Believe in Women/Inspiring Women: History

2020

Dr. Patricia Dawson – Ginger Ackerley Award

Medical Director, Healthcare Equity, UW Medicine

Patricia Dawson was the inaugural Medical Director for Healthcare Equity at UW Medicine from 2018 to 2020. Through an investment in health care equity, Dawson inspired improvements in medical experiences by patients and staff, work conditions and health care outcomes. Prior to her work with UW Medicine, she became a leader in breast cancer treatment and diversity in the Puget Sound region, championing the breast cancer program at Swedish Hospital. A 2010 Puget Sound Business Journal “Woman of Influence,” Dawson was named Medical Director for the Swedish Cancer Institute Breast Program and helped establish the True Family Women’s Cancer Center. She started at Group Health in 1983 as the only woman general surgeon. Dawson earned a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems and completed a dissertation on residency training for Black women general surgeons in 1998. Her dissertation was later published as a book: Forged by the Knife – The Experience of Surgical Residency from the Perspective of a Woman of Color.

Andrea Caupain

Chief Executive Officer, Byrd Barr Place

Andrea Caupain has worked passionately for the last 20 years to make a positive impact on issues of racialand social equity. As Byrd Barr Place’s Chief Executive Officer since 2008, she has built a strong foundation for future growth by effectively leading the organization through critical change and innovation. Through her work with Byrd Barr Place, Caupain is putting people, equity, and communities of color at the center of a movement to advance intergenerational well-being in Washington state, as well as supporting new approaches to services that benefit low-income people and small businesses in our region. Prior to Byrd Barr Place, she worked for four years for the Washington State Governor’s Commission on African-American Affairs, providing analysis and development on strategic legislative projects.

2019

Amy Pak – Ginger Ackerly Award

Partner with Social Venture Partners and founding Executive Director of Families Of Color Seattle

This year’s Ginger Ackerley recipient is Pak, a Korean American immigrant, transracial adoptee and a mother of two elementary-aged boys. Pak has 20 years creating high-impact change in Seattle as a coalition builder in community mental health, youth and family, and non-profit sectors. She shapes meaningful community engagement with remarkable social change program design and innovative problem-solving. Pak serves as a Partner with Social Venture Partners and is the founding Executive Director of Families Of Color Seattle (FOCS). Seattle Human Services Coalition awarded FOCS The 2016 Ron Chisom Anti-Racism Award. Pak has designed signature equity programs at UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, Asian Counseling & Referral Service and numerous non-profits. She consults and trains with local schools and organizations on anti-racist education and family engagement. Pak received a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington, and her work has been featured at Facing Race 2018, Red Tricycle’s “Seattle’s 13 Power Moms”, ParentMap’s, “Someone You Should Know,” and KUOW. Female Founder’s Alliance 2019 Champion Awards recognized Pak as an “Unsung Hero,” and Seattle University’s MBA program honored her with the Red Winged Leadership award.

“It is with tremendous gratitude to receive the honor to stand in sisterhood with such innovative change-makers and healers. The Ginger Ackerley Service award not only brings to light the soulful humanity of our city, it also gives all of us non-conforming women and non-binary femme people, the courage to fly with purpose and joy,” said Pak. “This determination and unbridled power, that is perfectly emboldened by our Seattle Storm, is in great harmony with grace and community. Nurturing our children and families is at the heart of healing and our service to each other. Thank you Seattle Storm and the leadership for being a beacon and a gorgeous gem for us all to embrace.”

Chris Charbonneau

CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands (PPGNHI) and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK)

Charbonneau has been with Planned Parenthood for nearly four decades and is the longest-serving CEO in the nationwide federation. Together, these organizations operate 45 health centers in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, and Western Washington, providing medical services and sex education to more than 180,000 people each year. In her tenure, Charbonneau has changed laws and health policy in a number of states, proved that it is sex discrimination for employers to fail to cover contraceptives if they cover other pharmaceuticals in employee health plans, co-founded Planned Parenthood Online (PPOL) and is the Board Chair of Afaxys, an organization she helped to found to secure supplies of affordable contraceptives for Planned Parenthood affiliates, health departments and health organizations serving low-income people. In 2017, the Storm partnered with Charbonneau and PPGNHI to host a pregame rally and online auction in addition to donating $5 per ticket sold.

LaNesha DeBardelaben

Executive Director of the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM)

DeBardelaben assumed her current post in 2017. A Michigan native with over 15 years of museum experience, she has forged impactful partnerships with community stakeholders while increasing NAAM’s national recognition. With exhibitions such as Warren Pope’s Blood Lines Time Lines Red Lines – showing now through Sept. 8, 2019 – NAAM has experienced nearly a 40% increase in attendance since DeBardelaben’s arrival in the Pacific Northwest. In 2019, NAAM was one of only 15 museums in the country as a finalist for the nation’s highest and most prestigious award – the 2019 National Medal for Museum Service Award.  Additionally, NAAM won the 2019 Exhibition of the Year Award from the Association of King County Historical Organizations for its Bold as Love: Jimi Hendrix at Home exhibition. As a public historian, LaNesha has contributed scholarly writings to national publications and is the national Vice President of the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) Board of Directors.

Amy Nelson

Founder and CEO of The Riveter

Nelson is founder and CEO of The Riveter, a national membership network of community, content, resources and coworking spaces, built by women for everyone. Since launching The Riveter in May 2017 in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Nelson has raised over $20 million in venture capital and continues to expand to cities such as Portland, Ore., opening on July 22. The Riveter offers professional and personal development programming, world-class events, flexible membership, and collaborative workspaces focused on elevating the conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion in work and business. In addition to regularly hosting high-profile speakers, including Maria Shriver, Jane Fonda and Backstage Capital Founder Arlan Hamilton, The Riveter offers resources such as one-on-one office hours with venture capitalists, financial experts, attorneys and more to help women and allies fuel business growth.

2018

Anne Simpson

Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, Museum of Flight and former Delta Airlines pilot

Simpson is the first Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Seattle’s Museum of Flight, and she has additional experience in Executive Compensation, Nominating and Governance, and three-year budgeting cycles with contingency planning. An expert in both Crew Resource Management and Threat and Error Management, she has led by example in a male-dominated profession and non-profit organization.

Simpson is one of the first 50 women hired by any major airline and the 3rd woman ever hired by Northwest (now Delta).

One of the first 30 women hired by any major airline, Simpson recently capped a stellar career for Delta Air Lines. She was the third woman in to be hired by Northwest Airlines, now part of Delta, where she served as an airline pilot for nearly 35 years.  In early 2000 Simpson was one four Boeing 747 female captains in the world and retired as an Airbus A330 Captain in 2015. Despite bidding farewell to her captain responsibilities, she has remained with Delta to lend a helping hand as part of the Delta Pilot Selection team where she interviews the next generation of commercial pilots.

Nan Stoops

Strategic advisor, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Nan Stoops has worked in the anti-violence movement as an advocate, trainer, and organizer for more than 40 years. Currently, she serves as the executive director of the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a non-profit organization that works on behalf of 73 community-based domestic violence advocacy agencies in Washington.

Before coming to WSCADV in 1998, Nan was the associate director of the Faith Trust Institute, a national organization that mobilizes religious leaders and communities to address sexual and domestic violence.

Nan was a founding member of INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, is a past board chair of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and has served on numerous boards and advisory groups.

For balance, Nan relies on her family, baseball, and movies (usually in that order).

Natalie McCarthy

Women’s Varsity Crew, Pacific Lutheran University

Natalie McCarthy, a Tacoma native, faced adversity at a young age, losing her sight at age 10 due to a brain tumor. An accomplished athlete, McCarthy competed with the women’s varsity crew at Pacific Lutheran University and graduated with a degree in Biology. While competing with PLU crew, McCarthy was invited to train with the United States Para-rowing national team. After years of success in domestic competitions, including The Head of the Charles and The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, McCarthy was named to the 2013 para-rowing national team where she won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Rowing Championship in Chungju, South Korea. McCarthy was also part of the national team for the 2015 World Championship Lac d’Aiguebelette France.

“I am honored to be recognized by the Seattle Storm because I appreciate any opportunity to connect the para-sport community with the elite, able bodied athletic community. These relationships will build more positive and inclusive sports at all levels.”
– Natalie McCarthy

McCarthy currently has plans to attend law school in the fall of 2017, and works as a case manager at the Dispute Resolution Center of King County.

Mary Pugh

CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Pugh Capital

Mary Pugh is CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Pugh Capital, a company she co-founded in 1991. Pugh’s vision in founding Pugh Capital was to create a diverse Seattle based asset management firm that clients view as a trusted partner. Pugh Capital specializes in managing fixed income portfolios for institutional clients and manages $4.7 billion on behalf of its clients.

