Andrea Alexander, Chinook Wind Enterprises

Diane Altman-Dautoff , is a consultant with passion about organization change, team building and leadership development. She has 30 years of experience in healthcare, 18 years of management experience, and focuses her work on the nonprofit sector. As a skilled facilitator and trainer, Diane works with nonprofit organizations, their boards, leaders and teams on skill development, team building, and strategic planning. Diane earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Washington and her Ed.D. in Organization Change from Pepperdine University. In addition to her consulting practice, Diane also teaches as Adjunct Faculty for the Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Social Enterprise Management at Seattle University. She also leads workshops on ethical leadership and ethical decision-making for the Center for Ethical Leadership in Seattle, Washington.

Putnam Barber is Senior Consultant at Executive Alliance and Action Without Borders, and is editor of the Internet Nonprofit Center. He was formerly the President of The Evergreen State Society, Executive of the Washington State Centennial Celebration, Director of the Washington State Office of Economic Opportunity and Director of the Washington State Volunteer Office. He is a columnist for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He has degrees from Haverford and the University of Pennsylvania and his areas of expertise include the scope and character of nonprofit agencies and the sector and civic initiatives. He is also interested in regulation and governmental oversight and ethics. His hobbies are hiking and bicycling.

Paul Beaudet is Associate Director of Wilburforce Foundation which is dedicated to protecting nature's richness and diversity by funding programs that help preserve wild places. He has worked in the field of philanthropy since 1992 as Associate Director of the Pride Foundation. Previously, he was Development Coordinator for the Business School at the University of Washington, among other assignments. He currently serves on the board of the Guemes Island Community Center and is a member of the Campaign for Pride Coordinating Committee and Shareholder Activism Committee of the Pride Foundation. He has a degree from the University of Washington and was in the first graduating class of the Executive Master of Not-For-Profit Leadership program. Community organizing, gay and lesbian issues, environmental causes, nonprofit finance and budgeting, investment managing, outcome-based evaluation, fundraising, board recruitment and management are among his areas of expertise.

Peter Blomquist is Vice President of Constituency Development for Mercy Corps, a Northwest-based nonprofit humanitarian aid agency. Prior to this, Peter served as Director of the Better, Safer World Campaign, a coalition of nine U.S. nongovernmental organizations that worked to increase awareness about global poverty. He also served as Executive Director of Global Partnerships, a small, private foundation whose mission is to "Unite business and community in sustainable solutions to poverty." Peter served as Executive Director of the Starbucks Foundation in from 1997 to 2000, and earlier for thirteen years as the head of the Northwest Office for CARE. Peter graduated from Whitworth College. His area of particular interest is "social entrepreneurship" and he has special expertise in the relationship between the for-profit and non-profit worlds and in cause-related marketing. His volunteer activities include the environment, literacy and international relief and development. He describes "the outdoors" as his primary hobby.

Janet Boguch MA, University of California, Berkeley. Adjunct Professor. Since 1988, Janet Boguch has been owner and principal of Non-Profit Works, a nonprofit management and organization development-consulting firm. Over 300 nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes have requested Janet for guidance, technical assistance and leadership coaching in the areas of strategic planning, governance development, organizational change and all aspects of fundraising. In addition to her consulting, for 25 years she has served the nonprofit sector in many capacities-- as a senior administrator, trustee, direct service volunteer, community leader and champion of the arts, social services and community mental health services among other platforms. As a trainer and speaker, she is in demand nationally, regionally and locally. Because of her commitment to and passion for leadership development and education, she has been teaching nonprofit management and related topics for 15 years.

Tom Campbell is President/CEO of Snonet, a nonprofit Internet organization. He previously served in executive roles with the Crisis Clinic, Workforce Development Council and SchoolWork Initiative. He was also deputy director of the Washington State Department of Community Trade and Economic Development and Chief Policy Advisor to the Speaker of the House in Washington's Legislature. His degrees are from The Evergreen State College and MIT. He currently serves on the boards of The Clearwater School and Healthy Communities of Snohomish County. He lists strategic planning, entrepreneurial development and use of technology among his special skills.

