WA CHARTERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Talent and Culture
Adán brings extensive skills in talent diversification and development. With a decade of experience in education, he has taught middle school math, recruited and certified new teachers, and consulted on school staffing solutions. Adán has committed to mission-driven work as he overturns barriers that keep all students from accessing an equitable education. Having taught in charter schools, Adán understands the value that comes with a community centered education. Ask him about solving for y, and be prepared to be entertained.
Adán holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a founding teacher under Teach For America's DACA Initiative. This is at the heart of Adán's passion for equitable education - a space that values the immigrant narrative. He is excited to bring all of this to support the WA Charters team in our thriving culture.
In his free time, he enjoys movies, exploring Washington, and discussing reality tv. Contact Adán at adan@wacharters.org
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership & Staff
- Director of Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
Barbara works to advance equity in our public schools by building relationships with community members and organizations, developing partnerships, and strengthening stakeholder engagement to advance WA Charters legislative priorities. She is passionate about achieving a K-12 system that values the learning styles and needs of all students, supports and uplifts children of the global majority, and exemplifies true representation. Prior to joining WA Charters, Barbara was a Legislative Assistant in the Washington State Legislature where she helped members achieve their policy, communications, and constituent outreach goals.
Barbara earned her B.A. in Global Studies, Psychology, and Political Science from Pacific Lutheran University, and is an M.P.S candidate for Security and Terrorism Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has certified training in Basic Mediation, and is currently in her practicum to become a Mediator in Washington State. Barbara also sits on the Board of the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize and the Azia Book Awards, which celebrates and recognizes Children and YA books that depict multicultural and multiracial protagonists and families.
In her free time, Barbara enjoys reading, knitting, and spending time with her family. Contact Barbara at barbara@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Director, Innovative Schools
Bely (pronounced "Bailey") Luu (she/her) provides community-centered fundraising and board governance supports and services to school leaders and boards. She hosts the Fundraising Learning Series, which provides equity-driven fundraising practices to help schools raise more funds, tell ethical stories, and center student and community voices. She also coordinates diversity, equity, and inclusion supports to member schools to advance educational justice and dismantle oppressive systems.
Bely has over a decade of fundraising, events, and diversity, equity & inclusion experience in higher education, nonprofit organizations, and healthcare philanthropy in the Greater Seattle area. She has managed over 200 events in her career, from fundraising galas to stewardship events to graduations.
Bely holds a B.A. in Social Work from the University of Washington. She is on the board of Chinese Information and Service Center, a nonprofit that supports immigrants and their families by creating opportunities for them to succeed while honoring their heritage. She is also a steering committee member of the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy Global Giving Collective, helping to redefine and amplify philanthropy for women of color.
In her free time, she enjoys baking with her daughter, supporting Global Majority-owned restaurants, and traveling with her family. Contact Bely at bely@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Principal Technical Product Manager at Amazon
Carolyn is a Principal Technical Product Manager at Amazon. She is currently working on a new business Buy with Prime, bringing Prime shipping and benefits to brands that sell direct to consumer. Carolyn has also developed products within Amazon Health (launching COVID-19 testing for Amazon's warehouse and frontline workers as well as Amazon's first commercial diagnostics product), reordering technology, and Alexa Education. Before joining Amazon, Carolyn was a consultant at Bellwether Education Partners, a nonprofit focused on changing educational outcomes for underserved students. At Bellwether, Carolyn supported K-12 education clients-including charter schools- on strategic planning, grant writing, and financial forecasting. Carolyn also worked at Mathematica Policy Research where she measured the effectiveness of social policies using impact evaluations and data analytics.
Carolyn previously served as the founding board treasurer of Why Not You Academy (formerly Cascade Public Schools), a public charter school south of Seattle. She began her career teaching in Venezuela as a Fulbright Fellow. Carolyn holds an M.B.A. from the UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business and a B.A. from Brown University.
Job Titles:
- Board Advisor
- Deputy Director
Chris Gibbons (Deputy Director, U.S. Charters) leads the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation's national charter school strategy, which has a particular focus on charter school students with disabilities in Washington State.
