Jeannette Andre, AmeriCorps VISTA Project Assistant

As SVP Seattle’s AmeriCorps VISTA Project Assistant, Jeannette works on a variety of projects including case studies and reports, social media, and graphic design. 

Prior to moving to Seattle, Jeannette lived in Washington D.C. working as an intern with a philanthropy group, helping to provide key networking opportunities and education initiatives for philanthropists all across the United States.  She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Political Science with a minor in Asian Studies. Jeannette loves traveling and the outdoors and, when not at SVP, can most often be found exploring hidden corners of Seattle on her bicycle and trying to find the best pho in town!  Read more...

Phone: 206.374.8757 x28  |  Email: jeannettea@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Megan Bartot, Executive Assistant (Part-Time)

Megan is Paul Shoemaker's Executive Assistant, providing board, fundraising, and logistical support. 

Megan spent the early years of her professional career in the account management department at advertising agencies large and small, was Marketing Manager at a local software company, and was Alumni Director at her former high school. Each role relied on her ability to juggle lots of detail while developing meaningful, sustainable relationships.

Megan believes deeply in service to others, having recently berthed a “Day of Giving” at her children’s elementary school. She’s volunteered with youth, the elderly, the poor and on environmental projects as long as she can remember.  Read more...

Phone: 206.374.8757 x29  |  Email: meganb@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Lynn Coriano, Director of Community Investment

Lynn oversees SVP’s Investee portfolio - building and managing relationships with our Investees' executive directors and lead partners to administer a variety of capacity building projects.  Lynn works alongside the Portfolio Grant Committee to oversee SVP’s annual refunding process. 

Prior to joining SVP, Lynn provided capacity building support to a network of local youth development and education organizations; managed a local race relations initiative; and researched and wrote policy papers for environmental organizations.  She is a graduate of the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs where she received a Master in Public Administration.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Syracuse University.  Read more...

Phone: 206.374.8757 x24  |  Email: lynnc@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Sally Gillis, Program Manager - Collective Action

Sally currently manages SVP’s Collective Action Teams, coordinates capacity building efforts with other philanthropic organizations and hosts special events for our younger partners. 

Before joining SVP, Sally worked for the Massachusetts Lt. Governor’s special task force on Housing and Homelessness and One Family, Inc. While in Boston, she received her Master’s in Macro Social Work from Boston University. Sally has a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College in Psychology and American Studies. Excited to be back in her hometown of Seattle, Sally hopes to spend her time outside exploring, taking pictures and catching up with old and new friends alike.  Read more...

Phone: 206.374.8757 x26  |  Email: sallyg@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Sofia Michelakis, Director of Philanthropy Development

Sofia works with individual SVP Partners, connecting them to people and opportunities that will optimize their giving and increase their impact.  She also designs SVP’s educational curriculum and facilitates peer learning groups.

Sofia describes herself as a "recovering attorney."  Following law school, Sofia practiced corporate law for five years and specialized in representing emerging technology companies in corporate governance and transactional matters, which included venture capital financings and public offerings.  She then turned her energies to the nonprofit sector, and worked at a social enterprise catalyst in South America, helping nonprofits with business planning and sustainability efforts.  Read more...

Phone: 206.374.8757 x22  |  Email: sofiam@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Mike Quinn, Program Manager - Grants and Capacity Building

Mike Quinn manages our grantmaking program and facilitates the committee that selects new Investees each year.  He also helps match SVP volunteers with the nonprofits we fund.

A native of Colorado, Mike decided to pursue his passion for engaging people in social change by relocating to Seattle to join SVP.  Previously, Mike worked for El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs in their Fellowship program.  He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was also an active member of the Presidents Leadership Class.  He enjoys the outdoors, and has grown to appreciate having the beauty of both the mountains and the water all in one spot!  Read more...  

Phone: 206.374.8757 x27  |  Email: mikeq@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Marlene Rapues, Operations Manager

Marlene is the heart of SVP.  She manages all of our internal affairs, from human resources to finance.  She never misses a staff birthday, and keeps our family together.

Marlene graduated with a BA in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Washington. Locally, she has worked for United Way of King County and the UW's Student Housing Affairs Office.

Marlene is originally from Hawaii where she worked in property management for several years before landing her first non-profit job by accident.  Her last gig before leaving the islands was Special Events/Volunteer Coordinator for Moanalua Gardens Foundation.  Read more... 

