Kate Frazier
Beginning her career as a high school teacher and counselor, Kate has served in multiple positions throughout her 22 years in education. Each role has made a significant impact on her passion for centering equity and antiracist practices. In 2016, Kate was named Washington State Principal of the Year and continues to advocate for systemic change that will eliminate injustices for our students, families and communities. Kate served as the Director of Equity and Languages for North Thurston Public Schools and currently serves on Tacoma Public School’s Whole Child Team as an Assistant Director.
Ronnie Gordon, Ed. D.
Dr. Ronnie Gordon was raised on the South end of Tacoma. He is Black, Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), and German, while he acknowledges his ancestral and ethnic roots, he identifies as a Black cisgender, straight man. Preferred pronouns are he and him. Ronnie grew up in economic poverty yet was raised up in cultural wealth. He was a first-generation college student and the first person in his family to earn a doctorate degree and work in Higher Education. Before moving to Higher Education, Ronnie spent 11 years serving, learning, and teaching English and Leadership at his alma mater, Mount Tahoma High School, after spending 1 year mentoring and tutoring at Hunt Middle School in Tacoma. After leaving Secondary Education, he transitioned to Tacoma Community College, where he served as Professor for the Fresh Start program. Ronnie recently heeded the call to return to his home community to continue learning and serving in Tacoma Public Schools as an Assistant Director of the Whole Child department. He spent the previous 4 years learning, researching, and educating as an Assistant Professor of Education and champion of Anti-Racist Education, Equity, and Inclusion at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington. Ronnie earned his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University-Portland, graduate degree in Education with endorsements Secondary Language Arts and Elementary Education from Pacific Lutheran University, and bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Western Washington University. Ronnie has more than 20 years' experience serving and working side by side with youth, families, and community.
"My educational degrees do not define me, but rather I define them." -Dr. Gordon
Dena Harris
Dena is a National Board Certified Teacher with a Masters in Elementary Education, a Bachelor's in History and has taught primary and middle school grades. She has deep spiritual beliefs about unity, equity and justice from Baha'i teachings that have guided her choices her entire life. She is a mother of two beautiful children and married to the most loving person who supports and enhances all her work. Dena is currently teaching 5th Grade Ethnic Studies and prior to this, she served as a District Instructional Coach. In this role, she developed and recorded over 150 ELA lessons for elementary teachers to use during remote learning instruction. All the lessons were aligned with the Social Justices Standards and highlighted diverse cultural perspectives. She is also the author of www.teachinghumanity.org/.
Krista Hornish
Krista is a Change Management Practitioner who enjoys working with organizations to create and implement meaningful change. She received her Master's degree in Conflict Resolution from Portland State University and finds that her background as a mediator, facilitator and conflict resolution specialist give her a unique perspective on the impacts to employees of any organizational change. Because change can bring both professional and interpersonal conflict, Krista is passionate about coaching, facilitating, and mediating within schools as they strive to make important and enduring improvements to their climate and culture. She is currently serving as an Organizational Change Management Consultant for Integrated Solutions Group NW, and previously served as an Assistant Human Resources Director for a local school district.
Damaris Mestre
Damaris is a Dual Language (Spanish) Educator with two Master’s Degrees: Bilingual/Dual Language Curriculum Specialist and School Administration. Her career began as a Spanish Professor and ELL Teacher at Louisiana State. She later served as a Dual Language Teacher and Bilingual/Dual Language Instructional Coach at the Texas State where she received the Bilingual Teacher of the Year award before moving on to Washington State. She has been a General Education Teacher and an English Learner Specialist in both, elementary and middle schools. She also served as an Bilingual/ELL Instructional Specialist at the Tacoma District level. She currently serves as an Assistant Director at the Bilingual/ELL Department within the same district and has multiple visions and ideas on what the potential future may bring to our Hispanic community.