"Our mission is to offer a rigorous college preparatory curriculum integrated with real-world, active learning, in a highly supportive collaborative community. Da Vinci Schools build mentoring partnerships for students and teachers with local industries and also with colleges. We create a culture of high expectations where students form safe and strong relationships with teachers, peers, parents, mentors, and the community. We provide each student with rigorous and relevant academic and workplace skills in order to prepare graduates for rewarding lives in an increasingly diverse and information-rich society. We help students explore and develop career skill sets, learn in group settings, and discover career options."    -- Chet Pipkin, Board President

Board President
Mr. Chet Pipkin, the Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Belkin International, built Belkin from the humble beginnings of his family's Hawthorne garage, manufacturing and selling printer cables. One of the fastest growing computer and consumer electronics companies in the world, Belkin now has 1,200 employees and nearly $1 billion in revenue producing everything from wireless routers to iPod accessories. In his role as Board President, Mr. Pipkin brings exceptional experience and business acumen at the highest levels on strategic and financial planning, building effective organizations, tactical management and executive leadership. Mr. Pipkin sees parallels between his philosophy of management and that of the Da Vinci Schools: give key employees tremendous autonomy and make sure that everyone knows what's expected, with measurements set for every expectation. A Wiseburn native who attended Dana Middle School (the very facility that currently houses Da Vinci Science), Mr. Pipkin has a long history of community involvement and working with children. He has been actively involved in the YMCA's Youth & Government program for over 30 years and serves on its Governing Board, as well as the boards of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. He has coached at least one, and often two AYSO soccer teams every year for 15 years. Mr. Pipkin and Belkin have made enormous contributions to Da Vinci Schools in the form of technology infrastructure, in-kind support, and strategic business advice.

Board Vice-President
Dr. Donald Brann served the Wiseburn School District as Superintendent for 15 years and is credited for bringing the District into the 21st century. Dr. Brann retired from Wiseburn in June 2008, leaving a legacy of safe, academically successful schools, three new school buildings, a growing enrollment, supportive community, and substantial funding reserve. He managed Wiseburn like a small business—setting goals and moving toward benchmarks—which he attributes to his years of marketing study at USC and a total of 27 years of experience heading up school districts. Dr. Brann is a cofounder of the Small School Districts Association and is an elected City of El Segundo council member. He currently serves as the interim superintendent for San Gabriel Unified School District. Dr. Brann brings business experience, an entrepreneurial spirit, and proven management skills to Da Vinci Schools.

Board Treasurer
Mr. Gary Wayland is co-founder of Wayland & Vukadinovich, LLP, an accounting firm dedicated to providing professional, personalized services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs. Since 1982, Mr. Wayland's firm has provided quality, personalized financial guidance to individuals and small businesses in the local community surrounding Da Vinci Schools. His expertise ranges from tax compliance and planning and accounting services to more in-depth services such as transactional tax planning and related consulting services, including financial statements and financial planning. Active in the local community, Mr. Wayland is president of the Manhattan Beach Athletic Foundation.

Board Secretary
Mrs. Cheryl Cook is a graduate of UCLA with a BA degree in political science. She held a sales executive position with a major corporation for over 20 years before making a career change to be a full-time mother, animal rescuer, and community activist, recently serving nine years as a board member of the Ladera Heights Civic Association. In 2005, she was a Chief Petitioner in the community's effort to transfer Ladera Heights -- an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County -- from the Inglewood Unified School District to the Culver City Unified School District. Mrs. Cook also took a leadership role in transitioning the families of the Ladera community to the Wiseburn School District via interdistrict permits. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Gary, her son Gerald, who is a student at Da Vinci Science, and a number of pets.

Trustee
Mr. Art Lofton is Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, responsible for establishing the strategic direction and leadership of all information-system and information-technology activities for the Aerospace Systems sector. He joined Northrop Grumman as a flight test engineer on the B-2 program in 1990, and has held management positions of increasing responsibility. Mr. Lofton secured the funding and led the creation of the Northrop Grumman Innovation Lab at Da Vinci Schools, a state-of-the-art media center, where students have access to the latest technology to research, design and bring their real-world projects to life in a creative, audio visual environment. Under Mr. Lofton's leadership, Northrop has made significant contributions in the form of targeted volunteering, in-kind giving, direct financial contributions, and academic support. Mr. Lofton has encouraged greater collaboration between Northrop and Da Vinci Schools by working closely with us to shape the types of real-world projects students will complete in order to develop the critical thinking and specific skill sets Northrop needs in their future employees.