Phone: 206.374.8757 x25  |  Email: marlener@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Willow Russell, Communications & Fundraising Manager

As SVP Seattle's Communications and Fundraising Manager, Willow has the enviable task of sharing stories of amazing individuals and organizations that are changing our world for the better.

Prior to joining SVP, Willow managed and facilitated communications campaigns among regional coalitions working to restore and protect the Mississippi River and Great Lakes ecosystems.  Willow has an MS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA in Environmental Studies from Hampshire College.  She’s a huge fan of farmers’ markets, movie marathons, anything that gets her out on the water, and roller derby (though her extreme klutziness relegates her to fan status only).  Read more...

Phone: 206.374.8757 x21  |  Email: willowr@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Paul Shoemaker, Executive Connector

Paul Shoemaker is SVP Seattle’s Executive Connector.  Anyone who’s met him knows why.  If you’re out to change the world, he’s there to connect you to the people and organizations on that same journey.  (He’s also the boss, so he does a little executive directing as well.) 

Paul is committed to work in the community, serving on the boards of several organizations. He is the Founding President of Social Venture Partner International and currently sits on their board of directors, as well as the Board of the Microsoft Alumni Foundation and Partners for Our Children. Past work includes a recent term as Board Treasurer of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (2001-2007), Children’s Alliance in Seattle, (1996-2000) and Treepeople in Los Angeles (1987-1990). Paul was also recently named one of the “Top 50 Most Influential People in the Non-Profit Sector” by The NonProfit Times.  Read more... 

Phone: 206.374.8757 x20  |  Email: shoe@svpseattle.org  |  LinkedIn

Board of directors

Victor Alcantara

Bio coming soon. 

Emily Anthony

Emily has worked in the non-profit sector for her entire career, in many different capacities. At different organizations she has acted as line staff, administrative staff, consultant, board member, volunteer, fundraiser, and funder. As a result she has seen how non-profits work (or don't!) from many different perspectives.

Emily has been an SVP Seattle partner for almost 10 years, and helped to design the original SVP volunteer model for the first investees. Since then she has volunteered in many roles for SVP including the grant committee, advocacy policy committee, Lead Partner for Rainier Scholars, and the Portfolio Grant Committee, where she served as its Chair.  Read more... 

Fraser Black, Board Chair

Since 1998 Fraser has been an active member of Social Venture Partners Seattle in the following areas:  K-12 Grant Committee, Portfolio Grant Committee, Advocacy and Policy Committee, and lead partner to grantees.  He has served as a volunteer on numerous grantee projects and as a board member for IslandWood and Powerful Schools. 

Professionally, Fraser is a Managing Partner at Pioneer Square Properties, a real estate property management and development company.  In addition, he is an active angel investor and advisor to numerous startups in the Northwest.   Read more...

Bill Henningsgaard

Bill joined SVP in 1998 to engage more directly in the Puget Sound community.  He is currently the board chair and acting executive director of Eastside Pathways, and serves on the board of Youth Eastside Services.  He co-founded and chairs the advisory board of the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, and is treasurer of his church council. 

Professionally, Bill worked for fourteen years at Microsoft in a variety of marketing and sales positions. His education includes an undergraduate degree at Harvard, post-graduate education at the University of Oslo, Norway, and an M.B.A. from Stanford. Bill lives in Medina with his wife, Susan Sullivan, and three children.  Read more...

Janet Levinger, Vice Board Chair

Janet Levinger has been an active community leader in the nonprofit sector since moving to the Seattle area in 1996. She is passionate about early learning and education advocacy, believing that investing in children, and especially young children, will not only improve their lives but will also have enormous positive outcomes for our community. She and her husband Will Poole joined SVP in 1997.

Austin McNamee

Bio coming soon. 

Lisa Merrill

 
Lisa joined SVP in 1998 and has served on the Early Childhood Development Grant Committee, the K-12 Education Advocacy and Policy Committee, and the SVP Outreach Committee.  In 2007, she co-founded SVP’s Family Service Group, which provides opportunities for partners and their children to engage in community service projects.

Lisa is a professional photographer whose travel and cultural images have been published in numerous books, magazines and other media around the world.  Closer to home, she uses her photography skills to help non-profit organizations strengthen the impact of their communications.

Prior to founding Merrill Images, Lisa worked in high-tech marketing.    Read more...

