We Welcome All Families Into Deer Park’s Community

Our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is composed of a group of parents, teachers, and staff members who work together to promote the well-being and academic success of the students.

We are a non-profit organization that is run by volunteers who devote their time and resources to organizing events, fundraisers, and educational programs that benefit the school community.

The PTA also serves as a liaison between parents and the school administration, providing a platform for open communication and collaboration towards achieving the common goal of ensuring that every child receives a high-quality education in a supportive environment.

To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;

To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise, protect and prepare their children;

To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this state.

To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school community and place of worship.

To raise the standards of home life.

To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.

To bring into closer reason the home and the school that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.

To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

The children’s education is the first priority. Deer Park Elementary is here to foster the development of responsible, productive citizens and promote healthy living and environmental awareness In support of that philosophy, Deer Park administration and PTA agree that Deer Park Elementary School will focus on letting the children learn, the teachers teach and promoting parental and community involvement in the educational process.

National & Florida Standards

To fulfill our mission and purpose we follow the established National PTA and Florida PTA guidelines.

Additional Resources:

PTA Advocacy
Kelleigh Ambs
Kelleigh AmbsPresident
As this year’s PTA President, I am honored to serve with an amazingly selfless group of people. We have a wonderful student body and school community and I am excited to return as this year’s President. I am a native Floridian and a graduate of USF College of Business. During the day, I am the local Executive Account Manager for the Tampa Bay Area for Zoetis, the leading animal health company. I have the BEST job and get to spend my days in veterinary clinics talking about treatments and therapies to keep our beloved fur babies healthy and happy. At night I am a wife to Patrick and a mom to Elliot, an incoming 2nd grader in our fabulous dual language program. We have 3 cats and a dog that round out our family. Prior to becoming involved in DPE PTA, I served as a volunteer guardian ad Litem for Hillsborough County for 16 years. It was such a rewarding experience to see children in the dependency care system achieve permanency. Every child deserves a loving family and seeing my cases end happy made me feel extremely happy and content. If I’m not at work or spending time at a fun new restaurant, you’ll find me at the horse barn watching Elliot excel on the verticals and the flats course. Little did I know I’d become a horse mom too (and no, we don’t own a horse 🙃).
I am excited to start this school year and serve our school community. We have great things in store for our school and we are eager to meet the needs of each of our students.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to me at

president@deerparkpta.org

Stephanie Bylund
Stephanie BylundSecretary
Hi, my name is Stephanie Bylund, and I am excited to be returning for my second year as PTA Secretary. I had a blast working on everything PTA this past school year and can’t wait to see what this year has in store for all of us. My two rangers are Lee, she is a 3rd grader, and Brooke, she is a 1st grader. We are native Californians, but an amazing career opportunity for my husband, Geoff, moved us to Tampa in August of 2019. Deer Park quickly became our community and the teachers and staff have been instrumentally in helping to make Tampa feel more like home.

I have been a stay-at-home mom since Lee was born, and prior to that worked with individuals with Autism; first as a behavior therapist, and then as a high school teacher. With both girls in school, I wanted to get back out there, so starting this fall I will be a working mom too. I love to craft, and you’ll often find my Cricut creations around at various PTA events. I also love camping, sports (Go Niners!), Bravo and everything Disney. And, I love animals, so rounding out our family is our dog Teddy, and our two cats Bella and Pumpkin. secretary@deerparkpta.org

