Meet the Northwest Art Alliance Team

These are profiles of some members of the Board of Directors, NWAA Staff, and key leadership volunteers. This is a group of dedicated creative enthusiasts who want to share art with the community.

Kathy Whitman - Guemes Island

**NWAA Board of Directors, President**
**Education:** BA in Art and Recreation, University of Washington
**Profession:** Retired from career in Recreation; now finding time for Art (sketching, colored pencil, watercolor, luminaries, fabric), beach walks, and gardening
**Favorite Children’s Book:** Harold’s Purple Crayon which I read to my granddaughter
**Passions:** My love of “living with art” is found throughout my home, both inside and out
**Personal Quote:** *“When I retired, I made a commitment to two things every day… something outside, and something artsy.”*

Marissa Motto - Clinton, Whidbey Island

**NWAA Board of Directors, Event Director**
**Education:** BA in Fine Art, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA
**Profession**: Event Director **Favorite Children’s Book:** *Island of the Blue Dolphins*
**Passions:** Walking our dogs on Whidbey; good films, friends, wine and family. Getting my hands dirty making art and in the garden. Sunsets!
**Favorite Quote:** *“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” - Bob Ross*

Cheryl Brown - Edmonds

**NWAA Board of Directors, Secretary**
**Education:** BA in Recreation Administration and Art, Eastern Washington University
**Profession:** Recreation professional; and professional artist using mixed media often featuring birds and maps
**Favorite Children’s Book:** *The Mitten* - great drawings of animals who sleep in a warm mitten in winter months
**Passions:** My sons, my yard, birds, and time to create.
**Favorite Quote**: *“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” - Robert Bresson*

Barbara DeCaro - Arlington

**NWAA Board of Directors, Treasurer**
**Education:** BA in Botany, University of Washington
**Profession:** Avid Gardener, Horticulturist, and Horticulture Instructor
**Favorite Children’s Book:** *Charlotte’s Web*, when I learned to love spiders!
**Passions:** Many, many passions but top of the list includes sharing my love of Horticulture with others, the artistry of Gardening, wildlife, collecting books of botanic illustration, enjoying great jazz music, and great wine
**Favorite Quote:** *“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”* - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Jessica Kolta - Seattle

**NWAA Board Member**
**Education:** BS in Electrical Engineering; MS in Engineering Management; Missouri University of Science & Technology **Profession:** 25 yrs (and counting) in the Aerospace Industry **Favorite Children’s Book:** “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr Seuss; I have a sketch from the book on my dining room wall. **Passions:** Collecting art and jewelry from around the world; watching my son’s baseball games; going to the opera; watching movies; spending time in the mountains; talking to interesting people **Favorite Quote:** *“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”* - Maya Angelou

Ariane Callender - Seattle

**NWAA Board Member**
**Education:** BS in Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech; MS in Engineering Management, Duke University. Self-taught artist
**Profession:** Full-time Product Manager, part-time artist
**Favorite Movie:** Miss Congeniality
**Passions:** Creating art, traveling, and reunions with friends who don't live close by
**Favorite Quote:** *“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”* - Maya Angelou

Marti Castle - Seattle

**NWAA Board Member**
**Education:** Mostly school of hard knocks with bits of college mixed in, primarily art classes
**Profession:** Management and ownership of seafood processing and construction businesses in Washington and Alaska
**Favorite Children’s Book:** *The Magic School bus collection*
**Passions:** Helping others in any way I can
**Personal Quote:** *“To leave the world a better place and kinder place.”*

Crystal Goodwin - Kent

NWAA Board Member

Education: M.Ed in Instructional Design, MS in Curriculum and Instruction Profession: Communications Favorite Book: Ella Enchanted. In college I took a children's literary class and fell in love with the creative literature at our disposal. From surreal plots to well-laid-out character development, my curiosity was well quenched at the end of the course. Passions: I enjoy rollerblading, hiking from late spring to early fall, kayaking and paddle boarding in the summer time. Personal Quote: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind words cheers it up.”

**Shrunga Malavalli - Seattle**

**Event Coordinator**
**Education:** BS in Computer Science, Washington State University
**Profession:** Self-taught Artist, Event Coordinator, Former Product/Program Manager in Tech
**Favorite Movie:** Titanic
**Passions:** Painting, Dancing, Skiing, Bollywood movies, Spending time with my friends and finding new passions!
**Personal Quote:** *“Live the stories you want to tell.”*

Alex Strazzanti - Wedgwood

**Organizational Coordinator**
**Education:** BA in Psychology and MSW, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
**Profession:** Photographer, Social Entrepreneur, Project Manager
**Favorite Movies:** Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Godfather, Princess Bride
**Passions:** Kayaking, hiking, traveling, puzzles, video games
**Favorite Quote:** *“Empty your mind; be formless, shapeless - like water. Be water, my friend.”* - Bruce Lee

Cathy Bell - Everett

**Event Assistant**
**Education:** AA degree in Office Administration
**Profession:** WSDOT Transportation Engineer
**Favorite Movie:** *Sound of Music -* I watch it when I’m missing my grandmother
**Passions:** Helping others, spending time with those important to me, and traveling
**Favorite Quotes:** *“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”* - Dolly Parton, ”*No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”* - Eleanor Roosevelt

Pamelagrace Beatty - Seattle

**Special Volunteer**
**Education:** BA in Foreign Languages, WSU; MA in Management, JFK University; MA in Consciousness Studies, Holmes Institute
**Profession:** Human Resources Consultant
**Favorite Children’s Book:** *The Patchwork Girl of Oz*, one of the *Wonderful City of Oz* series by L. Frank Baum
**Passions:** Singing jazz, painting on canvas, and contributing my volunteer time to make a difference in the community
**Personal Quote:** *“Dreams have no expiration date.”*

Kim Groff Harrington - Bothell

**Special Volunteer**
**Education:** Fashion Merchandising and experience, experience, experience...
**Profession:** Artist
**Favorite Children’s Book:** *My Side of the Mountain*
**Passions:** Gardenscaping, Art
**Favorite Quote:** *“Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it.”* - Salvador Dali

Are you a good fit?

We are so grateful for the wonderful volunteers at the Best of the Northwest shows and other Northwest Art Alliance events. If the points below apply to you, then volunteering with NWAA would be a good fit:

Looking for board members
Volunteers with special skills
Help at the Best of the Northwest shows

I like to have fun! I love being around art! I like to be a part of a winning team! I want to be a spoke in the wheel that helps move NWAA forward!

Contact us HERE

**CONSIDER JOINING THE NWAA TEAM**

Northwest Art Alliance is in search of a new member of the Board of Directors who will bring energy, ideas, & skills to a group that is focused on the future of the NW art community. The Board is like a puzzle in need of one or two more pieces…
We are looking for expertise to complement the talents that now exist to help keep the organization moving forward. Could this opportunity be right for you?
Click **HERE** for more information. Click **HERE** to download a board member application. We look forward to hearing from you!

Our Team

Meet the Northwest Art Alliance Team

Are you a good fit?

We are so grateful for the wonderful volunteers at the Best of the Northwest shows and other Northwest Art Alliance events. If the points below apply to you, then volunteering with NWAA would be a good fit:

Looking for board members

Volunteers with special skills

Help at the Best of the Northwest shows

I like to have fun! I love being around art! I like to be a part of a winning team! I want to be a spoke in the wheel that helps move NWAA forward!

Contact us HERE