Board of Trustees

List of 20 members.

• 

  Tonya Peck 

  Chair

  Bio

   

  Tonya is the parent of a 2020 SGS alum, the Parent Ed lead during 2018-2020, and joined the board in 2022. She is an Executive Director with Dress for Success Worldwide, the global workforce development organization with a mission to empower women to achieve economic independence. Tonya’s background is a blend of global technology, design, and organization development. She has extensive experience building teams, leaders, and organizations at Fortune 500 companies and global NPOs. Beyond her day job, she’s civically active on local and national levels, with a strong focus on in-powering women, creating inclusive environments, and preparing organizations for the future. She has a BA in International Business from American University, and MA in Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University.  

   
• 

  Liz Marzolf 

  Immediate Past Chair

  Bio

  Liz rejoined as a SGS board trustee in July 2020, after previously serving as a trustee from 2007-2016, all in the capacity of a SGS Community member. She received her BA from Mount Holyoke College and holds a MEd in educational psychology and a PhD in educational leadership from the University of Washington. As a member of the executive leadership team, Liz drives the long-term people and organization strategy and oversees all aspects of the employee experience for Port Blakely, a 150-year-old Northwest-based family-owned organization. Previously, Liz spent several years in various organization development and HR leadership positions at Starbucks, WeWork, Accenture, and educational non-profits. Liz also serves as an advisory council member for The Mountaineers. As an SGS trustee, Liz brings her leadership skills leading and consulting on organization sustainability and systemic change in support of ensuring SGS is financially and strategically positioned to continue to deliver its powerful and impactful mission for years to come.
• 

  Elizabeth Morrison 

  Treasurer | Chair, Finance Committee

  Bio

  Liz is the parent of a 2013 SGS alum and joined the board in 2022. She is currently the Director of Corporate Finance at the Port of Seattle where she has served for over 25 years. Her work includes long range financial planning and capital market access for SeaTac Airport and maritime facilities as well as developing financial policies that support the Port’s economic development goals. She brings experience applying financial sustainability tools to support a non-finance mission. Liz also serves on the Advisory Board of Seattle University Economics Department. She has a BA in history from the College of Wooster, and MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins and an MBA from Northwestern.
• 

  Lynelle Hunter 

  Secretary

  Bio

  Lyn is the parent of a current SGS student but her passion for our school when she served as an SGS mentor 17 years ago; she has been an Annual Luncheon enthusiast ever since. The power of collective learning and action has always been a focus of Lyn’s career and community work. She is currently the Director of Regional Strategies & Networks at Philanthropy Northwest where she focuses on catalyzing collective action through networks, such as building a movement of anti-hate and anti-violence funding. She currently serves on the board of the Seattle Parks Foundation and as a joyful Girl Scout troop leader. She was formerly at the United Way of King County and served on the boards of Sound Childcare Solutions, Conflict Resolution Institute, and local chapter co-chair of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy Puget Sound. Lyn is honored to help guide SGS as we inspire our future leaders to boldly create an anti-racist and equitable world.
• 

  Cara Bailey 

  Trustee | Co-Chair, Risk and Resilience Committee

  Bio

  Since 2021 Cara Bailey has served as a Community Member on the SGS Risk and
  Resilience Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s
  degree in business administration. Cara is retired after a career in healthcare
  administration, most recently as Senior Vice President, Innovation and Improvement at
  Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Institute. Her background includes leadership
  positions in human resources, performance improvement, leadership development,
  safety systems, patient and family engagement, risk, and regulatory compliance. Cara
  currently serves on the Board of the American Red Cross of King County, of which she
  was chair in 2017-18. She has been on leadership committees for several professional
  associations, as well as staff to Board Committees at Seattle Children’s and Franciscan
  Health System. Cara brings a depth of experience in organizational development and
  performance improvement and a lens of balancing competing priorities in service to the
  organization’s mission and community.
• 

