Governance

Tracy Bennett

Board Chair

Tracy brings a wealth of leadership experience and a passion for fundraising to her role as Board Chair. Tracy is currently the Director of Advancement Services for Ian Symmonds Associates, and serves as the Interim Head of Administration at Seattle Waldorf School.  Previously she was the Executive Director for Treeswing, a nonprofit organization aimed at reversing the trend of childhood obesity. Tracy has also been an administrator in independent schools, most recently serving as the Director of Admission and Development at Bertschi School. She holds a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College. Tracy served for nine years on the Board of Trustees for the Forest Ridge School, including Chair of the Board. She has five children and is a dedicated marathon runner.

Chris Maykut

Treasurer

Chris is the creator and owner of Chaco Canyon, a local restaurant dedicated to serving the community and providing ecologically minded cuisine to a diverse population. In April 2011 Chaco Canyon added a second location in West Seattle, where the community is providing rave reviews. Chris is passionate about living a life that supports the health of the environment and ensures a positive future for his children. He has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, graduated from Garfield High School, and lives with his family in Seattle.

Julie Hampden

Sand Point Elementary

Before taking a leave to raise her two children, Julie spent 12 years as a Senior Environmental Scientist at Herrera Environmental Consultants. Prior to Herrera, Julie was a Project Manager for King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks guiding the identification of salmonid habitats. Julie has served as a Board member for Friends of the Cedar River Watershed. Julie has an M.S. in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Biological Anthropology from Harvard University. Julie is enthusiastic about working with Washington Green Schools to create healthier campuses around the state.

Michel Girard

Michel recently ran Cameron Catering and now operates a management consulting firm. He brings 15 years of high tech and 10 years of small business experience to our board and enjoys helping businesses run, grow, and thrive. Michel joined our board because he believes “WA Green Schools is the best bet in developing the environmentally conscience society of tomorrow.”  Michel lives in a small house in Seattle now, but lived on the water for 10 years. “My true heart lies with the ocean.  I love every moment I get to spend out on the water traveling with and amongst the wildlife."

Bruce Jacobsen

Bruce Jacobsen is a founder of Kinetic Books Company, Inc. and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and President. In addition, he serves as a Director of Lguide.com. Previously, Bruce served as President and Chief Operating Officer of RealNetworks Inc., spent nearly a decade at Microsoft serving as General  Manager of a business unit, was the first employee and Chief Operating Officer of DreamWorks Interactive, and served as a Director at Linden Research, Inc. (formerly, Linden Lab). Bruce received his B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his M.B.A. from Stanford University, with little distinction but much relief.

Eric Johnston

Eric has two decades of experience integrating video, multimedia, and databases to improve education and communications for schools, international non-profit organizations, and Fortune 500 corporations. As founding President & CEO of Pangaea Multimedia Communications Corporation, he developed and tailored media, e-learning, in-service training and professional development. More recently, Eric has taken on a lead role in the Drupal software community helping to found the Drupal Open Learning Initiative (DOLI). Eric holds a M.A. in Media Management from Emerson College and a B.A. in Political Science and Computer Science from College of Wooster. Eric believes strongly in the value of experiential learning and teaching kids how communications and technology can be used to achieve sustainable solutions.

David Mount

David is currently an associate with Mahlum Architects. In his work on educational facilities, David blends technical understanding and design sensitivity within sustainable site and building concepts. Recent efforts include Gray Middle School in Tacoma, a Washington Sustainable Schools grant recipient, and two nationally-recognized AIA COTE Top Ten Green Projects: the LEED Gold rated Seminar II at The Evergreen State College; and Franklin Elementary School. Before joining Mahlum, David practiced for six years in Italy with Carmassi Studio di Architettura, where he focused primarily on historic restoration and reconstruction projects. David graduated from the University of Arizona. He lives with his wife and two children in Seattle.

David Thyer

David joined R.C. Hedreen Company as Project Manager for the Elliott Hotel (now Grand Hyatt Seattle) in 1996 and has served as company President since 2001. The Company's most recent development is the Hyatt at Olive 8 - Olive 8 Condominium tower, which achieved LEED Silver status when it opened in 2009. Prior to his work with R.C. Hedreen, David worked for Aquastar Seattle in commodity seafood sales and was a commercial fisherman in Tasmania, Australia. He serves on the MagnaDrive Corporation Board and is a current Board Member and past Board Chair of the Bertschi School. David lives in Seattle, and with his wife of 20 years has raised three sustainability-minded children. When he is not building green hotels David enjoys ocean racing, fly-fishing, and golf.