October 13, 2025
10/13/2025 Board Meeting Agenda
September 8, 2025
August 18, 2025
8/18/2025 Board Meeting Agenda
June 23, 2025
6/23/2025 Board Meeting Agenda
May 12, 2025
5/12/2025 Board Meeting Agenda
March 17, 2025
3/17/2025 Board Meeting Agenda
February 10, 2025
2/10/2025 Board Meeting Agenda
January 23, 2025
1/23/25 Audit Committee Agenda
2025-26 School Year
Calendar Board Meeting Dates 2025-26
Board Members
The New LA Board of Directors are volunteers who govern the school. The board meets monthly throughout the school year. Meetings are held at the school and are open to the public.
Allison Arkin, Secretary
Allison Arkin is an experienced Los Angeles litigator and special education attorney who focuses her practice exclusively on special education law. Ms. Arkin has extensive experience working with parents of special needs children with a wide range of disabilities, helping them obtain appropriate services from both school districts and regional centers. She received her J.D. from Fordham Law School, and attended Wesleyan University for her undergraduate work. As a mother of two, Ms. Arkin is passionate about every child’s right to receive an appropriate education, and she works tirelessly to ensure that each child receives the best possible services.
Bari Cooper Sherman, Board Member
Bari Cooper Sherman is a co-founder of Turner Impact Capital, one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing social impact investment firms. Bari serves as Turner Impact’s General Counsel and oversees the day-to-day legal aspects of Turner Impact’s business and strategic planning as well as all fund formations and investor partnerships and negotiations. Bari has been a practicing attorney since 1990. In addition to serving on the New LA board, Bari is the board chair of LCS Support Corporation, a corporation formed to support operational, facilities, and philanthropic needs of Larchmont Charter School, a Los Angeles-based charter school operator serving TK-12th grade students.
Crystal Day, Incoming Board Chair
Crystal Day is an enrollment management strategist with a solid 13-year history in both the public charter and independent sectors. Within the charter sector, she has held positions as the Director of Strategic Enrollment for Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and the Director of Admission and Community Engagement for Intellectual Virtues Academy. Crystal has also led enrollment management in the independent sector at Westerly School and Wildwood School. Crystal’s extensive background in implementing best practices, providing enrollment coaching, spearheading innovative outreach and recruitment strategies, data-analysis and partnership development, is underpinned by her firm belief that full enrollment is crucial for optimal school and student outcomes. Her passion and history lie in advocating for an education that prioritizes academic growth, character development, and equity. She believes in removing barriers and creating access points for students to find an environment where they can thrive. Crystal holds a graduate degree in enrollment management and policy from USC and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Fullerton. Crystal resides in Long Beach with her two children.
Rhonda Deomampo, Board Member
Rhonda Deomampo has worked in South LA public schools for over 20 years. After beginning her teaching career in LAUSD, she joined Synergy Charter Academy in 2006 as a 2nd grade teacher. In 2009, Rhonda left her own classroom to coach and support new teachers at Synergy’s elementary, middle, and high schools, and then served as Director of Special Projects, overseeing data, development, and new teacher support. She currently serves as the CEO/Superintendent of Synergy Academies, and works to fulfill Synergy’s mission to disrupt educational inequity.
Alan-Michael Graves, Board Member
Dr. Alan-Michael S. Graves serves as the Director of National Programs for the Good Plus Foundation where he focuses on a broad range of multidisciplinary activities, from research and program development to training and advocacy for policy change. Alan-Michael has worked in the human services field, with extensive experience as a manager and administrator, for both public and private agencies, for the past 15 years. He has brought these diverse perspectives to his work helping agencies develop, implement and evaluate inter-agency systems of care, family partnerships and community programming. Engaging parents to utilize effective strategies to significantly and positively impact the lives of their children is a passion of Alan Michael.
Jonathan J. López, Board Member
Jonathan J. López is the Vice President, Operations for the Pahara Institute at Lone Rock, where he supports the operational planning and execution of flagship programs and initiatives. Prior to his time with Pahara, Jonathan served as the Managing Director of Charter Schools at Para Los Niños, where he was a founding Design Team member for the Avance Teacher Residency program which aimed to provide equitable pathways to teacher credentialing by disrupting traditional systemic barriers. In addition to working at Para Los Niños, Jonathan has worked in various K-16 public education settings including Arizona State University’s ASU Local, City Year Los Angeles, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Teach For America, and the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Jonathan completed his undergraduate studies at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, his master’s degree in Elementary Education from Loyola Marymount University, and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of California, Los Angeles. A New York native, he lives in Los Angeles, CA. When he is not indulging his professional passions, he and his spouse are joyously raising their daughter and admiring her warrior spirit.