  David Basior 

  Trustee

  Bio

  David Basior is passionate about SGS, its leadership, faculty, staff, and students. As a decades-long worker in education and youth work - from youth soccer referee to youth group director, from assistant classroom teacher to synagogue education director - David is happy to bring his experience and values of economic, racial, gender, and labor justice to the SGS board. Graduating from the University of Florida in Business Management (BS) in 2001 and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (MA) in 2015 as a rabbi, David has served as Rabbi of the Kadima Reconstructionist Community since 2015 and Co-director of Kadima since 2022. He lives in SGS's neighborhood in a co-housing community (where he currently serves as co-coordinator) with his partner Ariel, SGS student Madrona, daughter Gallia, his mom Diane, and their golden doodle, Trudy.
• 

  Jason  Chien 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Jason is a physician scientist with a passion for education and developing future leaders. He’s also the father of two budding scientists, both alumni of SGS. Jason is the Global Head of Respiratory Infections R&D and Global Head of Infectious Diseases Clinical Translational Research at Janssen Biopharma, a Johnson & Johnson company. In this role, he steers diverse R&D teams to advance preventive and therapeutic strategies across multiple platforms. Before Janssen, Jason worked was the Respiratory Lead at Gilead Sciences. Prior to his pharmaceutical industry journey, he was an Associate Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Washington and an Associate Member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

   

  Jason obtained his undergraduate degree from University of Michigan, his MD from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, and his MS in Genetic Epidemiology from University of Washington. His post-graduate training includes Internal Medicine Residency and Infectious Diseases Fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at the University of Washington.
• 

  Sarah Ewart 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Sarah is the proud parent of an SGS alum and joined the board in 2019, the year her daughter graduated. She is a Founder and Managing Partner of the global health practice at Adduna Health Partners, a firm that brings broad health expertise and a collaborative approach to address complex challenges in the US and around the world. Sarah has spent more than 20 years advancing health innovations and impact in the nonprofit, private, and philanthropy sectors. As a trustee and former SGS board chair, she brings her skills in leadership, strategy, partnership development, and donor engagement to advance the mission of SGS. She enjoys volunteering for SGS because she is passionate about girls' education and believes in its transformative power to develop courageous and confident leaders. Sarah holds a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Washington and Master's in International Development from the London School of Economics.  
• 

  Danyaile Hammond 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Danyaile is excited to join the SGS family! She is a long time resident of the local central Seattle area and most importantly, the proud parent of a middle school-aged daughter. She has a BA degree in Human Development, a Masters degree in Education, and soon an EdD degree in Social Justice Leadership. Danyaile works in higher education, where she develops programs and implements strategic plans to increase student support and cultivate caring and inclusive campus environments. The focus of her work (and research) is on supporting students' success and improving organizational climates and equity. Danyaile serves as a leader on the university’s Diversity Council and Anti-racism taskforce. Prior to working in higher ed, Danyaile gained experience, skills, and connections working across a variety of fields including health care, hospitality, government, nonprofit, hospitality, and retail. As a volunteer, Danyaile has focused on mentoring youth, food and economic sustainability, and community building and empowerment. Danyaile offers a unique perspective, valuable skills, a deep commitment to quality education and equitable change.
• 

  Kayla  Kerr 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Kayla is a proud SGS alum and third generation Seattleite. She joined the Finance Committee in 2021 and became a Board member in 2022. Kayla holds a BA in Economics from Seattle University and is currently a Vice President at JP Morgan. In her role, Kayla works closely with institutions and endowments, as well as private individuals and families to build out investment portfolios that align with their goals. As a trustee, Kayla brings her skills in steering resources in an effective way to help implement strategies to ultimately drive the mission of the school. Kayla is passionate about supporting girl’s education, opportunities, and confidence. She is eager to help develop the next generation