Chris was the founder and CEO for 16 years of STRIVE Prep, a network of public charter schools in Denver, Colorado, that prepares low-income students for college success. STRIVE Prep, which runs 10 schools and serves 3,200 students, has closed longstanding achievement gaps. A STRIVE Prep school ranked first in academic growth among all public middle schools in Denver for seven consecutive years.
Named the 2013 Top Thinker in Education by The Denver Post and a Game Changer by 5280 magazine, Chris is an alumnus of the Broad Superintendents Academy and a recipient of the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship and the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship. He served as co-chair of the Denver Public Schools Collaborative Council, directed Denver Summerbridge (now part of Breakthrough Collaborative), and was a charter school teacher. He is fluent in Spanish.
Chris has a B.S. in biology from Yale University and a M.Ed. from Regis University. He is happily married to Audra Philippon, also a charter school founder, and they are proudly raising two daughters.
Darcelina Soloria Regional Advocacy and Organizing Manager for Eastern Washington Darcelina lives in her hometown of Spokane, Washington. Raised by a single parent with an eighth-grade education, Darcelina understood the value of education from a young age. She is the first in her family to graduate with a Bachelor's degree; she enjoyed her educational experience so much that she pursued a second degree! She holds degrees in Organizational Management and Accounting from Whitworth University. Darcelina and her wonderful, supportive husband are founding parents at Spokane International Academy where their two sons attend. In 2015, Darcelina volunteered with Washington State Charter Schools Association to rally parents and community members to advocate for public charter schools; this is where her passion for education advocacy began. She quickly discerned that parents often did not know the power of their own voices - and that she could help them harness their power. In 2017, Darcelina began working as an organizer for Stand for Children Washington, an education advocacy non-profit, as their Spokane organizer. During that time, she supported families by developing workshops to help them navigate K-12 and postsecondary education opportunities. In addition, Darcelina helped to implement a parent fellow program and parent advocates to work alongside the Spokane district to support the Racial Equity Resolution by hosting parent listening sessions and developing a racial equity team. Darcelina is excited to be using her skills in her current role at WA Charters. In her personal time, she works to keep her boys from fighting too much while playing Minecraft. She is hopeful that once the pandemic settles, she can go back to karaoke and singing at church and local events. Contact Darcelina at darcelina@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Innovative Schools
Prior to joining WA Charters, Diana was the Assistant Director of the True Measure Collaborative, a special education collaborative, which offers compliance support and training in inclusive practices to member charter schools in Washington State. Diana earned her Master of Education Policy from the University of Washington. She began her career as a special education teacher and is committed to supporting equitable, high quality education. Contact Diana at diana@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Associate Professor and Dean of the Research Institute
Dr. Joel Domingo is an Associate Professor and Dean of the Research Institute at City University of Seattle, where he leads the university's overall scholarship and research objectives. Prior to this role, he was the Director of the EdD in Leadership Program in the School of Applied Leadership at CityU.
His work focuses on leadership development and civic capacity building for creating social transformation in the public and community nonprofit spheres. Prior to CityU, he served as a fellow at the University of Washington's Center on Human Development and Disability, bringing greater collaboration among medical professionals, schools, and parents of children with disabilities. Dr. Domingo also served in the Washington State Governor's Office, helping develop community leadership skills in diverse communities across the state while doing policy and academic research on the effects of education, family, and community partnerships.
He has served on several nonprofit boards and committees, including the Seattle Special Education PTSA, the UW Center on Human Development and Disability, and the Washington State Family and Community Engagement Trust. He regularly volunteers in several organizations as well as the local children's hospital and has led medical relief efforts in Central America. He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, a master's degree in theology, and a doctorate in educational leadership.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership & Staff
- Co - President, Finance and Operations
Prior to joining WA Charters in April 2018, Haid was a manager at the public sector consulting firm Third Sector Intelligence (3SI). In her four years at 3SI, Haid worked with clients across the education spectrum - from early learning to post-secondary - to build sustainable solutions to complex problems through mission-driven and data-informed decision-making. Additionally, Haid has worked on K-12 funding issues in Washington state supporting the State Legislature, the City of Seattle, philanthropies, and nonprofits across the Puget Sound region. Prior to moving to Seattle to attend business school at UW in 2011, Haid spent six years instructing for Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and working in the ski industry.
