Board of Directors

Edmonds School District

The Edmonds School District Board of Directors selected Dr. Rebecca Miner as the district's permanent superintendent during a special meeting on February 8, 2023. Prior to serving as the interim Superintendent in Edmonds during the 2022-23 school year, Rebecca had been a superintendent for ten years serving the Shoreline and White Pass school districts.

In 2021-22, Rebecca supported districts as a Washington Association of School Administrators Lead for the Inclusionary Practices Project and also served as the Interim Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Equity in the Evergreen School District. She has served as an administrator overseeing Special Education services, an associate principal, a high school Language Arts teacher, and a middle school Special Education and Spanish teacher.

Rebecca has mentored many aspiring and new career superintendents and has a passion for providing support to educators in all positions. She is committed to equitable outcomes for students and truly believes in education as a pathway to a lifetime of success. Rebecca grew up in Vancouver, WA. She and her husband Timothy Buckley enjoy attending school events and the many amenities the region has to offer.

Kent School District

Israel Vela was named Interim Superintendent of Kent School District in August 2021. A long-time resident of Kent, Israel Vela, and his family have been a part of the community since 1999. Both Vela’s son and daughter graduated from Kentwood High School. As Interim Superintendent of the Kent School District, Vela relies on his well-versed knowledge of federal and state programs in order to serve some of the district’s highest-need students and families. Vela has previously served as the Kent School District Chief School Operations and Academic Support Officer and Executive Director of Schools. Prior to joining the Kent School District, Vela spent a combined decade as both a classroom teacher and coach in the Moses Lake and Lake Washington School Districts.

Mukilteo School District

Alison Brynelson began serving the Mukilteo School District as Superintendent on January 1, 2020. Mukilteo School District serves a diverse population of about 15,000 students living in the cities of Mukilteo, Everett, Lynnwood, and Edmonds. The District has 21 schools, including two comprehensive high schools, one alternative high school, Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, four middle schools, 12 elementary schools, and Pathfinder Kindergarten Center.

Dr. Brynelson’s work in the District spans 22 years and several different positions including Explorer Middle School Assistant Principal, Voyager Middle School Principal, Director of Student Services, Executive Director of Secondary Education, Assistant Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent from 2016 to 2019. She began her career in education as a middle school social studies and English teacher in the Bethel School District. Dr. Brynelson has a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University, a master’s degree from University of Puget Sound, completed her superintendent’s certificate in 2005 and earned a doctorate degree in Executive Leadership from Seattle Pacific University in 2014. She has been a steady guiding force in the District’s equity work and the most recent teacher negotiations. Dr. Brynelson was raised on a small island in Southeast Alaska. She moved to Washington to attend Western and has remained a resident ever since.

Bellevue School District

Dr. Kelly Aramaki is the Superintendent of the Bellevue School District, where his family has lived for 5 generations. Dr. Aramaki started his career in education in Bellevue as an elementary school teacher. He served as an elementary school principal for 10 years in the Northshore and Seattle school districts, receiving the National Milken Educator Award, the Washington State Elementary Principal of the Year Award, and the Northwest Asian Weekly Visionary Award. He then served for another 10 years as an executive director of schools in Seattle and then Bellevue, as well as assistant superintendent in Bellevue, before becoming superintendent in July 2023.

Dr. Aramaki earned his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington, his master’s degree in teaching at Columbia University, and his bachelor’s degree in zoology with a minor in music from the University of Washington. Dr. Aramaki and his family currently live, work, play, and serve the community in Bellevue.

McKinstry

Matt is a longtime Seattle native who only briefly left the Pacific Northwest to pursue his undergraduate degree at Swarthmore College from 2006-2010. Upon returning to Seattle in 2010, he has since worked in the commercial real estate design, build, operate, and maintain business for almost 15 years full-time, working in a variety of positions in the project management, technology, and business development spaces. 

