29 Jan Meet Our New Board Members

When in college I had a brief love affair with Margaret Mead, the famed anthropologist. I loved her books, full of vivid imagery and her stories of travel and high adventure in the South Pacific of the 1930s. She went abroad and immersed herself in different cultures in order to better reflect on her own (American) and to identify what is universal in human nature. The popular quote of hers that continues to endure is: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

For Tiny Trees Preschool our small, thoughtful and committed team just grew a little bigger. Four new board members have joined us to help build the foundation of our organization and help us grow. They are all amazing peeps and it is my pleasure to introduce you to them. Please meet:

Greg Scully – A former classmate of mine from Seattle University’s Masters in Non-Profit Leadership program Greg is the former corporate giving officer at Seattle U. He now works for Altruist Partners helping non-profits create powerful business plans to maximize their impact and fundraising potential, skills that will be a great help for a start up like Tiny Trees. When not building rocket boosters Greg enjoys world travel and photography.

Miriam Haile – Born in Eritrea Miriam relocated to Rochester, NY with her family when she was two years old. Her parents worked very hard to provide a good education for her and her sister and with their help she received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Rochester and M.S. in Information Management from Syracuse University. She enjoys working with small technology firms and helping take them to the next level and currently works for Entomo. She loves to organize special/fundraising events for great organizations and currently serves on the board for Children’s Hospital labs.

“I’m interested in serving on the Tiny Trees’ Board because of my passion for providing affordable preschool for all families. As a mother of a young daughter, I understand that the cost of high quality preschool can be difficult for many families. I’m very excited about Tiny Trees because they not only provide affordable preschool but they also incorporate outdoor play.”

AJ Rei-Perrine – AJ grew up in Seattle, then skipped town to join the Foreign Service.  She served our country overseas as a diplomat for many years, then went into film and produced music videos, a TV series, and movies, one of which was lucky enough to win a Jury Prize at Sundance.

“Some of my earliest memories are the flowers and bugs and dirt I explored while gardening alongside my mom, and I’ve been a hiker and camper since before I could walk.  I love that Tiny Trees will nourish that same passion for the outdoors in the littlest members of our community!”

Marc Zawislak – Marc leads a multidisciplinary team of engineers at The Boeing Company where he has volunteered for the Employee Community Fund for three years, helping build their donor base and organizing fundraising events. A graduate from the University of Michigan with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Marc enjoys running, travelling the world, refereeing soccer games, yoga and reading.

“There are two reasons why I am very interested in serving on the Tiny Trees’ Board: 1) The opportunity to bring affordable preschool to children is a cause which inspires me and I really believe the model is something that has great potential to have a huge impact on young people and education in America. 2) The Growth – I am really interested in helping Tiny Trees grow throughout Seattle and the Northwest, bringing affordable pre-schooling to all children!”

As founding board members these talented folks will be leading our fundraising efforts, including organizing an annual event, building relationships with strategic allies like local foundations and corporations and introducing new people and donors to the Tiny Trees movement. Each one will do so with their own signature style. In the words of Margaret Mead “An ideal culture is one in which there is a place for every human gift.” Together this small but mighty team will help to build a culture where each of us can use our gifts to help Tiny Trees Preschool reach its potential and help thousands of children across the Northwest gain access to a quality academic education and enjoy the joyful outdoor childhood they deserve.

By Andrew Jay – CEO Tiny Trees Preschool, andrew@tinytrees.org