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KYFS Board of Directors

Israel Vela has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since 2007. He is the Board President. Israel Vela is the Executive Director of Student and Family Support Services in the Kent School District. The KSD mission is to successfully prepare all students for their future. Israel has been an educator for 24 years and during this time he has served as a classroom teacher, staff development educator, elementary school principal, and special services director. Israel oversees a wide variety of state and federal support programs serving the district’s highest need students and families and his expertise relative to ensuring success for English Language Learners (ELL) is constantly sought by both professionals in other districts and OSPI state officials. It was Israel’s vision that resulted in the KSD Refugee Transition Center becoming a reality. Israel has had first hand knowledge of how critical support and high expectations are to making sure that all students are prepared to be highly skilled and productive citizens.

In addition to serving as a board member for Kent Youth and Family Services, he has been a strong advocate for the Lucy Lopez Center in the City of Kent. Also, Israel is highly respected as someone who works to build bridges among the various cultures in our educational system and community. Israel is a productive leader whose actions exemplify true professionalism.

Sommer Ueda has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since 2009. She is the Board 1st Vice President and a member of the Fundraising Committee. Sommer is the Marketing Manager for Kent Station. She enjoys giving back to both the community where she lives as well as the Kent community where she works. As the Marketing Manager for Kent Station, she is passionate about creating successful events and fundraisers for visitors to Kent Station. In addition, Sommer provides energy and creative support to KYFS as board member and fundraising committee member. Along with her KYFS responsibilities, she is serving as Board President for Children's Therapy Center and is very active in the Kent Downtown Partnership.

Joyce Bowling has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since January 2011. She is the Board 2nd Vice President. Joyce retired in March 2010 after 37 years of Federal Service. She spent 27 years with the U.S. Forest Service and 10 years as Human Resources Officer for the United States Attorney's Office in Seattle. During her forest service career she served on six different National Forest locations in Washington, Oregon and California. Joyce has previously served with the Combined Federal Campaign for several years and currently serves annually on the review committee for CFC applicants.

 J. David Huhs has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since 2006. He is the Board Treasurer and a member of the KYFS Finance Committee. David is an attorney for Curran Law Firm P.S. in Kent where he represents clients in business and real estate matters. David is a past-president of the South King County Bar Association. In addition, David spends numerous hours volunteering, as a pro-bono attorney, at neighborhood legal clinics. David sees Kent Youth and Family Services as a way for children and their families to achieve their dreams by providing outreach, resource, and support to those in need.

Carla Dean has been serving on Kent Youth & Family Services Board of Directors since 2003. She is the Board Secretary and a member of the Fundraising Committee. Carla served as Board President from November 2007-2009. She is also serving as Board Vice President for the Puget Sound Federal Credit Union.

Carla works at the Manufacturing Industrial Council, a non-profit business association sharing a commitment to retaining and supporting the "family wage" job base in the industrial sector through advocacy and educational opportunities. In addition to being a student at South Seattle Community College, Carla is very active in her community and is married and raising two children in Maple Valley.

Pastor Jane Prestbye has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since 2004. Jane served as Board President from November 2009 to September 2011. Since September 1999, Kent Lutheran Church has had the pleasure of Pastor Jane Prestbye serving as lead pastor. She and her husband Fergus reside nearby in downtown Kent. She has lived in northwest Washington all her life except for some time in Minnesota while studying for her Masters of Divinity at Luther Seminary. She has served several congregations in the northwest area including Bellingham, Seattle, and Bothell, where she devoted time to Christian Education and Youth Ministry. Before accepting her call to Kent Lutheran Church, she was on the faculty of Trinity Lutheran College (formerly LBI) for thirteen years. Pastor Jane excels at getting people together to talk, listen, think, pray, laugh, and serve. She delights in any opportunity to help people consider God’s love in and through their lives.

Carl Hart has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since 1990. He has served as Board President. Carl is retired from Bell Anderson Agency, Inc.

 

 

 

 

Mike Mathews has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since 1993. He has served as Board President twice and is a member of the KYFS Finance Committee.

Mike is currently a Vice President and Branch Manager for Banner Bank in Kent and has held that position since September of 2004. Mike has been in the banking industry for over 27 years, working in South King County since 1990. Mike is married and raising two daughters in Kent. His belief that “family comes first” is the reason for his commitment to Kent Youth and Family Services.

Anil Abraham has been serving on Kent Youth & Family Services Board of Directors May 2003. Anil served as Board President from 2005-2007 and is currently the Audit Committee Chairperson. He is a partner in "The Peoples Builder LLC" as well as the owner of "Tacoma Peoples Builder LLC", a local affordable homebuilder.

Born and raised in Kent, he graduated from Kentwood High School and received his BA from WSU. Anil currently resides in Renton with his wife Annie, daughter Alisa and son Ahron. Anil has been active in the local and East Indian community for many years and has a strong passion in dealing with the needs of the Kent Community.

Steve Strachan has been serving on Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors since 2006. He has 25 years of law enforcement experience. Prior to being appointed by Sheriff Rahr as Chief Deputy in 2011, Steve served from 2006-2011 as Chief of Police in Kent, Washington, with a population of 115,000. Steve previously served as Chief of Police in Lakeville, Minnesota, where he had been an Administrative Sergeant, Detective, School Resource Officer, SWAT team leader, DARE Officer, and Patrol Officer. Prior to becoming a patrol officer, Steve worked as a Jail Deputy for the Carver County, MN Sheriff's Office.

In 1996, Steve was elected to the first of two terms as a city council member in Farmington, Minnesota. In 2002, Steve was elected to the Minnesota State House of Representatives, where he served on the Judiciary, Local Government and State Government Finance Committees. In his time in the House, Steve was the chief author of several high profile and controversial bills, including the reduction of the alcohol limit to .08.

Steve served on the Public Safety Facilities Commission for Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, and was later appointed by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to the State Sex Offender Policy Commission, the DWI Task Force, and the Governor's Stadium Commission.

Steve holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the Univeristy of Minnesota, and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is a graduate of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS) #51, and was a member of Session #44 of the Senior Management Institute for Police through the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

From 2007-2010, Steve served as an appointee of Washington Governor Christine Gregoire to the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority. Steve is a past Co-Chair of the Washington Association of Sheriff's and Police Chiefs Corrections Committee. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Chair of the King County Chiefs of Police Association, and is President-Elect of the Kent Rotary Club.

Brandy Reed has been a member of KYFS since July 2009 and is on our fundraising committee. Brandy Reed works at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, WA as a Manager of 3 surgical specialty clinics and the clinic float pool.

Brandy graduated from the University of Washington, Tacoma in March 2011 with her Masters in Nursing Leadership. Brandy graduated with her BSN from the University of Washington, Bothell and her ADN from Bellevue Community College. Brandy participates in several sports and plays on
3 different softball leagues in the spring. Brandy spends her spare time gardening, volunteering in the community, hiking and spending time with her 2 year old great dane, Oakley.

Debra Entenman
Field Representative, Congressman Adam Smith, 9th District, Washington, U.S. House of Representatives

 

Honorary Board Members

Theresa Ahern
Curran Law Firm

Rev. William Carleton
Retired Pastor, Kent 1st Presbyterian Church

Linda Cattey
Community Volunteer

Ed Crawford
Kent Police Department, Chief (Retired)

Brenda Fincher
Holy Spirit Church

Julia Patterson
5th District Member, Metropolitan King County Council

Pat Sullivan
47th Distict Representative, Washington State Legislature

Margaret Whitney
Assistant Superintendent Kent School District (Retired)