Board of DirectorsComposed of leaders from finance, education, research, legal, nonprofit, and business communities, Committee for Children’s board of directors serves as the governing body charged with providing oversight and counsel on matters related to the organization’s mission, vision, strategic plan and financial sustainability. The composition of the board reflects a broad range of expertise, with all members demonstrating a strong commitment to fostering the safety and well-being of children through social and emotional learning and development. Jon Reingold President × Jon Reingold President Jon Reingold is retired from Microsoft Corporation, where he served as vice president of corporate marketing, vice president of marketing for the Applications division, general manager of the Excel product group, and director of international marketing. He was a founding board member and treasurer of Eastside Preparatory School. Mr. Reingold currently serves on the board of Pitzer College, for which he chairs the Facilities committee and serves on the Executive committee. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in political philosophy from Princeton University. Susan H. Willis, MD Vice President × Susan H. Willis, MD Vice President Dr. Susan Willis is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with over twenty years of clinical experience in a solo practice. She served as a psychiatric consultant for Youthcare’s Bridge Program for sexually exploited youth and 45th Street Clinic’s Homeless Youth Program. Dr. Willis is active in the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine and the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and an MD from University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She completed her residency in psychiatry and a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and is double board-certified in adult general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Shannon Orton Secretary × Shannon Orton Secretary Shannon Orton is an education professional who currently serves as communications director for Spruce Street School, where she oversees marketing, PR, and alumni relations. She started her career at the Colorado Outward Bound School as an instructor and then course director, working with students from varied backgrounds, ages 14 to 65. She has since taught in the Seattle Public Schools in every grade from kindergarten through eleventh, focusing on multi-age classrooms, project-based learning, and integrated, theme-based curricula. Orton holds a bachelor of arts from the Evergreen State College and a master of arts in education from Seattle’s Antioch University. Orton joined the board in 2015. Kumar Mehta, PhD Treasurer × Kumar Mehta, PhD Treasurer Dr Kumar Mehta was the CEO of Blueocean Market Intelligence and the Cross-Tab Group until 2016. He developed this highly regarded data analytics and strategic outsourcing company that employs over a thousand professionals around the world. Kumar is well versed in executive management, leadership, and data-driven development and implementation. He received his PhD in pharmaceutical socioeconomics from the University of Iowa in 1990. Under Kumar’s leadership, Blueocean Market Intelligence and the Cross-Tab Group won multiple awards for innovation focused on big-data, digital analytics, and mobile analytics. He brought cutting-edge solutions to social media mining, dashboards, and text mining. Before joining the Cross-Tab Group, Kumar spent over 13 years at Microsoft in a variety of leadership roles within market research, business strategy, competitive intelligence, corporate alliances, business management, and finance. Kumar joined the board in 2016. Board Members John C. Andrews × John C. Andrews John is retired from a long career in high-tech sales management. He worked for both small and large high-tech companies such as Computer Associates, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Unisys. He also worked for several consulting services firms specializing in business and technology consulting, including KPMG Consulting, Statera, and Aquent. His most recent position was as the vice president of international sales at Daptiv Software, a company that specialized in project portfolio management solutions. He is currently involved in angel investing and commercial real estate. John served on the International committee at CFC and joined the CFC Board in 2016. Reed Koch × Reed Koch Reed Koch is the former general manager of Assistance Platform at Microsoft, where he was responsible for the strategy and execution of Microsoft’s More Assistance Platform, starting with version 1.0. He has also been general manager of FrontPage Windows, SharePoint Services, and PhotoDraw. Mr. Koch has also served as group program manager, group product planner, and product manager of Microsoft Word. In these roles, he organized design and shipping of Word 2000 and Word XP, started the product planning group and organized product planning for Word 95 and Word 97, and developed the first usability testing at Microsoft to design Word and test it against WordPerfect. Mr. Koch holds a bachelor of science in liberal arts with a major in mathematics from Reed College. He joined the board in 2006. Erin J. Maher, PhD × Erin J. Maher, PhD Erin J. Maher, PhD, is an experienced social science researcher and evaluator with an extensive publication record. Her work has helped to shape policy and practice around early childhood, prevention, and child welfare. Dr. Maher is the director of program evaluation at Casey Family Programs, a national foundation whose mission is to provide, improve—and ultimately prevent the need for—foster care. In this capacity, she leads a team of skilled researchers and analysts to conduct high-impact research and evaluations to inform stakeholders who influence child welfare reform. By joining Committee for Children’s board, she is strengthening community partnerships that share overlapping goals to improve outcomes for children and brings an analytical and evaluative lens to the organization. Before Casey Family Programs, she was a research scientist and principal investigator on early care and education projects and grants at the Human Services Policy Center in the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. She received her doctorate, which examined the racial achievement gap in secondary education, from the Department of Sociology at Indiana University-Bloomington in 2000. She’s served on United Way of King County’s School Readiness Impact