A graduate of Yale University, Pugh has a long history of community service. Her areas of focus include working to improve the success of students of color and sharing her passion and knowledge of investments. She is a member of the Seattle Foundation and Seattle University Investment Committees, President of the Board of the Scholarship Fund for Rainier Scholars, and Vice President of the Greater Seattle Chapter of the Links. She is also a non-voting member of the Washington State Investment Board and on the Seattle Central College Foundation Board.

Tricia Raikes

Co-Founder, Raikes Foundation

This year’s recipient of the Ginger Ackerley Community Service Award, Tricia Raikes is the co-founder of the Raikes Foundation, an organization that works to improve and transform the lives of the youth homeless community. She has been recognized as a White House Champion of Change, Woman of Influence by the Puget Sound Business Journal and a Humanitarian Super Hero by ParentMap. Raikes’ professional background includes leadership of Creative Services at Microsoft Corporation and her co-founding role in Marketing Partners, a marketing communications firm serving high-tech companies. She serves on the boards of the College Success Foundation and the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Raikes is a former board member of the Task Force on Undergraduate Education at Stanford University and United Way of King County. Together, she and her husband and Jeff co-chaired the United Way of King County’s 2006-07 Campaign. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Washington State University.

Marty Hartman

Executive Director, Mary’s Place

Marty Hartman, this year’s Ginger Ackerley Award winner, is the Executive Director of Mary’s Place, a non-profit center for homeless women and their families. Marty is an unstoppable advocate for families experiencing homelessness. She is committed to bringing every family inside at night, together, to safety and stability. Under her direction, the organization’s budget has grown $4 million a year, and programming has expanded from a single day center serving homeless women, to two day centers and six emergency night shelters providing shelter and resources to over 200 moms, dads, and children each day.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be included with these amazing women at Inspiring Women Night! Thank you to the Seattle Storm for all that they do for this community, and for this recognition, that I share with the courageous homeless women, families, and children at Mary’s Place. They inspire me everyday.”
– Marty Hartman

During her tenure Marty has strengthened the board of directors by cultivating board leadership and increasing diversity, expertise and influence. She has provided strong leadership for a well-qualified staff, engendering loyalty and commitment. Marty has also successfully leveraged the organization’s finances by effective utilization of volunteers, interns and pro-bono volunteer services as well as growing the value of in-kind donations over $3 million a year.

Katie Collier

Current Member of the University of Washington Women’s Basketball Team

Katie Collier is a current member of the University of Washington Women’s Basketball team, helping her squad reach the 2016 NCAA Final Four. She was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia during a recruiting visit to Washington in 2011, but is now cancer-free. During her senior season at Seattle Christian High School, Collier played 18 games for the Warriors despite debilitating chemotherapy treatments.

“I am beyond excited for this event and to be honored alongside so many inspiring women. The Storm’s Inspiring Women Night is pivotal and special because it creates a great opportunity for strong women to unit and grow with one another! Go Seattle & Go Storm! ”
– Katie Collier

Today, Collier volunteers for Ronald McDonald House, which supports seriously ill children and their families.

Megan Rapinoe

Current Member of the Seattle Reign and U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team

Rapinoe is internationally known for her crafty style of play and her precise cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals against Brazil, which resulted in an equalizer goal and eventual win for the Americans after a penalty kick shootout. She is also an advocate for numerous LGBT organizations, including the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Athlete Ally.

“Thank you to the Seattle Storm for this recognition. Thank you for being an example of powerful women in our community. I am very lucky to have the platform as a professional female athlete and feel honored to be a part of this historical time for women’s equality in this country and around the world.”
– Megan Rapinoe

In 2013, she was awarded the Board of Directors Award by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

Paula Clapp

Co-Founder and VP of StolenYouth and the Seattle International Foundation

Paula Clapp, this year’s Ginger Ackerley Award winner, is co-founder and vice-president of StolenYouth. After investing in the film “SOLD”, which chronicles the life a young girl forced into prostitution in India, Clapp was inspired to advocate for Seattle-area youths forced into the sex trade. Clapp and her co-founders aim to spread awareness of the sex trade in Washington as well as raising money to aid the area’s sexually exploited children. StolenYouth has raised $2.5 million over a three-year period. The money raised goes to fund housing, education and counseling for exploited youths as well as prevention of sexual exploitation.

“Inspiring Women Night shines a light on the good work being done in our community. It is an honor to receive this award and to be able to talk about the young girls we at StolenYouth serve. Our community needs to know that 500 girls under the age of 18 are being bought and sold for sex; they are local children who are forced into a life they did not choose. I am humbled at the opportunity to spread more awareness about StolenYouth through Inspiring Women Night.”
– Paula Clapp

Today, Clapp serves as an advisory board member on the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights. Clapp also worked as a school counselor at Zion Preparatory Academy. Adding to her vast philanthropic ventures, Clapp, along with her husband, Bill Clapp, co-founded the Seattle International Foundation where she is vice-president of the board. With Seattle International Foundation, Clapp works to diminish international poverty with a focus on impoverished Central American communities. Clapp has also co-founded Global Partnerships with her husband to empower women and girls through education, gender equality and leadership training.

Sally Clark

Former Seattle City Councilmember

Sally Clark was recently named as the University of Washington’s director of regional and community relations where she connects and works with local neighborhoods and the local government to build and strengthen relationships between the community and the university. Prior to her position with the University of Washington, Clark served nearly a decade on the Seattle City Council. Clark devoted her tenure with the city council to positively affect the lives of the local populace. Clark has used her position to increase the number of living wage jobs in Seattle, strengthen the safety net of those in need and ensure Seattle is a place opportunity and prosperity. Before joining city council, Clark was the director of resources with the Lifelong AIDS Alliance where she led the organization in providing food, housing and health resources for those affected by HIV/AIDS.

“Inspiring Women Night is a great opportunity to bring community service to the forefront. We all have a role to play in making sure we leave the world a better place and I am honored to receive this recognition from the Seattle Storm and I encourage everyone to find a role that fits them and allows them to give back to the community.”
– Sally Clark

Clark is a graduate of the University of Washington and started her career as a print journalist before going on to work for Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods, the Metropolitan King County Council, Northwest Association for Housing Affordability and the Chicken Soup Brigade.

Jennie Reed

Title IX Activist, World & U.S. champion track cyclist

World and U.S. champion track cyclist and Kirkland native, Jennie Reed, has used her athleticism and drive to help and inspire others. The first American woman to win the World Championship in the keirin, Reed has gone on to win 25 international track cycling medals along with multiple Track World Championships. Reed is a 14 time USA Cycling National Champion and was tenth place in 2004 Athens Olympic Games as well as seventh place in sprint in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games. In 2012, won the silver medal at the London Olympics as a part of the U.S. Women Track Cycling team.

“Track cycling is a great sport that has taught me so much. To be recognized by the Seattle Storm is an honor, it is a great platform to advocate track awareness and healthy lifestyles in our children.”
– Jennie Reed

Reed has used her success in cycling to start the Jennie Reed Foundation, which aims to educate Seattle-area children on cycling and the lifelong benefits that come with committing to a sport. The foundation spreads to develop young cyclists and build confidence all while encouraging active and healthy lives.

Mary Yu

Associate Justice of the Washington Supreme Court

Justice Mary Yu served 14 years as King County trial court judge before being appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court. Throughout her judicial career, Justice Yu has treated each case with fairness and concern, striving to make the best decision possible. Justice Yu is Seattle University Law School’s 2015 “Woman of the Year”, as well as a Jurist in Residence at Seattle University School of Law. Due to her passion for service, Justice Yu’s free time is spent mentoring young attorneys and law students as well as serving as presiding judge for the Seattle Girls’ School Mock Trial. Justice Yu’s dedication to the justice system and the community inspires and influences those around her. Justice Yu serves on multiple advisory councils and boards, all aimed at improving the community and the lives of those in it. Serving as co-chair on the Leadership Institute of University of Washington and Washington State Bar Association, as well as co-chair of the State of Washington Minority and Justice Commission.

“I am so honored to receive this recognition from an organization that has proven its commitment to girls’ and women’s sports. The Seattle Storm stands for the values of optimism, excellence and pride.”
– Mary Yu

Justice Yu earned a bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois; a master’s degree in Religious Studies from Loyola University and her law degree from University of Notre Dame.

Nicole Piasecki
Vice President and General Manager Propulsion Systems Division, Boeing

Nicole Piasecki is vice president and general manager of the Propulsion Systems Division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. In this role, she is responsible for engine and propulsion systems strategy, procurement, contracting, engineering, and manufacturing integration for all commercial airplane programs, in addition to support for more than 12,000 in-service airplanes. She was named to the position in March 2013.

