THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Business Executive
Alan Caplan is a business executive with more than 30 years' experience at companies such as Amazon.com, Blue Origin, Vulcan, and ATT Wireless. Alan's roles have included business, strategy, and product development, with an overarching focus on organizational resilience and operational excellence. Caplan holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of Chicago Law School. His son is a member of the class of '23.
B.A. (Mathematics), University of Washington. Alex's passion has always been to help students understand how the application of problem solving in math can directly help them with solving problems in other aspects of life. This is Alex's 7th year at Northwest and he teaches during the school year and as part of our Summer Camp.
Job Titles:
- Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management
Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago and a Master of Education in Independent School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She is an experienced leader in independent school admissions and higher education. Alex most recently served as Director of Admissions at the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, and prior to that Alex served as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, MI. Alex is a longtime faculty member of the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference, serves the Lake Washington Girls Middle School as a Trustee, and co-chairs the Puget Sound Independent Schools Equity and Access Task Force.
Alicia has experience working in a variety of roles in different libraries, including public, private, and higher education. She also has classroom experience helping people of all ages grow and develop through appropriate and engaging curriculum and individual attention. She is a member of the American Library Association (ALA) and Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) where she was a committee member for the 2020 William C. Morris Award and the 2023 Michael L. Printz Award. She is a regular contributor of book reviews to School Library Journal. Her interests include bookbinding, reading, and exploring with her son.
Alonzo Collins holds a bachelor's degree in liberal studies and a Master of Arts in education from Antioch University. Alonzo brings more than 12 years teaching experience at schools such as the British International School in Geneva and the School of Languages in Switzerland. He begins the 2022-23 school year as full-time teaching faculty. Alonzo has been with Northwest for the past two years, serving as substitute teacher, instructional assistant and leave-replacement humanities teacher. We are thrilled he is staying in the House. In his statement of teaching philosophy, Alonzo told us: "Over the course of my 12 years in the classroom, teaching on three continents, it has become clear to me that every child is different and special. So I constantly strive to foster a stimulating and challenging environment that is tailored to each student, yet as much as possible allows the whole class to move forward together."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Boarding Faculty
- Residential Advisor
Andrew has been a member of the Boarding Faculty since 2016. His passion centers on relationship building through physical activities like hiking, sports, and exercise. Andrew earned his Associates Degree from Seattle Central College.
Ashleigh arrives at Northwest from the Literacy Through Drama Program at The City University of New York (CUNY), in which she served Black and Brown students in low-income communities at four different high schools in the Bronx and Brooklyn. She earned her Master of Arts in Applied Theatre from the CUNY School of Professional studies. Ashleigh has collaborated with classroom teachers and students with the goal of improving community through racial justice, diversity, inclusion, and equity trainings. She endeavors to witness young people tell authentic stories and help uplift them in the same way theatre and education enriched her life. Ashleigh decided to become a theatre instructor because of her undying love for theatre and her thirst for knowledge. "I am both curious and fascinated by how theatre helps young people to excel in core subjects in their educational careers. Theatre helps us to face fears we didn't even know we had. It enlivens our imaginations and helps us make important discoveries about the human condition."
Job Titles:
- Academic Program Coordinator
Master of Education in School Counseling, Seattle University Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Washington Bianca joined the Pacific Science Center in 2010 and served numerous roles of increasing responsibility during her tenure. She developed extensive experience in program coordination and youth development. During the pandemic, Bianca transitioned to RVC Seattle and then City Year Seattle where she applied her knowledge to the role of Learning and Development Manager for their Learning and Development Center.
Carlton has over 40 years of wide-ranging business experience, from launching business start-ups to executive management at multi-billion-dollar multinationals. His career began in Philadelphia at Scott Paper (later Kimberly-Clark), where he served in a variety of financial roles. Over the next 15 years, Carlton had stints in a private equity firm and two companies that he founded in the financial consulting and product sourcing fields. In 2013, Carlton co-founded Peace Field Limited, a Hong Kong-based boutique investment bank focused on the middle market. He remains a Managing Director of that company. Carlton received a BA in Biology from McDaniel College, and MS and MBA degrees from Duke University. His interests include social science, health & fitness, everything about China and writing. He has four children, the youngest of which, his son Zhen, is a member of the Class of '27.
Job Titles:
- Performing Arts Department Chair
Christian came to The Northwest School from Michigan, where he taught at Grand Valley State University and Grand Rapids Public Schools. Christian serves Northwest as the vocal music teacher for 6th-12th grades, but he has had the unique experience of teaching music from kindergarten through college undergraduate levels.