Doreen Cato is Executive Director at First Place, a nonprofit agency focused on assisting families either threatened with homelessness or homeless and providing therapeutic programs for children in grades K-6th. She has volunteered for 21 years in Seattle and Bellevue, on various boards, commissions, committees and task forces. She serves on the Cultural Competency Committee for the Minority Executive Directors Coalition, (MEDC) Bridges International Repertory Theatre Board, LIOS/Bastyr University Board of Trustees; she is a member of the Social Concerns Commission at St. Louise's Church in Bellevue; and was appointed by Governor Locke to the Washington State Advisory Council for Homelessness. She has a Bachelors degree in Art Education and a Masters in Applied Behavioral Science, with an emphasis on organizational and human systems.

Burnill "Burnie" Clark is the former President/CEO of KCTS Television. He was previously employed at the University of Washington, Nebraska Educational TV Network, and KUON-TV. His volunteer activities include Seniors Making Art, Snonet, The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission and Alzheimer's Advisory Group. He received degrees from the University of Denver, Michigan State University and Harvard Business School. He has experience helpful to MNPL students in communication programming, digital technology, entrepreneurship and developing international projects. Photography, travel and gardening are his hobbies.

Carl Donovan is the Founder and President/CEO of Education Assistance Foundation and two subsidiary not-for-profit companies. Over the past 20 years, he has helped over 1 million students throughout the northwest finance their college education and manage education debt. He was the deputy director for the Washington State Council on Higher Education from 1971-79. He received his MBA in Operations Management at the University of Washington. He has volunteered at the local, state and national levels.

Diane Douglas is founding Executive Director of Bellevue Community College Center for Liberal Arts. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Bellevue Art Museum. She serves on the boards of Archie Bray Foundation, and the artistic advisory committee of Pilchuck Glass School. Her degrees are from Brown University and the University of Delaware. Her particular skill areas are arts management, strategic planning, fundraising, organizational development and working with boards.

Trish Millines Dziko Co-Founder, Executive Director of the Technology Access Foundation. She received a Computer Science degree from Monmouth University in 1979. Her journey to find the right niche in an ever changing field has taken Trish to Philadelphia, Tucson, San Francisco, and Seattle. From 1979-1995, Trish has been a software tester, a software developer, a manager, a consultant, and a database designer in such industries as military weapons, business systems, communications, and medical equipment. In August of 1996, Trish left Corporate America and with the help and support of family, friends and professional peers, the Technology Access Foundation (TAF) was born! TAF has a mission of bringing technology to communities of color. With a focus primarily on students ages 18 and under, TAF offers programs that will give students everything from basic computer fluency skills, technical skills, technical internships and higher education preparation.

Edward Esparza is a graduate of Seattle University's Executive Master of Nonprofit Leadership degree program. He has served as Program Director for Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP), and as an Employment Consultant with the Workforce Development Council, Department of Employment and Training in Yakima. A native of Central Washington, he has spent the last decade working with the Hispanic community to promote its interests. He particularly enjoys working with grassroots organizations concerned with the development of public policy. He also has experience in helping organizations address issues of diversity. Edward's degrees are from Yakima Valley Community College and Washington State University. He served as a board member with the Yakima Public School District and was a founder of the Yakima Hispanic Academic Achievers Program. In 1994, that program was recognized with the prestigious Golden Apple Award because of its innovativeness. He has also served on the boards of Planned Parenthood of Central Washington and the Yakima Schools Foundation. He is now a member the Human Resource Association of Yakima Valley and is current president of the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees Union, Local 87.