In addition to her work at Boeing, Piasecki is the vice chairman of Seattle University’s Board of Trustees and is also a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Seattle Branch and the Weyerhauser Company. She is also a member of U.S. Department of Transportation’s Future of Aviation Advisory Committee.

Previously at Boeing, Piasecki served as vice president of Business Development and Strategic Integration for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, where she was responsible for the strategic planning and analysis critical to enhancing the long-term competitiveness of the business and driving growth. Prior to that assignment, Piasecki was president of Boeing Japan, where she was responsible for developing and strengthening the company’s presence, managing business partnerships and pursuing new growth and productivity initiatives in Japan.

Earlier leadership positions at Boeing included vice president of Business Strategy & Marketing for Commercial Airplanes, and vice president of Sales, Leasing Companies, for Commercial Airplanes. She joined Boeing in 1992 as a customer engineer on the 777 program and held subsequent positions in Sales Operations and Business Strategy.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Yale University and a master of business administration degree in operations management from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania. Piasecki also has attended the Keio Business School in Japan as part of her business degree program.

Nancy Nordoff
Founder of Hedgebrook, Ginger Ackerly Award Winner

Nancy Skinner Nordhoff was born in Seattle in 1932. She has lived continuously in the Pacific Northwest since then, with the exception of her four years at Mount Holyoke College. She has had a long career as a philanthropist, both raising money and giving it away. In 1985, Nordhoff bought a farm on Whidbey Island and turned it into a haven to support the creativity of women writers. Hedgebrook, the non-profit retreat, has since supported 1600 women writers in residence. The retreat also sponsors an annual festival for women playwrights, and regularly holds readings, performances, and workshops on the Island and in Seattle and New York.

In addition to her work with Hedgebrook, she also helped found Goosefoot, a non-profit organization based on Whidbey Island that is working to support a healthy sustainable future for South Whidbey.

Goosefoot hosts the Bayview Saturday Farmers Market and operates a small grocery story on the island.

Nordhoff was also one of eight women who founded Seattle’s CityClub 32 years ago.

Skinner Nordhoff has lived on Whidbey Island since the late 1980s. She received an honorary degree from Mount Holyoke College in 2004, and in 2009 was recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for her outstanding philanthropic contributions. Senator Maria Cantwell awarded Nancy the Women of Valor Award in 2009, and in 2010 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Senior Services of King County.

Jenny Durkan
United States Attorney, Western District of Washington

Jenny A. Durkan is the United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington. She loves all things hoops! She also serves as the top federal law enforcement officer for 19 counties in Western Washington.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Ms. Durkan to chair the Attorney Generals Advisory Subcommittee on Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Enforcement and she is a member of three other Subcommittees; Terrorism and National Security, Civil Rights and Native American Issues.

Under Ms. Durkan’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s office is increasing its efforts in enforcing intellectual property laws and combating the ever increasing threat of cyber/digital crimes. She is also revitalizing the offices prosecutions in the areas of fraud and white collar crimes, environmental crimes, illegal gun sales and civil rights enforcement.

Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Ms. Durkan represented a wide variety of clients in civil and criminal cases in both state and federal court. Throughout her legal career, Ms. Durkan has played leadership roles on a variety of public policy matters. She served on the Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission as the first Citizen Observer on the Seattle Police Firearms Review Board and on two oversight investigations of the Seattle Police Department. She also played an advisory role in the establishment of the King County Drug Court and the Mental Health Court.

Ms. Durkan has been active in both the state and federal bar associations. She served on the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors and as a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. She also served on the Merit Judicial Selection Committee for court vacancies in the federal judiciary in Washington State. Ms. Durkan also served as a founding board member of the Center for Women and Democracy and the Seattle Police Foundation. She chaired the Washington State Attorney Generals Task Force on Consumer Privacy, which resulted in legislation that became a national model for identity theft protections.

Ms. Durkan, a Seattle-area native, graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received her law degree from the University of Washington. Consistently recognized as one of the outstanding trial attorneys in the United States, Durkan has maintained a Martindale Hubbell Preeminent AV rating and is a member in the American College of Trial Lawyers. She is a member of the Washington State and District of Columbia bars. Ms. Durkan was nominated by President Obama in May 2009 and was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the U.S. Senate on September 29, 2009.

Kaaren Andrews
Principal, Interagency Academy – Ginger Ackerley Award

Kaaren Andrews was the 2007-08 recipient of the Thomas B. Foster award of excellence and outstanding leadership. The award is a reflection of an administrator’s commitment and effectiveness in improving student achievement, leadership and team building, as well as finding creative uses for resources. Andrews received the award as the principal of Madrona K-8. Since then, she has been appointed as the principal at Seattle’s Interagency Academy, an alternative high school for at-risk teens.

Interagency’s mission is to help each student achieve educational, career and social goals, as well as to inspire students to become self-sufficient and positive contributors in the community. The passion Andrews has to help children achieve great heights is a perfect fit for the important role she plays at Interagency.

After this local product from Mariner High School graduated from Princeton, she returned to Washington to teach and to coach. In 1998, she coached the girls basketball team at Seattle Prep, leading the Panthers to the Metro League championship, the Sea-King District title and a sixth-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament. The team ended the season with a 25-5 record, the best in school history at the time. Andrews left the position after one season to pursue her master’s degree in education at Stanford. She has made her way to Seattle and is pursuing her career in education and has been making an impact ever since.

Louise Chernin
President & CEO, GSBA

Louise Chernin has been the president and CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) since 2002. Prior to this, Chernin was the vice president of Shirley Bishop Inc., an association management firm, which managed more than 22 professional nonprofit organizations. Five years before that, Chernin was the director of the Seattle chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW).

As CEO, Chernin has led GSBA to become what is now the largest LGBT Chamber in the United States with more than 1,000 members. In addition to business development and advocacy on behalf of business and civil rights, GSBA sponsors a scholarship fund, which has awarded more than $1.8 million to 450 LGBTQA students in Washington since 1990. GSBA is also the sponsor of “Travel Gay Seattle, Where Out is In,” an LGBT tourism initiative created to increase revenue in the state of Washington by raising the national visibility of our region as a welcoming, progressive state and a top LGBT tourist destination. This July, GSBA will be opening the first Seattle LGBT visitors center on the West Coast.

In addition to her current role as the CEO of GSBA, Chernin was the national chair of the Council of Chambers and Business Organizations, the affiliate branches of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. During the five years in that position, Chernin provided leadership training to help start and strengthen other LGBT Chambers around the country. In 2008, Chernin was honored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) with its leadership award and also so named by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of the top 20 most influential women in Puget Sound. In 2010, the Economic Opportunity Institute honored Chernin with its Aubrey Davis Award for Progressive Leadership and in 2011, Congressman Jim McDermott honored Chernin with his Community Leadership and Service Award.

In Memory of Melissa Erickson
Former University of Washington Basketball Player

A former University of Washington basketball player, Melissa Erickson spent the early years of her life dedicated to honing her skills on the basketball court. As a youngster growing up in Littleton, Colo., Erickson led her high school team to a four-year record of 82-2 including an undefeated 24-0 run to the state championship her junior year.

After a seven-year fight with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), Erickson passed away peacefully Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at Bailey-Boushay House in Seattle with family and close friends present.

Erickson made a huge impact on her community even while living with her diagnosis. She and some of her friends founded the Melissa Erickson Foundation, which produces events that benefit the ALS Therapy Development Institute as well as the ALS Evergreen Chapter, an organization dedicated to providing support and resources to ALS patients, their families and caregivers. Erickson used her circumstances to increase ALS awareness as well as fundraise to help find more effective treatments for ALS patients. Even after her passing, the Melissa Erickson Foundation continues its fundraising events around the community.

Erickson earned a full athletic scholarship with the Huskies and competed in 92 games. Although her senior year was cut short due to an ACL injury, her team still went on to win the Pac-10 conference championship and reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. After her collegiate basketball career ended, Erickson graduated in the spring of 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

Chris Gregoire
Former Washington State Governor

Chris Gregoire grew up in Auburn, attending Auburn High School and later graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Gregoire went on to pursue law and received her juris doctor from Gonzaga University in 1977. Prior to her election as governor of Washington, Gregoire worked as an Attorney General for three terms to further build her political resume. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General for Washington state.

Gregoire served as Washington Governor from January 2005 to January 2013 and was a tireless champion for her constituents. A strong advocate for improving the education system, protecting the environment and creating jobs, the 22nd governor of Washington won her way into people’s hearts.

From balancing the state budget during the most challenging period since the Great Depression to reshaping our education system, Gregoire has worked diligently to make Washington not only a great place to work, but a coveted place to raise a family.

Gregoire proved to be a fighter in and out of the office, battling cancer after her diagnosis in 2003, and continues to use her personal experience as a platform for her stance on health care. Christine Gregoire continues to lead by example and remains a beacon of hard work.