Christian was a Fulbright Scholar and holds an administration certification. He tells us, "I have made sure that I have shown my commitment to a global perspective in how I deliver curriculum in the music education classroom. I choose music that is reflective of many perspectives - from women, LGBTQ+ and POC composers/arrangers; that ranges from standard western music to world music. I believe having discussions and class assignments that reflect what we are learning in a score can also be brought to life in other subjects."
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- CFO and Treasurer of Gary Merlino Construction Company
Dan Raymond is both CFO and treasurer of Gary Merlino Construction Company in Seattle. He has been with the company for nearly 21 years. He attended Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, earning degrees in Accounting and Finance, and in 2000, obtained his CPA. He has served on the board for the Puget Sound Chapter CFMA for four years, including one year as president; the board of PEPS for three years, including two years as treasurer; and, most recently, on the board for The Meridian School, including two years as treasurer. Dan has two daughters at Northwest in the Classes of ‘21 and ‘22.
Darya Saber has been active in the commercial real estate industry for nearly 15 years, leading complex construction and development projects. Prior to joining Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Darya spent nearly 10 years at Lease Crutcher Lewis in variety of roles including Project Manager & Preconstruction Manager working on many complex and unique projects such as Rainier Square Redevelopment. Currently at Alexandria, he is in charge managing the design development, entitlement, and overseeing construction of over 2 million square feet of Life Science development in Seattle and San Diego region. Outside of the office, Darya is passionate about coaching youth basketball, traveling to new and unique destinations, and being active. Darya is a Northwest School alum, graduated part of class of 2004.
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Member of the Northwest School Finance Committee
A parent of two (2) Northwest School alumni (Class of 2019 and Class of 2022). Dwayne has been a member of the Northwest School Finance Committee for 6 years prior to joining the Board in 2021. Dwayne is an attorney and has worked in various roles at Microsoft and other technology companies in the Seattle area. Dwayne is an avid global traveler, fisherman and sailor.
Emily Parker has over 25 years of experience in strategy and philanthropy. She spent nearly 14 years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in a variety of roles, most recently as the Chief of Staff to the CEO and Director of her office. She has also worked at the Washington Women's Foundation and the Boston Consulting Group and served on the Advisory Board of UW's Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Emily earned a B.A. in Human Biology and an MBA, both from Stanford University. She has a passion for strategy, building strong organizations and teams, and addressing issues of inequity. Her son and daughter are members of the Classes of ‘23 and ‘25.
Job Titles:
- Interim Director of Middle School and Science Teacher
B.S. (Biology), St. Lawrence University; M.Ed., Antioch University. Erica has worn many hats during her time at Northwest. She has taught sixth- and seventh-grade science as well as sixth- and eighth-grade math. She has been an Outdoor Trip leader and, briefly, a Middle School volleyball coach.She loves encouraging students to do science by posing testable questions and guiding them in designing an experiment, analyzing the results and making a claim they can back up with data. Her current extracurricular interest is working with the younger students to help them understand social justice issues and learn skills to be allies.Erica finds balance and well-being with the help of her family, gardening, home renovation, and travel. Her interests also include biking, hiking, telemark and back-country skiing.
Erin is a Seattle-based music educator, conductor, and composer. Currently serving as Director of Bands at The Northwest School and director the Symphonic Band at North Seattle College, Erin is in her 13th year of teaching. She has taught middle school, high school, higher education and adult community ensembles throughout Missouri and the Greater Seattle area. In 2020, her wind ensemble was selected to perform at the regional All-Northwest Music Educators Conference.With her background in education, Erin is passionate about writing quality band music, particularly for middle school musicians. She has written works for concert band, brass band, jazz band, and chamber ensembles. Erin is a composer for Randall Standridge Music Publications, Inc. While teaching, Erin maintains an active role in community music. Erin has served on the artistic staff of Rainbow City Performing Arts, founded the Give Back Brass Band, a community outreach project committed to bringing people together through music and making music accessible to all. She founded FORMATION Wind Band. FORMATION is a women's wind ensemble that empowers women to create, collaborate, and build community. Erin graduated cum laude with a B.S. in music education from the University of Missouri and holds an M.A. from the University of Washington in music education with emphasis in conducting. Erin is a member of the National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, Washington Music Educators Association and Sigma Alpha Iota International Women's Music Fraternity. She resides in Mountlake Terrace with her wife, Felicia, and two lovable pups, Tucker and Edna Boone. When not doing music, she enjoys quality time with family and friends, Sudoku, large bodies of water and pour painting.