Jess Bliven
Jess BlivenVP of Membership
Hi! I’m Jessica Bliven, and this will be my second year on the PTA Board as the VP of Memberships. I’m looking forward to increasing our number of members this year in order to help keep our families connected and informed while also supporting the events that we all love so much! I enjoy volunteering at those events and being able to support the students, families and staff at Deer Park. My son, Lucas, will be in second grade this year at Deer Park. My husband, David, works in IT and I’m an Accounting Manager. Our family relocated to Tampa from California shortly after COVID hit, and we also got our sweet dog, Rosy, shortly after that. We are so happy to have ended up in the Westchase area, and in our free time we love exploring new spots all over this beautiful state!
membership@deerparkpta.org
Mary Kate French
Mary Kate FrenchVP of Volunteers
This is my 2nd year on Deer Park’s PTA and I’m so happy to be back! I’m a Mom of 2 boys with my college sweetheart, Peter. Last year was the only year (ever!) that my boys were at Deer Park at the same time, so I poured my time and energy into being 5th grade chair (for my then 5th grader) and Home Room Mom (for my then Kindergartner). Now I have a incoming 6th grader and 1st grader! Time sure does fly. I’m a stay-at-home Mom and loved having the time to volunteer regularly last year – it’s incredibly rewarding! This year, I’m using that same energy and excitement to recruit volunteers to DP, as VP of Volunteers. Back at home, we have a rescue pup who just turned 2 and is the best addition to our family – also my shadow! I Iove traveling with my family, wine nights with my girlfriends, and shopping solo with a Starbucks in my hand. Heaven!
volunteers@deerparkpta.org
Amy Kasper
Amy KasperTeacher Liaison
Amy.Kasper@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Max Krief
Max KriefHomeroom Coordinator
My name is Maxime Krief and I am the father of two Deer Park Rangers. My daughter Maleah is 6 and will be in 1st grade. My son, Noah is 5 and is excited to start Kindergartner this year. I grew up in France and moved to the United States in 2007 where I met my wife, Saida. We love to travel and spend time with our families and friends. If I am not working, I am most likely playing and/or doing activities with my family. I am looking forward to contributing as much as I can to the Deer Park PTA this year.
homeroom@deerparkpta.org
Risa Ross
Risa Ross5th Grade Chair
Hi Deer Park Family! I’m Risa Ross, co chair of the 5th grade committee! I grew up locally and graduated from University of Florida. I am entering my 11th and final year having a student at Deer Park Elementary! I am a boy mom!! 3 boys..5th grader at Deer Park, 7th grader at Farnell, and a 10th grader at Sickles! Between working, school, and our kids activities, my husband, Philip and I keep busy!

I am looking forward to making this final year at Deer Park unforgettable!! Together with Lori, we will make sure our 5th graders are going to have a year to remember!
5thgrade@deerparkpta.org

Kristine Contemplacion
Kristine ContemplacionTreasurer
Kristine Contemplacion is the mother of Kirsten Contemplacion, who graduated from DPE and is an 8th grader at Farnell, and Krisalyn Contemplacion who will be in second grade at DPE. Kristine is a Certified Public Accountant and a licensed investment professional. She was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to the US to work for a global accounting firm in 2006. She now works as Cost Accounting Manager at Refresco, the world’s largest independent beverages bottler. She enjoys painting, baking, traveling and going to amusement parks.
treasurer@deerparkpta.org
Alisha Stockton Chwala
Alisha Stockton ChwalaVP of Programs
Hi, Deer Park families! I’m Alisha Stockton Chwala & this is my 4th year serving on the PTA executive board! I was born in Winter Park, FL… raised in Northern CA, & graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors in Communication. We moved to Tampa in 2004 & I have been a Real Estate agent in the Westchase area for the past 18+ years! My daughter, Makyla, will be in 4th grade & my son, Calum, will be in Kindergarten!

I was formerly the VP of Volunteers & I’m proud to serve as the VP of Programs & Yearbook Chair this year… I look forward to heading up all our events throughout the year & creating lasting memories for everyone! I have many years ahead at Deer Park & I am thrilled to continue volunteering to ensure our school is the best it can be for all our children, teachers, staff & families!
programs@deerparkpta.org

Ashley Coxwell
Ashley CoxwellVP of Ways and Means
My name is Ashley Coxwell and I am mom to Wyatt Coxwell and stepmom to Kylie Coxwell. Wyatt is rising 2nd grader in the Dual Language Program at Deer Park. Kylie was a Deer Park Ranger but is now a rising 8th grader at Farnell Middle School.

