Board of Trustees

List of 23 members.

• Percy Abram 

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  Percy Abram joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2016. Percy is the Head of The Bush School, an independent K-12 school in Seattle, and was previously Head of Gateway School in Santa Cruz, CA. He earned his BA in economics from UCLA and holds Master’s degrees in Education (UCLA) and Sociology (Stanford) as well as a PhD in Education from Stanford. Percy currently serves on NWAIS's Board of Governors and has served on the Board for the California Association of Independent Schools. At AWS Percy serves on the Head’s Support & Evaluation Committee.

• Sally (Peterson) Atherton 66

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  Sally (Peterson) Atherton '66 joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2017. After attending Annie Wright 1952-66, she received her BA in Biology from Colby College, her MS in Biology from Trinity University (San Antonio), and her PhD in microbiology (virology) at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She has been a leading biomedical researcher and professor specializing in herpesvirus infections of the eye and brain at academic health centers in Florida, Texas and Georgia. She also served the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) as a member of the board of trustees, as Executive Vice-President, and as Executive Director.

• Laura Bales 85

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  Laura Bales '85 joined Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2019. With a passion for supporting and promoting educational and arts institutions, Laura has three decades of experience managing projects and people in a variety of roles from college admissions, fundraising and grants writing, to training teams and managing digital and print communications. She has worked with such organizations as MacArthur Foundation, Seattle Art Museum, Microsoft Asia Pacific’s Citizenship team, and Museum of Glass in Tacoma, and volunteered at her alma maters, Annie Wright Schools and Whitman College, as well as Friends of the Museums in Singapore. Laura and her husband Geoff have two sons, Eli '21 and Seth '23, pioneers of the Upper School for Boys.

• Sarah (Kaiser) Brand 93

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  Sarah Kaiser Brand '93 served on the Board of Trustees 2008-14 and rejoined in 2017. Founder of SKB Events, she has been designing and producing client events professionally since 2006. Her background includes planning events both domestically and internationally for a wide array of companies and non-profits. An alumna of Annie Wright's Class of '93 (go Bananas!) and Vassar College's Class of '97, she lives in Bellingham, WA. 

• Michele Cannon Bessler (Chair) 

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  Michele Cannon Bessler, MD is pleased to have joined the Annie Wright Board in 2015. Michele has worked in the Tacoma community now for over a decade in the role of a community pediatrician and is particularly impassioned with building relationships with families to help achieve optimal heatlh and growth in all areas of development. She also is deeply rooted in volunteer roles in her Browns Point community and serves on the Mary Bridge Children's Foundation Board. After medical training and education in the midwest and east coast, she and her husband Robert Bessler settled in the Pacific Northwest to raise their three children (AWS Classes of '18, '20 and '22), where Rob co-founded and continues to act as CEO of Sound Physicians, a physician-driven health care company. Michele serves as the Strategic Planning Task Force Chair and also serves on the Board’s Trusteeship Committee.

• Cathy Close 

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  Cathy Close, educational consultant, joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2014. Cathy taught secondary school for thirty years before transitioning into pastoral care and consulting for parishes and families dealing with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Annie Wright continues to be the standard bearer for educational excellence. The opportunity to be part of the team of trustees that continues to support education for a global perspective while maintaining students' integrity bears tremendous responsibility and exciting possibility. Cathy serves on the Board's evaluation committee.

• Stephanie Cook 88

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  Stephanie Cook ’88 joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2016, after having served on the Annie Wright Schools Alumni Board. Stephanie owns South Sound Dental Management, offering management services to dental professionals and organizations. After graduating from Annie Wright in 1988, Stephanie received her bachelor's degree from Smith College and a Master's in Business Administration from Seattle University. Stephanie’s daughter Lauren is in the Class of '23. Stephanie serves on the Governance Committee.