B.A. (Music Education) University of Washington; M.A. (Music Education) Central Washington University Ethan joins us from Lakeside School, where he served as Low Strings Coordinator and Director of the Upper School Jazz Band. He also taught Jazz II at Ingraham High School in Seattle from 2018-2019, and teaches private lessons in double bass and electric bass. Previously, Ethan served as the Director of the Arizona String Project, Director of Orchestras for Minnetonka Public School in Minnesota, and served as a trainer for Apple, Inc. for five years. He also performs regularly with several bands, orchestras, and musical theater productions in town. Ethan tells us: "Music made me a better person, and I want to transmit this same feeling to new students."
B.A, M.A., Ph.D., (French Literature), University of California, San Diego; D.E.U.G. Diploma Program in Psychology, National Social Work Diploma, University of Paris VII, France; Advanced Preparatory Program in Literature, Language and the Humanities, Lycee Camille Jullian, Bordeaux, France; Secondary Education Baccalaureate Diploma in Philosophy, Literature and Foreign Languages, University of Poitier, France.Francoise immigrated to the United States from France in 1989, and completed her graduate teaching in literature and linguistics at the University of California, San Diego. Francoise writes poems in both French and English, which she often translates herself. In the fall of 2017, she released a book of poetry titled Liminal Voices.
Gladys has over 25 years of experience in architecture and is a founding partner of Sundberg Kennedy Ly-Au Young Architects. Rooted in providing good design for all and an equitable future for people and planet, Gladys instills in her practice the vision to work together with communities to create socially responsible architecture. She holds both an MS in Sustainable Design from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Washington State University. She has served on the boards of AIA Seattle, Design in Public, and NWS Facilities committee. She speaks nationally on issues of health equity, sustainable design, and equitable development. Gladys' youngest child is a member of the Class of '24.
Glenn Hare is a veteran communications professional with experience in higher education, government, and the arts. Currently he is an Associate Director of Communications at Seattle Opera. Glenn has served as a volunteer and board member for several organizations, including Girl Scouts USA, Camp Read-A-Rama, Ballard First Lutheran Church, and Foss Home and Village. His daughter is a member of the Class of '21. He is married to Michelle H. Martin, the Beverly Cleary Professor for Children and Youth Services at University of Washington.
Gwendolyn Payton is a partner in the Kilpatrick Townsend law firm in Seattle. She focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, class actions, health care, and antitrust and trade litigation. She has an active trial practice in state and federal courts, and regularly argues appeals in state and federal courts. Forty percent of Gwendolyn's practice is pro bono representing indigents facing execution of death row. From 2012 to 2018, she has been recognized as one of top 250 women in litigation by Benchmark Litigation and as a Super Lawyer by Washington Super Lawyers. Gwendolyn has two children at The Northwest School in the Class of '22 and Class of '24.
B.S. (Science), University of New Hampshire; M.Ed. (Secondary Science), University of New Hampshire.In 2009, Herb was named the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher in Washington State by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Prior to NWS, he taught at the North Country School in New York's Adirondack Mountains. In 2013-2014, Herb took a year off from coordinating the NWS Environment Program to assess and map our school's environmental sustainability curriculum. His interests include telemark and back-country skiing, mountain biking, geocaching, cooking, hiking, and home-improvement projects.
John Lynch is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington and is an Associate Medical Director at Harborview Medical Center where he leads the hospital's Infection Prevention & Control, Employee Health, Antimicrobial Stewardship, and Sepsis Programs and provides care for people with infectious diseases. John is an active researcher and teacher, with CDC-funded implementation projects in Kenya and a tele-mentoring program for community, rural, and critical-access hospitals across the western U.S. Starting in January 2020, John has been the clinical lead for UW Medicine's COVID response and has been active at the state and national level as part of the pandemic. He received his M.D. ('02) and MPH ('10) from the UW. John and his wife Chris have 2 daughters in the Classes of '25 and '27.
Jonathan Warren is from St. Johns, Michigan. He has an BA in German and Psychology from Michigan State University and an MA/PhD in Sociology from UC Berkeley. Currently he is a Professor of International Studies and Director of the Center for Brazilian Studies in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He publishes and teaches in the areas of critical race, Indigenous, political ecology, development and cultural studies. His books and documentary films include Just Black? Multiracial Identities in the US, Racial Revolutions: Antiracism and Indigenous Resurgence in Brazil, Cultures of Development: Vietnam, Brazil and the Unsung Vanguard of Prosperity, and From the Bottom Up. Jonathan has two children at The Northwest School in the Class of '21 and Class of '23.