  of community and business leaders.
• 

  Brenda Leaks 

  Trustee | Head of School

  Bio

  Brenda has worked in independent middle schools across the country. In Philadelphia, Brenda worked with Breakthrough Collaborative, a non-profit focused on helping low-income students move from middle school through college, which was housed at local independent school Germantown Friends School. Brenda then taught middle school Spanish and worked on diversity initiatives at The Baldwin School, an all-girls PreK-12 independent school, and The Shipley School, a co-ed PreK-12 independent school. After completing a graduate school program focused on private school leadership at Teachers College Columbia University, Brenda moved to Austin, Texas to become the Middle School Head at Trinity Episcopal School of Austin, a K-8 independent school. An opportunity to be the Middle School Head at The Overlake School, a 5-12 co-ed independent school, in Redmond brought Brenda to the Puget Sound. She is excited to now be the third Head of School at Seattle Girls’ School.
• 

  Dorothy Liu 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Dorothy is a long-time SGS community member, having supported the school since it opened in 2001. She’s been a mentor to students, parent of an alumnae (2017), and former co-chair of the Community Association of Parents. Dorothy holds an Economics BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. Dorothy is the founder and principal of Resonant Strategies, a coaching and consulting services company dedicated to the development of leaders and organizations driven toward social transformation in both public and private sectors. Prior to starting Resonant Strategies, she spent over 25 years with some of the biggest brands in the world. She then founded and led a boutique business strategy and marketing consultancy with annual billings that landed it in the top 5% of women owned businesses in the US with a workforce that was 95% female. In addition to her role in SGS, Dorothy is the VP, Board of Directors for the Wonderland Developmental Center, and a PTA officer at Cougar Ridge Elementary. She brings institutional memory, business and marketing savvy, and experience with high performance teams and organizational development to her role on the SGS board. She is passionate about the school’s mission and strives to support the evolution of its thought leadership amongst independent schools.
• 

  Nisa Orozco 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Nisa is a ’04 alum from SGS’s inaugural class. As D1 student athlete, Nisa graduated Saint Mary’s College of CA with a BS in Psychology.  Settling in Oakland, Nisa became a 5th grade homeroom teacher, a full spectrum doula and a varsity head lacrosse coach. Nisa’s experience as a doula led her to her ultimate calling, to become a midwife. She is graduating from Bastyr University with a Masters in Midwifery with a concentration in Botanical Medicine. Nisa’s experience as an educator grounded in empowerment and advocacy, strongly guides how she plans to approach and implement changes in maternal healthcare. She strives to help create a healthcare system that reflects the communities that she will be serving. Ultimately, her dream is to aid practitioners and legislation in adopting a maternal healthcare culture guided by principles of accessibility, prevention, quality care, and culturally appropriate education. Nisa’s experience as an educator and reproductive justice approach to maternal health care closely aligns with SGS’s mission of developing courageous leaders who champion change.
• 

  Jing Redman 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Jing (‘12) is a proud SGS alum and has been serving as a mentor since her return to Seattle a year ago. Jing holds a MA in International Relations from the University of St Andrews (Scotland), which has led her to live and work all over the world, including in Romania during the onset of the war when the first wave of Ukrainian refugees arrived and Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic and the escalating tensions with China. Currently, Jing leads operations at a fast-growing venture-backed technology company that is at the forefront of AI innovation. As a trustee, Jing brings her extensive international experience, global perspective, and expertise in technology to help SGS stay ahead of the curve and anticipate the evolving role of education in our increasingly technology-driven world. Jing is dedicated to supporting SGS's mission and navigating the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
• 

  Kathryn (Katie) Rosen 

  Trustee | Co-Chair, Risk and Resilience Committee

  Bio

  Katie is the proud parent of an SGS alumna. She started volunteering with the SGS mock trial program before her daughter was a student. Katie has an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor from Tulane University. She is an employment litigator at Davis Wright Tremaine. She has a passion for serving and supporting causes that advance women and girls and has