Council and Washington Kids Count Advisory Board, and is a member of the American Evaluation Association. Samantha Pak, PhD, JD × Samantha Pak, PhD, JD Samantha Pak is senior director and intellectual property counsel for Stryker Corporation, where she provides technical, business, and IP legal support to Stryker’s business partners and its Medical Division. Dr. Pak has legal experience in private practice as well as in-house, working at Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP, various Seattle start-ups, and the Boeing Company. Previously on the board of directors of nonprofit Dwankhozi Hope, she is a member of the ChIPS PNW Chapter for Women in Law & Technology, the Washington State Patent Lawyers Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Dr. Pak holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a minor in biochemistry and a doctorate degree in biomedical engineering from University of Illinois, and her JD and intellectual property certificate is from Chicago-Kent College of Law. As a well-seasoned legal counsel, strategist, and analytical thinker, she brings experience in global leadership, legal expertise, and intellectual property to Committee for Children’s board. As a mother of two and wife of a medical doctor, Dr. Pak sees SEL as vitally important to helping children better process and deal with conflict and frustrations. She is honored to be serving with a group of passionate, smart, driven people to carry out CFC’s mission and values. Dr. Pak joined the board in 2019. Tom Weeks, PhD × Tom Weeks, PhD Tom Weeks is the former executive director of human resources for Seattle Public Schools, as well as a former Seattle City Council member, where he sponsored Seattle’s first Families and Education levy as chair of the Human Services and Education Committee. Mr. Weeks has served on numerous education-related boards, including Lakeside School District, the New School Foundation, and League of Education Voters, and has been a lecturer at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. He holds a PhD in public policy from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. Tom enjoys athletics and has coached girls’ high school teams in basketball, volleyball, and softball. Alonda Williams × Alonda Williams Alonda Williams is a senior executive with over 20 years of leadership experience across technology, education and the nonprofit industries. She has led teams for several Fortune 50 companies including Microsoft, Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm where her performance has been awarded and recognized with high honors. While Alonda has deep subject matter expertise in Product Management, Marketing Communications and CRM, she is equally passionate about People Development and coaching others for high performance. She is known for her direct yet collaborative style Roughly three years ago, Alonda transitioned from High Tech to Nonprofit and currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer for one of the largest nonprofits in the state – The YMCA of Greater Seattle. In her role she is responsible for membership sales, customer experience, digital strategy, marketing and communications. She not only leads her team but serves as a member of the senior leadership team – where she helps to serves as spokesperson, shapes policy and long term organizational strategy. In addition to her professional experience, Alonda has also served as an adjunct instructor at Rutgers University and Bellevue College where she taught Marketing, Human Resource Management and CRM. She has also taught several corporate leadership development programs through City University. Additionally, she is a TEDx organizer where she has brought communities together to share ideas for 3 TEDx events. Outside of work, Alonda is committed to empowering young people, with a particular focus on young girls. As an author and publisher, her children’s book series Penny and the magic puffballs, is designed to build healthy self-esteem in young women. Alonda is an active volunteer with several nonprofit organizations and is married with 2 teenage children. Heather Tow-Yick × Heather Tow-Yick Heather Tow-Yick started as the Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer at Teach For America in February 2019. Previously, she was the Chief of Staff and Chief Transformation Officer with Providence Public Schools and oversaw strategy, development, partnerships, systemwide performance, wellness & social emotional learning, new school design and innovation. In prior roles with Teach For America, she served as the Vice President with Teach For America working on national initiatives and as the Founding Executive Director of Teach for America in Rhode Island. She has also worked as a Managing Director of Human Assets for Teach for America, as a Consultant at the Bridgespan Group and as a Special Assistant to Former New York City’s Chancellor Joel Klein. She started her career as a middle school English teacher with Teach For America. In 2014, Heather ran for State Representative in Rhode Island and earned 34% of the vote in a three-way race in one of the most highly watched races that year. Heather graduated from Brown University, received a master’s degree from Teachers College for teaching and from MIT’s Sloan School of Management for business. Heather is a two-time All American collegiate sailor and a national champion. Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, she is a former New Yorker and now lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, son and two rescue dogs. Growing up in a family that owned and operated Chinese restaurants, she is on a quest to find the best soup dumplings in the pacific northwest. Board Advisors Margie Kates, MEd × Margie Kates, MEd Margie Kates is a former educator and administrator, most recently serving as program administrator and adjunct faculty member at Seattle University’s College of Education. With a background as a K–6 teacher, curriculum coordinator, and principal, Ms. Kates has extensive experience with Second Step and successful implementation of SEL in a school setting. Ms. Kates has served on several education-related boards, currently serves as president of the Women’s University Club of Seattle, and is a board member of Seattle Education Foundation. She holds an MEd in educational administration and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Washington. Board Emeritus Marcia Boyd × Marcia Boyd Marcia Boyd is the (retired) principal of John Rogers Elementary School in the Seattle