Larry Fehr is Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer for Pioneer Human Services. With headquarters in Seattle, Pioneer is widely recognized as a leader in social enterprise, helping people improve their lives through jobs, housing and social services. Larry has management responsibility for Pioneer's community correctional programs, including fourteen separate units serving adult and juvenile offenders under contract with federal, state, and local authorities. An additional focus of Larry's work is measuring Pioneer's "programmatic bottom-line," throughout the organization, tracking the progress of current and former clients. Larry has also taken the lead in creating a new enterprise at Pioneer, "Pioneer Consulting Services." In addition to his responsibilities at Pioneer, Larry is also a Lecturer in the University of Washington's "Law, Society and Justice Program." He has been an adjunct professor there and at Seattle University for the past 14 years. He previously served as the Executive Director of the Washington Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Jon Fine, President and CEO, United Way of King County

Sarah Finney is Assistant Vice President/Director of Development at Seattle University. Her career in fundraising and nonprofit management includes working for the arts, health and human services, statewide political and local civic initiatives, and now with education. Her emphasis on major gift fundraising began with Pike Place Market Foundation, where she coordinated the Care for the Market capital campaign. Sarah also served as the Leadership Giving Manager at United Way of King County. She is Past-President of the Northwest Development Officers Association (NDOA) and a volunteer/member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). She is the proud co-parent of two young children.

Janet Frieling is Associate Director of the School's Out Consortium and represents the MNPL Class of '97 on the Visiting Committee. She has also held managerial positions with the YWCA of Seattle, King and Snohomish Counties and the Boys and Girls Clubs. Previously, she was a classroom teacher in Montana and operations manager for an import/export business. Her degrees are from the College of Great Falls and Seattle University. Janet was chair of Child Care Works for Washington during 1995-1996 and has served on an advisory board providing guidance on federal funding priorities for the Governor's Office. She was a founding member of the Washington School-Age Care Alliance. Her areas of expertise include program design and operation, the use of advisory committees and public policy advocacy.

Dwight Gee is Vice President of Community Affairs for Seattle-based Corporate Council for the Arts/ArtsFund, an organization he joined in 1989. In that capacity he works with many corporations and arts groups on community relations, arts advocacy issues and studies of economic and arts policy matters. In 1999, he established a board leadership training program to help train and place volunteers with boards of nonprofit arts groups. He has also recently completed two terms as board president of FareStart (a non-profit program to train the homeless for jobs in the food-service industry), is past member of the Leadership Tomorrow Curriculum Committee and a 1997 graduate of that program. Since 2002, he is also serving as consultant to the George Soros Foundation on the project of establishing an independent arts council for Mongolia.

Kenneth Gibson has served in nonprofit and public sector organizations since 1987 in both executive administration and operations positions. He is currently the Chief Development Officer for Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova, Alaska. Past organizations he has worked for include Metro Parks Tacoma, Metro Parks Foundation, Point Defiance Zoological Society, Pacific Science Center, The Seattle Children’s Museum and Seattle Public Library. He serves as Board President for Rose House in Tacoma, WA. Gibson's work has also crossed over into the public funding arena, and he conducted fundraising for a successful $84 million parks bond campaign. Ken has presented to national and regional audiences on leadership, fundraising and public-private partnership topics. Gibson is principal of Leading Edge Solutions, LLC. Ken is a 2003 graduate of the MNPL program, and holds BA from Pacific Lutheran University.

Kathleen Houston is Executive Director of the Girl Scouts, Pacific Peaks Council in Tumwater, a position she has held since 1984. She served with the Girl Scouts in Minnesota and Pennsylvania and previously was a classroom teacher. Kathleen is on many nonprofit boards including Leadership Thurston County, TOGETHER, and the Pierce County Council of Executive Directors. She is also a member of Lacey Rotary Club, Soroptimist International and the Association of Girl Scout Executive Staff. She was elected to the latter group's Hall of Fame in 1993. Her college degrees are from Cedar Crest College and Lock Haven University. She lists board development, risk management, stakeholder involvement in policymaking, strategic planning and the management of multiple-site organizations among the areas in which she has special expertise.

