ALF Fellows Class XXX

April Black (Non-Profit)
Executive Director
Tacoma Housing Authority

April Black is the Executive Director of the Tacoma Housing Authority. April began working in housing authorities while in college and has over 20 years of experience in the field. She has worked at the Missoula (MT), Bremerton (WA), and Tacoma (WA) Housing Authorities in a variety of roles. April completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Communication Studies at The University of Montana. She lives in Tacoma with her husband Eric and son Wyatt (12). Her oldest child, Demi (20), is attending Western Washington University in Bellingham. When April isn’t working she is hiking, biking, traveling, or just hanging out with her family.

Kelly Blucher (Community Activist)
Community Engagement Coordinator
Workforce Central

Kelly Blucher is a mom of three wonderful children, Justice -16, Mason – 7 and Kennedy -5. She looks forward to getting married in July 2023 to her longtime partner, best friend and amazing father Norman Brickhouse. They have been together 15 years and have finally decided to take this leap.  Kelly is fiercely dedicated to her children and family, including their 140-pound puppy Lab/St. Bernard – Lincoln. She lives life to its fullest through laughter, a wild sense of humor, a lot of love and caring for our community. To understand Kelly, you will learn a long back story – full of trials, addiction, homelessness and let down early as a child by a broken system. Kelly has dedicated her life to ensuring that others do not have a similar path but instead voices are heard, and programs are written through lived experience and reality.

Currently, Kelly serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Workforce-Central. She began this position after nine years with Goodwill where she began as a donation attendant and quickly moved through advancements into Community Engagement. She has become a well-known advocate for childcare, homelessness, career pathways, and more. Kelly also cares for her mother, who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 63. She describes herself as an onion, as there are so many layers to understand why and who she is today and she finds the most joy in uplifting voices not often heard as she was once that voice. In 2021, she ran for Tacoma City Council, not to be a politician but to speak side by side with our Tacoma community. This was likely the most challenging thing she has ever done and took quite a toll on her mental health. She often says she is still recovering from politics.

Kelly looks forward to this opportunity with ALF and to meeting Class XXX.

Craig Davison (Healthcare | Military)
Executive Director of Marketing Communications
MultiCare Foundations

Craig has been the Executive Director of Marketing Communications for MultiCare Foundations since January of 2022, responsible for helping MultiCare raise over $38M in annual philanthropic giving for  foundations such as the Mary Bridge Foundation and the Good Samaritan Foundation.  Before that, he was the Chief Communications Officer at Sound Transit and led marketing for Xbox games and the Xbox LIVE online gaming service.

Craig brings 30 years of experience in global marketing-communications leadership across private, government and the non-profit sectors and has managed teams of up to 70 employees.  Craig is a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and sustainability, having served on the board for the Seattle Aquarium and is currently serving on the boards for the Nisqually Land Trust and Communities for a Healthy Bay.  Craig was stationed at Fort Lewis in 1991 after serving honorably in the Gulf War and has been a Washington resident ever since.

Outside of work, Craig enjoys being in the outdoors, planning adventures with friends, attending the theater and still playing the occasional video game.

Mary Dunaway Cage (Media)
Chief Development Officer
Cinereach

Mary Dunaway Cage is the Chief Development Officer with Cinereach, a nonprofit focused on telling captivating stories that create a more equitable, regenerative and resilient society. She has over 17 years of fundraising and marketing experience in the media industry including annual fund raising, capital campaign fundraising, grant writing, major and planned giving and events and is also a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).

In her previous role as the Executive Director of Development with KNKX 88.5 FM, she led a team of 20 people in membership, major giving, business support, marketing, events and community partnerships. In addition to raising over $7M annually in operating support, Mary also led her team in two multimillion dollar capital campaigns to build new studios.

In 2016, she co-led a campaign which raised $7M in 6 months to save her organization from acquisition. As a result, she was awarded Development Director of the Year in 2017 by the national public media development and marketing association.

When she is not working she enjoys spending time cooking, dancing, listening to music and hanging out with her very large family which includes her husband, two daughters, 4 dogs, sisters, brothers, parents and many nieces, nephews and cousins!

Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange (Education)
Chancellor & CEO
University of Washington Tacoma

Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange was appointed Chancellor of UW Tacoma in September 2021. As the chief executive officer of the campus she provides leadership on all campus matters. She has worked in higher education administration for over 35 years and has been a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion throughout her career.