Haid holds an MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and a BA in History and Religious Studies from Colby College in Maine. Contact Haid at haid@wacharters.org.
James serves as Regional Director at Washington Charter School Development. Prior to joining WCSD, James worked within the Ernst & Young Commercial Real Estate Advisory group. As a senior consultant he provided his clients with a range of strategic development, cost assessment/management, and risk analysis services focused around their commercial real estate holdings. James leverages this experience, as well as eight years as a practicing civil engineer in the Bay Area, to bring solutions based focus to the challenges of developing school facilities. James has an M.B.A from from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Masters in Engineering from the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance & Operations
Jay supports the WA Charters team through financial oversight and operations support. He is passionate about giving kids the opportunity to explore their passions early and often. Prior to joining, Jay managed large operations teams for 10+ years. He managed a $65mm P&L for Republic Services, with three locations in Seattle. Jay also oversaw 11 Starbucks stores in downtown Brooklyn, NYC. He started his career in the Marine Corps, driving tanks while enlisted then as an aviation supply officer in Iwakuni, Japan.
Jay holds a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from North Carolina State University, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Jay lives with his wife and three kids in White Center. When not battling nap time and applying band-aids, Jay enjoys running and live music. Contact Jay at jay@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- CSP Project Director & School Implementation Coach
Jeannette serves as the statewide Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant Project Director and School Implementation Coach for schools in eastern Washington. Prior to joining WA Charters, Jeannette served as Director of Innovative Programs for Spokane Public Schools, where she led the development of charter authorizing and school options for the school district. Previously, Jeannette served as a charter school leader in California and a teacher. Jeannette holds a BA Liberal Studies degree from San Diego State University and a Masters in Educational Technology from National University. Jeannette feels passionately about the need for school choice and is a strong advocate for how charters can provide opportunities for students, families, and communities. Contact Jeannette at jeannette@wacharters.org.
Jim is the Board Chair Emeritus & Legal Counsel at Dick's Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. A longtime charter advocate for charter public schools in Washington state, in 1999, Jim was nominated to serve on the "A+ Commission," where he served for six years, helping to make the state's K-12 educational system more accountable and effective. Jim is also one of the original board members of WA Charters. Jim and his wife Fawn together wrote, filed, funded, qualified and led the first ballot initiative campaign (I-177) to bring charter public schools to Washington State. Although this campaign was unsuccessful, it energized previous legislative negotiations in 1997-2004 in Olympia that culminated in the passage of a charter school law in 2004. Although the 2004 law was overturned by referendum, in 2012, Jim was involved with the successful Initiative 1240, when a majority of voters approved high-quality charter public schools in Washington state. Jim graduated from the University of Washington Law School in 1983, magna cum laude.
Jonthomas "JT" Williams works to support high quality, anti-racist educational programs that uplift the voices and stories of families from the Global Majority. He does this through advocacy, collaborating with educators, and working together with families to dismantle oppressive systems and hold those systems accountable.
JT has worked in K-12 educational system in the Puget Sound region for about 20 years including, charter public, traditional public, and independent schools. He worked for Rainier Scholars for over 7 years, leading admissions efforts and collaborating with K-12 public and independent schools on equitable enrollment and college readiness pipelines for students that are most underrepresented in higher education.
As the Founding Community and Family Engagement Manager for Ashe Prep charter public school, JT led equitable family-centered engagement, fully enrolled the school, and collaborated with founding families and the community to build a school that was responsive to the needs of Black American families. Most recently, JT worked for the Renton School District as one of only four partnership and engagement managers, leading an anti-racist family and community engagement plan to increase student achievement.
JT earned his B.A. in Community, Environment, and Planning from the University of Washington and has a master's degree from the University of Washington in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He has certified training in Basic Mediation and Family Mediation; he is currently in practicum to become certified as a Washington state family mediator.
JT is the proud father of one son and volunteers his time to fight for equity and racial justice in his community of South Seattle/Skyway. Contact JT at jonthomas@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Social Impact at BloodworksNW
Juan Cotto is the Director of Social Impact at BloodworksNW, Western Washington's blood health, blood research and blood bank institute. Prior to joining BloodworksNW, Juan spent 12 years at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, where he worked to increase awareness of cancer research in minority communities. He was also Chair of the Fred Hutch Diversity Council and coordinated numerous programs to keep the conversation about diversity relevant on the Fred Hutch scientific and research campuses. A lifelong Seattleite who grew up in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of South Seattle, Juan attended Western Oregon State College where he graduated with a degree in Social Science and has completed his coursework at the University of Washington's Graduate School of Public Administration.
