On Thursday, June 21 the KIPP LA Board of Directors appointed four new board members who bring great diversity in perspective, ethnicity, gender, and industry to the leadership of KIPP LA Public Schools.

KIPP LA strives to reflect the communities served in teachers and leaders across the organization, including the board. Frank Reddick, KIPP LA Public Schools Board Chair, said "I am confident that their experience and insight will be pivotal in shaping a dynamic and accomplished future for our schools, ensuring continued success for all our students."

Learn more about each of the new members below, and read about all KIPP LA board members here.

Margie Armona is a Certified Public Accountant who previously held a position at KPMG and was the Finance Director for the City of Paramount. Currently, she is self-employed and manages real estate assets. She is an East LA native and a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. As a former high school student of the famed Jaime Escalante, she understands the importance of high-quality teachers and believes in the power of education to transform lives. Ms. Armona earned a college degree in accounting from Cal State University, Los Angeles. She volunteers and advocates for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Orange County and Cavalier Rescue USA pet adoption services. Ms. Armona currently resides in Orange County with her husband and three children. She enjoys traveling and reading.

Carlos M. Bermudez is a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and has more than 15 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and securities representations. Mr. Bermudez represents a diverse array of clients in acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, and cross-border and similar transactions. He also has broad experience in corporate finance, securities, general corporate matters, and corporate aspects of financial restructuring. Mr. Bermudez is currently a member of the firm’s diversity and pro bono committees and was named a top 40 Under 40 M&A Advisor on the West Coast by M&A Advisor in 2012. He received his BA from Princeton University and his JD from Stanford University Law School. He is a member of the California Bar.

Philip N. Feder is a partner and former chair of the Global Real Estate practice of Paul Hastings. Mr. Feder has extensive experience in the areas of acquisitions of debt instruments, real property financing, acquisitions, workouts and restructurings, together with international joint venture transactions. His experience also includes the documentation of new real estate lending techniques, together with the representation of real estate developers in leasing, purchase and sale, and other development transactions. Mr. Feder is consistently ranked for California Real Estate by Chambers USA, has been recognized as one of 2011’s Real Estate Dealmakers of the Year by the Daily Journal, and was noted as one of the Top Real Estate Lawyers by the Legal Media Group. Currently, Mr. Feder serves on the board of the charitable organization A Community of Friends with a mission to end homelessness. He graduated with honors from Stanford University and received his JD from Columbia Law School. He is a member of the California and New York Bars.

Norma Parraz is the Founder and CEO of EduconX, LLC. Ms. Parraz is a social entrepreneur with over 25 years experience representing business, government, and non-profit sectors. Her track record includes accelerating multicultural business initiatives locally and nationally through an ever-expanding network and strategic partnerships. Most recently, Ms. Parraz launched innovative Education Technology initiatives connecting home and school via mobile applications to support student success. These Tech tools foster stronger communication by offering multi-language options for end-users. Ms. Parraz past professional experience includes, legislative and public policy work in the nation’s capital followed by a presidential appointment under the Clinton Administration. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona and a Ford Foundation Public Policy Fellow. Her current community engagements include: serving on the Phoenix Police Community Advisory Board, the Phoenix Film Foundation Board, the Latino Donor Collaborative Advisory Council, and the Dominguez Dream Foundation.