Sheila has been an active contributor to many civic and educational boards both locally and nationally to advance educational excellence and inclusion. She currently serves on the boards of Pugh Capital Management, the Seattle Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Washington Campus Compact, AAA Washington and the Seattle Art Museum.

Sheila has been married to her husband Kip for 21 years.  They have one very spoiled cat Gabby.

Anita Gallagher (Entrepreneur)
Government Relations Consultant
Self-Employed

Anita Gallagher is an independent government relations consultant and freelance writer working primarily in the public policy arena. Prior to starting her own business, she led government relations for the City of Tacoma and held regional relations and policy efforts at Tacoma Public Utilities and Lime. Her clients include the cities of Mercer Island and Tacoma, Gordon Thomas Honeywell Government Relations, and others. She currently serves as the Board Treasurer for Downtown: On the Go! and as an Advisory Board Member for the University of Washington-Tacoma’s School of Urban Studies. In her spare time, Anita enjoys gardening and creative writing, and watching movies with her husband, Eric, and kitten, Betty Lou. She takes long walks and makes an effort to explore various neighborhoods throughout Tacoma.

Sherese Gamble (Politics & Government)
DEI & Workforce Development Program Manager
South King Fire

Sherese Gamble is a dynamic professional with knowledge in a variety of industries. She has gained a reputation for achieving positive results in demanding environments. She sits on the Tacoma Women of Color Collective’s Board, founded We Will Thrive mentoring, runs a consulting business, and serves as South King Fire’s Inclusion and Workforce Development Program Manager. Keeping community at the center of her work, her mission is simple – she is passionate about empowering individuals and inspiring leaders to differentiate themselves as game changers that optimize operations and outcomes.

Hunter George (Politics & Government)
Government Relations Officer
Metro Parks Tacoma

Hunter has held executive roles in communications, human resources, and newsgathering during a career spanning more than 30 years in local government and the news media. He has worked for Metro Parks Tacoma since 2015 and currently serves as Government Relations Officer, where he helps guide the Park District’s relationships with local, state, and federal governments.

Hunter also serves the community in a variety of other ways, including as an elected member of the Fircrest City Council and as a member of the leadership team of the South Sound Affordable Housing Partnership.

He grew up in North Carolina and especially loves Eastern N.C.-style barbecue, sweet iced tea and his mother’s pecan pie. Hunter and his wife Kathleen have been married for 15 years and have a teenage son named Ryan. Hunter’s daughter from a previous marriage, Madeleine, is a senior at Arizona State University. Renata, a Paraguayan exchange student who lived with the Georges in high school and again while attending TCC, is also a treasured member of the family who is continuing her studies in Kansas.

Fabiola Greenawalt (Environment | Professional)
Program Officer
The Russell Family Foundation

Fabiola Greenawalt is a program officer at The Russell Family Foundation (TRFF) and has been with the organization since 2010. She is responsible for managing relationships and developing portfolios of grants that support the organization’s goals.  She brings over ten years of experience working in philanthropy and over ten years working in government programs at the City of Seattle.

She is a board member of Blue Sky Funders Forum, the Environmental Grantmakers Association, an advisory board member of the Trust for Public Land’s northwest region, an alumna of the PLACES Fellowship at The Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities; and volunteers on various regional and national advisory committees focused on environmental issues.

Fabiola and her husband Chuck have been married for over 30 years. At home, her duties include taking care of her Newfoundland dog, Angus, and counting the days for her son, Kobe, to visit from college during breaks. She emigrated to the United States from Guatemala and has made South Puget Sound her home for more than 30 years.

Allyson Griffith (Politics & Government)
Director, Neighborhood and Community Services
City of Tacoma

Allyson Griffith was appointed Director of Neighborhood and Community Services for the City of Tacoma in October 2022.  She brings 15 years of dedicated municipal service to this position as well as a passion for Tacoma.

She is responsible for management of the City’s response to homelessness, youth and domestic violence, senior wellness and code compliance.  Prior to her appointment, Allyson served as Assistant Director for the department and prior to that managed teams responsible for community engagement.

Allyson resides in the Hilltop with her partner Matt and their dog Stella.  She can often be found wandering the trails at Point Defiance or paddling in the waters of the Puget Sound.

