Board & Staff

Began Continuous Board Service in 2017 // Jim is the President of Path Forward Leadership Development, a firm he founded in 2001. He’s also the host of The Boss Show, heard on KOMO Radio and also worldwide as a podcast. Jim helps organizations and individuals do the hard work of developing progressive, effective leadership practices. He’s the author of Land On Your Feet, Not On Your Face -- a Guide To Building Your Leadership Platform. Jim lives in Issaquah with his wife of 40 years, Paula Weiss. He studied music at Whittier College and plays the piano. His daughter Ruthie Millgard is the Artistic Director of the San Diego Children’s Choir.

Aly has lived in the Seattle area for about 25 years. Although now a Program Manager at Microsoft, her degrees are in Ancient History and Archaeology & History of Art, so she is delighted to have an opportunity to support the growth and sharing of the musical Arts in the Puget Sound area. In previous non-profit experience, she served as Board Member and then President of Irish Network Seattle, and was formerly Executive Director of Alpine Ascents Foundation, raising funds for schooling children of disadvantaged families in Nepal. She also volunteers for AnitaB.org, a social enterprise that supports women in technical fields.

Began Continuous Board Service in 2017 // Harry grew up in the Seattle area and attended Washington State University and University of Washington where he received degrees in Philosophy and English, respectively. After teaching high school English for a time, he attended University of Washington Law School where he received a JD in 1978. During his 35 year professional career he worked on legislation and policy development for the state and local governments. Harry worked for King County for 15 years on land use and environmental issues and retired in 2014. Since then he has been taking classes at University of Washington (music theory, history of western classical music and jazz, and Italian), traveling, working around the house, reading, and threatening to learn to play the piano. His only musical training is long forgotten accordion lessons from one of the Seattle area accordion schools that were prolific in the 1960s, and junior high school band where he played the clarinet. Since then, he’s been a listener rather than a performer. His musical tastes are somewhat eclectic and include classical music from chant and medieval up through contemporary, jazz, and folk. He and his spouse, Cecilia, have lived in Fremont for over 35 years.

Began Continuous Board Service in 2012 // Richard was born and raised in Cleveland Ohio. He attended Ohio State University and the University of Illinois, ultimately obtaining a Masters of Accounting Science degree. While at the University of Illinois, he passed the CPA exam. After completing college studies, he began working in Chicago as a CPA, living in Chicago for seven years before making the move to Seattle. Since the move, he has worked in public accounting and is currently self-employed. Richard moved to Seattle in May, 1977, just in time to attend the inaugural concert of the Early Music Guild. He immediately became a member and soon after was invited to serve on the board, serving as Treasurer for four years. Later, he joined the board of Seattle Baroque Orchestra and served as Treasurer for 15 years. He also currently serves on the board of the Seattle Recorder Society. Richard is married with two children. His current interests include playing the saxophone and recorder, Israeli folk dancing, golf, and jazzercise.

Britt East is an inspirational author and speaker who uses his experience, strength, and hope to challenge and inspire people all over the world to unleash their true potential through his books, articles, and public speaking engagements. He also has over 20 years of experience in marketing and technology leadership, where he has helped a variety of organizations craft their best online presence, through engaging and effective design, advertising, and content marketing (web, email, social, display ad, and search).

Began Continuous Board Service in 2017 // Born in Portland, OR, and raised in the Philadelphia and Boston suburbs, Christian has lived in Seattle since 1983, when he joined Perkins Coie, where he specializes in manufacturer’s liability, mostly involving aerospace products. After taking piano in elementary school, he became more interested in classical music in high school, his interest facilitated by the LP and score collection at the Wellesley Public Library. Although he was an English major, he was head of the classical music department of the college radio station and did weekly programs for a semester on Music of the Renaissance, as well as chronological surveys of Bach and Mozart. An avid consumer of the arts, his available leisure time was crimped for a time by the arrival of three now almost-grown children who have accompanied him to live performances over the years. Christian’s musical interests run the gamut from medieval to 21st century.

Lourdes has spent over 20 years working in technology, and has an extensive background in digital communities and engagement. Prior to her current role at Microsoft, where she leads Diversity and Inclusion efforts for the Business Applications group, she has led teams at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Apple, Major League Baseball’s MLB.com, and Starbucks Coffee Company.  She describes herself as a passionate believer in the power of technology to deepen human connections and in the strength of diverse and inclusive cultures to positively shape the world around us.

Lourdes is a passionate fan of all kinds of music, and as an aspiring gambist, she's particularly fond of early music.  She lives in downtown Seattle with her beloved English Bulldog, Henry.

Leslie began Continuous Board Service in 2017 // Leslie attended the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, where she received a B.S. in Business Administration and Stanford University where she earned a Certificate in Strategic Decision and Risk Management. She currently works for Boeing as a Country Manager for Canada in International Strategy and Business Development. She completed the Business Career Foundation Program through Boeing, a fast-paced program designed to develop highly skilled future business leaders. Leslie has also served as an ArtsFund associate, completing ArtsFund Board Leadership training and supporting the "I'm with Art" and “Million $$ Maybe” teams in fundraising and marketing. She enjoys playing piano and violin and is a passionate music enthusiast.