  served on many boards in the Seattle area.
• 

  Leigh Toner 

  Trustee | Chair, Design Committee

  Bio

  Leigh is the parent of two proud SGS graduates. She served as co-chair for the Rise Up Campaign Feasibility Study in 2017 and joined the board in 2018. Leigh is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in American history and literature. She spent ten years as a volunteer in Seattle Public Schools where she worked as a library assistant, in the classroom, and on PTA special projects. She is an avid cook and specializes in gluten free menus. From 2003 until its close in 2018, Leigh volunteered as an instructor’s assistant at the Bon Vivant School of Cooking in Seattle. In 2019 she was honored to join her husband, Chris Capossela, as Campaign Co-Chair for the United Way of King County. In addition to SGS, she serves on the boards of United Way of King County and Seattle Arts and Lectures. Leigh is excited to help SGS build a permanent home, where each student can explore and develop their voice to influence positive change in the world.
• 

  Mina Yoo 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Throughout her professional life, Mina has been working to create opportunities for women and people of color. With a BA from Brown University and a dual Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Mina was an academic at the University of Washington Foster School of Business and Stanford University, researching and teaching entrepreneurship, especially what was then called “minority entrepreneurship.” Mina then invented a product based on her needs as an outdoor enthusiast and a mom and then went on to start a consumer product business that was acquired. During her career as an entrepreneur, she served as a mentor to many women and founders of color and then decided to scale her mentoring by writing a book called Be an InventHer: An Everywomen’s Guide to Creating the Next Big Thing (published by Penguin Randomhouse). After the acquisition of her company, Mina went on to serve as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at REI’s new venture fund for founders of color, creating and running its first accelerator. Mina is currently continuing to work with REI’s venture fund while helping start-ups grow and scale their businesses. Mina first learned about SGS from a friend who was serving on its board and couldn’t wait for her daughter to get old enough to attend. She is thrilled that her daughter is finally attending this amazing school!
• 

  Bryan Wharton 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Bryan Wharton joined the Seattle Girls' School finance committee in August 2023. With a Bachelor of
  Science in Accounting from the University of Dayton, Bryan brings a strong financial foundation to SGS.
  Bryan's professional journey began at Cardinal Health, completing a three-year Finance leadership
  program, gaining valuable experience.
  
  In July 2019, Bryan transitioned to Amazon.com, supporting the expansion of Amazon’s package delivery
  service, overseeing funding proposals for new Amazon buildings to achieve their goal of the biggest
  parcel delivery business in the US. Now in Program Management, he develops scalable solutions to
  advance Amazon's Transportation Services objectives.
  
  A resident of the Central District, he's committed to using his finance and program management
  expertise to nurture future leaders. Previously, Bryan volunteered with Reading Partners Seattle and Big
  Brother Big Sister, showcasing his passion for education and community.
• 

  Timothy Wilson 

  Trustee

  Bio

  Tim and his family are new to the SGS community and their daughter is a current SGS student. Tim earned his BS degree in Marketing from San Diego State University, an M.Ed. degree in Student Affairs

  Administration from The University of Vermont, and a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri–Columbia. After serving in a variety of administrative and

  adjunct faculty roles at Seattle University, the University of Vermont, and Willamette University, Tim currently serves as the Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Washington Bothell. As a trustee, Tim brings his experience in assessment, DEI work, and educational administration to the Board.
• 

  Stephanie Wright 

  Trustee / Chair, Committee on Trustees

  Bio

  Stephanie is the proud parent of a 2020 SGS alum. She holds a BA in History from Spelman College, an MAT from Tufts University, and a PhD in History from Rutgers University. She is the Director of Programs at Rainier Scholars, Tacoma. Passionate about all things related to education and empowerment, Stephanie has facilitated leadership retreats for Rainier Scholars and volunteers with the Sewing Circle, producing feminine hygiene products for school aged girls in Cameroon. She has also co-organized an independent school fair (School Daze) to introduce families of color to independent school options in the greater Seattle area. A school leader with a proven ability to lead teams and see the big picture, Stephanie has spent the last 20 years teaching students at every level from upper elementary through college. She brings to SGS her enthusiasm for our school and mission as well as a deep knowledge of independent schools and best practices in middle and high schools.