Keith Hall (Criminal Justice)
General Counsel & Chief People Officer
Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region

Keith Hall has held executive positions for several organizations, including for a Fortune 100 company and multi-billion dollar foundations.

Currently serving as General Counsel for Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region, he is also the organization’s Chief Compliance Officer and Chief People Officer, responsible for all legal matters, loss prevention, safety, security, talent acquisition, learning and development, and human resource operations.

For the last 30 years, Keith has had the pleasure of serving as a corporate attorney, directing operations for a $3 billion global organization, leading a $30 million major donor fundraising team, and designing organizational strategy during significant change.

Keith enjoys teaching martial arts, watching sports, listening to music, eating good food and drinking strong coffee.

Will Hausa (Environmental)
Founder | Assistant Division Manager of Billing and Technical Services
Waterversity | City of Tacoma

Will Hausa, was appointed the Assistant Division Manager of Billing and Technical Services for the City of Tacoma in September 2022. He has over 15 years of experience in the field conservation of water and management.

Will leads a team that serves as the frontline customer service representatives for the City’s Environmental Services department. Prior to his current appointment, Will started Waterversity, a nonprofit organization that provides public health awareness and environmental job training in water related careers.

Will and his wife have been inseparable for a decade. At home, his hobbies include studying human health and the multifaceted conditions that impact life expectancy and quality of life. Will enjoys being present and in the moment with family. And finds purpose and balance through his relationship with his wife, and two children, Ammon and Asar.

Jennifer Keating (Environmental)
Land Use Manager & Assistant Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
Puyallup Tribe of Indians

Jennifer is an enrolled member of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians where she has worked for 14 years, currently as Land Use Manager, Assistant Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Chair of the Sustainability Working Group. Jennifer permits projects within the boundaries of the Puyallup Reservation, manages tribal land use projects, and reviews projects within Puyallup Usual & Accustomed lands and waterways for land use compatibility and cultural resource impacts. Jennifer has worked previously in Tribal Historic Preservation as Outreach Specialist teaching and advocating for Puyallup Tribal history in local School Districts, Universities, and businesses.

Jennifer is a recent graduate of Native Action Network’s Legacy of Leadership Program and currently serves as the Chair of Peninsula School District’s Native Education Advisory Board, serves on the District’s DEI Committee, and is an Advisory Board member for the Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund.

Jennifer and her husband, John Jolibois are raising their 4 children together, Jack (17), Luke (15), Axel (11) and Zoe (7). In her free time, she volunteers as a coach for Gig Harbor Little League Softball and enjoys being on the water with her family.  Jennifer is passionate about environmental justice, advocating for tribal representation and natural and cultural resource protection for a better future for both Native and non-Native communities.

Chelsea Levy (Politics & Government)
Acting Deputy Executive Director of Capital Projects
Sound Transit

Chelsea was appointed Acting Deputy Executive Director for Capital Projects at Sound Transit in 2022. In this capacity she oversees the project teams planning for expansions of Sounder commuter rail and Link light rail to Everett and Tacoma. She has served for over 10 years at Sound Transit including roles as South Corridor Development Director and Government and Community Relations Manager.

She brings nearly 20 years of experience in government relations and urban planning. Prior to Sound Transit Chelsea worked at several agencies including Pierce Transit, City of Tacoma, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and City of Seattle. Her interest in politics and planning began while working on political campaigns in the early 2000s.

Chelsea and her husband Josh McDonald met as campaign staff for former Congressman Norm Dicks and have been married for 15 year in August. Their two boys Liam (age 10) and Eli (age 7) are proudly fifth generation Tacomans. When not chauffeuring their children to sports games and practices Chelsea loves to ski, take long walks around Tacoma with their Chocolate Lab Ninja, practice yoga and read.

Dr. Zeeba Mathews (Healthcare)
Palliative Care Physician, Medical Director
MultiCare Health System

Zeeba Mathews was appointed as the Medical Director for Palliative care within MultiCare Health System in January of 2019.  Her responsibilities at work include managing the day-to-day functioning and growth of Multicare’s palliative care division. This includes equipping and meeting the needs of several palliative care physicians, nurse, practitioners, social workers, and coordinators, in order that they can in turn meet the needs of very sick and often terminally ill patients. As part of her role, Zeeba oversees the scheduling and ongoing education of the palliative care team. Expanding access to palliative care across Pierce County, and the Puget sound is part of her vision and goal.

