Our Board

Bryan joined the board in 2021. As a Managing Director at Pathstone in Bellevue, WA, Bryan is responsible for advising families on a variety of wealth management related topics, including financial planning, investment management, tax planning, risk management, and trust and estate planning.  By working closely with his clients’ external professional partners, Bryan seeks to integrate these issues into a clearly defined plan and path forward. Prior to joining Pathstone, Bryan acted in a similar capacity as a Managing Director at Cornerstone Advisors.  Bryan’s career in wealth management also includes over 23 years with TD Ameritrade where he worked directly with clients, and served in leadership, training and strategic business development in multiple capacities. Bryan graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration.  In addition to being a Certified Financial Planner^TM, Bryan is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst ® (CDFA®), a designation which specially equips him to assist individuals and their attorneys in understanding the complex financial implications of divorce.  He serves on the board of the Washington Planned Giving Council. A Pacific Northwest native, Bryan grew up in Seattle developing a love for hiking, climbing, and music.  He continues to share these passions with his wife and three children.

Mei Shih joined the board in January 2022. After graduating from the University of California Davis, with an B.A. in International Relations and East Asian Studies, Mei moved to Beijing China to learn to speak Mandarin Chinese. When she returned to the United States, she began working at a law firm in downtown San Francisco and soon realized that the legal field was the path for her. She earned a law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California in 2010.

Little did Mei know, she had been preparing to be a lawyer from a young age. As a first generation Chinese-American, she helped her non-English speaking parents navigate cultural barriers that affected many aspects of their lives in the United States. From an early age, she translated legal documents, explained technical terminology, and experienced first-hand the challenges that my parents faced as new immigrants. Now she has a translational skill that makes her legal practice unique.

Mei is dedicated to educating people and arming them with resources to make the best choices in their situation. Throughout her legal career, she has been involved with many non-profit legal clinics providing legal advice to low income and indigent communities. She has served on various boards for children’s daycares and schools, and volunteers with ABAW and JAJEC. Today, Mei is a board member of the International Families Justice Coalition, a non-profit organization that provides legal assistance and representation to immigrants and foreign nationals that do not speak English who are involved in issues that require a family law attorney. Mei also served as a member of the board of her local Parent Teacher Student Association.

Mei grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area with her large extended family. Mei and her husband love exploring the Pacific Northwest – hiking, kayaking, and discovering all the many parks in the area with their two boys. They love traveling as a family and learning about different cultures. Some of the amazing places they have explored include Indonesia, Turkey, Czech Republic and Cuba. Mei’s other passion is baking delicious desserts for her friends and family.

Brad Elias joined the board in January 2022. Brad is a corporate counsel at Amazon.com, where he manages a large portfolio of commercial litigation and advises on a variety of complex legal issues.  He works closely with many of Seattle’s largest law firms, including Perkins Coie, which introduced him to Family Law CASA.  Prior to joining Amazon, Brad spent thirteen years as a litigator at O’Melveny & Myers in New York, where he specialized in securities, financial services, and technology disputes.  He also maintained an active pro bono practice, with a focus on education and family law, and was honored by the Legal Aid Society on two occasions for his outstanding pro bono service. He is a graduate of New York University School of Law and Georgetown University, where he earned a bachelor of science in finance.  He lives in Queen Anne with his wife and two daughters and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.

Brianna joined the board in 2023. She is a senior manager at Moss Adams LLP’s assurance practice. She serves a variety of financial services clients with a focus in public and private financial institutions, along with considerable experience with employee benefit plan audits. She received her Master’s of Professional Accountancy from Central Washington University and her undergraduate degree in accounting from Arizona State University where she became a member of Omega Phi Chi multicultural sorority. Brianna lives in West Seattle where she enjoys cooking, staying active outdoors, and traveling.

Jacqueline Balinbin joined the board in 2023. She is a Senior Vice President and practice leader of the Executive Benefits department at USI Insurance Services. With 20 years in the insurance industry, Jacqueline is committed to employing creative and intentional solutions for common industry shortfalls. Prior to her current role, Jacqueline was responsible for relationship management and business development primarily in the Pacific Northwest. She is a graduate of the University of Wyoming and a past board member of the Children’s Trust Foundation (now a part of Children’s Home Society). Jacqueline and her family reside on Mercer Island. In her spare time she enjoys exploring local trails with her two puppies, volunteering at her son’s school and attending his many athletic endeavors.

Rachel holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Washington, complemented by a Certificate of Sales from the Foster School of Business. Currently serving as the Director of Project Management at AMP Agency, she oversees high-profile accounts such as Michelin, Meta, and Maruchan. Rachel’s strategic leadership has driven cross-functional collaboration and streamlined project management processes, resulting in significant operational efficiencies and enhanced client satisfaction. In her personal life, Rachel enjoys engaging in community service as a current Family Law CASA Advocate and Lifelong AIDS Alliance volunteer. Rachel loves to read, always looking for the best new thriller or fantasy, and stays up to date with all the latest reality TV. She lives in Queen Anne and enjoys spoiling her nieces and nephews.

Ayanna received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and her Juris Doctorate degree from Gonzaga University School of Law. She has worked for state government for over a decade, working in child support law and policy, then transitioning into broader policy work with state agency executive leadership. She has worked with the Governor’s Office and the Office of Financial Management. Currently, she serves as the Director of the Employment Security Department’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, assisting the agency in its transition to pro-equity, anti-racism work, in alignment with the governor’s executive orders 22-02 and 22-04.

