As a public charter school, BDCHS is governed by a school board of directors.
FOUNDERS
Derrick Brooks
As one of the most respected athletes in the NFL, Derrick Brooks holds the distinction of being the only Buccaneer to be named to eleven Pro Bowls. Recognized as much for his hard work in the community as he is for his hard hits on the football field, Brooks remains one of the most community-minded players in the NFL. Brooks received his B.A. from Florida State University, where he later returned to complete a Master’s degree.
Derrick was presented with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2000 and was named to the Florida State University Board of Trustees in 2003.
Through his foundation, Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc., Brooks has made it his life’s mission to positively impact the lives of youth in the Tampa Bay area and beyond. In August of 2007, through a partnership with the DeBartolo family and a strong board of directors, one of Derrick’s lifelong dreams was realized with the opening of the Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School, the only traditional charter high school in the Tampa Bay area.
Lisa DeBartolo
For much of her adult life, Lisa has found joy in helping others and giving back to the community. A graduate of St. Mary’s College in California, with a double major in philosophy and art history, she currently serves as executive vice president of DeBartolo Holdings and is active on the board of the Florida Veterinary Services Foundation.
Since 2001, Lisa has worked tirelessly for the DeBartolo Family Foundation, which awards scholarships to deserving young men and women, provides grants to individuals and organizations with special needs and presents the Spirit of Humanity Award, an award for non-profit organizations that provide extraordinary assistance to Tampa Bay residents. She has also been instrumental in creating and producing unique programs and fundraising activities, such as the Foundation’s popular All Star Gala.
Prior to creating the DeBartolo Family Foundation, Lisa served as vice president of the San Francisco 49ers and executive director of the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, where she developed popular events such as Mini-Camp for Kids and the team’s “Out of Uniform” winter fashion show. She also was co-founder of the 49ers Academy, which serves at-risk and disadvantaged fifth to eighth graders in East Palo Alto, Calif. Lisa is married to Don Miggs and has two sons, Milo and Jasper.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chad Chronister, Vice President
Finance Committee
Chad has been in law enforcement and employed with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for the past 19 years. With a B.A. in Criminology from St. Leo University, Chad has held numerous positions throughout his career, most of which were in a covert capacity. Chad is currently in the Tactical Intelligence Section within the Special Investigations Division. His experience ranges from patrol, street crimes and S.W.A.T. to serving as detective of narcotics, warrants and intelligence. Chad is married to Nicole DeBartolo and has two sons, Zack, 18, and Asher, 7.
Paul A. Bowdoin, Board Member
Recruiting and Public Relations Committee
Born in Tallahassee, Paul is a fourth generation Floridian. He is currently the Gulf Coast Area Manager and Senior Vice President with HDR Engineering, Inc., one of the nation’s largest architecture-engineering firms. As the Gulf Coast Area Manager, Paul is responsible for the company’s operations in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. After graduating from Robinson High School in Tampa, Paul attended the University of Florida, where he received a B.S. in Civil Engineering.
David A. Huerta, Board Member
Recruiting and Public Relations Committee
David owns Group Benefit Strategies, Inc. (GBS), a referral-only consulting firm offering customized solutions for employee benefits. GBS has evolved into a full service agency that focuses on insurance (group/individual), payroll and HR. Born in New York City, David graduated in 1983 from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Norma Matassini, Board Secretary
Education Committee & Technology Committee
Norma was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Tampa. She earned a B.A. in Elementary Education and has a M.A. in Educational Leadership. Norma believes in the power of having a community of scholars. Her philosophy of education is grounded in a combination of several theories that focus on how children develop holistically. Norma spent ten years teaching in the Department of Education at the University of Tampa, and her extensive background as an educator, intern supervisor and community server has illuminated her vision of educational excellence.
James Palermo, Founding Board Member
James Palermo is the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for DeBartolo Holdings, LLC and its affiliate companies. He brings more than 47 years of legal experience to the company and is responsible for all legal matters and the governance of the Company and its affiliate companies.
A Tampa native, Palermo received a B.S. in Political Science from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and an LL.B. Degree from The University of Florida College of Law.