Prior to this appointment, Zeeba worked as a palliative care physician with Multicare for a year. And prior to that she worked as the Medical Director of a Palliative care department at community Hospital in Midland Texas. She has been a practicing physician since 2005. For the first eight years of her career, she worked as a hospitalist physician before transitioning to palliative care in 2012.

Zeeba has not been able to consistently volunteer in the community with her current professional role and managing a busy family. When possible, she participates in 5K runs, walks to support a cause. She has been married to her spouse Arun for 19 years and they have two teenage children. The family has a wonderful and much-loved dog, called Kitara.

At home, Zeeba enjoys, keeping her family fed and organized. She often finds herself driving from Lake Tapps to Tacoma, ferrying her children to basketball and volleyball games, to, and from school events. She is the most enthusiastic hiker in her family and often must drag the other three members for hikes on the weekend. She is very excited and feels very privileged to be a part of this ALF group.

Matthew Mauer (Military | Politics & Government)
Government Affairs Manager
Port of Tacoma

Matthew was appointed Government Affairs Manager for the Port of Tacoma in August of 2021 and has nearly 10 years of government affairs/external relations experience.

Matthew grew up in the South Sound and joined the U.S. Coast Guard right out of high school where he spent nine years and two overseas deployments. Afterwards, Matthew worked for Senator Patty Murray, Vulcan Inc., and most recently served the Director of External Affairs for Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib before beginning his current role as Government Affairs Manager for the Port of Tacoma where he manages the Port’s relationship with all local jurisdictions within Pierce County.

Matthew and his husband have been married for four years. They welcomed their newborn son into their lives in October of 2020. Much of his home time is spent wrangling various toddler duties while relaxing as much as possible with his husband their dog DeeDee.

Dr. Ahlmahz Negash (Politics & Government)
Senior Power Analyst
Tacoma Power

Ahlmahz Negash is a Senior Power Analyst at Tacoma Power, where she is responsible for technical analysis and stakeholder engagement in the utility’s long-term energy resource plan. She is currently on a year-long sabbatical to lead an energy policy proposal aimed at reducing energy burden and preventing energy poverty.

After her first two years of college, Ahlmahz took a 10-year academic break to travel the world, teach English and volunteer. This international experience helped to instill in her a strong sense of community and a desire to consider societal impacts in every aspect of her work. She currently serves on the boards of Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Associated Ministries, and Essentials First.

Ahlmahz is originally from California and holds a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Washington. In her free time, she loves traveling, visiting coffee shops, and spending time with family and friends.

Tara Newton (Community Activist | Non-Profit)
Executive Director
Hilltop Action Coalition

Since Tara’s first day at Rainbow Center in 2014, she has worked with vision and passion to uphold our organization’s social justice mission for the BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. Tara has held multiple positions at Rainbow Center, her most recent as our Advocacy Manager. Tara expands much of the vital networking, partnership building, resource gathering and support so many in our community have needed over the years.

Tara is truly dedicated to serving her community and has been promoted to Deputy Director for the Rainbow Center in 2022. Tara is elated to serve in this role as she will manage Admin, Education, Advocacy and daily Operations of the Rainbow Center. In her new position, Tara hopes to continue to make Rainbow Center’s community members, partners, sponsors more inclusive and collaborative, and to cultivate greater relationships between community members and Rainbow Center.

Tara is a proud alum of The Evergreen State College, Tacoma campus, Go Sankofa! She is a proud first generation graduate. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is so important to her and translates to every area of her life. It was very important for Tara to take advantage of all opportunities to be involved while on her academic journey. She served as Chair on the Student Activities and Allocation Board, Librarian and sat on the Student Activities and Allocation Board, Librarian and sat on the President Advisory Board as the Tacoma Campus Student representative.

Tara has a wide array of interests, traveling and sightseeing is number one on her list. She also enjoys crafting, hosting wellness events, painting, hiking, cooking, board games and any new adventures that come her way. She is the oldest child and a natural leader. She has so much to offer our society at large, and is an encouraging voice for anyone who may need one. Tara believes it is important that community members, particularly communities of color and those in the LGBTQIA community, are connected, supported and uplifted.