Paula Boggs
Former lead counsel of Starbucks

Paula Boggs has served in numerous professional and community leadership roles for the past 25 years. From 2002 to the spring of 2012, Boggs served as Starbucks’ executive vice president, general counsel and secretary in the Law & Corporate Affairs department, advising Starbucks partners and employees on legal and business issues. In 2010, President Barack Obama named Boggs to the 26-member White House Council for Community Solutions.

Boggs’ legal career began as a United States Army officer assigned to the Pentagon in 1984 where she also worked as a staff attorney for the White House before leaving the service in 1988. From 1988 to 1994, Boggs served as the assistant United States attorney in the western district of Washington State.

Boggs was a partner from 1995-1997 at Preston Gates & Ellis in Seattle, a premier, full-service law firm. Before joining Starbucks, Boggs served as Dell Computer Corporation’s Vice President, Legal for Products, Operations and Information Technology Systems from 1997-2002.

Boggs graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University in 1981 and then received her juris doctor from the University of California – Berkeley School of Law.

Bobbe Bridge
Former State Supreme Court judge

Bobbe Bridge is the 2012 Ginger Ackerley Community Service Award winner, an honor presented each year to an individual who has had a measurable impact on improving the quality of life in Puget Sound through a significant and sustained record of volunteer service to the area’s youth.

As a champion for disadvantaged youth, Bridge is the founding president and CEO of the Center for Children & Youth Justice, a nonprofit organization she created in 2006 to reform Washington State’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Her work aims to improve Washington’s foster care and juvenile justice systems in order to make a difference for troubled children and youth.

From 1999 to 2007, Bridge served on the State Supreme Court after serving on the King County Superior Court for 10 years, having the title of Chief Juvenile Court Judge for three of those years. Currently, Bridge chairs the Washington State Supreme Court Commission on Children in Foster Care and is a board member for many nonprofit organizations including YouthCare and the YWCA.

Before joining the bench, Bridge was recognized as the first female partner at the Seattle law firm of Garvey Schubert Barer where she specialized in administrative law, litigation, government relations and domestic relations.

Recognized statewide and nationally as a leading advocate for foster care reform, domestic violence victims, truancy prevention, juvenile justice reform and a host of other issues, Bridge also serves the community as a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist.

Kate Starbird
Former Storm player; currently a Ph.D candidate at University of Colorado

After a long and successful professional basketball career, Kate Starbird shifted her focus and passion to the world of academia, working as a Ph.D student at the University of Colorado at Boulder to improve disaster relief using social media. Currently, Starbird is finishing her degree and transitioning back to her home state for an assistant professor position with the University of Washington’s Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, starting this Fall Semester.

Starbird co-created the “Tweak the Tweet” concept, an idea for leveraging Twitter as a crisis-data reporting platform in 2009. The concept has been deployed in many different situations and has proven to be successful and necessary technology. She also developed a software system for the qualitative analysis of large, computer-mediated communication data sets, utilized for several research efforts.

In 2010, Starbird and her research partners developed social media technology that aided workers and volunteers in Haiti in getting help where it was needed the most following the disaster.

Following a successful college career at Stanford, Starbird spent nine years playing basketball professionally for the ABL’s Seattle Reign and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, helping the Storm to the franchise’s first playoff appearance in 2002.

Patty Stonesifer
Former CEO of Gates Foundation

As the former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Patty Stonesifer has spent years working to improve access to advances in global health and learning working with the Foundation’s endowment fund that distributes over a billion dollars a year. From 2009 to 2012, she served as chair of the Smithsonian Institution. Currently, Stonesifer advises business, nonprofit and government leaders on strategies for reducing inequity.

Along with her various board memberships, Stonesifer also served as a member of the US delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Sessions on AIDS.

In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Stonesifer as the Chair of the White House Council on Community Solutions. In July of 1996, Stonesifer was recognized as one of the 25 Most Influential People in America by Time Magazine.

Jerilyn Brusseau
PeaceTrees Vietnam

When faced with unspeakable loss, Jerilyn Brusseau turned anger and grief into hope and healing. Inspired by the loss of her brother in the Vietnam war, Brusseau is the founder of PeaceTrees Vietnam, a project that promotes friendship and healing with the people and the land of Vietnam. PeaceTrees removes landmines left from the war, builds homes and provides medical treatment for the people of Vietnam. Thanks to Brusseau’s tireless work, almost 50,000 landmines have been cleared so far.

“What motivates me to be my best, what gets me up in the morning, is the possibility of healing what seems the most impossible to heal, to be of service in building community spirit at home and around the world, and to carry a vision for service far greater than self,” Brusseau said.

Grethe Cammermeyer
Equal Rights Pioneer

Her courage in fighting for equality led to huge changes in how the U.S. Military treats people. Grethe Cammermeyer had given years of service in the military, including 14 months serving our country overseas. She had a flawless military history when she was forced out of the military because of her sexual orientation. She bravely fought back, filing a lawsuit which led to the ruling the military’s policy was unconstitutional and prejudiced. Ultimately Cammermeyer was reinstated to her position as Chief Nurse of the Washington State National Guard, from which she recently retired after 31 years of service. Cammermeyer says she wears her uniform to remind people of gays and lesbians who serve in silence.

Jessica Markowitz
Richard’s Rwanda-IMPUHWE

Age is not an obstacle for Jessica Markowitz. Though she is only a junior at Garfield High School in Seattle, she has become a leader and role model through her commitment to civic responsibility and community involvement. When she was only 11 years old, Jessica founded Richard’s Rwanda-IMPUHWE, an organization that supports educational opportunities for girls in primary and secondary school in the rural area of Nyamata, Rwanda. The organization has raised over $100,000 to date. Jessica’s efforts are about building and sustaining relationships, not just raising funds. Jessica believes in the power of providing a fishing pole, not just the fish.

Barbara Trask
Researcher

Her name may not be familiar, but her dedication and research is helping people around the world who are impacted by diseases. Barbara J. Trask, Ph.D., is the first woman to lead a scientific research division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research center where she was Senior Vice President and Director for the Human Biology Division. Trask is an internationally recognized expert in genomics and has devoted her career to studying the genetic basis for cancer and other diseases. She also played a significant role in the Human Genome Project. Trask retired in May, and leaves a legacy of excellence, having helped launch the careers of many scientists who are devoted to tackling cancer, HIV/AIDS and other major health challenges.

“Until I joined the Hutchinson Center, my role models in science were all men,” Trask said. “I was fortunate that so many stepped in to encourage me to do more as my career developed. At the Hutchinson Center, many women now have leadership positions in science and administration, so the current generation has role models of both genders.”

Kim Bogucki – Ginger Ackerley Community Service Award
Producer and Co-Founder of the If Project

Kim Bogucki posed the following question to a group at the Washington Correction Center for Women: “If there was something someone could have said or done that would have changed the path that led you here, what would it have been?” and the If Project was born. Bogucki’s question sparked such great inspiration in one inmate that she decided to share with her fellow prisoners and asked them to take their time and truly consider their responses. They too felt empowered by Bogucki’s question and felt the desire to not only search themselves to find what could have changed their own lives, but a larger desire to impart this information to help others. Through them, Bogucki and the If Project search for answers and hope to prevent others (namely youth) from doing the same. To date, more than 240 essays have been collected.

Sue Rahr
King County Sheriff

Sue Rahr has been involved with the King County Sheriff’s Office for 28 years, and became the first woman to be elected King County Sheriff in November 2005. She has served as a patrol officer, sergeant, the commander of the Internal Investigations and Gang Units and the commander of the Special Investigations Section. She was chosen to be Shoreline’s police chief in 1998. As Sheriff, Rahr has been responsible for founding Washington’s Mental Health Summit, for the development of gang and sexual assault units and for the creation of the Party Patrol program to prevent underage drinking and driving.

Marilyn Smith
Executive Director and Founder of the Abused Deaf Woman’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS)

Marilyn Smith founded the Abused Deaf Woman’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS) in 1986, and serves as its Executive Director. She has grown the program into a full-service agency for deaf and deaf-blind victims. ADWAS, which Smith originally ran from the basement of her home, now has a financial base of nearly $1.5 million and has provided training and education to more than 22,000 people. Smith has also spoken about domestic violence to adults and children nationwide for 17 years. In 1998, she began the Justice for Deaf Victims National Training Project, which has led to the creation of 15 organizations across the country, each of which focuses on domestic violence and sexual abuse issues involving the deaf.

