Board of Trustees

Frances Merenda, President

Frances is an accomplished business leader, climate advocate, lifelong learner, and does her best work with cross-functional teams addressing meaningful outcomes. She brings leadership development, environmental sustainability, and technical experience to the NWS Board of Trustees, based in organizational strategy and systems thinking. 

A native of Washington, DC, Frances came to Seattle to work at Amazon where she spent 19 years identifying and implementing the first versions of businesses and new customer experiences that required direct interaction with a person.

Frances leads climate advocacy organizations and consults with small businesses on implementing sustainability initiatives. She sings with Puget Soundworks (a Seattle chorus), picked up Pickleball in 2024, and is always ready for a coffee or a walk around a local lake. 

Frances has degrees in Chemical Engineering, Performance Studies, and Management from Northwestern University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and lives with her husband and 2 children (NWS ‘25 and NWS ‘29) in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.

Oceania Eagan, Vice President

Oceania Eagan is Founder and Creative Director of Blindtiger Design, a creative agency specializing in the unique needs of the craft industry. She has worked in brand strategy and marketing for more than 20 years and has a unique depth of experience supporting small businesses in their growth strategy, with a primary focus on developing and launching CPG products. 

Her experience includes teaching Marketing and Business courses at the collegiate level and speaking engagements at numerous industry conferences. She holds a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts and a Certification in Leadership through Design Thinking from Yale University. 

Oce has been a part of the NWS community in different capacities since graduating in 1996, including teaching art and coaching for just short of a decade, and parent (with husband Chaz Welsh ’97) to alums Carlo Welsh ’24 and Nico Welsh ’24 as well as Thelonious, now in the 6^th grade.

Carlton Harris, Treasurer

Carlton has over 40 years of wide-ranging business experience, from launching business start-ups to executive management at multi-billion-dollar multinationals. His career began in Philadelphia at Scott Paper (later Kimberly-Clark), where he served in a variety of financial roles. Over the next 15 years, Carlton had stints in a private equity firm and two companies that he founded in the financial consulting and product sourcing fields. In 2013, Carlton co-founded Peace Field Limited, a Hong Kong-based boutique investment bank focused on the middle market. He remains a Managing Director of that company. Carlton received a BA in Biology from McDaniel College, and MS and MBA degrees from Duke University. 

His interests include social science, health & fitness, everything about China and writing. He has four children, the youngest of which, his son Zhen, is a member of the Class of ’27.

Ted Webber, Secretary

An attorney with 25 years of experience in Seattle, Ted started his practice with K&L Gates, LLP, and was more recently Chief Counsel, Litigation and Operations at Intellectual Ventures. He received a B.A. in both English and History at Tufts University and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School. 

Originally from Connecticut, Ted began his career after college as a legislative aide to Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) in Washington, D.C. He lives in West Seattle with his wife Courtney, daughter Claire (Class of '26) and son Nick.

Madlen Caplow

Madlen Caplow has over two decades of experience as a public health professional advancing health promotion and clinical quality improvement. She has worked with the Arcora Foundation (Delta Dental of Washington) for more than a decade, where she leads statewide efforts to increase access to preventive dental care for young children in the medical setting.

Previously, Madlen served as an Improvement Advisor with the University of Washington’s Child Health Institute, supporting primary care practices in improving care for children with asthma, ADHD, obesity, and other chronic conditions. She also spent over a decade at Group Health Cooperative (now Kaiser Permanente), where she managed health promotion programs and led evaluation efforts to improve community health outcomes.

Madlen holds a B.A. in Sociology from Colorado College and an M.P.H. in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her deep appreciation for independent school education is rooted in her own formative years attending Carolina Friends School, a Quaker school in North Carolina. She was thrilled to find a similarly values-driven environment at the Northwest School, where both her daughters thrived—Ella Nelson (Class of 2018) and Katie Nelson (Class of 2022).

Madlen brings a passion for equity, wellness, and experiential learning. She is an avid baker and contributes homemade bread to Community Loaves, a nonprofit supporting food-insecure families. She also enjoys hiking, walking her dog Henry, and participating in group fitness classes.

Tosh Drake

Internationally recognized for award-winning architecture and campus design, Tosh’s approach stems from the belief that an in-depth research based process is core to every project. He instinctually crafts experiences that are founded in his client’s social, cultural, and programmatic values.

His formative education was in experiential art and environmental science; focusing on the convergence of people and place: BA Environmental Design (The Evergreen State College); Master of Architecture (University of Oregon). In practice he works at the nexus of Urban Design, Landscape Design, Art, Architecture, and Sustainability.

Mardi Douglass

Mardi Douglass brings to the NWS Board 20+ years of experience in a variety of HR/People leadership roles, most recently as the VP of Employee Experience at Mozilla (non-profit organization behind the Firefox browser). Her interests, expertise, and passions include organizational culture and design, user/employee experience, and communications (strategy and writing). 

Mardi earned a B.A. in Pacific and Asian Studies from The University of Victoria and an MBA from The University of Calgary. She’s a 2x World Ultimate Frisbee champion, dedicated runner and Peloton-er, and loves NYC crossword puzzles. Both her sons are members of the classes of ‘22 (Whitman College, class of ‘26) and ‘26, respectively.