Jermaine Ogden (Healthcare)
Program Manager, Bariatric & Structural Heart, Care Delivery
Kaiser Permanente

Jermaine Ogden has been with Kaiser Permanente for the last 15 years and serves as a Program Manager over Bariatric & Structural Heart in Care Delivery.  He currently manages the patient pathways and assists with the accreditation process with Overlake Hospital. In his previous role he has managed the Payment Card Industry Program for the  KPWA region.  In this role he is responsible for managing compliance activities around the processing, storage and operations for all credit card activities for KPWA.  He also served  as an Internal Security Assessor (ISA) and has consulted on introducing new payment applications into the operational environment. Additionally, he has served as a manager both in Patient Financial Services and the Puyallup Medical Center for Group Health Cooperative as well as a Senior Healthcare Consultant for Moss Adams.

Currently Jermaine is a Senior Leader in the Army Reserves and has been in the Army for the last 19 years.  He is extremely passionate about Family, Leadership and the growth and development of others.  He has a BA in Organizational Leadership and  holds a certification  as a Payment Card Industry Professional (PCIP)  and Master Resilience Trainer (MRT).  In 2021 Jermaine launched an independent consulting company (Elevate Plus Consulting), which has a primary focus on leadership development, executive coaching and project management.

In his personal time he thoroughly enjoys spending time with his wife of 25 years and 5 children.  He enjoys taking time to travel and helping others find their passion.  He also serves as a board treasurer for a nonprofit organization who’s primary focus is to eradicate homelessness in Pierce County.

Jeremy Simler (Non-Profit)
Executive Director
NW Furniture Bank

Jeremy Simler was appointed Executive Director of NW Furniture Bank (NWFB) in October of 2022. Jeremy worked in various capacities at NWFB for 10 years prior to his appointment as ED.

He is responsible for leading a diverse team that serves our community by furnishing people’s homes. Prior to the NW Furniture Bank, Jeremy spent time in the local banking industry and in Latin America working in the NGO sector.

Jeremy and his wife have been married for 24 years. He loves to cook, follow his two teenagers around, travel, ski and spend time with his friends and O’Hana (the family dog).

Abby Salvador Sloan (Education)
Principal, Reed Elementary
Tacoma Public Schools

Hello ALF Senior Fellows and facilitators. I am so happy to be entering this next year’s ALF class. I have heard many great things from previous participants and I have always wanted to do this. I can’t wait to learn from you. I am uplifted by conversations with people from different pathways and experience and always learn so much. I love to travel and have visited over 60 countries and is the reason why my bank account was often lacking in my 20s and 30s. I am empowered working with others to build something that can only bring this city closer to its destiny. I am a principal within the Tacoma Public Schools and can’t believe how much I love my job. I’m looking forward to meeting you and broadening my horizons on what both community means and how leadership can affect it for the better.

Sionna Stallings-Alailima (Politics & Government)
Assistant Fire Chief
Tacoma Fire Department

Sionna Stallings-Alailima, was appointed Assistant Fire Chief for the Tacoma Fire Department in May 2022.  She stepped into this role having previously served in the ranks of Firefighter, Paramedic, Lieutenant, Captain, and Medical Services Officer.

She is currently responsible for Staffing and Logistics in the Operations division.  Prior to this appointment, Sionna managed operations of Emergency Medical Services. A task that provided many extraordinary challenges during the pandemic.

Sionna and her husband met while working for TFD and have been together for more than 10 years.  She has a 7 year-old daughter and a large extended family, many of which live in Tacoma and surrounding areas.  Family is everything to her and their love and support is the foundation for every success she has and will achieve.

Dr. Julie A. Manley White (Education)
Chancellor & CEO
Pierce College

Julie A. Manley White was appointed Chancellor and CEO of Pierce College District in January 2023.  Prior to that, she served as President of Pierce College Fort Steilacoom starting July 2019.  She is proud to advocate locally, statewide, and nationally for resources and partnerships to support students and employees.

Julie has served at a variety of institutions, including community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and research universities, with roles in student services, academic administration, research administration, health education, and women’s services. But community colleges are her true professional love!

Julie and her partner Tanya have been married for 25 years. They have two adult children, TJ and Brianne.  They enjoy spending time outdoors, whether walking, hiking, cycling, or camping.  Julie enjoys yoga, Pure Barre, and creating works of art in the form of food, knitted goods, and other creative activities.  They have 2 furkids, Ollie (a cat) and Smitty (a dog).