Julie Lyss has been a fund development and recruitment professional and volunteer for more than three decades. As her daughter joined NWS for middle school, Julie accepted leadership roles with the Parent/Guardian Assoc., was an annual fund co-chair, joined the Pizazz event planning committee, and served on the Development Committee. As a new Trustee of The Northwest School, Julie chaired the Development Committee. With experience in strategic planning, communications, board development, major gifts, and capital campaigns, Julie welcomes the opportunity to help advance Northwest's mission. She has served on the board and in leadership positions at Seattle Jewish Community School and numerous Jewish organizations throughout Puget Sound. Among her current volunteer passions, Julie can be found at the U. District Food Bank, running a monthly feeding program with Temple Beth Am and YWCA/Angeline's Place, volunteering as an English Language Learner tutor at Literacy Source, and is a founding member of a local white anti-racist parent group. She is a graduate of Scripps College. A Midwesterner at heart, Julie loved living in Chicago, San Francisco and her hometown of St. Louis, MO before reluctantly moving to the PNW nearly 20 years ago. Julie is the mom of Isaac and Shira who are each in college, and Aviva who is part of the Northwest School Class of '25.
Katharine Delo Gregg has 25 years of experience in national non-profit and federal grantmaking and policy and regulatory development. Katharine is the Contracts & Grants Specialist for the Center for Children & Youth Justice, a non-profit working to reform the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Prior to moving to Seattle in 2020, she was a Senior Program Officer of Senior Corps at AmeriCorps, formerly the Corporation for National and Community Service, and ran her own organizational development and operations consulting business in Washington, DC. Katharine earned a B.A. in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School. Her driving motivation is working with organizations directly supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. Katharine is a writer, lover of the ocean, and voracious reader. Her daughter is a member of the class of '26.
Kendall's career in the past two decades has interfaced with every aspect of houses; the design, construction, renovation, esthetic and finally its creation from a building to a home, within the realm of real estate. Kendall began his career as a builder of exceptional custom-designed homes in the greater Seattle area and Boston. He started his own business, Seattle Housewrights in 2004 and gained the reputation of excellence, creating the unbelievable on diverse and challenging terrains. Having gained a deep understanding in construction and a personality devoted in business and life to connecting and meeting the wants and needs of his clients, in 2019, he transformed that knowledge into a career as a Broker for Windermere, Capitol Hill and a consultant on home renovation and building. Given his life experiences in construction and learning the various Seattle neighborhoods (and all their hidden short cuts) as one of the rare natives of Seattle, has enabled him to bring extensive knowledge and support to his clients who are looking to buy or sell in the greater Seattle and Western Washington real estate markets.
When not occupied with the structure, function and artistic beauty of the house, Kendall is walking around with a song in his head. Having majored in music recording and composition from Johnston Center at the University of Redlands, his love for making music has never quelled. He sports a grand piano in his living room and a keyboard on the go for making music with his band around town.
Serving community, connection and family are the centering pieces of Kendall's life; his days are full with clients, friends within his recovery community, soccer team, music world or volunteering and most importantly with his family. Kendall and his wife Meryl live in the Central district with their kids. Kendall's fullness in life resonates in this statement: "I enjoy trying get my kids to think big and be generous of spirit. I continue to learn about my values and purpose from all I do. I'm proud to be from the Northwest, especially the old funky era. I'm a grateful "part-of" instead of being "apart-from" in the world around me."
Lowell Weiss has spent more than three decades working to spark social change across a broad array of local, national, and global issues. In his role as president of Cascade Philanthropy Advisors, he provides personalized guidance to donors seeking to deepen their impact and achieve greater purpose, meaning, and joy. His previous roles in philanthropy included leadership positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Morino Institute, and Venture Philanthropy Partners. Before that, he served as a Special Assistant to the President in the Clinton White House, wrote speeches for Vice President Al Gore, wrote a New York Times bestselling book with political consultant James Carville, and was an editor at The Atlantic Monthly. He graduated in 1990 from Amherst College with high honors. His daughter, Michela, is a member of the class of '24.
Mahtab Mahmoodzadeh holds a Master's in Education and has been teaching and leading equity work in independent schools since 1996. She has taught in K-12 at all levels, and teaching and leading in anti-racist work as a classroom practitioner. She currently serves as a Director of Diversity at the Overlake School. She has a background in African American history and international relations and adaptive leadership for equity. She has worked in a variety of settings in her work, from strategic planning for equity and inclusion, hiring for diversity and cultural competency, to training and consulting with independent, charter schools, school districts, and international schools on equity and inclusion practices. She is thrilled to be serving as member of Board of Trustees at The Northwest School. Mahtab is Iranian American, first generation immigrant, and a proud mom of two children who are the light of her life. She enjoys yoga, dancing and all things hip hop.