Anna Farr

Anna is an experienced operations executive with a background in multimedia, games, and educational software. She brings over two decades of leadership in fast-paced, outcome-driven environments and specializes in helping small companies thrive with lean, adaptable teams and a strong focus on delivering results across disciplines.

Originally from southwest Washington, Anna studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Smith College and has spent most of her professional life in Seattle. Her rich background in the arts—specifically, in glass, felt, photography, and metalsmithing—informs her belief that creativity is a foundation for learning across disciplines.

Anna served for many years on the board of her children’s elementary school, has been an active volunteer throughout their middle and high school years, and has worked with arts nonprofits in the Seattle area. She is excited to support The Northwest School’s mission and community as a Board member.

Anna lives with her husband, two children (NWS ’24 and NWS ’27), and a pack of dogs. She is an avid reader, frequent walker, and occasional trail runner.

Erica Goldsmith

Erica leads a consultancy focused on strategic problem-solving for brands, organizations, and individuals. Her eclectic career—ranging from pastry chef to small business owner to strategic account planner—has cultivated skills in leading diverse teams, creating relevant brand creative, market research analysis, and cross-sector strategy. After 15 years of working at agencies and non-profits, Erica became an independent consultant in 2008, inspired by her passion for helping communities thrive by unlocking the unexpected insights that emerge when people work toward common goals. She is excited to bring her expertise in crafting innovative solutions and building purposeful partnerships to The Northwest School's Board.

Her extensive volunteer work with organizations such as The Meridian School, The Ballard Food Bank, The Center for Community Ceramics, and GMHC has strengthened her expertise in non-profit management, governance, and community engagement. 

In her personal time, Erica enjoys live music, spending time outdoors, and exploring art in all its forms. She lives with her partner, their child (NWS '27), and two rescued tuxedo cats.

Lisa Haselby

Lisa Haselby's son is an alumnus of The Northwest School ('22).

A poet at heart, she studied Creative Writing at the University of Michigan. She worked at the Ann Arbor Mediation Center and Mediation Training & Consultation Institute before accepting a job at Amazon.com and moving to Seattle in 1998. She has served on the Spruce Street School board and was a founding trustee of Soccer4Change. At The Northwest School, she has participated on several committees over the last decade, including the X Fund (Financial Aid Endowment) Committee, and Development Committee.

Recently, Lisa spearheaded the Community Canine Program at Belmont University, an innovative project that enhances student wellbeing by integrating the presence of trained rescue dogs into daily campus life. 

Phoenix Johnson

Dilpreet Kaur

Dilpreet is a co-founder of Sparklos - a strategy, incubation and operations consultancy that partners with senior executives to define & deliver on impactful business growth opportunities. As a trusted advisor to VPs to CxOs, her firm helps extraordinary leaders choose the right things to do, do them well, and tell an impactful story of results.

Dilpreet’s career began at Microsoft, where she spent most of her time with Fortune 500 CIOs and line of business VPs seeking to understand and solve their business challenges. After Microsoft, Dilpreet was founder and managing partner of ThinkAct, a business strategy consulting firm for fourteen years.

Dilpreet has two children at Northwest in the classes of ’27 and ’31.

Jan Lewis-Newby, Parent/Guardian Liaison to the Board

Jan Lewis-Newby serves as the Parent/Guardian Liaison to the Board. She brings a deep commitment to inclusive, student-centered education, along with over 20 years of leadership experience in Human Resources and Organizational Development. Her background includes roles at REI and Starbucks, with expertise in organization design, change management, leadership development, and strategic planning.

Jan has been involved in the Parent/Guardian Committee at Northwest since joining the school and previously served for four years on the University Cooperative School Board. She and her wife, Mithya, are trained parent facilitators with Forefront in the Schools, a University of Washington suicide prevention program, providing education and support to the Northwest Parent/Guardian community.

Born and raised in Washington, Jan enjoys spending time outdoors with her family hiking, biking, and backpacking. She is the parent of two Northwest students, Callum ’26 and Anwen ’29, and can often be found cheering from the sidelines at school sporting events.

Julie Lyss

Julie Lyss has been a fund development and recruitment professional and volunteer for more than three decades. While her daughter attended middle school at The Northwest School, Julie accepted a leadership role in the Parent/Guardian Association and served as the annual House Fund co-chair while also serving on the Development Committee. Julie joined the Board of Trustees as Development Committee chair in 2021 and became President in 2023. 

With experience in strategic planning, board development, major gifts and capital campaigns, Julie welcomes the opportunity to help advance Northwest’s mission. She has served on the board and in leadership positions at Seattle Jewish Community School and numerous Jewish organizations throughout the Puget Sound region. 

Among her passions outside of Northwest, Julie can be found volunteering at the University District Food Bank, running a monthly sack lunch program with Temple Beth Am and YWCA/Angeline’s Place, or swinging kettlebells at the gym. She hopes to return to tutoring English language learners at Literacy Source. Julie is a graduate of Scripps College. A Midwesterner at heart, Julie loved living in Chicago, San Francisco and her hometown of St. Louis before reluctantly moving to the Pacific Northwest 20 years ago. Julie is most enthusiastic about her role as a mom to one college graduate and two seniors – one in college and the other at The Northwest School.

