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
Ashley Coxwell
Ashley CoxwellPresident
My name is Ashley Coxwell and this year I am proud to serve as the Deer Park PTA President for the 2023-2024 school year. This is my 3rd year on the board and for the past 2 years I have held the position of VP of Ways & Means. It was been an honor and a privilege to get to know the learners, families, and staff at Deer Park over the last couple of years. I truly enjoy any opportunity to volunteer on campus and see all the smiling faces 🙂I can say without a doubt that Deer Park is one of the most welcoming and inclusive schools in the area. The staff and administration truly make every learner’s success their top priority! I am honored to serve with my fellow PTA board members to provide and support all the exciting and enriching programs and events Deer Park has to offer.
In my personal life I am a mom to Wyatt and stepmom to Kylie. Wyatt is rising 3rd grader in the Dual Language Program at Deer Park. And Kylie, formerly a Deer Park Ranger, is now an incoming freshman at Sickles.
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and attended Purdue University (Boiler Up!). I graduated with a degree in management and served in the US Army 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 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 and our rescue dog, Penny. I also enjoy running, an iced coffee, and a good mystery novel. I am looking forward to serving on the PTA board again this year to help support all the families, learners, and staff at Deer Park!

Let’s level up our learning!

president@deerparkpta.org

Stephanie Bylund
Stephanie BylundCorresponding Secretary
Hi, my name is Stephanie Bylund, and I am excited to be returning for my third year on the PTA executive board. I had a blast working on everything PTA the past 2 school years and can’t wait to see what this year has in store for all of us. My two rangers are Lee, she is a 4th grader, and Brooke, she is a 2nd 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 became a stay-at-home mom when 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 last fall I reentered the working world as a Para in the PreK program here at Deer Park. And starting this year I am the teacher of the PreK 3 class! 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.
Jess Bliven
Jess BlivenTreasurer
Hi! I’m Jessica Bliven, and this will be my third year on the PTA Board. I was previously the VP of Membership for two years and also Hospitality my first year on the board. I’m stepping into the role of Treasurer this year, coming in with 20 years of experience in Accounting, currently working as a Controller for a nationwide consulting firm that assists school districts with funding and planning. I enjoy volunteering at the events we hold each year and being able to support the students, families and staff at Deer Park. My son, Lucas, is now a third grader this year at Deer Park and my husband David works in IT for Restaurant Brands International. Looking forward to another great year at Deer Park, go Rangers!
treasurer@deerparkpta.org
Mary Kate French
Mary Kate FrenchVP of Programs
This is my 3rd year on Deer Park’s PTA and I’m so happy to be back! I have previously held the roles of 5th grade chair and VP of Volunteers. This year, I’m diving into the VP of Programs role. I’m super excited to help plan all our amazing events at Deer Park!
I’m a Mom of 2 boys (an incoming 2nd grader & 7th grader) with my college sweetheart, Peter. Time sure does fly! I’ve been a stay-at-home Mom for 12 years but have recently obtained my real estate license. I have loved having the time to volunteer regularly the last 2 years – it’s incredibly rewarding! We have a rescue pup who just turned 3 and is the best addition to our family – also my shadow :) I love traveling with my family, wine nights with my girlfriends, and shopping solo with a Starbucks in my hand. Heaven!
Amy Kasper
Amy KasperTeacher Liaison
Amy.Kasper@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Max Krief
Max KriefIT Chair
My name is Maxime Krief and I’m the proud dad of two Deer Park Rangers – Maleah, who’s 7 and stepping into 2nd grade, and Noah, who’s 6 and can’t wait to dive into 1st grade this year. I originally hail from France but made the move to the U.S. in 2007, where I met my amazing wife, Saida. Our family loves to explore, travel, and just hang out with friends and relatives. 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.
it@deerparkpta.org
Teresa Rivers
Teresa RiversVP of Volunteers
Hi! My name is Teresa Rivers and I’m very excited to be the VP of Volunteers for the 2023-2024 school year. This is my first year on the board and our second year at Deer Park. We moved last year from North Carolina and couldn’t love Westchase and DPE more. I have two boys (rising 2nd grader and a preschool aged kiddo who will start at Westtown Christian this August) and I’m currently at home with them full-time. I received my college degree in PR & Marketing and worked in digital Marketing for several years in NYC before becoming a stay-at-home Mom.

We absolutely love going to Rays game, Lightning games and doing all the fun Florida things like trips to Disney and the beach! If you know me, you know my absolute love of dresses (especially ones with puff sleeves). I’m so looking forward to getting to know all of our amazing Volunteers and very excited to help support all of the families, kids and staff at Deer Park!

Amanda Pairitz-Campo
Amanda Pairitz-CampoESE
¡Hola! My name is Amanda Pairitz-Campo and I am mom to Irving Andres Campo, a passionate, 2nd grade, Dual Language Ranger at Deer Park Elementary. This is my first year on the DPE PTA Board and I am honored to serve as the ESE Chair and represent the ESE parent community for the 2023/2024 school year.

