Our Board of Trustees

We are grateful for a board of dedicated trustees with a strong belief in the value of public school education.

Board Members:

  • Corey Chapin
  • Carol Comeau
  • Kate Di Nitto
  • Tony Freeland
  • Jeff Giesen
  • Leslie Hazelwood
  • Leeza Lorence
  • Courtney Muraski
  • Chris Schepper
  • Mike Sieczka, President
  • Heather Simpson
  • Flo Simon

Ex-Officio Members:

  • Sam Gearhart, BPSF Executive Director
  • Greg Baker, Superintendent
Find an application HERE.

Are you looking for a way to contribute to the Bellingham community? Are you willing to volunteer by engaging in the mission to raise funds and steward community resources, so every child feels healthy, engaged, supported, and challenged? The Bellingham Public Schools Foundation (BPSF) helps to bridge the gap between basic education funding provided by the State of Washington and what is needed to meet the Bellingham School District’s goals of academic excellence in accordance with its strategic plan, The Bellingham Promise.

The Foundation is seeking applications for governance board membership for the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation. Individuals who have a diverse range of community leadership and/or professional experience and are willing to serve to advance the foundation’s mission are encouraged to apply for board membership.

Our Board of Trustees provides accountability, support, and  legal/fiscal oversight for the Foundation, working with Foundation staff to support fundraising, programs, and donor relations. 

We support fundraising, community outreach, and the Foundation’s grants process, investing in innovation within our schools. 

The board position requires an average of one meeting per month, including board meetings and participation in committee or taskforce work. Duties may include: review and approval of foundation budget and policy, engagement in and awareness of the challenges facing students in the Bellingham School District, program evaluation, participation in the Foundation grants process, collaborative fundraising efforts, donor and community outreach, and board engagement. This is a volunteer position with three-year terms. A new board member orientation will begin in August.

Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees

  • Serve for a term of three years.
  • Determine the Bellingham Public School Foundation’s (BPSF) vision, mission and values.
  • Ensure sufficient financial resources. One of the board’s key responsibilities is to secure sufficient resources for the organization to accomplish its mission.
  • Enhance the organization’s public standing. The board should effectively communicate the organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals to the public and gain support from the community.
  • Develop the Foundation’s strategic plan and set program goals and scope.
  • Ensure the financial solvency of the organization by regularly reviewing financial statements,
  • Ensure legal and ethical accountability.
  • Select, recruit and develop new board members, and assess the board’s own performance.
  • Select, supervise and support the executive director.

Responsibilities for Each Individual Board Member

Governance

  • Be informed about the BPSF’s mission, services, policies and programs.
  • Confer with staff and read reports to understand our role in the community.
  • Contribute time, expertise and financial support to achieve BPSF’s fundraising goals.
  • Accept and support the decisions of the board and keep appropriate information confidential.
  • Accept responsibility and follow through on commitments.
  • Assist the board in carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities by reviewing financial statements.

Financial Contribution

  • Make an annual financial contribution.  It is important to demonstrate to the community 100% board participation. We do not set a minimum board donation but ask that each board member give an amount meaningful to them.
  • Contribute to the Foundation’s fundraising efforts by identifying, cultivating and/or soliciting prospects.

Participation

  • Attend at least 80% of board meetings.
  • Serve on at least one committee.
  • Volunteer for and accept assignments, completing them thoroughly and on time.
  • Actively participate in BPSF’s annual events
  • Assist in the identification and recruitment of prospective board members.
  • Resign if commitments can’t be carried out.
  • Build a collegial working relationship with other Board members and Foundation stakeholders that contributes to consensus.
  • Attend at least 80% of board meetings.

Promotion

  • Serve as a prominent ambassador of the Bellingham Public School Foundation’s mission, programs, and services. leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to fully achieve the organization’s mission
Interested in serving on the BPSF board? Find an application HERE.