BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Julie Kennedy leads the academic and character practice on the Impact Team at Charter School Growth Fund. In this role, Julie partners with school leaders to identify common challenges, highlight bright spots and promising practices, and explore solutions that may be transferable across organizations.
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Julie began her career as a middle school science teacher in Newark, NJ and Boston, MA. She went on to serve as a founding middle school principal with Uncommon Schools in Brooklyn and later as a Managing Director in the region. As Managing Director, Julie helped grow the region to 12 middle schools and 3 high schools and led the initial transition to Common Core aligned instruction. Following a move back to the west coast, Julie joined Relay Graduate School of Education and served as the Senior Dean of Academic Programs. Julie holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School and a BA in chemistry from Willamette University.
Julie Kennedy, Board President
Shaylynn Houston, Director
Shaylynn Houston proudly works for Seattle Goodwill as an Equity Team Member and Instructor. She has previously worked and continues in roles as an Equity Team Leader, Case Manager and as a Job Training Education (JTE) Sector Navigator within her 7 year tenure at Seattle Goodwill. Seattle Goodwill is located in the heart of the community where Shaylynn was born and raised. Shaylynn currently lives in Bremerton where she has resided for over 28 years.
Shaylynn is an active Olympic College graduate who volunteers and utilizes her Alumni status to uplift Diversity and Equity throughout the campus, her workplace and community. Shaylynn started working within the Higher Education system in 2007 at Olympic College where she was employed in the Office of Multicultural Services. She has also worked in the Human Services field for over 14 years supporting youth, college students and families in navigating social service resources, higher education and training opportunities throughout Kitsap County.
Her employment background also includes several local non-profits including Gather Together Grow Together, Partnering for Youth Achievement, Kitsap Community Resources and volunteering at the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound. Shaylynn is also a Proud AmeriCorps Alumni who has completed two service terms and currently belongs to the Local Seattle AmeriCorps Alumni chapter. As a well-known volunteer in the community she has also shared her volunteerism in many ways including attending, chaperoning and presenting at the WA State Students of Color conferences for the past 9 years.
In her spare time when she is not working Shaylynn loves to spend time with her extended family and friends, cooking or trying to figure out new ways how to relax and just enjoy life. Shaylynn also loves to travel and find new reasons to laugh and smile.
Ken was born and raised in Southern California. In 1996 he joined the United States Navy and relocated to Bremerton, WA where he presently resides. He has been married to his wife for over 20 years, and they have three wonderful daughters.
Ken holds a Master of Divinity from Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Chapman University in Organizational Leadership.
Ken currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at Northwest University in Kirkland WA and he also serves as the Lead at Newlife Church, Bremerton Campus.
Ken is passionate about education. He strongly believes that the educational experiences that happen in the classroom are foundational for positive student growth and development.
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He is excited that Catalyst Public Schools plays a leading role in cultivating quality learning environments for families in the city of Bremerton.
Ken Riley,
Director
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Blake is the Product Manager of School Services for a new education non-profit, Bezos Day 1 Academies. This is a startup organization whose mission is to launch and operate a network of high-quality, full-scholarship Montessori-inspired preschools in underserved communities. Before serving in this role, Blake was the founding Director of Finance and Operations for Green Dot Public Schools Washington State, an education management non-profit. In her role she supports school leaders in developing sustainable systems, managing school finances, and monitoring compliance.
Previously, she worked in New Orleans, LA at Crescent City Schools where she oversaw all finance and operations for high performing K-8 public charter school.
Before transitioning to a career in education, Blake was an Associate at Goldman Sachs in their Global Operations division. She has BSM degree in Finance and Legal Studies in Business from Tulane University.
Blake Di Marco Herrera, Treasurer
DeAndrea Williams was born and raised in Winnfield, Louisiana, and spent part of her youth in Bremerton, Washington. She and her husband Darren settled in Kitsap County in 2005 to raise their family. Known to many as "Dee," she refers to herself as a "Community Supporter," passionate about supporting those "in the trenches" doing the work to build and sustain a strong
community.
After spending more than a decade in the mortgage industry, Dee transitioned into community work and now serves with Kitsap Strong, where she applies her lived experience and leadership to systems change. Her interest in brain science and human behavior began after encountering the work of Dr. Caroline Leaf. Inspired by Dr. Leaf’s books, Dee’s passion for understanding the brain deepened with her introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed care, which reshaped how she views healing, resilience, and community well-being.
She is certified in the Community Resilience Initiative (CRI) frameworks and the Trauma-Informed Ministry Model, which connects personal healing to scripture and supports faith-based communities.
For the past three years, Dee has worked with the Up From Slavery Initiative. Her experience of living in the South and being the mother of three young Black men fuels her passion for creating equitable solutions and sustainable outcomes for people of color. She is deeply committed to advancing initiatives that uplift marginalized communities through advocacy, education, and collective action.
DeAndrea Williams,
Director
Alex Horowitz,
Director
Alex is the Chief Program Officer at AI for Equity, where he is deeply committed to supporting school systems in developing strategic AI plans. He brings extensive experience in public education as a teacher, school leader, and central office leader. Recently, he served as Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Impact Public Schools, where he led teams overseeing talent, communications, development, and HR – expanding staff amid a national teacher shortage, quadrupling earned media, and consistently meeting fundraising goals. He also held leadership roles at Summit Public Schools, Washington, where he guided teams to achieve 100% college admission for founding classes and drive gains in state assessment outcomes. A musician and outdoor enthusiast, Alex lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, two boys, and their puppy.
Nathan Jacobs is a seasoned K–12 charter school executive with deep experience leading operations, student recruitment, and strategic growth across public schools in Washington, Texas, and Missouri. He currently serves as the Chief Business Officer for Impact Public Schools, a high-performing charter network serving historically underserved communities across the South Seattle–Tacoma region.
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At Impact, Nathan oversees operational excellence, state compliance, People Team, and student recruitment systems across four campuses, while driving the network’s long-term plan for growth. His work focuses on building scalable systems, ensuring operational excellence, and strengthening family-centered enrollment practices that support equitable access for all scholars.
Prior to joining Impact, Nathan held senior leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer, Regional Director of Operations across multiple charter management organizations. He has led major initiatives in multi-site facilities development, transportation systems, compliance structures, HR and talent operations, and cross-campus enrollment strategy. Throughout his career, Nathan has centered his work on expanding opportunity for students furthest from educational access.
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Nathan is passionate about creating joyful, effective, and mission-aligned public schools where every child can thrive. He brings a strategic lens, a people-first leadership style, and a commitment to dismantling systemic barriers that limit student success.
Nathan resides in the Seattle area and is active in community initiatives focused on educational equity and access.
