organizations whose missions mirror his interests, which include community engagement and environmental conservation. He is currently involved in advancing the scientific and social understanding of childhood adversity and researching ways to help children overcome the effects of adverse childhood experiences. With the onset of COVID-19, David has been active in local community-based efforts to create housing and provide food for those most at risk. He is also working to launch a national program to help those suffering from the relentless stresses of the pandemic.

David lives in Westchester, New York, with his wife and two children.

Mike Render
Director

Michael Render, aka Killer Mike, is a Grammy award winning rapper, businessman and activist. He is one half of the hip hop duo, Run The Jewels. The Atlanta based rapper made his debut on “Snappin’ and Trappin’” from OutKast’s 2000 LP Stankonia, and later appeared on the Grammy-award winning song “The Whole World,” from Outkast’s greatest hits album. He has since released five full-length albums as a solo artist and four albums with Run The Jewels. And in 2019 he became a TV show host and producer with his Netflix series “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike.”

An outspoken advocate, Mike is a social and political activist, focusing on subjects including the arts in education, decriminalization of marijuana, gentrification, police brutality and systemic racism. In 2018, Mike was named as a board member of Atlanta’s prestigious High Museum. He previously served on Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms transition team.

Of all his roles and responsibilities, Mike is most proud to be called “husband” to Shana, and “father” to two sons and two daughters.

Sara Morishige Williams
Director

Sara Morishige Williams resides in San Francisco and is President of the Sara and Evan Williams Foundation, which began in 2011.  Sara is involved in the full range of the foundation's work, which has an emphasis on design literacy and thinking.  She’s exploring the nexus of design thinking, public institutions, and our physical environment in relation to mental health and social justice.

With design thinking as a foundation, Sara has focused on a collaboration with SFUSD and IDEO to create a student centered, financially stable system that engages kids in eating good food.  The Future Dining Experience is an explorative effort which seeks to prepare the next generation to make sound eating choices in a safe environment.

Sara is a native of San Jose, California, and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2000 with a Bachelor of Art in Political Science.

Dr. Neftalie Williams
Director

Dr. Neftalie Williams is a sociologist and USC Provost’s Post-Doctoral Scholar at the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, who investigates global issues of race, diversity, identity, and youth empowerment, using the lens of action sports culture. His 'Beyond the Board' Study in partnership with USC and The Skatepark Project was featured in the New York Times and is the first national effort to study the impact skateboarding has on young people and their educational and career trajectories.

As the first ‘Ambassador of Skateboarding,’ and envoy for the US Department of State, he introduced the concept of skateboarding as a tool for cultural diplomacy in both theory and practice. He co-founded the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation (CSEF), a non-profit dedicated to creating scholarships for young skateboarders to pursue higher education, and serves on the Boards for The Skatepark Project (formerly Tony Hawk Foundation), Skateistan, McKinnon Center for Global Affairs, and chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for USA Skateboarding.

Benjamin Anderson Bashein

Executive Director

Benjamin joined The Skatepark Project as Executive Director in October 2020. In this role, he provides strategic vision and leadership while overseeing all operations for the organization, including: grantmaking, advocacy, education programs, communications, and fundraising.

A social impact executive with more than 20 years of experience, he has worked with community-based, national and international health, human rights, youth development and arts organizations. Benjamin served most recently as Vice President of CORE, Sean Penn's disaster relief and recovery organization, and he has worked closely with talent and influencers in the entertainment, fashion, art and sports communities in New York, Los Angeles, and across the country. Benjamin holds a BA in Communications from Emerson College.

Lily Schwimmer

Development Director

As Development Director, Lily is responsible for the organization’s overall fundraising activities.

Lily was The Skatepark Project’s first Intern in 2008. After completing her studies, she worked for AEG Live in Las Vegas, whose primary venues were The Joint inside The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Lily was responsible for assisting with the booking of these venues for AEG Live, and for over five years helped manage operations at The Buick Invitational and Farmers Insurance Open PGA Golf Tournament. Lily has been with The Skatepark Project since 2011.

Lily completed her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Oregon and her MBA in Sports Management from San Diego State University.

Rachel Williams

Director of Communications & Marketing

Specializing in strategic communications for nonprofits, Rachel is focused on the intersection of narrative-driven storytelling, marketing and partnerships, and how these elements drive fundraising. She has worked across impact spaces, including humanitarian aid, reproductive health, equity and access, and human rights.

Rachel works with organizations to strengthen press relations, branding, talent and influencer engagement, event strategy and major donor cultivation. Most recently, Rachel developed and led the communications department for CORE, a global crisis response organization founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee, focused on COVID-19 relief, natural disaster recovery, and crisis mitigation.

Jaimie Muehlhausen

Art Director

As Art Director, Jaimie is responsible for all of the graphic and creative needs of The Skatepark Project. He also serves as Brand Manager and Creative Director at Tony Hawk, Inc., ensuring that both organizations maintain distinct identities, but still reflect the man who inspires their work. He came on board with Tony in 2002 after a stint as the creative director at the original Swell.com and Surfline. Prior to that, Jaimie was the art director of Snowboarder Magazine and also helped relaunch Skateboarder Magazine in the late ‘90s. And to start off his career, he was Creative Director at Airwalk Footwear when Tony Hawk was simply a 19-year old team member (and world champion).

