Girls on the Run of Puget Sound
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Eleanor Bradley, President
Michelle Banks, VP: Development
Carolyn Wall Sakata, Secretary
Erin Kenny, Treasurer
Dana Viernes, Past President
Tracy Bos, Safeco Insurance
Kate Crisham, Attorney
Kim Eiring, Sparling, Inc.
Ninica Howard, SHARP Program, WA State Department of Labor and Industries
Doug Jackson, Seattle Children’s
Chelsea Petersen, Perkins Coie
About Our Board of Directors
Eleanor Bradley, President
Eleanor comes from a family of runners (in fact, her father, mother, sister, brother, sister-in-law, husband, cousin and aunt all ran the Marine Corps Marathon to celebrate her father’s 60th birthday). The mission of GOTR resonates with Eleanor because of the importance of running in her own life, her belief in the need to counter the mounting pressures on young women, and the fact that she is now raising twin girls. Prior to joining the board, Eleanor was involved with Girls on the Run of Puget Sound as a coach and committee volunteer. Eleanor does marketing and strategy for Stash Hotel Rewards and has an MBA from Wharton.
Michelle Banks, VP: Development
Michelle Banks serves as the Vice President for Fundraising for Girls on the Run of Puget Sound. In her role, she leads a core of dedicated volunteers that raise funds directly and indirectly for GOTRPS. During the days (and often evenings) Michelle works as a Development Officer for the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Her work involves traveling to Southern California, Alaska and Oregon to meet alumni and parents to involve them in the life of the university. She has spent the last ten years working in development for higher education focusing on annual giving, major giving and capital campaigns. In addition, Michelle has a non-profit marketing background and has worked for the American Red Cross, The Media Institute (Washington D.C.) and several small nonprofits in the Midwest.
Michelle joined the board of GOTRPS in December because she believes passionately in the mission and hopes GOTRPS will inspire a generation of young women to live healthy lives. In addition, she is a runner and wanted to combine her professional work in fundraising with an organization that mentors young women in a positive way. Michelle sees the growth of GOTRPS in recent years as an inspiration and a motivator for the fundraising committee.
Carolyn Wall Sakata, Secretary
When Carolyn first learned about GOTR and how it focuses on teaching girls to tap into their inner superstar through training for a 5K, she said “Sign me up!” Running has always been important to Carolyn, and she loves how GOTR uses running to inspire girls to be healthy, confident and powerful. Carolyn has served as a coach, a running buddy and a committee member of GOTR, and is thrilled to serve on the board. She works as a program officer at the Medina Foundation, and has a MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and a BA from Vassar College.
Erin Kenny, Treasurer
Erin remembers the first race she entered at a local community center when she was seven. She ran as fast as she could then drank a pepsi at the finish line and threw up. She learned something about cola that day, and picked up a lifelong love of running, which now includes half marathons. She got involved with GOTR as a running buddy and currently sits on the board where she leverages her experience as a consultant with Alvarez & Marsal to help with finance and development. Erin is excited to be part of a program that helps girls at a formative age learn lessons that can last a lifetime.
Tracy Bos
Tracy finds great strength in running. It is a tool she herself uses to mitigate the daily pressures of life — and to foster healthy attitudes and self-confidence. The mission and vision of Girls on the Run matches beautifully with her desire to connect with young girls in her community — introducing them to the power of running. Tracy is thrilled to participate in the growth and enrichment of Girls on the Run of Puget Sound through her Board service. Prior to joining the Board she served GOTRPS as a coach, running buddy and in various other volunteer capacities. Tracy works in marketing for Safeco Insurance Member of Liberty Mutual Group and is a graduate of the University of Washington.
Kate Crisham
Kate Crisham is a member of the fundraising and board development committees. Kate has been involved with Girls on the Run since 2004, when she volunteered as a coach for several years with the Chicago council. After moving to Seattle in 2007, she volunteered with the Puget Sound council as a running buddy and member of the auction committee before joining the board in 2010. Kate immediately felt drawn to Girls on the Run because it combines two of her passions – running and helping young girls make healthy choices and achieve their fullest potential. Kate is proud to be part of a national organization with a proven record of empowering young girls and helping them to develop the skills and self-confidence needed to successfully navigate through those challenging teenage years. Kate is a longtime runner and has completed several marathons and half-marathons. She also enjoys hiking, biking, cooking, spending time with friends and family (especially her husband and young daughter) and exploring all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Kim Eiring
Photo and Bio coming soon.