• Bob Crist 

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  Bob Crist joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2015. Bob has been a healthcare executive and entrepreneur for more than 25 years and was the co-founder of the DesignRx family of companies, now a division of EnvisionRx/RiteAid. Bob currently serves in a business development role for Embryo Options, LLC, a company he co-founded in 2016. Bob is an honors graduate of both Washington State University (BA), and Seattle University (JD), and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the WSU foundation. Bob has three daughters at Annie Wright, Lexie (Class of ’25), Abbie (Class of ’22) and Ellie (Class of ’20). Bob serves on the Development Committee.

• Jeffrey Davis 

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  Jeffrey E. Davis, CEO of Davis Property & Investment (DPI), joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2018. Under Jeff's direction DPI has become one of the most active privately owned commercial real estate developers and asset managers in Washington State. Mr. Davis and DPI are also very active in the local non-profit community, serving on the board and/or donating resources to several local organizations. Jeff is dedicated to giving back to Annie Wright for all that Annie Wright and its staff have given to his children, Jaeger MS'18 and Olivia '24, over the years.

• James "Jim" Defebaugh (Vice-Chair) 

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  Jim Defebaugh, Executive Vice President & General Counsel of TrueBlue, Inc., joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2014. Jim joined TrueBlue in 2005 after 21 years at Kmart / Sears, most recently as Kmart's Chief Legal Officer and Sears' Chief Compliance Officer. Jim also currently serves on the Museum of Glass Board of Trustees. Jim and his wife, Kristina Maritczak, have two children, Miles and Katya, at Annie Wright. Jim believes that AWS is at the top of the list of crown jewels that Tacoma has to offer, at both the national and international level, and serves on the Board's Finance committee.

• Laura Edman 

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  Laura Edman joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2015. Laura has worked with non-profit organizations for more than 30 years and brings a wealth of leadership and development experience to the Board. She is a third-generation Tacoman and she and her husband George are parents of two Annie Wright Middle School graduates, Tal Edman (Class of ’05) and Andrea Edman (Class of ’10). Laura serves as Chair of the Development Committee.

• Mauricio Antonio "Tony" Escobar Jr. MD 

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  Tony Escobar joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2015. A Pediatric Surgeon at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and a Medical Director of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Trauma, Tony completed his Pediatric Surgical Residency at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, State University of New York, where he served as the Chief Resident his final year. Tony and his wife, Kala, have two daughters, Ela (Class of ’21) and Mia (Class of ’21) and a son, Antonio (Class of ’29). Tony serves on the Board’s Evaluation Committee.

• Judith (Yengling) Forkner 63

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  Judy Forkner ‘63 joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2015. With a career in publishing, Judy worked as an Assistant Editor at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in New York City. After raising two children, Judy worked as the Director of Development at the Greenwich Health Association in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Public Health Research Institute in New York. Judy now spends her retirement with family and volunteering with Planned Parenthood, Phoenix Art Museum and the Nature Conservancy. She also serves on the AWS Global Alumni Board and Board of Trustees Development Committee.

• Kelly Givens (Secretary) 

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  Kelly Givens joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2014. Kelly worked in public accounting and banking for over 10 years before deciding to be a full time mom and volunteer. She and her husband, Mike, have two daughters, Abby (Class of '20) and Tana (Class of '16). Kelly, like her father and daughters, was born and raised in the Tacoma area, and serves on the Mary Bridge Children's Foundation Board. Kelly serves on the Annie Wright Board's finance committee.

• Janelle Guirguis-Blake 

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  Janelle Guirguis-Blake joined Annie Wright Schools' Board of Trustees in 2019. A clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Washington, she has been working since 2003 with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality where she has served in the capacities of investigator, chief medical officer, program director, and advisor for the United States Preventive Services Task Force program. Since 2013 she has also worked as a principal investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. She received her medical degrees from Dartmouth Medical School and Brown University School of Medicine, then completed her residency at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and fellowship at the Georgetown School of Medicine. Janelle and her husband, Jeff, have two daughters, Natalie '25 and Norah '28.