Jaimie was the recipient of a prestigious Young Talent in Oklahoma scholarship, and went on to play baseball at Oklahoma State University, then on to Phillips University to study graphic design and fine art.

Katrina Dair

Director of Finance & Operations

As the Director of Finance & Operations, Katrina is responsible for oversight of the daily financial and administrative operations of The Skatepark Project. She has experience working with many non-profit organizations, both professionally and as a volunteer.

Katrina graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting) and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Alec Beck

Manager of Public Education

Alec came to The Skatepark Project with a lifetime of competitive skateboarding under his belt, and a decade of advocacy work, during which he led efforts to create the Stoner Skate Plaza in Los Angeles and to legalize skateboarding at the infamous LA City Courthouse ledges. As the Manager of Public Education, Alec works with stakeholders to develop, update and distribute skate space and community advocacy tools, runs skatepark advocacy workshops, supports the organization's skatepark grant program and advises on public skatepark policy.

Angela Rhodehamel

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

As Marketing & Communications Manager, Angela is responsible for managing the organization’s online and social media marketing initiatives, overseeing creative content, and developing campaigns and communication strategies to raise awareness and critical funds for The Skatepark Project.

Before joining TSP, Angela worked as a Producer for 900 Films and YouTube’s RIDE Channel where she helped to create some of TSP’s most compelling PSAs and success stories. She brings her action sports production background and her passion for skateboarding and story-telling to the organization. Angela graduated from the University Of California San Diego with a B.A. in Communications and in her free time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, rock climbing, and live music.

Trevor Staples

Built to Play Skatepark Manager

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Trevor Staples grew up skateboarding throughout the Midwest. With nowhere for local youth to skate safely, he founded Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark in 2007 and recruited his neighbors to advocate for a public skatepark. In 2014, the 20,000 square-foot Ann Arbor Skatepark opened at Veterans Memorial Park. Trevor’s work in Ann Arbor and other communities around Michigan that were inspired by his group’s success has granted him many opportunities to bring state, county, and local entities together to support skateparks. Before joining THF in 2018, Trevor taught fourth grade for twenty years.

Mandy Mendez

Strategic Partnerships Manager

As Strategic Partnerships Manager, Mandy assists in developing fundraising plans, cultivating current donors, and identifying new prospects. She comes to The Skatepark Project with over nine years of development experience from The University of Texas at Austin, where she developed a strong background in donor and corporate relations, annual giving, event management, communications, and stewardship.

Mandy is a proud native of Texas’s Rio Grande Valley and holds a Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin. Outside of work, she is an avid rock climber and a dedicated volunteer with local climbing nonprofits.

Gwen Glover

Development Manager

As Development Manager, Gwen ensures donors feel informed and excited about all things TSP, overseeing donor communication, platform management, acknowledgment, and research.

As a fundraising professional with eight years of experience, Gwen has worked with mission-driven art, community-based, and political organizations. With a focus on financial projections and streamlined processes, Gwen has helped organizations meet their ambitious fundraising goals and strengthen philanthropic partnerships. Most recently as the Development Operations Manager at RepresentUs, a voting rights and anti-corruption nonprofit, she gained satisfaction from building operational infrastructure to support her team’s daily fundraising activities.

Nicole Humphrey

TSP Fellowship Program Associate

As a Program Associate for the TSP Fellowship Program, Nicole works to support the build, launch and implementation of TSP's annual virtual advocacy grant program. As a community organizer and storyteller, Nicole comes to the TSP team with over 10 years of youth programming and community outreach experience.

A Chicago native, active skateboard cruiser, creative entrepreneur, and music lover, Nicole is an alumni of Jackson State University and Founder of Black Girls Shred.

Colin Cook

Executive Assistant to the Executive Director & Board of Directors

Colin Cook has been in love with skateboarding since he was 12 years old. Turning his passion into a career, Colin shared his talents in the skate industry for over a decade and contributed to multiple skatepark advocacy efforts in Southern California. Joining the foundation in 2016, Colin assists the rest of The Skatepark Project team on various projects and by working with key donors, supporters, and event-based fundraising.

Andre Taylor

Programs Coordinator

Andre has been skateboarding since 2003 and has worked with several skatepark projects and non-profit organizations. Andre began working with The Skatepark Project as a volunteer hoping to give back to a culture that he loves. He now serves as the Programs Coordinator, supporting the TSP Grantmaking and Technical Assistance Programs.

Alim Khan

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

As the Social Media Coordinator, Alim plays an integral role in managing and creating content across all of The Skatepark Project’s social media platforms. Prior to officially joining the team, Alim volunteered with TSP on various projects. His passion for the mission and work stems from his own experiences growing up without a safe place to skate.

Alim received his first skateboard at the age of 7 and has been skateboarding ever since. When he’s not skating, he enjoys designing and inventing new products. Alim founded Alimination Inc. in 2018, a brand that combines his passion for skateboarding, product and entrepreneurship, and will soon be launching an innovative skate tool. Alim, a native of San Diego, CA, earned his Bachelors of Science in Business Marketing from San Diego State University.