Board of Directors
Lee Cotugno, Chairperson
Alumni parent (NDA ‘08/NDAE ‘11), NDAE Parent Board (1999-2005),
Board Member – 2005, Attorney, Litigation, Business and Employment Law
Education: University of Minnesota (BA – Political Science 1973); Boalt Hall School of Law
(UC Berkeley – JD 1977)
Activities: Parish – St. Timothy’s; various bar groups, including Los Angeles Catholic Lawyers
Association
Laura Haydel, Vice-Chairperson
Alumna parent (NDA ‘96), Board Member – 2000
Retired Teacher, Elementary School (Santa Monica School District)
Education: St. Cecilia’s Elementary, St. Mary’s Academy (1964), UCLA (BA 1968), CSULA
(MEd 1974)
Activities: St. Timothy’s Parish; family keeps me very busy, yoga, swimming
James Meehan, Secretary
Current parent (NDAE ’20, ’23, ‘26 and '28), Board Member – 2012
Investment Banker, Financial Sponsors Group at Barclays
Education: Bishop Montgomery HS ’95, UC Santa Barbara (BA ’00), UCLA Anderson School
(MBA 2005)
Activities: Parish – St. Monica; Board Service – Golden Gate Opera; volunteer mentor for
Finance Connection at UCSB and Fink Center for Finance and Investments at UCLA Anderson
School
[1] School governance changed from a Board of Trustees to a Board of Directors with the merger on July 1, 2012.
Directors
Andrea Bains
Alumna (NDA ‘98), Board Member – 2015
Tax Manager – Philpott Meeks, LLP
Education: USC- School of Accounting, Master of Business Taxation 2004; UC -Berkeley, BA
Economics 2001, BS -Business Administration 2001
Activities: Finance Committee Member for Notre Dame Academy Girls High School since
2011; coached AYSO girls soccer for 10 years
Patricio (Pat) Barrera
Alumna parent (NDA '18) and current parent (NDA '22), previously served on NDA committees.
Attorney and Managing Partner, Barrera & Associates, handling employment law matters, 1990 - present. Consultant, Trial & Depo Services, LLC, 2016 - present.
Education: University of Texas School of Law, JD 1990, Texas State University, BBA 1987.
Activities: American Martyrs Parish (President, American Martyrs Parent Association (AMPA) 2016-17, Men's Cornerstone Ministry Core Team 2006 - 2016.
Sister Gina Marie Blunck, SND
Alumna (NDA ‘64), Board Member – 2018
Executive Director for the Hilton Fund for Sisters
Education: Mount Saint Mary's University, BS 1970; California Lutheran University, MS 1973; University of Notre Dame, MSBA 1993
Activities: Treasurer General for the Sisters of Notre Dame Generalate in Rome, Italy; financial aid administrator for Department of Secondary Schools, Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Notre Dame Center, Thousand Oaks; faculty and principal of Notre Dame Academy for 20 years.
Lisa Padden Cipiti
Alumna (NDA ‘78), Alumna Parent (NDA ’12) Board Member – 2014
Office Staff – American Martyrs School, previously with Development Office at Notre Dame
Academy
Education: Loyola Marymount University, BA 1982
Activities: American Martyrs Parish, St. Ignatius Guild Loyola High School, Marycrest Manor
Advisory Board – Carmelite Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, Past President
Loyola High School Mothers’ Guild and Past Chair Loyola High School Interchange
Peggy Grant
current parent (NDA '20), Board Member – 2018
Retired attorney and full-time mom -- 20 years of practice in corporate, finance and international commercial law
Education: Bishop Denis J. O'Connell H.S., Arlington, VA (1975), College of William and Mary, BA 1979, University of Virginia School of Law, JD 1983.
Activities: Secretary and Board Member of Ballet Pacifica; prior Board service, including two years as Chair of Friends of American Martyrs School; Lector, SEALED Confirmation Core Team leader and Creation Care Ministry member, American Martyrs Parish; Girl Scout leader for eight years; Class reporter for College of William and Mary; Reunion Committee member UVA Law.
Madalynne Grundy
Alumni parent (NDA ‘13/ NDAE '09, ’13), Board Member - 2011
Family Physician, Kaiser Permanente
Education: University of California, Irvine (BS Biological Sciences-1988), USC School of
Medicine (MD-1992)
Activities: Hippocrates Circle mentor for middle school students interested in healthcare careers.
James R. Gunderman
Alumnae parent (NDA ‘11/ NDA ’14), Board Member - 2015
Process Control Engineer / Chevron Products Company, El Segundo
Education: Chemical Engineering, BS - 1981
Activities: Counselor for the Boy Scout Ad Altare Dei Catholic Religious Emblem, Core Team
Member of American Martyrs Men’s Cornerstone Retreat, Southern California Alumni
Ambassador for Case Western Reserve University, Amateur Radio Operator, Member of RCIA Team and Stewardship Commission at American Martyrs Church
Richard Havel
Alumni parent (NDAE ’84 and ’86 / NDA ‘88), Board Member - 2005
Attorney, Corporate Reorganization and Bankruptcy.
