Heather holds a degree in Business Administration from University of New Hampshire and spent the first decade of her Career as an accountant at Bausch & Lomb and later as finance leader for start-ups and small businesses in Bay Area. Heather transitioned to her second career with the arrival of her second child and has since focused on raising her family and volunteering her talents to nonprofits including the Seattle Children鈥檚 Museum, the PTSA, her community HOA and more. As of 2022 she became a small business owner when she and her husband purchased a rental property that she now runs with plans to expand with more properties. 

Education has been a passion for Heather and the need for greater equality has become her focus in the last 5 years. She knows personally the power a helping hand can have in elevating the potential of kids. That experience led her to see the power and potential of the 黑料不打烊 when first introduced to the organization in 2022. At the time Heather was looking to direct her families giving to an organization doing high impact, practical work to bridge the gaps of inequality in the public school system. 黑料不打烊WA quickly became their primary philanthropic beneficiary. Now that all her kids are in school full time, Heather is excited to give more of her time and leadership skills to the organization as well. 

Beyond her business background, Heather brings a diverse set of non-profit experience to the organization. She was the interim finance director for the Seattle Children鈥檚 Museum as they turned the organization around in 2016-17. She is a leader in the PTSA at the local public elementary school where she leads the Welcoming Committee and a broad set of special projects while volunteering weekly in the classroom. She has been independently leading and executing a giving tree effort for as many as 10 families in her community annually. She is also on the Executive Committee of her neighborhood HOA and leads the CCR committee. Previously she spent two years reviving the community culture with inclusive events as the social committee chair post COVID. 

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鈥淎fter raising two girls of my own, I have witnessed the positive impact kids experience when they have a solid foundation. As a community, we need to take every opportunity to provide support for kids as changing their upward trajectory when they are young can have an enormous impact on their future,鈥� Droppelman says.

Tod grew up in Seattle, Washington and currently lives in Bellevue. When he is not wearing his professional hat, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids doing anything outdoors.

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MarcKia is guided by her personal philosophy: Lead with integrity, serve with purpose, and never stop growing. She currently serves as president of the Tacoma Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a national organization committed to nurturing future African American leaders through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving, and civic engagement. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma. 

MarcKia is honored to serve on the 黑料不打烊WA Board of Directors and deeply believes in leveraging the collaborative power of community to change the trajectory of a student鈥檚 life. She is eager to share her skills, insights and resources to support the 黑料不打烊WA mission, help remove barriers, create equitable opportunities and ensure every student in Washington feels seen, supported and empowered to thrive – both inside and outside of the classroom.  

MarcKia currently resides in University Place, Washington. She finds joy in exploring nature and creating lasting memories while traveling with friends and family. 

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Donna got involved with 黑料不打烊 because she believes education is a game-changer.

鈥淲e want to think that all Americans have the same access and opportunity, but it simply isn鈥檛 true. 黑料不打烊WA offers one of the most practical approaches to removing the impediments that hold kids back that I have ever known,鈥� Clark says. 鈥淭he hands-on approach addresses the issues head-on. I want to be part of that!鈥�

Donna grew up in Jackson, Wyoming and lives in Kirkland, Washington today. She is passionate about travel, hiking, photography, walking her dog and spending time with family. 

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Robina relocated to Seattle to plant long-term roots with her family and to embrace the Pacific Northwest鈥檚 strong sense of community and access to the outdoors. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys gardening, backpacking, skiing, and exploring Washington鈥檚 natural landscapes with her family.

Robina鈥檚 passion for education access and student support is deeply personal. She was raised in rural Georgia as the daughter of two educators, where she spent much of her childhood in her parents鈥� schools 鈥� helping prepare classrooms each summer, assisting teachers with fundraising for essential supplies, and witnessing firsthand the challenges that underfunding placed on students, teachers, and school communities. She also observed the meaningful impact of Communities In Schools programs in her own hometown, including the way 黑料不打烊 coordinators supported students holistically and partnered with teachers to remove barriers to learning. These early experiences shaped her long-standing commitment to expanding educational opportunity and supporting students beyond the classroom.