Harriet Dumba
Co-Founder, Southern Sudanese Women’s Association

Currently, works at the Center For Human Services with a national federal research program aimed at improving community well-being. She is also the president and co-founder of Hearts of Angels for Health Sudan initiative (www.hah-s.org). HAH-S is dedicated to a peaceful and healthy Southern Sudan by addressing key issues of community well-being including reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and the effects of trauma through community-based health promotion, advocacy, education and the strengthening of community resources. HAH-S work focuses both on Southern Sudan itself and amongst the Southern Sudanese diasporas. Harriet grew up in Southern Sudan and was forced to move to Uganda as a refugee where she began primary school. A few years later she was forced to relocate to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. In 1995 at the age of fifteen, she was resettled to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. Harriet attended Garfield High School and then went to University of Washington for both her undergraduate and graduate studies. Harriet has co-founded several non-governmental organizations such as the Southern Sudanese Women’s Association in Washington State which helps newly resettled Sudanese adjusts to life in the U.S. She was also the chaired of the United Nation Student Association at the University of Washington. And volunteered at several non-organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, Seattle AIDS Alliance, Refugee Women’s Alliance, Red Cross, and the UN-Washington Chapter among others.

After receiving two undergraduate degrees, a Bachelor of Public Health and Women’s Studies from the University of Washington, she continued in her studies to obtain a Masters of Public Health and Community Medicine. While in this same program she earned a HIV/STI certificate and completed her Masters thesis project titled, “Knowledge and Attitude of HIV/AIDS among Secondary School Youth in war torn Southern Sudan”. Her practicum allowed her to work with different international NGO’s both in Sudan and the United States. She also worked for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in the county of her birth, Kajo Keji Southern Sudan, implementing faith-based HIV/AIDS programs in communities experiencing high levels of stigma and discriminatory practices. She is also a certified HIV/AIDS instructor with the American Red Cross and African American Reach and Teach Health Ministry and is especially interested in creating leadership around HIV/AIDS prevention in war torn areas. Harriet is an active member of UNAIDS and advocate for the rights of those infected and affected by HIV.

Harriet has presented in many functions across the nation and continues to speak about human rights and society well-being. Harriet is also a proud mother of Monica-kojo, Ephraim and Aunty to many.

Forced to flee their homes in southern Sudan because of military conflict which lasted more than two decades, Harriet Dumba and Agnes Oswaha have used their own experience as immigrants to the United States as motivation to help out others following in their footsteps. Dumba and Oswaha co-founded the Southern Sudanese Women’s Association to help newly resettled Sudanese in Washington state adjust to life in the U.S., while their Hearts of Angels for Health – Sudan focuses on addressing key health issues for those in southern Sudan as well as immigrants from the region.

“We came here and most of us are here without relatives or even immediate family,” says Dumba. “The few of us that were here in the early years just got together. The war in southern Sudan has really taken a toll on civilians – people separated from their home and family and parents. Those who were here, we said, ‘We’re not relatives by blood, but we are relatives by citizenship,’ meaning that we are all Sudanese and coming from a background where community is so important.

“We sat down and said, ‘How can we help ourselves and also help others who are coming after us?’ We got the idea of putting a non-profit together. We started the first non-profit, the Southern Sudanese Women’s Association, where we collectively as women did so much and so much and so much for the community.”

“Harriet and I came up with the idea,” adds Oswaha, “and we shared it with a couple of women, the elders of the community – although they are really not that old! They were really excited, so we were able to start. Our initiative basically was we have so much happening in the community. If the refugees in the U.S. are organized by a non-profit, we can be able to access resources and help their concerns be met. When we shared that with the other women, things went fast because people were really excited, including our American friends – they were very responsive.

“We were able to put the pieces together. I believe it’s the women’s contributions plus we won’t take away the males’ part. We had some men who volunteered, gave their ideas and their time and also funds to keep it going.”

Dumba and Oswaha are honored to be a part of the Storm’s Women of Inspiration Night.

“In my opinion, I think this is a great occasion that they are doing something like this for women,” said Dumba. “For me, it’s really so inspiring that somebody is seeing the work that women are doing. A lot of things they don’t do for the glory, but it’s really good to recognize people once in a while and say thank you for the work you are doing because you are not just doing it for your community or yourself, but you’re doing it for the world at large. I am sure that the awards the Storm has been giving out have not just remained in Seattle but those people have gone on to other places or other countries where they have inspired other organizations to honor women. So it’s a great occasion to me and very exciting.”

Agnes Oswaha
Co-Founder, Southern Sudanese Women’s Association

Agnes Oswaha, MSW has a long experience in advocacy and community organizing. She earned a Master of Social Work and two Bachelor of Arts in Law, Society and Justice and in Political Science from the University of Washington. An asylee herself and a leader in the Sudanese community, she is actively engaged in public speaking, advocacy and other events especially those concerning immigrants and Sudanese affairs. She has co-founded several non-governmental organizations such as Hearts of Angels for Health and the Southern Sudanese Women’s Association. Hearts of Angels for Health focuses on empowering Sudanese women and men to overcome their traumatic pasts and learn new skills in conflict resolution and improved health, particularly reproductive health. The Southern Sudanese Women’s Association helps newly resettled Sudanese in Washington state adjust to life in the U.S. Agnes is also a board member and the Chair of Sudanese Outreach for Save Darfur Washington State and has represented the organization at many speaking, advocacy and event venues since its founding including the April 30, 2006 Rally for Darfur in Washington DC where she also lobbied at the U.S. Congress regarding the on-going genocide. In addition, she is a board member for South Sudan Women’s Empowerment Network (SSWEN). She also conducts community referrals for legal issues, is a volunteer mentor for the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan, has worked as a legal advocate at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and served on the Women’s Funding Alliance BerMar Scholarship Committee from 2003-2005 and currently serves at the Women’s Funding Alliance Economic Opportunity grant committee . Agnes participants in the Loving Families Program’s advisory committee. She has also received several awards and honors such as the Karin Stromberg Award for Contribution to Social Justice and Academic Excellence (2004-2005) at the University of Washington and a Certificate of Honor from the Equatorian Sudanese Community Association of Washington (2004). Agnes is multilingual English, Arabic, Latuka/Otuho and is a certified HIV/AIDS instructor with the African American Reach and Teach Health. Agnes hopes to use her legal background to promote social justice and become an effective advocate for human rights.

N.B. Agnes is a mother of 2 children (Eric and Pashai)

Carolyn Kelly
President & COO, The Seattle Times

Carolyn Kelly joined The Seattle Times as a financial analyst in 1977, moving through the ranks to hold positions including marketing/news business director; VP/chief financial officer and senior vice president/general manager. In 2001, she was named the newspaper’s President and Chief Operating Officer, joining a handful of women in the U.S. who have risen to an executive position at a newspaper. In her position, Kelly is responsible for advertising, circulation, corporate marketing, employee resources, finance, information systems and operations. She received a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University and an MBA from Seattle University. She received her CPA in 1976.

Danielle Lawrie
2009 NCAA Champion, UW Women’s Softball

Named the 2009 USA Softball Player of the Year and the Honda Award Winner after leading the Huskies to the 2009 National Championship, it’s first in the sport of softball… Named Most Outstanding Player of the Women’s College World Series after pitching every inning for the Huskies and going 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 42.2 innings… Also had a grand slam in the national semifinal victory over Georgia to propel the Huskies into the Championship Series, where they swept then-No. 1 Florida by scores of 8-0 and 3-2… Also named a First Team All-American for the second time in her career along with being named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-Pac-10 and First Team All-Pacific Region… Was recently nominated for an ESPY award… Led the nation with 521 strikeouts and 42 victories and ranked third in the country with 21 shutouts and sixth with a 0.98 ERA… Pitched a 15-inning marathon in which she threw 271 pitches and struck out 24 batters in the NCAA Regional final game to send UW to the Super Regionals… Her 521 strikeouts on the season are a UW single-season record and one shy of the Pac-10 record… Also broke UW season records for wins, shutouts, innings pitched, games started and complete games and already owns career records for strikeouts (1,365), shutouts (41), complete games (108) and innings pitched (888.1) with one year remaining… She already ranks fifth in Pac-10 history and 13 in NCAA history for career strikeouts… Was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week a record six times in 2009… Sat out the 2008 season while playing for Canada in the 2008 Olympic Games… Made four appearances in Beijing, striking out 13 batters in 12 innings… Led UW to the Women’s College World Series in 2007, being named First Team All-American and also earning a spot on the WCWS All-Tournament team after firing a no-hitter and one-hitter in helping UW into the National Semifinals.

Dr. Sutapa Basu
Executive Director of the Women’s Center at the University of Washington

Sutapa Basu, PhD, is the executive director of the University of Washington Women’s Center, which under Dr. Basu’s leadership is now the largest university-based women’s center in the country. At the UW Women’s Center, Dr. Basu ensures the educational, professional,and personal support programs offered to women and girls provide the choices and resources to make the best decisions for their future. Her work is grounded in her dedication to empower women to speak out more, take leadership roles, demand better working conditions, seek support against domestic violence and improve education and family health for women and children.