Mahtab Mahmoodzadeh

Mahtab Mahmoodzadeh is an equity leader, educator, and strategist with more than 20 years of experience advancing equity and inclusion in schools and organizations. Currently serving as the Assistant Head of School at Giddens School in Seattle, Mahtab brings deep expertise in culturally responsive pedagogy, adaptive leadership and transformative school change.

Mahtab consults and leads trainings locally, nationally and internationally, partnering with independent, charter, public and international schools. Her areas of focus include strategic equity planning, inclusive hiring and retention and designing equitable teaching and learning environments.

A proud Iranian-American and first-generation immigrant, Mahtab also serves on the Board of Trustees at The Northwest School, where the mission resonates deeply with her personal and professional values. She’s a devoted mother of two, a lover of yoga and meditation, and finds joy in dancing and all things hip-hop.

Katie Orland

Katie Orland has spent her entire career in the financial services industry, supporting small and mid-sized business. She started her career in Chicago and, after a particularly terrible winter, seized an opportunity to move to the West Coast. Most recently she has been with Wells Fargo Bank, where she has held a variety of senior leadership positions in Lending, Cash Management, and Digital Strategies. 

Outside of work, Katie has volunteered at multiple organizations that her son Andrew (Class of '26) is involved in, including his schools and soccer teams.

Dena Parmer

Dena has over 20 years experience in nonprofit education program management and support and began her career teaching second grade for four years. She is passionate about quality education for all.  

Dena has three children and her youngest spent six years at The Northwest School and graduated with the class of 2024.

Paula Smith

Paula Smith served as Head of School at University Child Development School (UCDS) in Seattle for the past 28 years and retired in June 2024. She has worked side-by-side with a creative and passionate group of educators as they reimagined school design and provided a collaborative working model for the 21st century. Paula and UCDS have partnered with educators around the world through the UCDS Institute. Institute initiatives include a Resident Teacher Program, the Studio (an infant and toddler program), a partnership with Ascend International School in Mumbai, India, and the UCDS Graduate School of Education. 

Paula has served on the Board of NWAIS, and WFIS, and has represented independent schools during the formation of the Washington State Early Learning Advisory Council.

Alison Suttles

Alison is a tech investor and philanthropist with a background in web development and data analysis. She utilized her COVID-19 pandemic isolation to earn a BA in Psychology from Oregon State University and is considering returning to school in the near future. 

After serving as a trustee on her students’ elementary school board for 10 years, Alison is thrilled to have an opportunity to continue supporting the longevity and availability of independent school education at the Northwest School.

Patricia Taraday

Patricia Taraday is a founding member of Lighthouse Law Group PLLC, a municipal law firm providing guidance to cities in civil matters. While spending a portion of her childhood abroad, she considers Seattle her home. She earned a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington, and a J.D. from Seattle University Law School. 

Patricia has been a dedicated Northwest School parent volunteer for over 7 years, and has served as International PGA co-chair, facilitating connections with international families, and supporting community building between domestic and international students. Patricia has a 22’ alum (Carleton College, Class of 26’) and a son, class of 24’. 

Patricia is an avid walker and hiker. Last year she walked the last 115 km of the Camino de Santiago in Spain over 5 days and plans to complete a Rim to River Grand Canyon hike this Spring.

Jim Tillman

Jim Tillman is a Northwest School alumnus. A proud ‘Day One’ student and class of ’82 graduate, he and his wife Kat are parents of a current Northwest Class of ’27 student, Finley. Jim is a professional photographer and educator with thirty years in the field. He came to photography after a career as a musician and recording artist, touring throughout the U.S. (starting his first band at The Northwest School in 1980 along with three other classmates.) 

Founding a sole proprietorship serving global and local businesses, while mentoring and promoting assistants and emerging photographers, photography has taken him all over the world while remaining based in Seattle. Adding college-level teaching alongside high school mentoring, and finally starting a middle-school teaching program from scratch, Jim is happy and fortunate to now be submerged in gumbo of creativity, business, and educational experiences that suit him well.

Kathleen Walsh

Kathleen Walsh has almost 20 years of experience in philanthropic strategic and financial planning. She’s spent over 15 years at the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation in a variety of roles including leading strategy and country operations in Beijing, China, and advancing vaccine and primary health care systems. Kathleen currently helps lead the education work in her home state of Washington where she is passionate about creating sustainable impact so students in Washington State experience generational growth through access to education.

Before joining the foundation, Kathleen spent 15 years in the software development industry, including two-years in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Kathleen is a proud alumna of Mount Holyoke College, where she received her bachelor’s degree, and the University of Washington, where she earned a master’s in information science. Outside of her professional life, Kathleen, her husband, and their 15-year-old son are avid travelers and outdoor enthusiasts, finding joy in exploring new terrains and (mostly) retired from snowboarding adventures. Kathleen is a proud mom to son, Will, who is a member of the Northwest Class of ’27.