School District. She is past-president of the Elementary Principal’s Association and was Seattle Regional Outstanding Principal in 2011. Other professional affiliations include membership in the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the Association of Washington School Principals, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Ms. Boyd received both her bachelor’s degree in education and her master’s degree in school administration from Western Washington University. She served on the board from 2002 to 2012. Debra Boyer, PhD × Debra Boyer, PhD Debra Boyer is a cultural anthropologist with 25 years of experience as the principal investigator of studies on urban street cultures, runaway and homeless youth, child sexual abuse and trauma, sexually exploited adolescents, adolescent pregnancy, and women’s reproductive health. She holds faculty appointments as auxiliary faculty in the School of Social Work and Department of Women’s Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. In her work as an applied anthropologist, she has provided leadership to local and national programs and interventions for homeless and sexually exploited youth and has developed programs for a continuum of care for homeless youth. Dr. Boyer is a co-founder of Committee for Children, its first board of directors president, and an active volunteer on the Youth Impact Council for United Way of Seattle/King County. She participates in numerous local and advisory groups of behalf of homeless and exploited children. Dr. Boyer is the proprietor of Boyer Research, through which she conducts ethnographic and policy research. She rejoined the board in 2003. Gail M. Houck, PhD, RN × Gail M. Houck, PhD, RN Gail M. Houck is a professor and chair of family and child nursing at the University of Washington. Previously she served as a professor and program director of the PhD, MPH, and post-master DNP programs at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, following a long and esteemed career of teaching, research, and practice as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Much of her research has focused on family and child health and related outcomes. She’s written numerous articles and a book, Depression in Children and Adolescents: Guidelines for School Practice, published in 2013. She’s also contributed chapters to many other books; presented at dozens of local, national, and international conferences; and received several honors and awards, including the Distinguished Faculty Award for Service in 2013 from Oregon Health & Science University. She’s led and served on a long list of professional committees and been a respected advisor and program evaluator. She received her master’s degree from the University of Oregon and her bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Washington. She joined Committee for Children’s board in 2014. Lois Maag × Lois Maag Lois Maag is the strategic advisor in community relations for Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, where she heads up brand marketing and communications. She served as Starbucks Coffee Company’s first community affairs manager, responsible for the corporation’s local and national community affairs strategy. There, she managed the team responsible for contributions, volunteerism, and workplace giving. Prior to joining Starbucks, she was responsible for communications, public affairs, and brand marketing at Seattle Center. Ms. Maag holds bachelor of science degrees from Indiana University and University of Edinburgh and a certificate in corporate community involvement from the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College. She is a past volunteer with United Way, Leadership Tomorrow, and Phinney Center. She joined the board in 2009. Michael Herschensohn, PhD × Michael Herschensohn, PhD Michael Herschensohn has directed the Children’s Museum, the Museum of History and Industry, and Northwest Folklife, for which he received the 2006 Mayor’s Act Award. As a member of Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, he led the centennial celebration of The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, the 1909 World’s Fair that put Seattle on national and international maps. In addition to his work with Committee for Children, Dr. Herschensohn has served with such community organizations as Successful Schools in Action, the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum, the Maritime Heritage Foundation, the James W. Washington Foundation, and Historic Seattle. Dr. Herschensohn received a master of arts in historic preservation planning from Cornell University and a PhD in romance languages and literature from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Herschensohn joined the board in 2005. Ed Rogan × Ed Rogan Ed Rogan is vice President, executive recruitment, at Waldron, a Seattle-based human talent consulting firm founded in 1983 with offices throughout the west, and has been with the firm since 1995. Mr. Rogan received bachelor’s degrees in sociology (cum laude) and psychology from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver. Ed is a husband to Laura (m. 1994) and father to Zoe (b. 1999) and Liam (b. 2003) and spends some of his spare time performing with his band Blackjack Kerouac at events hosted by organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the YMCA, among others. Sarah Ellen Stanley × Sarah Ellen Stanley Sarah Ellen Stanley has applied her skills and experience in management, curriculum implementation, branding and strategic planning, cross-cultural awareness, editing, writing, and broadcasting to various roles as an educator, journalist, and international consultant. She worked with foreign correspondents in the Pacific Rim as managing editor of Pacific Rim News Service and has consulted for the Japanese consulate. She has taught and helped implement curricula at LABO, a Japanese international exchange company, and Vashon Island High School. A recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists Investigative Journalism Award, a Stanford University fellowship, and a Japanese government research fellowship, Ms. Stanley has a bachelor of arts degree in political science and communications from the University of Washington and master’s degrees in teaching from City University and social science from the University of Chicago. In addition to her community service on the Queen Anne Helpline board of directors, Ms. Stanley has also served on the boards of Copper Canyon Press and City University. She joined the board in 2005.