Juan has served as Head Football Coach at Highline High School for five years and has also coached at Franklin High School and Nathan Hale High School in Seattle. Juan serves on numerous nonprofit boards including Sound Mental Health, the Children's Campaign Fund, the Workforce Development Council, the Seattle Urban League, and Seattle Pony League Baseball. He currently serves on the Board of El Centro De La Raza where he was the President of the Board from 2016 through 2018.
Juan lives in the Leschi neighborhood of South Seattle with his wife and their two children.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Rainier Prep
- Member Council Representative
Karen Lobos is the Executive Director of Rainier Prep in Highline. She is excited to give back to the community in which she grew up and to share the unique educational opportunities Rainier Prep has to offer with prospective families. As a Cohort II Alumna of Rainier Scholars, a First-Generation graduate of Scripps College, and daughter of Latino immigrants, Ms. Lobos understands first-hand the impact a supportive yet challenging academic community can have in the lives of students who face a number of barriers to achieving higher education. The most inspiring part of her job is working alongside families and teachers to support students in their academic journeys.
When not working, she likes spending time with family or in nature. She would like to learn more languages!
Karen attended Scripps College (BA) and the University of Washington (MPA).
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Office Manager
Katie resides in Gig Harbor with her husband of almost 30 years. She has two grown children and a new grandbaby, who she is over the moon for. She loves spending time with her family. Although a native of Southern California, she has called Washington her home since 1998.
She attended Southern California College of Business and Law where she earned her AA degree in paralegal studies. Katie has almost 18 years of experience as an Executive Assistant. She excels in organization, problem-solving, multi-tasking and customer relations. She is passionate about helping others and is enthusiastic to put her experience and skills to work at WA Charters.
Katie enjoys music of all genres and has an extensive and eclectic collection of vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes. Her favorite thing to do is to attend live concerts with her husband. Katie also collects vintage toys and games from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. Contact Katie at katie@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Communications
Maggie provides strategic oversight for all communications functions at WA Charters. Maggie's passion for increasing awareness of and support for Washington's high-quality charter public schools is fueled by her commitment to educational and racial justice. Prior to joining WA Charters in 2014, Maggie worked for a local, women-owned marketing firm, and as a magazine coordinator, freelance editor, and writer for various magazines and children's book publishers. Maggie earned her B.A. from Bowdoin College and her Master of Education in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Washington. Maggie lives in Seattle with her husband and two young sons. Contact Maggie at maggie@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership & Staff
- Co - President, External Affairs
An experienced advocate and leader in the K-12 education space with a background in economic and community development, Natalie has spent more than two decades working to ensure that families in South Seattle and statewide have access to affordable housing, and high-quality education options that they deserve.
Most recently, Natalie served as the Washington state organizing director for a national nonprofit education advocacy organization, where she focused on supporting families in their fight for improved college and career readiness standards and for the expansion of counseling and mental health resources in schools. Natalie has personal and professional experience in both district and charter public schools. Since entering the charter school space in 2015 as a founding parent at Summit Sierra High School in Seattle, Natalie has used her voice in a variety of roles - including volunteer, parent leader, charter school co-founder, and charter school board member - to influence legislation, statewide policy, accountability, and leadership practices within the charter space, that improve the experiences and outcomes of students who are furthest from educational justice. Natalie also served on the WA Charters Board of Directors from 2016 - 2019. Natalie is passionate about increasing the number of community-led, anti-racist public schools and ensuring that we have strong policies that are informed by the needs, desires, and voices of parents and families.
Natalie has is the proud parent of two daughters who currently attend college and Seattle Public Schools and is an active member and volunteer in her South Seattle community. Contact Natalie at natalie@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- in - House Counsel at Cercano Management
Omar Vasquez is in-house counsel at Cercano Management, an SEC-registered investment advisor to ultra-high net worth families. Omar advises firm clients in venture capital, private equity, private credit and fund investments worldwide. Immediately prior, Omar was in-house counsel at Vulcan, the family office of the late Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen; and before that he was a corporate attorney at the Seattle office of Davis Wright Tremaine.
