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About Us

Meet Our Team

Laura Pierce (She/Her)

Executive Director

Laura became Nonprofit Association of Washington’s Executive Director in May 2017 after serving as the organization’s Interim Executive Director and having been a member and partner with the organization for many years. She has been the owner and principal consultant of Laura Pierce Consulting. Laura has worked in and with nonprofit organizations since 1989, including fund development, community organizing, and executive management positions. Since 1998, she has consulted with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, assisting with strategic planning, board development, organizational assessment and capacity building.

LeeAnne Beres (She/Her)

Deputy Director for Operations

LeeAnne brings over 30 years of experience to Nonprofit Association of Washington, including 16 years as Executive Director of Earth Ministry, and another ten as the Associate Director of Save Our Wild Salmon and Outreach Director of the NW Energy Coalition. She has expertise in leadership development, strategic decision making, fundraising, financial management, community engagement, organizing, and advocacy. LeeAnne is dedicated to forging authentic relationships and delights in building strong organizations and ensuring people have the tools to enact real change in their communities. She is a published author, has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and survived two years working as a biologist on commercial fishing boats in Alaska’s Bering Sea. LeeAnne has a Master’s degree in Marine Fisheries Management from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Whitman College. Outside of work, she is a passionate hockey fan and walks 3-5 miles daily with her dog, Bones.

Jennifer Chang (She/Her)

Director of Learning

Jennifer joined the Nonprofit Association of Washington team in August 2020. She brings ten years of nonprofit experience and community-centered work in the South Puget Sound region to our team. Her experiences include serving as a nonprofit executive director, overseeing the transition of a funder managed program to an independent nonprofit, supporting watershed-based community collaborations, and leading urban green space restoration projects. Jennifer looks forward to supporting the continued growth of NAWA’s offerings and connecting with nonprofits across the state to cultivate learning opportunities and resources that meet their evolving needs. At the University of Washington, she received a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance as well as a Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Sciences. Jennifer is from Tacoma, Washington and she enjoys going for walks, quilting, and gardening.

Nicki Everett (She/Her)

Communications Coordinator

Nicki brings nearly a decade of experience in non-profits from multiple regions of the state, including Seattle, Everett, Cashmere, and Cle Elum. She worked in volunteer management, outreach, and event production before discovering her passion for communications while working on the events team at Cascade Bicycle Club. A few months into the pandemic, she chose to take a break from nonprofits in order to learn how to farm and butcher. Even as a farmer, Nicki couldn’t stop writing and successfully wrote two grants for the butcher shop she learned from. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Nicki has called Washington home for nine years. She earned her Master’s in Public Administration with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington Evans School in 2018. Still a farmer at heart, she and her boyfriend raise chickens, turkeys, and goats alongside their two dogs at their residence in Thorp.

Erika Bentley Holland (She/Her)

Operations Associate

Erika joined Nonprofit Association of Washington in 2019. She grew up in Sequim, Washington where she experienced the importance of resilient community networks. During the 2008 recession, she saw rural support systems continually pushing to do more with less. She used her dual citizenship to earn a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s in museum studies at the University of Toronto. Currently she serves as Washington Museum Association’s ex officio member representing Emerging Museums Professionals. She is drawn to the museum field because it offers lifelong, free choice learning for adults. She brings this insatiable curiosity to NAWA. She is always looking for ways to infuse food justice and hospitality into her work. Erika enjoys biking from her home in Fremont to her climbing gym and NAWA’s Seattle office.

Julia Hunter (She/Her)

Learning Manager

Julia has a passion for building community and loves connecting with the incredible nonprofits of Washington State. She earned her MA in Literature from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, focusing on teaching, grant writing, and postmodern theory. Before that she completed an Americorps year in Atlanta, GA, where she worked at The Furniture Bank of Metro-Atlanta, and found a vocation in supporting nonprofits. Julia resides in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle with her husband, where she is an active community advocate and a lover of urban gardens, local fare, and live performance. Currently she serves Edible Hope Kitchen as an advisory board member, grant writer, and regular volunteer.