Lisa Norton

Lisa Norton is an active member of Social Venture Partners in Seattle, currently serving as SVP lead partner for Thrive by Five Washington and Passages Northwest, and as a member of SVP's Early Learning APC.

Professionally, Lisa maintains a law practice concentrating on organizational, governance and tax matters for nonprofit organizations. In addition to volunteering through SVP, Lisa volunteers her time to various nonprofits, currently serving as Chair of the Board of World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP), an international adoption and child welfare organization, and as a member of the Finance Committee of Bertschi School.  Read more...

Pam Robbins

Pam Robbins made the leap from the for-profit to the non-profit world when she and her husband, John, moved to Seattle in July, 2007. Prior to coming to the Emerald City, Pam had a small coaching business in Hollis, NH. Before that, she worked as a performance consultant for Hewlett-Packard.

Pam is still coaching and consulting, but now she focuses on mission rather than money. Her clients have included Jubilee Women’s Center, Senior Services, American Rivers, Community Youth Services, and ElderHealth NW. She joined SVP in April 2010, and, in addition to joining the board, became the lead partner for Denise Louie Education Center soon thereafter. Although she enjoys helping non-profits in all sectors, she feels particular drawn towards helping educational non-profits. Education, she believes, ends the need for many social services.  Read more...

Chris Rogers, Board Treasurer

Chris and wife Heidi joined SVP in 2001 to improve the quality of their personal philanthropy and in search of a more effective way to integrate their professional skills with their service interests. Chris' interest in early learning and parent support began in a state of personal fear and wonder with the birth of their first child, and at SVP he has served on the Early Childhood Grant Committee, Portfolio Grant Committee, and Advocacy and Policy Committee. He is an SVP liaison to Thrive by Five and, separately, is a member of Talaris Research's board of directors.

Splitting his time between RBC Wealth Management's Seattle and Bainbridge Island offices, Chris helps families and business leaders harness their time and money to support their values.  Read more...

Mimi Siegel

Since 1978, Mimi Siegel has served as executive director of Kindering, a nonprofit neurodevelopmental center helping infants and children with special needs. Kindering is one of the largest and most comprehensive centers in the US; its work has been honored locally and nationally.

Ms. Siegel has published several articles regarding early intervention, therapeutic child care and foster care. She is a founding member and past chairperson of the Early Childhood Development Association of Washington.

Mimi chairs strategic planning and external relations for the board of Amara. She has served on the board of trustees of Intiman Theatre (Vice-President and Chair of Strategic Planning as well as on the Artistic Director Search Committee), and United Way of King County Eastside Community Council.   Read more...

Todd Vogel

Todd joined SVP upon moving to Seattle in 2004.  His roles at SVP have included serving on an Environmental grant committee, chairing another Environmental Grant Committee and serving as member and as chair of the Portfolio Grant Committee.  Between 2009-11, he helped start and chaired SVP’s newly-created Environmental Advocacy Committee.

Outside of SVP, he is Managing Director of Loom, a foundation that funds the intersection of environmental causes and social equity. He also serves as Director of the International Sustainability Institute, a Seattle not-for-profit that brings international best practices in sustainability to the Puget Sound. The organization specializes in making people-friendly places in urban areas.  Read more...

Lisa Wissner-Slivka, Board Secretary

Lisa retired from Microsoft to focus her efforts on her family. She received a B.A. degree in Computer Studies from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington. Her interest in philanthropy has led her to work with many organizations in the Seattle area, including Social Venture Partners, Bellevue Schools Foundation and Seattle Children’s Theatre.

Lisa served as the Lead Partner for SVP Investee Kindering Center and has been a member of a K-12 Grant Committee, Chair of the Portfolio Grant Committee and member of the Advocacy and Policy Committee. She and her husband, Ben, have been partners since 1998.  Lisa is also a marathon runner.   Read more....

Sherri Wolson

Sherri Wolson likes to joke that she joined SVP to make up for all the bad things she did as a lawyer. Although she likes antitrust law and appellate litigation, her passion is early childhood education. In particular, she believes that every child deserves access to high-quality early childhood programs.

Sherri and her husband, Neil Black, joined SVP in 2006. She has chaired two new grant committees and the Portfolio Grant Committee. She serves on SVP Seattle’s Early Learning Collective Action Team, as well as the boards of Child Care Resources and the ACLU of Washington.  Sherri has an AB from Stanford University and a JD from Stanford Law School.   Read more...