Dr. Basu’s area of academic specialization is women in developing economies and international development. She has worked extensively with women’s groups in India and the U.S, and is known internationally for her work on women’s issues,girls education, gender equality, sustainable development, social justice and human rights and trafficking. The primary focus of her current research and activism is ending violence against women and fighting the global trafficking of women and children. Her work on food security issues and building sustainable communities helps create options for women in civil societies.

Dr. Basu has been recognized as a national leader and advocate for young immigrant women, particularly those who have been victims of human trafficking abuse. Through her work at the UW Women’s Center, she helped create the first statewide anti-trafficking legislation. Similar legislation has now been introduced in 24 other states. She also supports various women’s organizations in India, including institutions working against trafficking and violence, microcredit programming for underserved populations, and a school for girls in impoverished circumstances. She travels to India annually to build upon the network of programs that support the advancement and education of women and young girls in communities of need.
“Dr. Basu’s courage and ability to recognize the disparities and challenges that exist for women are what make her a strong leader in advocating for women’s rights,” states Dolores Sibonga, a UW Women’s Center Board member and former Seattle City Council member. “Throughout her life, Dr. Basu has had the courage to challenge the roles that were expected of her and women in society.”

“Women around the world need support systems and many have taken on leadership roles that have defied cultural norms. In every society women account for nearly two-thirds of the aggregate labor market and despite the inequities we are seeing women taking on more responsible roles and leadership positions in civil societies,” says Dr. Basu, “We provide support, training workshops, and mentoring opportunities and offer women the chance to build upon their dreams.”

Dr. Basu has received many awards worldwide for her advocacy and advancement of women in society. Dr. Basu serves on many boards and committees on the UW campus and Washington State community as the UW Women’s Center is a vital place where women and men partner to build a culture of gender equity community-wide and supports many programs locally, nationally and abroad.

Mimi Gates
Director, Seattle Art Museum

Mimi Gardner Gates joined the Seattle Art Museum as Director in May 1994. She is a scholar of Asian Art with a strong interest in Chinese painting, ceramics and the history of ornament.

She received her B.A. degree from Stanford University in Asian history; an Honors diploma in Chinese Language and Culture from the École Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes, Paris; an M.A. degree in Oriental and Chinese studies from the University of Iowa (1968) and a PhD. in Art History from Yale University (1981).

She began her tenure at Yale University Art Gallery in 1975, serving as Curator of Asian art through 1987 and as director from 1987 to May 1, 1994. Gates helped organize numerous Chinese Art exhibitions, and contributed to several publications including Bones of Jade, Soul of Ice: The Flowering Plum in Chinese Art (1985). During her directorship (1987-94), the Yale University Art Gallery created a conservation studio, added a department of European and Contemporary art, expanded its collections and embarked on an ambitious program of exhibitions, many of which were organized by faculty and students.

As director of the Seattle Art Museum, Gates has aggressively led the museum forward, embarking on significant capital projects, including building a new downtown expanded art museum, creation of the Olympic Sculpture Park, renovations to the 1933 Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park, and establishment of a conservation studio. In addition to overseeing the growth of SAM, she oversaw the organization of major exhibitions and scholarly publications.
Gates has served as president and trustee of the Association of Art Museum Directors, chaired the Federal Indemnity panel (1999 – 2002) at The National Endowment for the Arts, sat on the Advisory Board of the Getty Leadership Institute and is currently a member of the Governing Board of the Yale University Art Gallery. In addition, she is a member of the Board of the Northwest African American Museum, the Greater Seattle YWCA, Downtown Seattle Association, and Copper Canyon Press.

Ramona Pierson
Founder & CEO, SynapticMash

While jogging in the spring of 1984, Ramona Pierson was struck by a drunk driver, killing her dog and sending her into an 18-month coma. The accident broke 104 of her bones, caused multiple forms of brain trauma, and punctured holes in her lungs, requiring nearly 100 surgeries, including replacing many bones with titanium. The accident also rendered Ramona blind.

Ramona says the coma was a door to a new life. But the road to this new life meant fighting through major obstacles. She re-learned how to speak, and learned to navigate through society with the aid of a seeing-eye dog. After taking the chance on a dangerous surgery, Ramona eventually regained her sight in one eye.

Having been a marathoner for years, Ramona’s drive for competition led her to the sport of cycling. Pushing through the pain of a reconstructed body, cycling eventually yielded Ramona many amazing athletic achievements throughout the 1990s, including competing in the Ironhorse and Masters National races, and becoming a 5-time champion at the Masters World Cup in Australia. Although a subsequent injury ended her cycling career prematurely, Ramona has said that she always intended to “make the most of her life, regardless of the injuries that result.”

In spite of all these challenges, Ramona forged ahead, attending several colleges and universities where she earned degrees and awards in the social and psychological sciences. More importantly, she brings to SynapticMash a hermeneutical perspective of “how learning happens.” Ramona entered the education industry professionally by volunteering for the San Francisco school district, primarily with parents of students with cognitive disorders from accidental or traumatic causes. This piqued her curiosity of pedagogy. Because she found that many teachers didn’t know what to do with the data she presented, she was inspired to improve the state of education. She earned a teaching degree at the University of San Francisco and held an internship as a 1st and 3rd grade teacher while also working at the local VA Hospital.
Ramona came to Seattle in 2002, through a district administration fellowship at the University of Washington. She worked for the Seattle Public Schools in leadership roles at Cleveland, Madison, and Franklin schools, eventually working at the District Office as District Administrator: Director of Ed Tech, Research, Evaluation, and Assessments.

In order to share the benefits of the tools she created for Seattle Public Schools with everyone, Ramona created her company, SynapticMash, in September 2007. The company’s flagship product, LearningQube, is now under development for a wide variety of clients all over the U.S., with her vision firmly taking the lead: to improve student learning. And although changing the face of education seems like a challenge, Ramona Pierson is tackling it in the same way she lives the rest of her life: head on!

Colleen Willoughby
Founding President, Washington Women’s Foundation

Colleen Willoughby is co-founder and President of the Washington Women’s Foundation, an organization she helped to create in Seattle in 1995.

The foundation’s mission is to create a new fund of major money from women donors and provide education for those donors to become effective philanthropists. In eleven years, the foundation has grown to 480 members and has invested over $7.4 million of their own money into the community. Since inception, WWF has touched over 700 organizations through pooled and individual grants.

WWF was honored as Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives in 2000, by Childhaven with their annual Mark Mathews Service to Children award for outstanding support of Childhaven’s effort to end the cycle of abuse and neglect in 2006 and by LEAD of Thurston County as their first Statewide Distinguished Leader Award in 2007. WWF has been mentioned in national publications, including Town & Country magazine’s special annual editions of the Power of Philanthropy in 2005 and 2007.

Colleen has served as President of the Junior League of Seattle and has served on the Board of the Association of Junior Leagues International as a Sustaining Director in 1992. Colleen has served as Board Chair of United Way of King County, CITYCLUB, Seattle Children’s Home, Leadership/Tomorrow and the Saul and Dayee Haas Foundation. She has served as a member of the Boards of Directors of The Seattle Foundation, YMCA, the Pacific Science Center, Planned Parenthood of King County and Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center Foundation.
She currently is an Emeritus Trustee of Whitman College and is Chair of the Visiting Committee of the Daniel J. Evans Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.

In 2004 she received the first Women of Influence award for philanthropic leadership by the Puget Sound Business Journal, and in 2005 she was recognized by the Women’s University Club of Seattle and the National Mortar Board as a distinguished alumna.

Patricia Barker
Principal dancer

Patricia Barker is considered one of the world’s most gifted ballerinas. Born in Richland, Wash., she received her early ballet training from Lynne Williams in Richland, studied on scholarship at Boston Ballet School with E. Virginia Williams and Violette Verdi and at Pacific Northwest Ballet School with Francia Russell, Perry Brunson and Janet Reed. She joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 1981, was promoted to Soloist in 1984 and was made a Principal dancer in 1986.
Ms. Barker has danced in many of the great full length ballets and contemporary works from renowned choreographers. She has performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. She appeared as a guest artist with national and international ballet companies and has performed in many Galas throughout the world. Ms. Barker danced the lead role of Clara in Stowell’s Nutcracker the Motion Picture and starred as Titania in Balanchine’s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream filmed by the BBC for the celebratory re-opening of the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. She has graced the covers of Dance Magazine, Danser, Pointe Magazine, Dance Pages and Dance International.

For the past 15 years she has staged, rehearsed and coached ballets for professional ballet companies such as Kent Stowell’s Carmina Burana for Texas Ballet Theater, Kent Stowell’s Duo Fantasy for Oregon Ballet Theater, George Balanchine’s Serenade for Boston Ballet School. In her role as Artistic Advisor for the Slovak National Ballet, she has taught company class and coached Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere and Nutcracker. She has prepared PNB dancers for many guest appearances including Nutcracker, Don Quixote and Swan Lake.