Currently, in his position as Chief Client Officer, he drives customer success through innovation and project excellence across McKinstry’s service offerings focusing on exceeding client expectations and continuous operational improvement. His focus remains on client experience and finding optimal ways to deploy McKinstry’s suite of capabilities to drive and maximize our value – namely for McKinstry’s largest, longest, and most trusted partners. 

Constantly curious, Matt guides continuous exposure to emerging tools and technologies across McKinstry to better our industry and prepare our workforce for the future. He plays a vital role in exploring and implementing technology and processes to improve client service levels, gain efficiencies and drive waste out of the built environment. 

Matt pushes McKinstry engagement in industry associations and takes an active role in NAIOP and MCA of Western Washington. He is passionate about philanthropic efforts focused on youth, education, health, homelessness, equity, and local community development. He actively supports the Boys and Girls Club of King County, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research, University of Washington, Seattle University, and several others. He also participates on the board for Seattle Metro Chamber, UW Tacoma’s Foster School of Business, and Seattle University’s College of Science and Engineering.

Port of Seattle

Ryan Calkins was elected to the Port of Seattle Commission in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. Calkins also works as a nonprofit professional at Ventures, a charitable organization that supports low-income entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses in the Puget Sound area. For over a decade, Calkins ran an import and distribution company in Seattle that was recognized for its industry-leading sustainability initiatives. As Port Commissioner Calkins strives to focus on sustainable economic development with a long-term vision, to ensure that one of our region’s most valuable public assets will continue to thrive for generations to come.

Calkins is a Puget Sound native who was born and raised in Edmonds and currently resides with his wife and three children in Seattle. He received his Master of Arts from Yale University in International Relations and his Bachelor of Arts from Willamette University in Religious Studies.

Highline Public Schools

Dr. Ivan Duran is a proud product of public education. He was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. An early passion for reading and learning sparked his interest in being an educator. He has served over 30 years in public education, most recently as the Chief of Acceleration and Recovery for the Renton School District.

Dr. Duran previously served as superintendent for the Bellevue School District. As superintendent, Dr. Duran led with a focus on racial equity and inclusion, creating systems to support academic, social-emotional, and behavior development for all students. Prior to Bellevue, Dr. Duran was deputy superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District and assistant superintendent for elementary education for Denver Public Schools. He has also served as a principal supervisor, director of instructional technology, principal, assistant principal, and teacher.

Dr. Duran’s core values include a passionate commitment to educational equity, dedication to continuous improvement aimed at results, and a collaborative and transparent leadership style. He holds a doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy Study from the University of Denver, a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado, and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Metropolitan State University of Denver. 
 

Providence

Joel leads the community partnerships division for Providence, the third-largest not-for-profit health system in the country.  In this role, he oversees national and local advocacy for the system, as well as community health investment efforts that deliver $1.6 billion of community benefit into its service areas.  These efforts are focused on transforming lives, while building healthy and thriving communities. He began at Providence in 2005 as chief strategy and administrative officer for the system’s Alaska Region.

Prior to joining Providence, Joel served as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, the state’s largest agency. Before moving to Alaska, Joel was legislative director and chief counsel for a U.S. senator in Washington, D.C. Raised in the Washington, D.C. area, Joel holds a J.D. from George Washington University Law School and a M.P.H. from George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. He also holds a B.A. from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He resides in Seattle with his wife and two daughters.

Lake Washington School District

Dr. Jon Holmen serves as 13th Superintendent for the Lake Washington School District. He is a skilled education leader with 21 years of experience in public education. Dr. Holmen began his career as a third grade teacher in Lake Washington School District. He has continued to serve his community as Assistant to the Principal, Principal, Associate Director of Special Services, and Director of School Support for the Redmond Learning Community. Since 2014, Dr. Holmen has served as Associate Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent, as a member of the Executive Cabinet. During those six years, Dr. Holmen provided executive oversight for Special Education, Intervention Services, School Support, Human Resources, Student Services, Technology Operations, Communications, and Data, Research & Accountability.