Education: St. Monica’s High ’64, University of Notre Dame ’68, UCLA Law School ’71
Activities: Chair of Executive Committee and Board for NDA and NDAE 2008-2014, Chair of NDAS Committee on Directors 2014; board service with UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center, Southern California Dollars for Scholars, and
Multiple Sclerosis Society; volunteer at Nazareth House and Harriett Buhai Family Center.
Catherine Kaiser
Alumnae parent (NDA ’05 and ‘10), Board Member – 2010
Senior Vice President and Senior Finance Manager, Bank of America
Education: MBA, University of Michigan; BS, Wayne State University, Accounting, CPA, State
of California
Activities: Former member and chair of St. Paul the Apostle Finance Council
Rita McBride
Board Member – 2017
Former Head of School with 42 years of experience in independent education. Served as a teacher, dean of faculty, division director, assistant head, and head of school in diverse school environments. Currently consulting private/parochial schools on issues related to governance, planning and development.
Education: University of California Santa Barbara, BA in History; Wesleyan University, MALS
Activities: St. Rita Parish, consultant to Capital Campaign; member of Christ Child Society; Huntington Library Information Guide.
Milana McDermott
Alumna (NDA ’80), current parent (NDA ‘22), Alumnae parent (NDA ’13, ‘15, and '18),
Board Member – 2013
Board Member – 2013
Dean of Student Life – Bishop Montgomery High School
Education: Notre Dame Academy HS ’80; B.A. in Psychology – UCSB ‘85; M.A. in School
Counseling – LMU ‘98
Activities: Parishioner of St. Anastasia Catholic Church; Past PTO President of St. Anastasia; Past Co-Chair of St. Anastasia Parish Ball (18 years); board service with St. Anastasia Consultative School Board and Catholic Charities. Volunteer facilitator for Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Program; TACSC Summer Conference Staff
Sister Antoinette Marie Moon, SND
Alumna (NDA ‘63); NDA Board Member 2000-2005; Board Member – 2011
Catholic elementary and high school teacher and administrator for 31 years; Rome, Italy for 10
years in SND Congregational Archives and in the Vietnamese Refugee Program; former
missionary at St. Julie Formation Center, Buseesa, Uganda
Education: B.A. in History and Social Sciences – Mount St. Mary’s College; M.A., Private
School Administration from California Lutheran University
Activities: Entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1963; Local Coordinator for SND Provincial House in Thousand Oaks; SND Kindred Heart Ministry -- adult Faith formation opportunities: spiritual experiences, retreats, and Ugandan Mission talks at Notre Dame Center as well as at parishes and schools; member of Core Team for Stephen Ministry at SND andSt. Julie Parish.
Mark Nixon
Alumnae parent (NDA ’16 and '18), Board Member 2016
Executive management for various corporations, including Milani Cosmetics, Sandberg
Furniture and Con Agra Foods and Nestle USA.
Education: Princeton University– AB Philosophy 1984, and Columbia University – MBA
marketing/finance 1992
Activities: St. Martin of Tours Elementary – Consultative Board; Los Angeles Archdiocese –
Policy Board for Department of Catholic Schools; DCS Marketing Committee; Neighborhood
Youth Association – Board.
Daniel O'Connell
Board Member - 2018
Deputy Superintendent of High Schools, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Education: Loyola High School, UC Berkeley (BA 1999), Loyola Marymount University (MA 2004 and Ed.D. 2008)
Activities: Raising two young children, plus running, swimming, biking, hiking, gardening, cooking and fishing. Loyola High School Educational Resources Committee member; board service with Angels Nest Transitional Living Program.
Victor Sanchez
Alumni parent (NDAE ’11 and '14), Board Member –2011
Public school educator – LAUSD: 93rd Street Academy and Dual Language Center 2013 – present.
Education: Cathedral Preparatory High School ’88; California State University, Northridge
BA ’98; California State University Dominguez Hills MA ’05; Masters in Education and
Administration: Teaching & Administrative Service Credentials
James Tomchak
Alumni parent (NDAE ’09 and '13, NDA ‘13); Board Member – 2013
Director of Finance – L&R Group (real estate and parking)
Education: Oregon State University (BS) 1983
Activities: Board Member for NDAS Foundation
Cecilia Uribe-Deppe
Alumna (NDA ’86), Board Member 2006 to 2010, and 2012
Principal Project Manager, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Education: California State Polytechnic University Pomona (BA Architecture ’94)
Activities: NDA Facilities board chair; OLA Bishop's Advisory Council member