Mardi Douglass brings to the NWS Board 20+ years of experience in a variety of HR/People leadership roles. Most recently was the VP, Employee Experience at Mozilla, the not-for-profit organization behind the Firefox browser. Her interests, expertise, and passions include organizational culture and design, user/employee experience, and communications (strategy and writing). Mardi earned a B.A. in Pacific and Asian Studies from The University of Victoria and an MBA from The University of Calgary. She's a 2x World Ultimate Frisbee champion, dedicated runner and Peloton-er, and loves NYC crossword puzzles. Her two sons are members of the classes of ‘22 (Whitman College, class of ‘26) and ‘26.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Leadership and Governance at NAIS
Morva McDonald is vice president of leadership and governance at NAIS. She was most recently head of school at Giddens School in Seattle, a preschool through 5th grade independent school in Seattle. Previously, Morva was a tenured faculty member in the College of Education at the University of Washington. She holds a doctorate in Administration and Policy from the Stanford School of Education. Her son is a member of the class of '22.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Creative Director of Blindtiger Design
Oceania Eagan is Founder and Creative Director of Blindtiger Design, a creative agency specializing in the unique needs of the craft industry. She has worked in brand strategy and marketing for more than 20 years and has a unique depth of experience supporting small businesses in their growth strategy, with a primary focus on developing and launching CPG products. Her experience includes teaching Marketing and Business courses at the collegiate level and speaking engagements at numerous industry conferences. She holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts and a Certification in Leadership through Design Thinking from Yale University. Oce has been a part of the NWS community in different capacities since graduating in 1996, including teaching art and coaching for just short of a decade, and parent (with husband Chaz Welsh '97) to sons in the class of 2024.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member of Lighthouse Law Group PLLC
Patricia Taraday is a founding member of Lighthouse Law Group PLLC, a municipal law firm providing guidance to cities in civil matters. While spending a portion of her childhood abroad, she considers Seattle her home. She earned a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington, and a J.D. from Seattle University Law School. As the Parent Guardian Association Liaison to the Board, she has been a dedicated Northwest School parent volunteer for over 7 years. Most recently, she has taken on the role of International PGA co-chair, facilitating connections with international families, and supporting community building between domestic and international students. Patricia has a 22' alum (Carleton College, Class of 26') and a son, class of 24'. She is an avid walker and hiker. Last year she walked the last 115 km of the Camino de Santiago in Spain over 5 days and plans to complete a Rim to River Grand Canyon hike this Spring.
Job Titles:
- Learning Services Coordinator
Samantha comes to Northwest from Seattle Mental Health where she worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University and a Master of Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology from the University of Washington.
Samantha also brings experience from the Lakeside School and the Academy for Precision Learning.Samantha is a member of our 6th grade team, an advisor, overseeing Middle School students with Learning Support Plans, and teaches two sections of a new Foundations class that begins in 6th grade. In her application materials, Samantha expressed that the appeal of working with students is because she believes "encouraging meaningful change and development in children begins with the connections made on a school campus."
Steve Schlemmer relocated to Seattle in Dec 2020, with his wife Tanya Rulon-Miller, and children Lucy ('28) and Jackson ('24). He has worked in financial services for over 30 years, most recently as CEO of Churchill Capital USA Inc., a small broker-dealer specializing in equity special situations. Steve previously worked for Credit Suisse in Tokyo for 3 years, before transferring to London for the following 17 years, where he and his family earned dual UK citizenships. He received a B.S. in Engineering from Dartmouth College. Steve is currently a member of the NWS Investment Committee.
Internationally recognized for award-winning architecture and campus design, Tosh's approach stems from the belief that an in-depth research based process is core to every project. He instinctually crafts experiences that are founded in his client's social, cultural, and programmatic values.
His formative education was in experiential art and environmental science; focusing on the convergence of people and place: BA Environmental Design (The Evergreen State College); Master of Architecture (University of Oregon). In practice he works at the nexus of Urban Design, Landscape Design, Art, Architecture, and Sustainability.
Val Nelson began his professional career as a high school math and science teacher and, after a brief stint in the classroom, he joined a software development company that specialized in school administrative computing services. In early 2000, he founded the consulting firm VNA Solutions to help schools utilize administrative software. The company grew from a single consultant to a firm with over a dozen experienced consultants. Val and his colleagues specialize in helping schools use computer systems to track student demographic, achievement, and behavior information. Val daughter attending Northwest in Class of '22, and another daughter is an alumnus from the Class of '18.