Dr. Holmen holds a doctoral degree in Education and master’s in Educational Leadership from Seattle Pacific University. Additionally, he has a master’s degree in Teaching from City University. He is an active community member in Lake Washington School District, where he lives with his family. He believes in the value of serving the community he lives in and is committed to ensuring continued organizational growth and development to meet the needs of each student.

Northshore School District

Dr. Justin Irish is an experienced educational leader currently serving as the Superintendent of the Northshore School District as of July 1, 2025. 

Previously, Dr. Irish was the Superintendent of the Anacortes School District, a high-performing district in Washington State. As the Superintendent he prioritized academic achievement, equity, inclusion, social-emotional learning, and strong community partnerships. He has also addressed statewide funding challenges through collaborative, transparent engagement with staff, families, and the broader community.

Dr. Irish is a contributor and educational leader at the state level, influencing Washington’s funding model and in partnership with researchers and education leaders, advocating for equity and sustainability across all school districts.

Prior to leading the Anacortes School District, Dr. Irish was an Assistant Superintendent in the Edmonds School District, serving over 20,000 students. There, he worked with educators, principals, students, and families to advance teaching and learning, guided by a deep commitment to equity, belonging, and academic excellence.

With 25 years in public education—as a teacher, principal, and central office leader—Dr. Irish holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Washington. His leadership emphasizes trust, relationship-building, and inclusive engagement. He listens deeply, learns continuously, and leads with integrity.

Dr. Irish is honored to serve the Northshore School District, drawn to its diverse student population and vision for strengthening community through excellence in education and the belief that every child can achieve academic and social-emotional success.

Workforce Development Council of Seattle – King County

Marie calls on decades of policy expertise, collaboration, and strategic partnerships across government, community, and philanthropy.

Prior to joining the WDC, Marie developed and led the Port of Seattle’s workforce development initiatives designed to increase equitable access and career opportunities in construction, maritime, aviation, and other port-related industries. Her previous experience includes the City of Seattle and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, where she led initiatives focused on equity in workforce, organizational change, and sector-based workforce development strategies, and nearly ten years working with diverse populations in community-based employment and training programs.

Throughout her career, Marie has worked to bring the voices of diverse community stakeholders to address issues related to racial equity and social justice.

Renton School District

Dr. Damien Pattenaude, a product of the Renton School District, grew up in the Skyway neighborhood, where he graduated from Renton High School. He went on to obtain three degrees from Washington State University: a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership, M.Ed in Educational Leadership, and a Bachelor of Arts in English. Over the past fifteen years, he has served the Renton School District as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, chief academic officer, and assistant superintendent of learning and teaching. In July 2017, Dr. Pattenaude assumed the role of Superintendent, where he will continue his focus on improving student achievement for every child.

Federal Way Public Schools

Superintendent Dr. Dani Pfeiffer believes in the limitless potential of every scholar and that it is our collective responsibility to create conditions that provide the highest quality education in a welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment. As a leader, Dr. Pfeiffer is driven by equity, integrity, responsibility, courage, collaboration, and innovation.

Dr. Pfeiffer has served Federal Way Public Schools scholars since 2015, first as Chief Academic Officer, then Deputy Superintendent, and has held her current role since July 2021. Under her leadership, Federal Way Public Schools has enhanced its strategic plan with a defined Vision for Excellence and Equity, adopted curriculum to support student success, launched new college and career readiness initiatives, expanded Career and Technical Education coursework, and so much more.  

She holds high expectations and continues to seek out innovative programming to ensure each scholar Federal Way Public Schools is ready to excel in their next steps after high school. Prior to coming to Federal Way, she served in two other school districts in various positions including Area Instructional Chief, Learning Improvement Officer, principal and assistant principal at all three levels, director of a technology academy, director of school technology services, and a teacher at the elementary and middle school levels.  