Ninica (Niki) Howard
Ninica Howard, Niki, is a recent and welcomed addition to the Board and the Program Committee. Niki is also a volunteer Running Buddy – which she absolutely loves to do! As an occupational health and safety researcher, Niki has dedicated her career to determine the causes and solutions to occupational injuries. This requires listening and observing carefully and working with diverse groups of people ranging from fellow researchers, workers, managers, company owners, and health professionals. She also assesses the effectiveness of occupational safety programs. Niki feels that her industry experience will allow her to make contributions to the GOTR BOD, particularly with the 2011-2012 goals of quality and metrics. With her knowledge and skills, she can assist the organization in supporting the girls it serves and the volunteers who participate, as well as promoting the mission of the program.
“I have volunteered for several organizations over the years but I never felt like it was good fit. When a girlfriend sent me an email asking for running buddies and coaches and I read about GOTR, I knew I had found the right fit. GOTR marries two aspects that are extremely important to me, being physically active and helping kids, more specifically girls. After volunteering as a running buddy for the first time, I knew that I wanted to contribute more to this organization.
I have always been physically active. And when I was growing up and had rough times, sports were my constant. I’ve developed confidence, self-esteem and a sense of self through physical activity. It has taught me team work, companionship and sharing. I have met my closest and dearest friends through sports. I understand the importance that physical activity can have in a girl’s life, one that goes beyond being healthy and fit and I believe that GOTR teaches this. There are so many influences, both good and bad, on a girl’s life and GOTR is a positive one that can have an impact for the rest of their lives.”
Doug Jackson, DMD, MS, PhD
Dr. Jackson is the Chief of the Center for Diversity and Health Equity at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The Center integrates research, education, advocacy and service in support of Seattle Children’s overall quest to eliminate pediatric health disparities. Prior to joining Children’s in 2008, Doug was the Associate Dean and the Delta Dental/Washington Dental Service Endowed Professor of Educational Partnerships and Diversity at the University of Washington’s School of Dentistry. After seeing GOTRPS’s interest in reaching and serving a more diverse group of girls, Doug started consulting informally with its leadership in 2009 and joined the Board the following year. Doug has been a member of the Program Committee and currently serves as its Chair. He and the committee are directing a lot their effort in 2011-2012 on analyzing program surveys that have been completed by girls who have recently participated in the program. This analysis will provide an evidence-based synopsis of the program’s quality and help the Board identify opportunities for program improvement.
Chelsea Petersen
Growing up, Chelsea was the smallest kid in every class and on every team. Not content to be side-lined, she found a sport where her size was an attribute: coxing a local crew team. The fact that the position required her to tell big kids what to do was an added bonus. A few key rowing coaches helped her find her voice and self-confidence during some difficult times and, after competing at an elite level for eight years, she became a coach herself. When she retired from rowing she began running. And, after the birth of her daughter, she started thinking hard about what kind of support young girls need to thrive. While training for a half-marathon in the spring of 2010 she volunteered as a Running Buddy and fell in love with Girls on the Run because the curriculum reinforces essential life lessons in such a wonderfully healthy and fun way. She became a member of the Board in the fall of 2010.
Dana Viernes
Dana Viernes is General Manager of Brands at Carry Gear Solutions, a Seattle-based product design and manufacturing company. In that capacity, she is responsible for the overall vision and planning for her business category, along with sales and marketing. She is also heavily involved in the company’s strategic planning. She has been at Carry Gear for 12 years and has also held positions as Designer, Product Manager, and General Manager of their Asia offices.
Dana first learned about Girls on the Run in 2007 and knew immediately that she had found an organization that spoke to her on a personal level. The combination of physical activity and the program’s focus on empowering girls at such a critical stage in life resonated with her. She became involved with Girls on the Run of Puget Sound in 2007 as program coach and running buddy. She joined the Board in 2008 and has served as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Board President. She is currently the Board Development Co-Chair.
Dana has been fortunate to be in the presence of amazing, confident women throughout her life. She grew up with a wonderful mother and two fabulous sisters, and then graduated from Smith College. She is passionate about creating a world where every girl/woman is confident, strong and empowered. She is now raising her very own 2-year old girl on the run.