Anna Kelsey (She/Her)

Policy Fellow

Anna joined Nonprofit Association of Washington as a Policy Fellow in November 2021. With nonprofit experience spanning direct service, development, finance, and operations, she is excited to support the work of NAWA in strengthening government-nonprofit partnerships and advocating for public policy that enables nonprofits to carry out their missions. Alongside her work, she is passionate about organizational culture and how to create supportive and accessible workplaces. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston University and a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington. A true PNWer, she loves the outdoors and obsessing over her dog, Velma.

Lianna Olds (She/Her)

Deputy Director for Partnerships

Lianna comes to Nonprofit Association of Washington with 10 years of development and community support work with nonprofit organizations in both Pierce County and North Texas. Her expertise includes fund development, community outreach, board development, and volunteer management. Lianna is committed to equity and education, volunteering for the Equity Committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and teaching Public Administration and Nonprofit Management as an Adjunct Faculty member. She is excited to use her strategic approach to work with nonprofits across the state in identifying what they need to thrive and supporting them in achieving access. Lianna has a Master’s in Public Administration from Evergreen State College and a Bachelors in Journalism from University of Idaho. Lianna lives in Lakewood with her husband and two dogs (Boomer and Adele). She can most frequently be found experimenting in her kitchen or curled up with a sci-fi novel in her favorite chair.

Alex Panagotacos (She/Her)

Director of Community Engagement

Alex has worked in several different facets of the nonprofit world including direct service, volunteer management, grant writing, grant making, and coalition coordination. She holds a BA in Fine Art with an emphasis in Education from the University of San Francisco. Alex earned her Masters in Applied Arts & Sciences and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. In her personal time, Alex enjoys birdwatching, playing soccer, and drawing. Alex grew up rural and previously lived in rural Stevens and Spokane Counties. Now she travels around the state in a camper with her trusty side-kick, Waffle the Bernese Mountain Dog.

Daniel Parkhurst (He/Him)

Director of Policy and Communications

Daniel brings years of nonprofit experience, previously working with the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center in Washington, D.C., where he served as Deputy Director. There, he worked directly with Congress to connect Representatives with leading voices from across the country and to support advocacy efforts. Most recently he was the Policy Program Manager at Clean Air Carolina, a North Carolina state-based nonprofit who advocates for clean air, environmental justice, and direct action on climate change. He supported state efforts to transition to a clean energy economy during the climate crisis as well as ensuring that North Carolina reduced pollution across the state through policy, regulations, and legal advocacy. Originally from Alabama, he earned his bachelor’s from Auburn University and a Master’s in International Relations from Auburn University at Montgomery. When not working, he loves taking his dog, Nora, for hikes and learning new songs on the ukulele.

Elyse Ke’ala Rickard (She/Her)

Membership Manager

Elyse Ke’ala Rickard joined Nonprofit Association of Washington in August 2021. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Fullerton and her Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at University of Washington. She has worked for a variety of nonprofits, ranging from higher education to social services, and is passionate about advocating for equitable and sustainable solutions in the sector and beyond. In her free time, Elyse enjoys listening to music and podcasts, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Sarah Smith, (She/Her)

Program Coordinator

Sarah joined NAWA in spring 2022. Prior to joining the team, she worked in the nonprofit world serving immigrants and refugees as a Case Manager, Volunteer Coordinator, and Systems Specialist. She holds her BA in Exercise Science from Seattle Pacific University. Sarah has lived in Washington her whole life, and currently resides in Spokane. In her free time, she enjoys climbing, camping, going on long walks with her dog, and gardening.

Crystal Song (She/Her)

Administrative Assistant

Crystal has a BA degree in Law, Societies, & Justice from the University of Washington and is currently an MPA student at the UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. Go Dawgs! Prior to joining Nonprofit Association of Washington, Crystal worked in fundraising and grant-writing for University Beyond Bars, an organization that provides college education in prison. Having grown up in Washington, Crystal has a lot of love for this community and wants to see it flourish. She is passionate about justice and equity and is committed to helping nonprofits advance those values. In her free time, Crystal enjoys walking her dog Remy, watching cooking shows, and going to pub trivia.