Dr. Pfeiffer obtained a doctorate in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University, a superintendent’s certification from Washington State University, a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Lesley University, a principal certification from Western Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Oklahoma State University, where she also played collegiate softball.

Marysville School District

Dr. Rumbaugh serves as Superintendent of the Marysville School District, where she is focused on helping every student grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Deborah is passionate about strengthening relationships between schools and families, ensuring that classrooms are welcoming and rigorous, and building the systems needed for long-term success. Under Deborah’s leadership, the Marysville School District is looking ahead to a bright future that is underpinned by the District Promise: “Every student is prepared for their future through inclusive, high-quality learning, strong partnerships, and a foundation of trust.”

Before coming to Marysville, Deborah led the Stanwood-Camano School District, where she guided strategic planning, improved student achievement across all schools, and helped the district adopt new instructional practices alongside updated curriculum and assessment practices. Earlier in her career, Deborah served as an Area Superintendent in Highline Public Schools, supporting principals, and district leaders in improving instruction and expanding opportunities for students across all student groups and schools.

Outside of work, Deborah enjoys time with family, staying active, and connecting with the community. Whether attending a school concert, cheering at a graduation, or participating in local events, Dr. Rumbaugh values being present and building relationships throughout Marysville.

Everett Public Schools

Dr. Ian Saltzman has been the Superintendent of Everett Public Schools since July 2019. He was the regional superintendent of The School District of Palm Beach County since 2016. Prior to that, he was the area superintendent of area 1 and 5, superintendent of Transformation Schools, and director of School Accountability. He has served as a principal of elementary, middle and high schools, and taught middle school special education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s Degree in Special Education from Florida State University, and a Specialists and Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

The Boeing Company

Kevin Stigerts is the managing Director & Chief Engineer of 737 Production Engineering. Named to this role in January 2024, Stigerts has functional and operational oversight for 737 Manufacturing Engineering, Numerical Control Programming and Equipment & Tool Engineers. His mission is to provide his team members with the tools to enable them to achieve greatness.

Since 2011, Stigerts has held positions of progressive leadership in Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) and Boeing Defense Space & Security (BDS). He led production engineering teams on the VC-25B presidential aircraft replacement, the New Middle Market Airplane (NMA), 777/777X, and 747 airplane programs. In addition, Stigerts served as an operations manager on the 767 program leading structures, joins, and functional test teams for both commercial and military derivatives.

From 2009 - 2011, Stigerts provided engineering support to the Enterprise Technology Strategy, where his analysis and recommendations influenced investment in Systems Engineering process & tools and Manufacturing fabrication & assembly technologies.

Preceding those assignments, Stigerts held various software engineering & systems architecting positions in BDS and Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T).

Prior to joining Boeing in 2004, Stigerts worked at Northrop Grumman developing human-in-the-loop simulations to support F-35 / JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) avionics development. He also had early career assignments at Microsoft and Unisys corporations.

Stigerts holds a Bachelor of Science in Information & Computer Science from the University of California at Irvine. He also holds a Master of Science in Systems Architecting & Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Originally from Southern California, Stigerts currently resides in the Seattle area with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys flying airplanes, crossword puzzles, ice hockey, and golf.

Spokane Public Schools

Dr. Adam Swinyard has been Superintendent of Spokane Public Schools since 2020, and previously served as Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Services. The Spokane Public Schools District is the newest school district collaborating with WABS, and the first school district in Eastern Washington to do so. The District is one of the largest in the state and includes  34 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 5 high schools, and 6 sites dedicated to alternative learning. It also boasts an 89% graduation rate.

In his leadership of the District, Dr. Swinyard uses the skills he gained over his professional career, which includes principal and director positions in the Spokane and Cheney School Districts. He received his B.A. from Northwest University, and an M.Ed., and an Ed.D. in Executive Leadership from Seattle Pacific University.