I grew up in the suburbs just outside of Chicago and attended Purdue University (Boiler Up!). After graduating, I worked in the hospitality and resort industry for a few years before joining the Army. While in the Army, I served in the military intelligence branch as a cryptologic linguist. It was while being stationed at Fort Bliss, TX that I met my husband Josh Coxwell.

Our family is fairly new to the area, having moved to Tampa for a work opportunity in 2019. I currently work for a foodservice company based in Oldsmar and Josh is a licensed residential contractor. We love the area and the schools!
In my free time, I love spending time with the family at the beach, cooking together or playing Just Dance. I also enjoy running, coffee, and a good mystery novel. I am looking forward to serving on the PTA board this coming year to help support all the families, kids, and staff at Deer Park!

Rangers Rise Up!
waysandmeans@deerparkpta.org

Jessica Egnacheski
Jessica EgnacheskiCorresponding Secretary
I’m so excited to join the PTA this year. My son, Max, will be in the 3rd grade and he is such a joy! My husband and I love every opportunity to be apart of his learning journey! I am a Florida girl and love the beauty that awaits with just a little drive. In my professional role, I have a marketing background and love working with teams to create compelling campaigns that spark curiosity and connect with your audience. I love exploring new places, spending time with our sweet dog, enjoying tacos and tea and heading to the mountains for adventure.
corresponding_secretary@deerparkpta.org
Andrea Collins
Andrea CollinsCommunications Chair
Hello! My name is Andrea Collins and I am so excited to be the Communications Chair for the 2022/2023 school year. I am a Tampa native but we recently moved to the Westchase area and absolutely love it. This is our 2nd year at Deer Park and it has been nothing short of amazing. I have two boys Connor(10) and Colton(8) who are rising 5th and 3rd graders. During the day, I am a OR Coordinator for a plastic surgeon in Downtown Tampa. By night you will almost always find us at Keystone Little League field cheering on our boys and proudly being a “baseball mom”. We love all things outdoors and spend our weekends mostly at the beach, kayaking or laying around by the pool with my family. This will be my first time on the PTA chair committee and I look forward to working and contributing towards a successful, fun and eventful school year!
communications@deerparkpta.org
Lori Shultz
Lori Shultz5th Grade Chair
My name is Lori Schultz. My husband, Dave, and I are blessed with 3 amazing children- David (10) will be in 5th grade this year, Sienna (8) will be in 3rd grade and Andrew (4) who will be attending Westtown Christian Academy for VPK. Growing up in Wisconsin on a Christmas tree farm, I decided I needed to explore warmer weather options. I landed in sunny Florida where I graduated from USF. I am the local agent at CARR, a healthcare commercial real estate company. Working here has allowed me a flexible schedule to serve my 1st year on the PTA board. As David is an upcoming “senior” at Deer Park, I’m honored to serve as 5th grade committee co-chair along with Risa Ross.
5thgrade@deerparkpta.org
Ty Russell
Ty RussellHospitality
Hey there, I’m Ty Russell and I am mom to Riley Russell a rising first grader at Deer park elementary. This will be my first year on the PTA Board as the VP of Hospitality and I’m looking forward displaying how much we appreciate and are in support of the principals, teachers, staff and families!

I was born and raised inner city of Chicago and graduated from Northern Illinois University. After graduating, I enrolled in ActOne studios – where I went in with a dream of becoming an actor but came out with my now husband Kip Russell. I worked in the recruiting/advertising/software industry for many few years but two years after having my daughter I realized I needed more flexibility to be present in her life. So, I turned in my sales manager card and put on my Licensed Realtor stilettos with super present wife and mom badge.

Our family is fairly new, having moved to Tampa in 2021. We are still learning a lot about the city but are so excited to be apart of the DPE community.
In my free time, I love spending time with family and friends, going to church, watching movies, hanging by the pool or taking a boat out on the water. I also enjoy traveling, watching standup comedy and hosting Christmas parties. I am looking forward to being an active member this coming year to help support all the families, kids, and staff at Deer Park!
hospitality@deerparkpta.org