Ms. Barker has taught at nationally renowned ballet schools such as Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, North Carolina School of the Arts, The Governor’s School in Greenville, South Carolina and Boston Ballet School.

Ms. Barker’s entrepreneurial and management experience includes a variety of activities. For the last 10 years she has directed product design and development for BKWear, her own dancewear company. She received a patent while consulting with Bloch on a variety of products, including pointe shoes, ballet slippers, leotards and active wear and was featured in frequent advertisement campaigns. She is currently a product development consultant for Bunheads Inc. She also collaborated with Freed of London, producing an instructional video addressing dancers’ most frequently asked questions about the art of wearing pointe shoes.

Ms. Barker is currently on the advisory board for Pointe Magazine, CriticalDance.com, California Ballet and Minnesota Dance Theater.

She continues to dedicate time and effort to bring greater awareness to bone and joint health by acting as a spokesperson for the United States Bone and Joint Decade. Ms. Barker has been instrumental in creating “Fit to a T” programs for young dancers to spread awareness about bone health and osteoporosis.

Dr. Bonnie Dunbar
President, CEO of The Museum of Flight; retired NASA Astronaut

Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar is President and CEO of The Museum of Flight in Seattle. The “MOF” is the largest private air and space museum in the world, with an education program that provides for nearly 100,000 students per year and an aircraft restoration center. Dr. Dunbar recently retired from the NASA Johnson Space Center where she was Associate Director, Technology Integration and Risk Management for the Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) of the NASA Johnson Space Center. SLSD is responsible for Astronaut Crew Health, Human Health Research for Space Exploration, Human Factor Design of Spacecraft, and Life Support Requirements.
A NASA Mission Specialist astronaut and veteran of 5 space flights, Dr. Dunbar has logged more than 50 days in space. She has served as the Payload Commander on two flights, including the first Space Shuttle docking mission to the Russian Space Station Mir.

Dr. Dunbar holds BS and MS degrees in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Washington, and a PhD in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering from the University of Houston. Prior to working for NASA, she was a senior research engineer with Rockwell International Space Division, where she helped to develop the equipment and processes for manufacturing the thermal protection system for the Space Shuttle. Dr. Dunbar is a member of the American Ceramic Society (Fellow), the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA/Associate Fellow). She has been awarded the NASA Space Flight Medal, the NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. Dr. Dunbar is a registered Professional Engineer, a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and in 2002 was elected to the National Academy of Engineers.

Dr. Dunbar has been a lifelong athlete and played basketball in high school. In her senior class at Sunnyside High, she was voted most “athletic girl.”

Senator Rosa Franklin
Washington State Senator

Senator Rosa Franklin is history in the making. Senator Franklin is the first African-American female elected to the Washington State Senate. She began her political service to the people in Tacoma’s 29th Legislative District where she was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990. She served in the House of Representatives until January 1993 when she was sworn in as the State Senator from the 29th Legislative District. Rosa is currently serving her third term as a Senator.

Her leadership roles in the Senate are a tribute to her accomplishments, as well as a symbol of the respect given her by the Senate body. She has served as President Pro Tem of the Senate, Vice-President Pro Tem and as Majority Whip of the Senate. Currently she serves as Democratic Assistant Floor Leader.

Senator Franklin is continually working for the good of the people. This year she introduced legislation to reform our states tax structure and a host of bills to protect and improve the lives of Washingtonians. She is the prime sponsor of the bills that were directed toward investigating and stopping Racial Profiling, stopping genetic discrimination, restoring the voting rights of ex-felons and creating a Joint Select Committee on Health Disparities. She works hard to improve the quality of life for Seniors and others. Often many of us must make a financial decision about choosing to pay rent, buy food or obtain prescription drugs to cure our diseases. The Senator has introduced bills dealing with improving access to as well as reducing the cost of prescription drugs.

Her service to the community is strongly depicted by her Civic
Activities: League of Women Voters; Tacoma Urban League; NAACP; Safe Streets; Bates Technical College Advisory Board; Cascade Regional Blood Services Board Member; Advisory Committee for Cancer Screening Program for Targeted populations; Board Member of the New Phoebe House for women recovering from substance abuse and working to be reunited with their children; and Area Health Education Center Board Western Region.

Politics is the Senator’s second career. In her first career she dedicated her life’s work to the service of those in need of health care. After graduating from Good Samaritan Waverly Hospital School of Nursing in Columbia, SC, she dedicated 42 years of life to the nursing profession. She continually improved her ability to serve those needing health care by receiving a B.A. and M.A. at the Universities of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran, respectfully. Also a Women’s Health Care Certificate – Gynecorp Pro., UW. In 2006, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service by the University of Puget Sound.

The Senator has now retired from active nursing duties but as shown by her legislative bills, she has not stopped helping those in need of health care services. She continues to be engaged in health issues not only in Olympia, but also in communities statewide. She has received many awards for her work.

All of the above show a woman of renown accomplishment, but her greatest achievement is her marriage to husband James and her immediate family of three children and five grandchildren.

Those of us who know her love and respect her to the fullest and believe she is a beacon that others can follow.

Doris Heritage
Head coach, Seattle Pacific University women’s cross country; former U.S. Olympian

It should come as no surprise that the greatest distance runners of the Sixties and Seventies has spawned one of the premier collegiate running programs in NCAA Division II history. Both in America and around the globe, the name of Doris Brown Heritage is synonymous with the best in women’s distance running.
Over the last 38 years, she has been a pioneer for the sport, a competitor without peer and, later, coach to some of the greatest collegians on record. So it’s not surprising that Heritage is a member of both an athlete’s and coach’s hall of fame. Further, she is considered one of the Northwest’s greatest personalities of the 20th Century by both Sports Illustrated and The Seattle Times. In 1999, Heritage became just the second female inducted to the United States Track Coaches Hall of Fame. Earlier, in 1990, the five-time world champion and two-time Olympian was inducted into U.S. Track & Field Hall of Fame for her success in running.

Now in her 39th year on the SPU coaching staff and her 28th as head coach of cross country, Heritage has always been on the leading edge of her profession. During the 1960s and ’70s, she set the standard for women’s distance standouts of today. As her competitive career drew to a close, she became increasingly involved in coaching. Although Heritage has received several national and international appointments, her greatest commitment has always been her SPU programs, and that commitment is evident in the Falcons’ achievements during her tenure.

Ten of her cross country teams have placed in the top 10 at national meets and Seattle Pacific has won the conference women’s championships seven of the last 12 years, and the men’s team won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title in 2004. In 1996, SPU was the West Region women’s champion. Twenty harriers have earned All-America status, including two national champions. Heritage has been voted by her peers the conference coach of the year seven times. And that’s just in the fall.

In track and field, her middle-distance and distance runners have helped form the foundation of the nationally prominent Falcon track team, which she serves as assistant coach. Under her tutelage, seven women have won AIAW and NCAA titles from 800-10,000 meters. In all, SPU men and women runners have scored at nationals 38 times in the last 28 years.

Without a doubt the world’s premier distance runner during the ’60s, Heritage first honed her skills as a member of the Falcon Track Club, the forerunner to today’s women’s varsity. Under the direction of Ken Foreman, the then-Doris Brown set two American records before graduating from SPU in 1964. Eventually she owned every national and world record from 440 yards up to the mile. And the longer the distance, the more dominant she became. Unfortunately during her reign there were few women’s races over 5,000 meters. Nevertheless, Heritage did shine in the international spotlight.

She was named to the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 and 1972, taking fifth in the 800m at Mexico City. A last-minute injury prevented her from running the 1500m in Munich. She won the silver medal (800m) at Pan American Games in 1967 and 1971. From 1967-71, Heritage won an unprecedented five consecutive world cross country championships, and raced on nine U.S. world teams in all. During her prime she won 14 national titles, and set a world record in the 440, 800, mile and 3000m. Still running in front of the pack, she won the U.S. Masters cross country title in 1989.

Heritage has remained a fixture on the world’s stage since her racing days. She was an assistant coach on staffs selected for various major competitions, including the 1984 and ’88 Olympic Games, the ’87 and ’90 World Championships. She remains a frontrunner, having become the first female to be elected to the prestigious IAAF Cross Country and Road Race Committee in 1988. More recently, she has served as head coach of the U.S. Ekiden Cup contingent in Japan, the U.S. world championships cross country team and the USA-Great Britain dual meet in 1993. In 1996 Heritage was the chief of mission for the U.S. cross country team at the world championships in South Africa.

Heritage is a native of Gig Harbor, Wash. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in physical education from SPU in 1964, and received her master’s in education in 1971. She has been an assistant professor at her alma mater since that time. Doris and husband Ralph Heritage reside in West Seattle.