Norman Johnson is Executive Director of Therapeutic Health Services in Seattle. He serves on many boards and commissions including the Minority Executive Directors Coalition, the Governor's Council on Substance Abuse and the Advisory Committee for the Department of Social and Health Services, Region IV. His academic degrees are from the University of Washington. His agency is one of Puget Sound's largest nonprofit organizations providing comprehensive outpatient mental health and chemical dependency treatment services. His areas of expertise include personnel management, program planning, community relations and financial management.

Julia Kittross is the Founding Partner of the Giving Practice and served for twelve years as the first CEO of Philanthropy Northwest, a membership association of over 165 private, public and community foundations and corporate giving programs. She was previously with the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County, the Municipal League of King County, and the World Without War Council. Her undergraduate degree is from Antioch College. She has been active in leadership roles with the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and the Council on Foundations and is an active volunteer at her son's elementary school. Philanthropy and grantmaking are areas of expertise as well as nonprofit start-ups and management of small agencies.

Martha Jane Kongsgaard is President of the Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation. She was previously a criminal defense lawyer. She received all of her degrees, including a JD, from UC Berkeley. She has special expertise in helping a student understand the foundation world and fundraising. Martha serves on numerous non-profit boards including Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund, Neighbor to Neighbor Fund and she is chair of the capital campaign for Fremont Public Association. She is a past President of the Pacific Northwest Grantmakers Forum.

Chuck Kuehn is the Former Exectutive Director ofLifelong AIDS Alliance. Chuck Kuehn received his master’s degree in Social Work and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His career has included working in residential treatment centers, private practice psychotherapy and hospital social work. Between 1989 and 2004, Chuck served as the executive director of three non-profits: the Tampa AIDS Network, Chicken Soup Brigade and Lifelong AIDS Alliance. In 2004, Chuck joined the US Peace Corps and served 25 months in Lesotho, located in South Africa. In December, 2006 Chuck was hired as the Program Manager/Head of Office for Relief International in Indonesia. Chuck has previously been an instructor at the University of South Florida, Western Washington University and Seattle University.

Julielyn Lakey is Executive Director of Seniors Making Art and says Dale Chihuly hired her after 15 years in the for-profit sector and as a volunteer with various community organizations. Her organization's budget has grown ten-fold in the past five years and is now in excess of $1 million. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Washington. She lists relationship and resource development, marketing and program development and working with grassroots and start-up organizations as special areas of expertise.

Rabbi Anson Laytner is the executive director of the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. Previously, he served as the executive director of Multifaith Works (MW), a Seattle nonprofit agency serving people with AIDS or other life-threatening illnesses. He also is an adjunct professor with Seattle University's Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies. Prior to working at MW, Laytner headed the Seattle Jewish Federation's Community Relations Council. During this time, he helped found the Washington Association of Jewish Communities, the Interfaith Council of Washington, and the North American Interfaith Network. As a volunteer, Laytner serves on the board of the Sino-Judaic Institute and edits its journal Points East. In 2004, he was appointed to the King County Task Force on Human Services. He has served on the boards of the Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS), the Northwest Development Officers Association, the Interfaith Alliance of Washington and many other nonprofit organizations.

Jan Levy is the Executive Director of Leadership Tomorrow, a civic leadership training program founded by the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of King County. The program’s purpose is to develop effective community leaders who work to strengthen the Puget Sound region. Jan is a graduate of the program and has served as its director for more than seventeen years. Jan was recently appointed by Seattle’s Mayor to co-chair the Century 21 Committee, which has been asked to help chart the course of the Seattle Center for the next 20 years. She is a member of the Seattle Center Advisory Commission (mayoral appointment), the Visiting Committee of Seattle University’s Masters in Non-Profit Leadership Program, and the Seattle/King County Red Cross Volunteer Advisory Council. She also serves on the the Board of Trustees for Temple de Hirsch Sinai. Jan is a former member and vice-chair of the board of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Past memberships include serving on the boards of the United Way of King County, the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Puget Sound Camp Fire Boys and Girls, and the American Jewish Committee. In June, 2006, Jan received the Executive Leadership Award from the Executive Alliance, a member organization made up of the area’s non-profits. In January of 2001, The Seattle Times recognized her as one of the “Best Organizers of 2000” for the Puget Sound Region.

