WA Charters 2024 Conference

Malia is the CEO of OpenSeat, a national non-profit supporting mental wellness in schools.  Most recently before joining OpenSeat, Malia served as the Chief Program Officer at Summit Public Schools where she designed and implemented organization-wide pilots and programs to improve... Read More →

Nicole Peterson is a 3rd grade teacher and education activist at Spokane International Academy. As a biracial student growing up in predominantly white education spaces, Nicole chose to enter the education world in 2012 to be the teacher she never experienced. Since then, Nicole has... Read More →

Prior to joining WA Charters in April 2018, Haid was a manager at the public sector consulting firm Third Sector Intelligence (3SI). In her four years at 3SI, Haid worked with clients across the education spectrum – from early learning to post-secondary – to build sustainable... Read More →

My name is Tinsae Lopez. I was born and raised in Seattle and spent a small portion of my childhood in Reno, Nevada. I am currently a senior at Rainier Valley Leadership Academy and a running start student at South Seattle College. I am mostly focused on college coursework this school... Read More →

My name is Rochelle Jeffries. I am in the class of 2025 at Why Not You Academy and a full-time Running Start student at Highline Community College. I am also a student-athlete – the head Captain for Cheerleading and the hurdler and sprinter for Track and Field. My passion for enhancing... Read More →

Hello! My name is Jake Christianson. I was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. I am the middle child in a blended family and I am getting married at the beginning of June to my beautiful fiancé, Rebekah Martin! I am a content creator/content manager for Lite-Check, a truck fleet... Read More →

I am 18 years old and the oldest child in a family of 7 children. I grew up in a small town called Tonasket, Washington and moved to Spokane, Washington in 2018. I started attending Innovation High School, part of Pride Prep Charter Schools, halfway through 9th grade. I then participated... Read More →

Bely (pronounced “Bailey”) Luu (she/her) provides community-centered fundraising and board governance supports and services to school leaders and boards. She hosts the Fundraising Learning Series, which provides equity-driven fundraising practices to help schools raise more funds, tell ethical stories, and center student and community voices. She also coordinates diversity, equity, and inclusion supports to member schools to advance educational justice and dismantle oppressive systems.Bely... Read More →

An experienced advocate and leader in the K-12 education space with a background in economic and community development, Natalie has spent more than two decades working to ensure that families in South Seattle and statewide have access to affordable housing, and high-quality education... Read More →

Rekha joined the WA Charters team in 2014 and created the Association’s school services arm. She oversees start-up and operational granting to schools and supports the School Leadership and Design Fellowship, the Strong Start planning year program, and the True Measure Collaborative... Read More →

Adán brings extensive skills in talent diversification and development. With a decade of experience in education, he has taught middle school math, recruited and certified new teachers, and consulted on school staffing solutions. Adán has committed to mission-driven work as he overturns... Read More →

Damithia Nieves (she/they) is a Co-Director and Mindfulness Facilitator for Space Between. As a facilitator and educator, Damithia offers trauma-informed, healing centered and culturally responsive movement and mindfulness practices. As a dedicated practitioner and advocate for self... Read More →