Our little family started in Chicago, but we proudly call Tampa our home since moving here in May 2020. This will be our 4th school year at Deer Park (PreK-4, K, 1, and now 2!) and it has been nothing short of amazing! During the day, I am a project manager in the software and association management industry. By night I turn into a proud, dual-language soccer mom who cheers my son both on and off the field as he continues to “golazo” both his schoolwork and teamwork each week as a goalkeeper and field player on the Tampa Bay United U8 Junior Academy.

As a family we love all things sports, outdoors and spending time with our family and friends. I am looking forward to being an active member this coming year to help support all the families, kids, and staff at Deer Park!
ese@deerparkpta.org

Nicholl Marling
Nicholl MarlingSecretary
Hi! I’m Nicholl Marling and this will be my first year on the PTA Board as the Secretary. I loved volunteering last year and look forward to being more involved in providing the best experiences for Deer Park students!

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved to the Tampa area in High School. I graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) with a Bachelors in Economics and an MBA. I met my husband Michael in Naples, but we relocated back to this area in 2015. My son will be 1st grade and my daughter is starting VPK. I work in Pharmaceutical Compliance, but we love going to Gator games, cheering on the Lightning, and spending all of our free time at the beach.
secretary@deerparkpta.org

Kelleigh Ambs
Kelleigh AmbsVP of Leadership
Hi, my name is Kelleigh Ambs and I am honored to serve as this year’s VP of Leadership. 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 3rd 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.
Kristine Contemplacion
Kristine ContemplacionVP of Membership
I’m Kristine Contemplacion and this is my third year on the DPE PTA Board. I was the Treasurer for the past 2 years. My oldest daughter, Kirsten is a sophomore at Sickles HS and my youngest, Krisalyn is in 4th grade at Deer Park. My husband, Paul and I were both born and raised in the Philippines and we have been married for 22 years. My parents live with us and we love helping my parents at the farmers market on the weekends. My mom makes the best Philippine food.

I’m a Certified Public Accountant and work full time as the Director of Accounting of Evolve Vacation Rental Network. I spent most of my 20+ years accounting career as an auditor in one of the largest global public accounting firm, Grant Thorton.

I’m also on the Sickles High School Chorus Boosters Board and assistant lead for the American Heritage Girls Troop FL 0147. We enjoy going to the theme parks, painting, swimming, camping and thinking of new business ideas.

Alisha Stockton Chwala
Alisha Stockton Chwala5th Grade Chair & Yearbook Chair
Hi, Deer Park families! I’m Alisha Stockton Chwala & this is my 5th year serving on the PTA 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 19 years! My daughter will be in 5th grade & my son will be in 1st!
I was formerly the VP of Volunteers, VP of Programs & I’m proud to serve as the 5th Grade Chair & Yearbook Chair this year… I look forward to making this year extra special for our graduating class & 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!
5thGrade@deerparkpta.org
Yearbook@deerparkpta.org
Jessica Egnacheski
Jessica EgnacheskiHospitality Chair
I’m so excited to join the PTA this year. My son, Max, will be in the 4th 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.
hospitality@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 2023/2024 school year. I am a Tampa native but we recently moved to the Westchase area and absolutely love it. This is our 3rd 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
Meghan French Dolan
Meghan French DolanVP of Ways and Means
Hi. I’m Meghan French Dolan and I am so excited to join the PTA this year as the VP of Ways and Means! Growing up in a military family, I moved around a lot as a kid. I met my husband Jimmy in Boston and we moved to Tampa 12 years ago for a job opportunity. We thought we would be here 1 year, but we never left; we love the sunshine and the people! I graduated from Loyola University Chicago and have worked in Oncology Research for 16 years. Jimmy and I have 2 beautiful girls: Sophia will be in first grade this year and Emma will be starting kindergarten. We also just added the sweetest 8-week-old English cream Golden Retriever to our family, Lily. In my free time, my family and I mostly spend our time outdoors. We love going on our boat, cooling off at the beach/pool and always having fun together. We make our way back up north to New England twice a year to ski in the winter and hike in the summer.

I am looking forward to many more years of volunteering and bringing all my energy and excitement into this school year for our children, families, and staff at Deer Park Elementary.
waysandmeans@deerparkpta.org

Ty Russell
Ty RussellVolunteer Committee
Hey there, I’m Ty Russell and I am mom to Riley Russell a rising Second grader at Deer park elementary. This will be my second year on the PTA Board 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!
volunteers_c1@deerparkpta.org

Alysia Bowling
Alysia Bowling5th grade committee
Hello, Deer Park Families! My name is Alysia Bowling and while I have always been part of the PTA this is my first year officially part of the PTA Board. I am serving as the 5th Grade co-chair and feel fortunate to be surrounded by such talented members of our PTA. My husband and I moved to Tampa from Cincinnati in 2007 and still love seeing the palm trees everyday! We have two daughters that attend Deer Park; one in first grade and the other in fifth grade. We also have a two year old son who looks up to his sisters and is trying to keep up! During the evenings or weekends you can find us enjoying activities outside. This area has so much to offer, but as you all know, not enough time to do it all! I am looking forward to helping create a year that our 5th graders remember!
5thgrade_c1@deerparkpta.org