• Lisa Hoffman 

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  Lisa Hoffman, Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Washington Tacoma, joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2016. She has been at UW Tacoma since 2002 and also serves as interim director of a new Office of Global Affairs at UW Tacoma. Lisa serves on the Children's Museum of Tacoma board and has two children at Annie Wright, John Saul (Class of '27) and Anna (Class of '30). Lisa is passionate about the arts, social justice, and education, and believes deeply in Annie Wright's approach and emphasis on exploration, inquiry, and discovery. Lisa serves on the Governance Committee.

• Marjorie (Oda) Oda-Burns 66

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  Marjorie Oda-Burns '66 joined Annie Wright Schools' Board of Trustees in 2019. After attending Annie Wright as a boarder from Hawaii and graduating from Pembroke College (the former women's college of Brown University) Marjorie completed medical school at Yale, with only seven women in her graduating class. After her internship at Stanford, Marjorie spent her career as an orthopedic surgeon in California while pursuing an active interest in medical ethics. Marjorie and her husband John's daughter, Theresa '04, also attended Annie Wright.

• David Overton (Treasurer) 

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  David E. Overton joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2018. David manages a 4th generation forest products business in Mason & Kitsap Counties and serves on community boards focused on community building and environmental stewardship. David and his wife Katherine Steuart have three children: Caroline, Henry and Elizabeth, at Annie Wright. David serves on the finance and building committees.

• John Parrott 

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  John Parrott became chair of Annie Wright Schools' Board of Trustees in 2017. John took over as President at Foss Maritime in 2016, coming from sister company TOTE Maritime Alaska, where he served as President for six years. A strong believer in communities and education, John is active with The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound’s Great Futures scholarship program and serves on the Seaman’s Services board of directors. John has a BS in Marine Transportation from the US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) and an MBA from Seattle University. He and his wife, Lynne, an active member of the Parents' Association, Strength to Strength campaign chair and Gator Gala auction chair, have three children, Thomas '14MS, James '16MS and Anna (Class of '22).

• Merritt (Klarsch) Pulliam 92

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  Merritt (Klarsch) Pulliam, photographer and writer, joined Annie Wright Schools' Board of Trustees in 2018. Merritt worked for 20 years as a television producer and writer specializing in promotion. She worked for PBS/KCTS 9, Harpo Studios, and Birdhouse Creative before starting Merritt Pulliam Photography in 2012. She continues to write professionally. She spent nine wonderful years as a student at AWS and graduated in 1992. Merritt is passionate about Annie Wright's tradition of excellence and eager to help sustain its future.

• Pamela (Hyde) Smith 63

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  Pamela Hyde Smith joined the Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2014. Pamela entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1975 and has served as a diplomat in U.S. embassies around the world, including as Ambassador to Moldova. She has also taught at Georgetown University and serves on a number of non-profit boards, including The Nature Conservancy. A graduate of Annie Wright, Pamela believes that the school's excellent education set her on her life-long path. Pamela serves on the Board's governance committee.

• Marilyn Strickland 

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  Marilyn Strickland joined Annie Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2018. She is the President & CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and served as Mayor of Tacoma 2010-2017. Marilyn is an advocate for education that is inclusive and gives students the opportunity to explore the world. She and her husband Patrick Erwin were married at Annie Wright's Raynor Chapel.

• Aliya (Merali) Virani 96

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  Aliya Merali Virani '96, educator and school administrator, joined the Anne Wright Schools Board of Trustees in 2016. Aliya has worked in independent schools for the last 15 years in various capacities, from teaching elementary grades to serving as Curriculum Director, Director of Inclusion and Community Building, and now Director of Admissions at a school in Vancouver, BC. She obtained her Master’s in Elementary education from NYU and a Master’s in Private School Leadership from Columbia University. Annie Wright inspired Aliya's love of learning and service. Combining her love for travel and service learning, she co-founded an international summer program called Global Encounters where she continues to be a Program Director and admissions lead. Aliya serves on the head's support and evaluation committee.