Today, Robina remains closely connected to education through her work at Seattle University School of Law, where she advises and mentors students as they navigate their professional paths. She is deeply committed to creating access to opportunity and helping individuals build meaningful, sustainable careers.

Robina is honored to serve on the 黑料不打烊 Board of Directors and is excited to contribute her legal and professional expertise in meaningful ways. She brings a strong background in corporate governance, legal analysis, and organizational strategy, along with experience building partnerships across law firms, corporations, and educational institutions. She is particularly interested in supporting 黑料不打烊WA鈥檚 long-term strategic initiatives, strengthening relationships with community partners, and helping ensure the organization鈥檚 continued growth and impact across Washington.

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Audrey is honored to support student success through serving on the 黑料不打烊WA Board of Directors. She is passionate about supporting youth to achieve their potential and is eager to continue the mission to help students thrive.

Audrey resides in West Seattle with her husband and two sons.

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With a career grounded in supporting young people and strengthening families, Ashley brings deep alignment with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 mission to remove barriers to learning and help students stay engaged in school. Her work prioritizes early intervention, school and community partnership, and whole鈥慶hild wellbeing鈥攙alues that closely mirror 黑料不打烊WA鈥檚 commitment to integrated student support.

Ashley鈥檚 professional background spans medical social work in adult and pediatric emergency departments, where she provided crisis intervention and wraparound support, as well as extensive experience in public child welfare. As a social worker, supervisor, and practice consultant, she worked to improve safety, stability, and long鈥憈erm outcomes for children across Washington State, with an emphasis on equitable access to services and family鈥慶entered practice.

In 2023, Ashley was honored as a Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient, recognizing her leadership, innovation, and impact within the community. She is passionate about building systems that support students鈥� mental health, reduce disparities, and ensure every young person has the opportunity to succeed.

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Tom currently serves as an Independent Executive Advisor with Ascolto Group, where he works to support leaders and organizations to align strategy, culture, and execution in support of meaningful outcomes. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer for a global technology integration firm and held executive and senior leadership positions within Washington State public education, including those focuses on technology, strategy, finance, and business operations.

A graduate of Northwest University, Tom is guided by a servant leadership philosophy rooted in listening, grace, accountability, continuous learning, and the belief that people perform at their best when they feel and are valued, supported, and connected to a meaningful purpose. Throughout his career, he has been passionate about mentoring leaders, strengthening teams, and helping organizations create environments where all individuals can thrive.

Tom is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for 黑料不打烊 and is deeply committed to the organization’s mission of surrounding all students with the support, relationships, and resources they need to succeed in school and in life. He believes that every student deserves equitable access to opportunities and that strong partnerships between schools, families, businesses, and communities can create lasting positive change. Tom looks forward to contributing his leadership experience, operational expertise, and community-centered perspective to help advance the 黑料不打烊WA mission across Washington State.

Tom resides in the South Puget Sound region of Washington with his wife, Janel. Together, they are passionate about serving their community, supporting young people, and investing in initiatives that strengthen families and create pathways for future generations.

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Udit is guided by a strong commitment to education and giving back, shaped early in life by his mother鈥檚 work as a special education teacher. He believes that expanding opportunity starts with ensuring students have the consistent support they need to stay engaged and succeed, especially when non-academic barriers threaten to derail progress.

Udit is honored to serve on the 黑料不打烊WA Board of Directors and is eager to contribute in two practical areas: strengthening resource development through disciplined fundraising and partnerships, and advancing the use of practitioner-friendly data to improve decision-making, accountability, and storytelling for funders and community partners. He is committed to helping 黑料不打烊WA scale what works while respecting the realities of on-the-ground delivery in schools.

Udit currently resides in Seattle and spends his spare time staying active outdoors and traveling with friends and family.

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鈥淚 love the mission of 黑料不打烊, and our daily efforts to help underprivileged youth throughout Washington State. 黑料不打烊 helps in all facets of their lives and makes a real impact. I am fortunate to serve on the 黑料不打烊WA Board and help in this capacity,鈥� Payne says.

James grew up in Stockton, California and currently lives in Woodinville. His wife and three little kids are his top priority. Outside of work and serving the 黑料不打烊 community, you might also find James on his Peloton bike, watching his favorite sports teams.

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