Throughout his life, Omar has maintained a deep civic commitment to education and youth development. As a Teach for America corps member, he served as a high school teacher in Arizona for six years, during which time he served as a department chair while starting his school's AP Calculus program. Omar served as a member of the Seattle Mayor's Education Advisory Council, before running for a seat on the Seattle School Board with the sole endorsement of the outgoing incumbent director and the Seattle Times. While practicing as an attorney at DWT, Omar started the DWT Pre-Law Diversity Fellowship, which aims to expand the pipeline to law school for diverse undergraduate students in Washington state, awarding several fellows a fully-paid LSAT prep course as well as a two-day conference on law school admissions, law school success, and pathways in legal careers.
Omar graduated from law school at the University of Arizona, having served as a senior editor on the Law Review and as a member of the trial advocacy team and the moot court team. Omar studied finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He grew up in El Paso, TX, and is the first in his family to graduate from law school. Now calling Seattle home, he enjoys skiing, rock climbing, and cheering for the all the Seattle championship teams-Seahawks, Storm, and Sounders!
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer at PRIDE Prep Charter School
- Member Council Representative
Paige Albrecht is the Chief Executive Officer at PRIDE Prep Charter School in Spokane. She enjoys bringing a different learning option for students in the Spokane area. Keeping in mind the possible population that PRIDE Schools serve, Paige is dedicated to providing a supportive and successful school to all students regardless of trials they may face. Being able to work with families that are in need of something different and are able to find a home at PRIDE is the most inspiring part of her work.
Outside of work, Paige enjoys all things in nature, cooking and baking, and learning about new perspectives.
Paige attended Central Methodist University (BS) and Western Governors University (MBML).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership & Staff
- Co - President, Innovative Schools
Rekha joined the WA Charters team in 2014 and created the Association's school services arm. She oversees start-up and operational granting to schools and supports the School Leadership and Design Fellowship, the Strong Start planning year program, and the True Measure Collaborative, a unique public-private consortium focused on inclusive practices. Previously, she was a founding Director of Curriculum and Instruction at an independent charter school in Brooklyn and later served as the school's founding Director of Operations.
Rekha began her career as a Teach For America corps member in West Philadelphia, where she taught high school English and earned the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. She holds an M.S.Ed in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Rekha has been as a mentor and judge for Startup Weekend EDU Seattle and serves on the Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Idea's board and as an advisory board member for Bellevue College's Design Thinking program. In her free time, she enjoys bird watching and chasing her daughter around the great playgrounds of Seattle. Contact Rekha at rekha@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Digital Communications Manager
With a background in architecture and design, Rini is intentional about creatively telling authentic stories in partnership with communities. Rini believes in youth voice, the power of advocacy and innovative solutions. Creating ethical and inclusive content with a social justice lens is at the forefront of her work to shift and disrupt inequitable narratives.
Rini earned her Master of Communication in Communities and Networks from the University of Washington's Communication Leadership program and envisions designing an anti-racist, community-led future with WA Charters. Previously, Rini served as the first Social and Digital Media Strategist at Washington MESA. She is a high energy lifelong learner and loves road-tripping to National Parks with her husband! Contact Rini at rini@wacharters.org.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Executive Director at the Black Education Strategy Roundtable
Currently serving as the Executive Director at the Black Education Strategy Roundtable, Steve Smith has an extensive background in higher education administration overseeing offices of admissions, student affairs and community relations. He has been an active member with K-12 and higher educational initiatives at regional and statewide levels to improve the educational outcomes of students.
Previously, he served as the Executive Director of the College Success Foundation's Tacoma office supporting the educational success of underrepresented middle and high school students. He also co-facilitated the Tacoma College Support Network, a collaborative collective impact organization that worked to ensure graduating high school students had plans for their postsecondary vocational, military or college education.
Steve is on the Pierce College Board of Trustees and has served as a board officer for numerous civic, healthcare, social and educational nonprofit boards. He holds an MA in Educational Counseling and BA in Psychology from Pacific Lutheran University.