Sally Jewell
President, CEO of REI

Sally Jewell is president and CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI), a national outdoor retail cooperative dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its 3.1 million active members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure.

She joined REI as chief operating officer in 2000, after serving on its board of directors for four years, and was named CEO in March 2005. Jewell has been very active in a variety of community and civic causes, including the University of Washington Board of Regents, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, National Parks Conservation Association, and Initiative for Global Development – Business Leaders Working to End Global Poverty. In addition, Sally is an active spokesperson on behalf of REI and the industry regarding the importance of outdoor activities in the lives of Americans.

Prior to her employment at REI, Jewell’s career spanned 19 years in the banking industry, specializing in energy banking, national accounts and credit administration. She served as head of business banking activities in the state of Washington for Rainier Bank, Security Pacific Bank and WestOne Bank; as president and CEO of WestOne Bank Washington; and as president and CEO of Washington Mutual’s commercial banking group. Before pursuing her career in banking, Jewell was an engineer for Mobil Oil Corporation in Oklahoma and Colorado.

Jewell is a graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in mechanical engineering and enjoys mountaineering, hiking, snowboarding, skiing and kayaking.

For the past 10 consecutive years, REI has been ranked on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” list. The co-op is regarded for its leadership in employment practices and corporate social responsibility.

Courtney Thompson
USA Volleyball team member; UW volleyball team

Courtney Thompson concluded her amazing volleyball career at the University of Washington last December, and immediately went to work at the national level as a member of the USA national team. She played in 15 sets during the Pan American Cup, where Team USA took fourth place, and started against Brazil on June 28. In the Pan American Games, Thompson played in all five matches and started the final three contests. In the Bronze Medal match July 19 against Peru, which the U.S. won, Thompson recorded 29 assists, three aces and two blocks.
During her four years with the Huskies, Thompson was a three-time AVCA All-America First-Team selection. She set the Pacific-10 Conference record with 6,552 assists (third best in NCAA Division I history) and set the NCAA record for career assists per game (14.56). Thompson also concluded her career with a school-best 450 starts leading to three appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament national semifinals and one regional final. She added 1,059-career digs for sixth-best in school history. As a junior, she earned the Honda Sports Award for best volleyball player after leading the Huskies to their first national championship. She received a ESPY Top Female College Athlete nomination in 2005. As a senior, she again was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award as she set the Huskies to a .281 team attack percentage on 14.50 assists per game. Thompson is a three-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.

Trish Millines Dziko

Trish spent 15 years working in the high tech industry as 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.

It was during her 8.5 years at Microsoft that she became active in diversity. In 1995 Trish worked as a Senior Diversity Administrator. She traveled the country to recruit college level technically trained people of color and found that the pool of people she had to choose from was very small.

Trish realized that in order to increase the number of qualified people coming out of college, she would need to find a way to increase the number of people of color enrolling in university to pursue technical degrees. Capturing the interest of children of color early in their lives, and providing them with the opportunity to become users and creators of technology is the foundation on which the Technology Access Foundation is based.

In 1996, Trish left the technology industry and with support and help of friends and family, created the Technology Access Foundation (TAF).

TAF’s vision is to be a catalyst for social change in underserved communities of color. Serving one child at a time, TAF enhances their educational and professional prospects through the delivery of tools for learning in the 21st century.

TAF programs are rooted in project based learning, and are designed to increase problem solving, critical thinking, information synthesis, and communication skills.

In addition to her work at TAF, Trish has served on numerous boards of organizations that focus on children and education. Trish has received dozens of local and national awards for her work educating children of color.

A native of New Jersey, Trish attended Monmouth University (then known as Monmouth College) on a full basketball scholarship, the first woman to do so. She received a B.S. in Computer Science in 1979.

In June 2001, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Seattle University. She was honored for her work with TAF as one of Essence Magazine’s 25 Most Beautiful Women of 2006.

Kathi Goertzen

A Seattle native and graduate of WSU, Kathi serves as the lead anchor of the 4 p.m. newscast “First News @4” and as co-anchor of the 5pm and 6:30pm weekday editions of KOMO 4 News. She has earned multiple journalism and community service awards on both local and national levels including five Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award. She serves on the board of the Seattle/King County YWCA and the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Dr. Mary-Claire King

Perhaps more than anyone in her generation, Dr. Mary-Claire King has managed to reconcile the objectivity of a highly knowledgeable, well grounded researcher with the ardor of the activist. For her, science is personal.

Born in a Chicago suburb in 1946, she learned the cruelty of cancer when she was still in high school and a childhood friend died of the disease. She attributes her interest in science and particularly her groundbreaking work in cancer research in part to that early loss. Certainly she was a highly motivated student. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics cum laude from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, at the early age of 20. She received her doctorate in genetics from the University of California, Berkeley, and then pursued post doctoral studies at the University of California, San Francisco.

While still at UC she interrupted her studies briefly to work with Ralph Nader’s consumer advocacy organization, to study the effects of pesticides on farm workers. Throughout her career, she has been acutely aware of the benefits of scientific discovery to the human condition and she has focused her research energies on projects that will benefit humanity. She has worked with the United Nations using DNA evidence to identify victims of war crimes in various parts of the world. And she became famous internationally for helping to establish the genetic links of children of “the Disappeared” in Argentina whose parents were killed in civil unrest, thus helping to unite the children with their grandparents.

Dr. King has focused years of research on cancer, especially breast cancer. Perhaps her most dramatic contribution, to date, is the demonstration of the link between breast cancer and a single gene, BRCA1. Other researchers have since used her method of analyzing the genetic effects on breast cancer to study other illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

While actively engaged in research, she has also forged a reputation as a great teacher. She was a professor of genetics and epidemiology at UC, Berkeley, from 1976 to 1995, and since then has been an American Cancer Society research professor at the University of Washington, Seattle. She is an affiliate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle.

She has served on numerous government panels and with private organizations, including the National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Task Force, the National Institutes of Health Genome Study Section and the Office of Research on Women’s Health Advisory Board, the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal and UN Forensic Anthropology Team and the Robert Wood John Foundation’s Minority Medical Faculty Development Program, Scientific Advisory Board. She also has served on the editorial boards or reviewing panels of many publications including Science and Nature magazines.

Karen Moyer
Co-founder and Vice President of The Moyer Foundation

Karen Moyer, a leading philanthropist in the Northwest, stays extremely busy as a Vice President of The Moyer Foundation, mother of six children and wife of Seattle Mariner All Star pitcher, Jamie Moyer. Karen has received many honors for her leadership and efforts to improve the lives of children including:
· Create Your Dreams Award from the National Mothers in Business Network
· Notre Dame Family Exemplar Award
· Fred Hutchinson Distinguished Community Service Award
· Virginia Mason – Celebrated Women Award

In addition, she actively serves on the Boards of
· Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
· The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
· Seattle Children’s Hospital Leadership Council

In 2006, Karen co-produced and hosted the Emmy-nominated “Dreamcatchers” TV show, making real-life dreams come true for children in distress. Karen is an active public speaker, focusing on issues relating to philanthropy, foundation work, mentorship and motivation.

Karen and Jamie established The Moyer Foundation in 2000 with the mission of making a positive impact in the lives of children by offering encouragement, comfort and support to children and their families enduring a time of profound distress. By providing opportunities for enhancing overall wellness, stability and quality of life, The Moyer Foundation has raised over $8.5 million to support over 100 different organizations that help children in distress.

Karen has lead the Foundation’s establishment of several key initiatives, including an endowment for Pediatric Palliative Care at Children’s Hospital, The Gregory Fund, for early detection research at the Hutchinson Center, and Camp Erin, bereavement camps for grieving children–now established in five states.

Karen is a 1987 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Her father is former Notre Dame Basketball coach and current ESPN analyst, Digger Phelps. Her mother is, Teresa Godwin Phelps, a law professor formerly at Notre Dame currently at American University and an established author and activist for women’s rights. Karen also enjoys teaches a “spinning” exercise class several times a week.

“With the grace of God I am able to balance a very blessed life of taking care of others.” Karen Moyer

Mary Ellen Stone

Mary Ellen Stone is the Executive Director of King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC). For more than 26 years, has played an active role in changing the nature of sexual assault prevention, education and victim response in Washington State. She has been Executive Director of KCSARC since 1979 and is a leader in the non-profit sector. She has served on several boards and task forces including most recently the Washington State Sexual Assault Advisory Committee. She has been co-chair of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Board, the Women’s Funding Alliance, as well as a past board member of the Children’s Campaign Fund and the Seattle-King County Municipal League. She is a program graduate of Leadership Tomorrow and the Alki Foundation. She has a Masters in Counseling from the University of Minnesota.