Humanities Washington Staff

Executive Director
A Washington native, Julie has been involved with Humanities Washington since 1998, serving multiple terms on the board of directors and holding leadership posts on the Grants, Development, Finance and Executive Committees. In addition to deep experience with Humanities Washington programs, Julie brings a great deal of professional experience in program and partnership development, philanthropy and marketing. While at Safeco Insurance, she managed their national grants program and several community outreach programs. Prior to that, she worked as VP and Northwest Regional Manager of the Bank of America Foundation.

Director of Finance and Administration
Eric was born and raised in Big Sky country, on the wide open plains of north central Montana in an area chronically underserved by the arts and humanities, thus creating an early curiosity and appreciation. He began his business career at Ernst & Young in San Diego, California after graduating with a B.S. in Accounting from San Diego State University.  After relocating to San Francisco and spending another year with the firm, Eric left Ernst & Young to take a financial analyst position at a major pharmaceutical company.  A few years later, he decided to take a sabbatical from his accounting career to do some self examination and travel.  This journey landed him in Berlin, Germany teaching business English, back in San Diego doing light construction, and finally in the Pacific Northwest, managing the finances of a Seattle magazine store and espresso bar.  With the decision to pursue a more personally fulfilling accounting career, Eric now focuses his energies only on the not-for-profit sector.  The opportunity to utilize his business talents in organizations that creatively impact the lives of others has given his career meaning that had been lacking.

Director of Programs
Ellen joins us from the Washington State History Museum, where she served as Curator of Public Programs from 2000, and as an Education Curator from 1996-2000. Ellen holds a Master's Degree in Not-for-Profit Management from Seattle University, a Master's in Museology from the University of Washington, and a BA in Art History from Mount Holyoke College. She interned at the Seattle Art Museum and the Children's Museum of Manhattan. Ellen currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington Museum Association.

Manager of Community Programs
Liv graduated from Gonzaga University with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Psychology. With a passion for public policy issues, Liv spent 2 years interning for Senator Maria Cantwell and working with immigration casework. As a Minnesota native, in Minneapolis she greatly enjoyed working with Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless where she focused on community development and relations. She has also worked with the Minnesota Literacy Council, specifically working as a teaching assistant for Minneapolis inner-city elementary schools. From 2005-2006 Liv was our Literacy Outreach Coordinator, and she is pleased to continue her work with the diverse programs of Humanities Washington.

Development and Communications Manager
Chris has worked as a development officer for several Seattle-based nonprofit organizations including Seattle Opera, the Initiative for Global Development, and an online magazine.  Previously, he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, West Africa, where he managed a bilingual schools project.  He is originally from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and studied journalism at the University of Mississippi.