Our Staff
Julie Ziegler
Executive Director
Julie joined Humanities Washington as executive director in 2008 after serving multiple terms on the board of trustees. She first became involved with Humanities Washington in 1998 and, during her tenure on the board, held leadership posts on the Grants, Development, Finance, and Executive Committees. Julie’s previous career was in corporate philanthropy, where she gained skills in program and partnership development, not-for-profit management and marketing at Safeco Insurance, Bank of America Foundation and U.S. Bank. She is a member of the Fales Foundation advisory board, is on the board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, and the steering committee for the Washington Consortium for the Liberal Arts.
Contact Julie at (206) 682-1770 x110 or by email.
Eric Sanders, CPA
Associate Director
In Eric’s current role as associate director, he oversees internal operations including performance measurement and program evaluations, finances, governmental compliance, HR, IT, and strategic ad-hoc projects. Eric began his career at Ernst & Young after earning an accounting degree from San Diego State University. He served as a financial analyst for a publicly-traded pharmaceutical company in the Bay Area, worked as an auditor with KPMG Berlin and taught business English in Germany before moving to the Pacific Northwest, where he managed the finances and operations of a small Seattle-based company prior to joining Humanities Washington in 2006.
Contact Eric at (206) 682-1770 x106 or by email.
Ellen Terry
Program Director
As program director, Ellen oversees Humanities Washington’s grants program, which provide support for humanities activities throughout Washington State, as well as our Prime Time Family Reading program. She previously served as the curator of public programs at the Washington State History Museum. Ellen holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Seattle University, a master’s in museology from the University of Washington, and a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Mount Holyoke College. Ellen also serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington Museum Association.
Contact Ellen at (206) 682-1770 x101 or by email.
Zaki Barak Hamid
Program Director
Zaki works with a vast pool of scholars and cultural experts in Washington State through overseeing Humanities Washington’s Think and Drink and Speakers Bureau programs, which are held across the state in partnership with libraries, museums, schools, historical societies, senior centers, and more. Zaki has been involved in community programming and organizing for most of his professional career. An Arab immigrant from Jordan, he received his bachelor’s in theater from the University at Albany, and a master of fine arts in acting from the University of Delaware. A Seattle resident since 2003, he is very proud to serve his adopted state through Humanities Washington. He also teaches classes on Middle Eastern Film Studies, at Edmonds Community College.
Contact Zaki at (206) 682-1770 x102 or by email.
Kristin Sullivan
Program Director
As director of the forthcoming Center for Washington Cultural Traditions, Kristin will lead a new folklife program aimed at studying, surveying, and supporting traditional culture throughout Washington State—including folk and traditional arts, foods, occupational activities, music, and more. Kristin has a PhD in anthropology and Master of Applied Anthropology degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a BA in Religious Studies from North Carolina State University. She moved to Washington from Maryland in 2016; there she was the director of exhibitions and research at an arts and heritage museum, and a partner folklorist for Maryland’s state folklife program. The Center for Washington Cultural Traditions will be a partnership between Humanities Washington and the Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA.
Contact Kristin at (206) 682-1770 x107 or by email.
David Haldeman
Communications and Marketing Manager
David is the editor of Humanities Washington’s blog and Spark print magazine, and oversees its social media, website, PR, and general marketing. He came to Humanities Washington after seven years in the nonprofit sector, first as a grantwriter at the Pacific Science Center, then in communications positions at the Pew Charitable Trusts and a history of science museum in Philadelphia. A graduate of the University of Washington with a BA in journalism, David has written for the Utne Reader, CityArts, Chemistry International, the scientific journal Neurosurgery, and other outlets.
Contact David at (206) 682-1770 x108 or by email.
George Abeyta
Development and Program Coordinator
George assists in all development activities, grants, and Prime Time Family Reading programs. He is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a degree in English, and has a certificate in editing from the University of Washington. George came to Humanities Washington after an internship in Village Theatre’s development department.
Contact George at (206) 682-1770 x104 or by email.
Caroline Epstein
Program Coordinator and Administrative Assistant
Caroline supports the executive director and assists with the Speakers Bureau and Think & Drink programs. She came to Humanities Washington after two years of AmeriCorps service. After graduating from the University of Washington in 2012, Caroline traveled to California and completed a year of service with City Year Sacramento. Upon returning to the Pacific Northwest, Caroline joined the team at Communities in Schools of Seattle, where she provided support services to students and families in West Seattle. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in Spanish.
Contact Caroline at (206) 682-1770 x109 or by email.
Patti Nelson
Database Administrator
Patti oversees all aspects of Humanities Washington’s Salesforce database. Her career in technology spans 30 years, initially working for companies such as Attachmate Corporation and PhyCom Inc., and several years as a self-employed custom database programmer. She is now dedicated to the nonprofit sector after working for Senior Services for two years. In addition to her work at Humanities Washington, Patti offers database support as a volunteer to other local non-profits. She holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science and is a Certified Salesforce Administrator.
Contact Patti at (206) 682-1770 x105 or by email.