EXECUTIVE BOARD

PRESIDENT

  • Thomas Barker is a lifelong skateboarder from Encinitas, CA. On top of being President at CSEF, he is the Director of Brand Partnerships at Jenkem Magazine. With a background in non-profit management and almost 20 years of skateboard industry experience, Thomas has dedicated his life to giving back to the world through his passion for skateboarding.

VICE PRESIDENT

  • Keegan is a skateboarder, entrepreneur, and traveler living in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to being Vice President at CSEF, he founded and operated Collegiate Skate Tour and travels as frequently as possible. Born in New York and raised in coastal North Carolina, Keegan graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Business Administration. The education he received at NC State, along with what he’s learned from 20+ years of skateboarding, inspires him to facilitate higher education for skateboarders everywhere.

SECRETARY

  • Ash Martinez (she/they) is a peace activist and event producer who’s mission is to bring more people together through her work. Growing up in Southern California skateboarding has always been in her life and she has had the opportunity to work towards the progression of the sport by working with Street League Skateboarding, ETN Media, and a few other skateboarding nonprofits by producing content for the world to see. With the desire to make the world a better place she’s currently holding a council seat in her community of Van Nuys and hopes be the representation she did not see growing up.

TREASURER

  • Betsy Gordon is a retired Smithsonian author, curator, producer, and historian with an expertise in American skateboarding and surfing history. She is currently working with the Smithsonian to turn her book, Four Wheels and a Board: The Smithsonian History of Skateboarding, into a multi-venue touring exhibition. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Wellesley College.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Joshua Rowe is a skateboarder of 14 years, photographer, entrepreneur and volunteer to various non-profits. As a graduate from California State University, Northridge with a degree in Deaf Studies with Emphasis on Community Services, Joshua returned to the skateboard industry with the idea to show how skateboarding can positively change the lives of underserved communities. Joshua has since volunteered with A.Skate, Collegiate Skate Tour and most notably Rollin' From the Heart where he received their first ever Volunteer of the Year Award. He is also a capable business man running his local skate shop, Surf Ride, for several years as well as starting two sock brands.

  • Stephanie LaVita is a lifelong skateboarder originally from Massachusetts. While a student at Bunker Hill Community College, she founded New England's Female Skateboarding (NEFS) which encouraged more women's participation in skateboarding through local contests, video premieres and session meetups. In 2018, she became one of CSEF's first annual Scholarship Recipients (and is the only recipient to become a member of CSEF's Board of Directors). Before finishing her education at Emerson College in Boston, she secured an internship at Nike in Portland. She now lives and works for Nike SB in Oregon.

  • Justin is a marketing executive and the former Head of Global Skateboarding at Vans. He is a lifelong skateboarder whose career includes producing award-winning skate films and events, as well as publishing widely on skateboarding. He serves on the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation board because skateboarding reaches uniquely qualified students overlooked by traditional scholarships, creating a new and proven pathway to academic success and long-term opportunity.

  • Gregory J. Snyder is a Professor at Baruch College, City University of New York. His research focuses on urban subcultures such as graffiti writers, musicians and professional skateboarders, with an emphasis on subculture theory, urban space and issues of social and racial justice. He is the author of two books: “Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York’s Urban Underground” and “Skateboarding LA: Inside Professional Street Skateboarding (NYU Press, 2017)”. He lives in Red Hook, Brooklyn, rides track bikes, and has a knack for woodworking.

  • Nic is a VP and Product Manager of AI & Workforce Analytics at Citi, where he leads the development of data-driven tools that support more than 300,000 employees worldwide. Outside of his corporate role, Nic brings his passion for education and creative culture to the CSEF board, where he helps shape the foundation’s fundraising, partnerships, and alumni engagement initiatives. With a background that spans product innovation, storytelling, and community building, Nic is deeply committed to expanding scholarship opportunities and fostering the next generation of skateboarders pursuing higher education.

  • Charles is an artist, educator, sustainability specialist, and lifelong skateboarder based in New York City. Before joining the CSEF Board of Directors, he helped guide organizational development and community initiatives for Cowtown S.K.A.T.E., a nonprofit expanding access to skateboarding and youth programming in Arizona. His other work has bridged art, sustainability, and social impact, creating photographic, video, and GIS work for cultural institutions and ecological projects. Charles holds a master’s degree in Sustainability Solutions from Arizona State University and continues to focus on projects that promote creativity, education, and community.

CREATIVE DEPARTMENT

  • Pat Sison is a Filipino-American Illustrator and Graphic Designer from Northeast Los Angeles, CA, with over a decade of experience, including features in Thrasher Magazine and The Berrics. Skateboarding has been a major influence in Pat’s life since the dawn of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, fueling his passion and driving the creation of his illustrations. Since joining our organization, Pat has designed our logos and infused our brand with energy and personality through his vibrant artwork and vision. His work continues to inspire, reflecting his commitment to pushing creative boundaries and his deep-rooted connection to skateboarding culture.

BOARD ALUMNI & ADVISORS

  • Neftalie Williams is CSEF Advisor who lectures and conducts research at the San Diego State University. He acquired his PhD at the University of Waikato in New Zealand in 2020. His work involves the analysis and documentation of the effects of globalization on issues of diversity, identity and youth empowerment, using the lens of skateboarding and emerging sport culture. He taught USC Annenberg’s course: ASCJ 420: Skateboarding and Action Sports in Business, Media and Culture.

  • Ian is a CSEF Advisor, user experience designer & skateboarder living in Costa Mesa, CA. He has led design for CSEF, was Creative Director for Skateboarding Hall of Fame, and has worked in the past with Stoked Mentoring, Exposure Skate, Harold Hunter Foundation, and Grind for Life with the goal of helping people live better lives through Design and skateboarding.

  • Pro Skater and CSEF Advisor

    Graduated from Northern Arizona University

  • Pro Skater and CSEF Advisor

    Graduated from University of California at San Diego