Ray Li is currently the Director of Development for the Neighborhood House. Previously Ray served as the Assistant Director of Development for the Greater Hartford Chapter of the American Red Cross. Ray has been an active member of the Red Cross family in both paid and volunteer capacities in Canada and USA since 1990. Ray holds degrees from the University of British Columbia (BSc.), Seattle University (MNPL 01) and a certificate from the University of Washington. He currently serves as the Board President of the Northwest Development Officers Association. In addition, he is a member of the Visiting Committee of the Seattle University Master in Not-for-profit Leadership Program. In his spare time, you can find him outdoors cycling, running, swimming, climbing, skiing/snowboarding and playing volleyball. When indoors, you can be sure to find him in the kitchen cooking.

Marylynn Littauer is Partner in Littauer & Associates Inc. and her areas of expertise include nonprofit governance and fundraising. She was previously employed at Lesley College, Seattle Children's Home, Boys and Girls Clubs of King County and the Bellevue Arts Museum. She is on the board of the National Council of Jewish Women, the National Society of Fundraising Executives and is past president of NSFRE. Her degree is from Cornell University and her hobbies are boating, skiing, and reading.

Nancy Long is the Executive Director of the Executive Service Corps of Washington. She has expertise in strategic planning, organizational development, public policy, marketing to underserved populations, and process design for effective decision-making. She was the former Vice-President of Strategy and Organizational Development at Group Health Cooperative. Nancy has a Master’s degree from the Evans School at the University of Washington where she was an affiliate faculty member for several years, teaching courses on management and leadership of nonprofit organizations.

Doreen Marchione is the Executive Director of Hopelink. She was previously the Mayor of Redmond for eight years. She is active in Rotary and other service clubs and serves on the boards of Leadership Tomorrow, the Housing Partnership and N-Power. Her hobbies include reading, walking and traveling. She offers special expertise in how to be a risk-taking and visionary leader in expanding programs, in leading organizations through transitions and in managing complex entities.

Barry McConnell CFRE, is President & CEO for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho & Washington. Barry has a broad base of experience managing non-profit organizations. Currently, he spends most of his time building and maintaining a cohesive leadership team and working with them to create organizational clarity for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Barry is a past President of the Northwest Development Officers Association, a past Chair of the Board of Visitors for Seattle University's Executive Master of Not-for-Profit Leadership Program, and a former Trustee of the Washington Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Herman McKinney is Vice President for Urban Affairs of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. His degrees are from the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. He is also Executive Director of the Urban Enterprise Center. He previously owned and operated a management consulting firm, and served as Assistant Dean of the UW Graduate School. He is on the board of the Urban League, the UW Business and Economic Development Board, the First A.M.E. Church Steward Board and the Breakfast Group. He is past president of Park-Hill Rotary, Junior Achievement, the Seattle Community Development Collaborative and the United Negro College Advisory Board. Economic development and urban communities are areas in which he has special skills.

Edward Medeiros is Executive Director for the Phinney Neighborhood Association where he is part of an ongoing assessment of community needs; acts as a catalyst and facilitator; provides assistance in seeking funds and mobilizing other resources to support and implement community projects. He has served on boards of directors for community based, city, state and national organizations. He also facilitates organizational board training, planning sessions and community development/organizational meetings, professionally and as a volunteer. Ed has a Ph.D., in Virology/Molecular Biology from University of California Medical School and a M.A., Cell Biology from the California State University.

