Advocates for Malibu Public Schools (AMPS), a grassroots non-profit group of Malibu parents and residents seeking to form an independent Malibu school district, announced Friday the hiring of a development director to oversee fundraising for the organization. The new hire becomes the second employee for AMPS.
Karen Dunphy comes to AMPS with eight years of “senior development experience in the Los Angeles area,” and a frequent volunteer for support groups, according to an AMPS press release. She was a founding member of the Rape Treatment Support Group in Santa Monica and volunteered for more than 12 years at the Stuart House in Santa Monica.
“We are thrilled to have Karen join our team, as we begin the next phase of our efforts to create a new school district and improve the education of all students in the current district” stated Craig Foster, President of AMPS. “Karen will oversee fundraising for AMPS, and she will also be available to assist our local PTA’s and school-booster organizations in identifying fundraising opportunities as part of AMPS commitment to support all Malibu schools”
Dunphy will “manage marketing efforts, volunteer development, and community outreach,” according to an AMPS statement. She joins AMPS staffer Alexia Burton, whose job duties include developing outreach programs and managing the AMPS organization.
AMPS is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 when frustration with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education peaked following several conflicts involving Malibu, spurring parents to revive old plans for an independent Malibu district.