David Mallitz, Treasurer
Finance Committee
David S. Mallitz is the Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer at DeBartolo Holdings, LLC. He brings more than 19 years of knowledge in finance and transactional experience to the company and is responsible for the DeBartolo Sports and Events’ financial management, including accounting, reporting, planning and analyses. Mallitz joined DeBartolo Holdings, LLC in 2002 as Senior Vice President-Tax. DeBartolo Holdings manages and directs the DeBartolo portfolio of entities, real estate investments and diversified holdings. He holds several management positions with the DeBartolo group of companies including Senior VP-Tax, DeBartolo Holdings LLC; Senior VP-Tax, DeBartolo Development LLC; Treasurer, DeBartolo Family Foundation; and Board Member, Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School. Mallitz is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of CPAs. He currently resides in Tampa, Florida, with his wife Libby, daughter Jordyn and son Joshua.
Bonita Pulido, Board Member
Bonita Pulido was born in Baltimore, Maryland and has resided in Tampa for the past 26 years. She received her degree in Fashion Merchandising from Bauder Fashion College in Ft. Lauderdale. After moving to Tampa and starting a family, her focus changed to non-profit management. She spent five years as a Business Administrator for a large Tampa-based ministry and went on to become the Executive Director for The Hardy Nickerson Foundation, a non-profit. After the closing of the Foundation, Mrs. Pulido went on to assist Derrick Brooks in the formation of Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc., where she has been employed for the past twelve years. With her work at Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc., she was also very involved with the formulation of Brooks DeBartolo Charities, Inc., where she currently serves as a Founding and Governing Board member. Bonita has been married to Philip Pulido for the past 22 years and has three children, Dane, Shelby and Brendan.
Maria Tudelo, Board Member
Education Committee
Maria was born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Key West, FL. She earned her B.A. in Arts and Education from the University of South Florida and an M.A. in Administration and Supervision/School Principal from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale. Maria spent 16 years teaching in the Hillsborough County School District and another 19 years as an Administrator (Assistant Principal, Principal, and Director) in the County. She has always had a passion for the education of students and has received much recognition over the years for her dedication and service to the community. Some of her honors include being named Middle School Literacy Leader of the Year for the State of Florida, Ida S. Baker Minority Educator of the Year for Youth Services, and administrator of the Year from Council for Exceptional Children.
Barry Davis, Board Member
Education Committee
Mr. Barry Davis is a Tampa native and a graduate of Bethune-Cookman College and Nova University. He spent 35 years in the Hillsborough County School District as a teacher and later principal. His educational philosophy is to always serve the best interests of the students in executing his responsibilities. It is his goal to maintain this objective as a mentor of the BDCHS community of learners.
Valerie Panou, Board Member
Valerie Panou is Vice President of Marketing and Communications for DeBartolo Holdings, LLC. With more than 15 years of experience in sports media and public affairs, Panou spearheads all marketing and communications activities for the DeBartolo group of companies. She is responsible for the DeBartolo companies’ internal and external communications, brand positioning and other strategic corporate marketing initiatives. Prior to joining DeBartolo, Panou worked as a corporate consultant for one of the largest public affairs firms in the Southeast United States. As an Account Supervisor for Tucker/Hall Inc., she provided strategic communications, brand management, crisis management and public affairs counsel to clients and helped develop strategic business programs for Fortune 500 companies. She specialized in various fields including media, telecommunications, real estate, retail and sports. Before joining Tucker/Hall, Panou was a print and television journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, her hometown Chicago Tribune, St. Petersburg Times, CBS and NBC Sports. She has reported on sporting events ranging from the Rose Bowl to the Super Bowl, to planning and producing award-winning special sections commemorating Walter Payton’s death and Mark McGwire’s historic home-run record. In 2004, she returned to her parents’ native country,Greece, to cover the Olympics in Athens for NBC Sports. Panou graduated from the Universityof Wisconsin–Madisonwith a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Sociology. She lives in Lutz, Fla., with her husband Rick Stroud and their daughter, Natasha.
Brian Butler, Parent Advisory Council Representative
Cheryl Fernandez, Teacher Representative