Josephine Tamayo Murray is Agency Director of Catholic Community Services of King County. She was previously Director of Archdiocesan Housing Authority, Associate Director of HCS Western Regional Support Center and a Program Manager with Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. She offers mentoring in social services nonprofit management, service delivery to communities of color and community economic development. Her degree is from the University of Washington. Her hobbies include golf, hiking and piano.

Diane Narasaki is Executive Director of Asian Counseling & Referral Service (ACRS). ACRS is nationally recognized for its culturally competent, Asian Pacific American community based advocacy and multicultural, multilingual, and multi-generational human services. Diane is Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of King County, is a Commissioner on the Washington State Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, and is a board officer of the National Asian American & Pacific Islander Mental Health Association. Diane has a Master’s degree in Seattle University’s Not-for-Profit Leadership program.

Dave Osmer is Executive Director of the Greater Everett Community Foundation. Formerly, he served as Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters and worked for the Boeing Company as Senior Manager, Planning and Program Development, Community Relations. His degrees are from the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. He is active in many community organizations. He serves on the boards of Leadership Tomorrow and Music Works Northwest. He is on advisory boards for Books for Kids and Family Services. His particular areas of expertise are for mentoring area fund development, strategic planning and organizational development.

Jackie Ostrom is Senior Partner with Third Sector Consulting. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, major and capital gifts fundraising, development planning and development program audits. She was previously employed the Mary Bridge Children's Foundation and the University of Puget Sound. She is on the board of Northwest Development Officers Association and St. Leo's Catholic Church Liturgical Committee. Her degrees are from the University of Central Oklahoma and California State University at Sacramento. Her hobbies include tennis, remodeling homes and reading.

Barbara Parker is a professor in the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. She has a PhD in Management from the University of Colorado, and has been teaching at Seattle University since 1991.

Mary Pembroke Perlin has been active in philanthropy and the high tech industry for several years. She is Vice-Chair and a founding partner in Social Venture Partners and she chairs the philanthropy committee at Microsoft AlumNet, a membership organization for former Microsoft employees. She is also co-chair of The Northwest Giving Project: Strategies for Sharing, a three-year initiative to promote philanthropy in the Northwest. She serves on the boards of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Washington State, the Woodland Park Zoological Society and she is the Chair-elect of the Pacific Northwest Grantmakers Forum. She worked for Microsoft as a senior program manager in community affairs for many years. She lists hiking, camping and traveling as hobbies. Her degree is from Washington State University, with graduate work at the University of Washington. She lists fundraising, volunteerism and grantmaking as special skills.

Judy Pigott has a BA from Skidmore College, and a Masters in Education from Columbia University. She has been a secretary, a middle school teacher, a trainer for Camp Fire and the Red Cross. She has done some facilitation work and sits as a trustee on the boards of the Satterberg Foundation, Camp Brotherhood, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, and Seattle Preparatory High School. She, with two other then-single moms, founded Solo Parenting Alliance in 1990. The Alliance has helped single parents bring their collective knowledge, experience & skills together for mutual support, career training, and shared housing.

Laura Rehrmann is President of Group Health/Kaiser Permanente Community Foundation. She was previously Executive Director of the Central Seattle Community Foundation and Director of Development for the College. She represents the MNPL Class of '96 on the Visiting Committee. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of San Francisco. Laura was previously Director of Development at Catholic Community Services of King County. She has been the President of the Northwest Development Officers Association and is a volunteer with a number of other organizations. Laura's special expertise is in board and resource development. Reading is among her hobbies.

Ruben Rivera-Jackman currently works as Support Services Manager for the King County Housing Authority, supervising staff members who provide support services and or referrals for younger disabled and elderly residents. Rubén also works as a Youth Residential Counselor for the Children’s Home Society of Washington providing mental health case management services for at-risk youth with behavioral and sexual abuse issues in a therapeutic residential setting. From 2001 until 2005 Rubén served as an Alcohol/Drug Treatment Supervisor for Therapeutic Health Services – Midvale Branch. While pursuing his master’s degree in Executive Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University, Rubén served as the Chair of the graduate council, supervising volunteers and advocating for improvement of services for students on campus. From 2000 to 2001 Rubén worked with the Lifelong AIDS Alliance as Housing Services Manager, implementing the daily operations of the Housing department; delivering emergency, transitional and permanent housing services.

Sturgis Robinson is the Executive Director of the Orcas Island Community Foundation. Sturgis is the former president and CEO of Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona as well as a long serving member of that institution’s board of trustees. He was a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, serving as a political officer in Turkey and India and as an analyst at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He was also director of public relations for the parent company of the popular clothing manufacturer Patagonia, deputy finance director for Senator Gary Hart’s first presidential campaign and a financial advisor at the brokerage firm of A.G. Edwards and Sons. Sturgis is a member of the 2004 cohort of graduates from the MNPL program at Seattle University. Sturgis spent 10 years in the adventure travel industry, leading expeditions throughout the Rocky Mountain West, Mexico, Nepal and Turkey. He has led over 70 river trips on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon.

Robbie Rohr is Executive Director of Executive Alliance, a membership association whose mission is to advance a powerful nonprofit sector. In 2000, she began working with the board to form the association. Previously, Ms. Rohr worked as executive director of agencies in King and Snohomish Counties: Center for Human Services, Deaconess Children's Services and Residence East. She has also worked with children’s issues for both Snohomish and Clatsop counties. She has held volunteer leadership positions in the fields of social justice, domestic violence, counseling services for Hispanics, social work education, GLBT advocacy, and women’s writing. Ms. Rohr has a Bachelor's Degree from Earlham College in Richmond, Ind. and an MSW from the University of Washington.

Shannon Ronald represents the MNPL Class of '98 on the Visiting Committee and is the previous Executive Director of L'arch Tahoma Hope in Tacoma. She now heads a small business. Her areas of expertise include finance/budgeting, listening skills and conflict resolution. Her undergraduate degree was from Regis University. Her hobbies are reading and doing things with her family.

Rita Ryder is Executive Director of the YWCA of Seattle/King County/Snohomish County. She was previously a management consultant with Booz Allen and Hamilton. She has extensive experience in all aspects of nonprofit management, including program development, board relations and building community coalitions. Rita had received numerous honors including being selected as Outstanding Alum of Leadership Tomorrow. Her degree is from Catholic University and she lists running as a hobby.

Bob Santos Uncle Bob, as he is affectionately referred to, has been a community activist in Seattle for the past 3 decades. He was recently called out of retirement to once again lead Inter*im, an organization he founded in 1969 to help revitalize the Chinatown/International District community. Under the Clinton Administration, he was appointed the NW Regional Representative for HUD. His autobiography, Hum Bows, Not Hot Dogs, details his history of advocacy efforts for the homeless and the International District.

Marlena Sessions is Chief Operations Officer for Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County. She has seventeen years of experience with workforce issues in an array of roles from direct service provider to manager of a nonprofit agency in Spokane, WA. Her degrees are from Whitworth College and Gonzaga University. Her areas of knowledge include: organizational leadership, working with Boards of Directors, workforce policy and administrative issues.

Patricia Shepherd-Barnes has worked in nonprofit and social services since 1966. Her career in medical administration and development has brought her most recently to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where she has been president of the Greater Washington Chapter since 2000. Previously, she worked for Providence Medical Center Foundation, The Hope Heart Institute, The Arthritis Foundation, and Alta Bates Hospital, after getting her start in social services as a social worker for Catholic Community Services in Seattle.

Throughout her career, Patty has served on various boards of directors or governors in Seattle, at organizations including the Association for Catholic Childhood, Seattle University, the Institute for Applied Physiology and Medicine, the National Society of Fundraising Executives, the Matt Talbot Center, and Catholic Community Services of Western Washington. She was also involved in the Mentor Program at Gonzaga University in Spokane. Currently, she is active in the Rotary Club of Seattle and at St. James Cathedral on First Hill.

Patty joins the Visiting Committee with a long history of affiliation with Seattle University: before serving on SU’s Board of Governors, she began her career in social services by earning her B.A. in Sociology from this university.

Alice Shobe as director of the Sound Families Initiative, a partnership between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, seven public jurisdictions, and six housing authorities. Sound Families was established to curb family homelessness in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Alice joined Sound Families in July 2004. Alice has over seventeen years experience working in housing, philanthropy and community development issues. Prior to joining Sound Families, she served as CEO of Philanthropy Northwest, a membership association that promotes effective philanthropy by providing training, consulting, and grantmaking information. She also served as Deputy Director of Impact Capital and Executive Director of the Washington Community Development Loan Fund. Alice began her career as a City Planner with A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) and The City of Kent, Washington.Alice holds a BA in Urban Policy from James Madison College of Michigan State University and resides in Seattle with her husband, Eric Svaren and their sons, Carl and Beck.

Molly Stearns joined The Seattle Foundation as a Program Officer in 1990 and currently holds the title of Senior Vice President for Program and Donor Services. Before joining the Foundation, she worked as a Seattle-based Corporate Community Affairs Consultant for Honeywell, Inc. She has worked as a Fund Raising Consultant for firms in Chicago and Minneapolis; and began her career in the Public and Government Affairs Department of Standard Oil Co (Indiana). She was a founding member of the Think Children Coalition and Seattle's It's About Time for Kids Initiative; and is a past Chair of the Puget Sound Local Initiatives Support Corporation. She has served on the Boards of the Pacific Northwest Grantmaker's Forum and The Overlake School and currently serves on the Board of NPower and is a member of the Non Profit Assistance Center Steering Committee. She holds a BA in Political Science from Tufts University and an MA from the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration.

Barbara Stephenson is the former Executive Director of United Way of Kitsap County, a role she held for nine years. She also has had a career in banking. Her degrees are from Bellevue Community College and the University of Washington. She serves on the boards of Olympic Community College, the Washington State Commission for National and Community Service, the United Ways of Washington, Leadership Kitsap, and the Poulsbo Yacht Club. The arts of managing and motivating volunteers and guidance on the transition from the for-profit to the non-profit sector are areas of special expertise.

Linda Testa, Senior Manager, Community Affairs, Microsoft

Rodney Wheeler is Vice President for Development and Community Relations at The Alliance for Education. He recently left the United Way of King County where he was Vice President for Resource Development during a period when the organization more than doubled its donations. He started with the United Way system in 1977 and served in North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia and New York City, in addition to United Way of America. He teaches professional development courses and has led fundraising workshops for the National Academy of Voluntarism and for nonprofit organizations in Mexico, Brazil, Japan and China. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and a member of the Seattle Rotary Club and the Advisory Board for the UW's fundraising certificate. Rodney is president of the Northwest Development Officers Association and in 1998 was named Development Officer of the Year. He lists workplace giving programs, major gifts, corporate relations and giving, brand management, community relations and development planning as special areas of expertise.

Marian Whited represents the MNPL Class of '99 on the Visiting Committee. She is Manager of Community Building and Investment with the United Way of Pierce County. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Wyoming. Marion comes from a background in education and immediately prior to her current position was a teacher at St. Mary Schools. Her volunteer interests focus on organizations serving youth. Her special areas of expertise include volunteer management, outcome management and planning.

Richard Woo is the executive director of The Russell Family Foundation in Gig Harbor, Washington. Richard joined the foundation in April 2000 after a long and diverse career in community and public service, including eleven years at Levi Strauss as the executive director of the Levi Strauss Foundation and as the regional manager of community affairs for twelve countries in Asia Pacific. Prior to Levi Strauss, Richard spent fourteen years in health education, youth development and educational theater. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from University of California at Davis.