In her personal life, Ayanna enjoys engaging in community service as an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. An avid fan of pop culture, Ayanna enjoys listening to a slew of podcasts and checking out hit shows and documentaries. She lives in Puyallup with her husband, two children, and Great Pyrenees.

Katherine joined the Board in 2022.  She retired as Chief Information Officer at Perkins Coie, a Seattle-based international law firm.   At Perkins, she was responsible for world-wide technology and web strategy, document and data management, telecommunications, legal practice tools, and user support.  Prior to joining Perkins in 1989, Katherine was founder and Principal at Arcadia Associates Inc.  The firm served national and international clients including the Fortune 500, foreign and domestic government agencies, non-profits, professional firms, colleges, labor unions, and small businesses on computer systems as well as with information and records management.  She has served on ten non-profit boards, often focusing on policy and governance issues.  She currently serves on the Boards of Town Hall, the Seattle International Film Festival, Martha and Mary (a children’s and senior care organization in Poulsbo), and the Kitsap Humane Society.  Katherine’s previous non-profit experience has involved working with under-served children in King County and Cambodia.  She is pleased to continue being involved with a mission that engages her professionally and personally.

Abdul Kallon joined the board in 2023. He represents clients in sensitive, high-stakes litigation, including regulatory and First Amendment matters. His practice is informed by nearly 30 years of experience gained in private practice and as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

For over 12 years, Abdul presided over a broad range of civil and criminal cases, including commercial litigation and constitutional rights matters. Abdul was nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2009.

Prior to his judicial service, Abdul was a partner in private practice. His broad and significant trial practice included cases before arbitrators and state and federal courts; he tried multiple cases to a jury verdict in federal court as a first chair. Abdul began his legal career as a clerk for Judge U.W. Clemon of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Lanine Lange is a senior corporate counsel at Alaska Airlines since April 2022. Prior to Alaska Airlines, she led negotiations for multibillon dollar deals with customers across the world for the sale of airplanes and services at The Boeing Company for over 14 years. In 2023, Lanine was a coach with Success Cohorts, an organization that provides a place of safety and belonging for early career invidividuals from diverse and historically underrepresented communities and a board member of the College Success Foundation, an organization that provides support to students from low socioeconomic backgrounds to prepare for and graduate from college as transformational leaders in order to forge a just and equitable society. Lanine has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington, and a Juris Doctor and a Master of Business Administration from Seattle University. Lanine was born in Cambodia and immigrated to the United States as a refugee in the early 1980s. Lanine enjoys spending her spare time with her husband and daughter as they travel the world to experience new cultures, cuisine, and arts.

Page Perey joined the board in 2023. Page Perey completed an MA in Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of Washington in 2024 and is a Child & family Services Clinician at Sound Health in Tukwila, WA.  Previously she was the Director of Elementary Special Programs in the Issaquah School District.  In this role she oversaw the district’s Dual Language, Highly Capable, elementary STEM, and Early Learning programs. Her career in education began in 1998 in the Snoqualmie School District where she taught for 9 years. Prior to her current position, she spent 11 years in middle, elementary school and district leadership in the Issaquah and Kent School Districts.  While she has 24 years in education, it was not her first career. She spent several years in the hospitality industry at the Hyatt Regency and Club Med and in the non-profit world at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Seattle Works. She is a graduate of Miami University of Oxford, Ohio where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She also holds a Master of Global Management from The Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. She serves on the board of Family Law CASA and is an office and active member of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Education Organization) that provides scholarships and grants for women who are pursuing college and graduate education. She is a voracious reader and serves on the King County Library Foundation’s annual gala planning committee. She and her husband love to travel and have visited many beautiful destinations from Ireland, Hawaii and Mexico to China and Taiwan but continue to return to France annually where they love to do self-guided walking and cycling tours. Page always loves returning home to her Peloton.

Terra has over 15 years of sales and client service experience in the technology and media sectors, with a focus on customer engagement solutions. She is currently a Strategic Account Executive at Twilio, a leading cloud communication platform that enables businesses to engage with their customers across any channel. Prior to her work in tech and media, she worked in non-profit and government agencies. She recently completed the Leadership Tomorrow program, which is a community leadership organization that educates, inspires, connects and catalyzes, leaders from across Puget Sound who collaborate for collective impact.  She is also currently completing her masters in social work specializing in gerontology.

Verónica Quiñónez is the owner of Veronica Quinonez Law, PLLC. She joined the board in 2021. Her practice focuses on providing legal representation and mediation services in the area of family law, including civil protection orders and cases involving issues of domestic violence and sexual abuse. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from Seattle University School of Law, and her undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at El Paso. Verónica is a 2017 graduate of the University of Washington Law School Washington Leadership Institute, a 2021 graduate of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Latina Leadership Academy, and a current Ladder Down fellow. She was an adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Law in 2018. Veronica was the President of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington from 2018-2019, previously served as LBAW’s Immediate Past-President, President-Elect, and the Director of Clinics, and she has also served as Region XVI Deputy President of the Hispanic National Bar Association and Representative of the HNBA Young Lawyer’s Division. Verónica enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, traveling, and cooking.

Deena Rataezyk joined the board in 2023. She is the Vice President – Marketing and Communications Director at Sound Community Bank. Her focus on outward communication, brand development, and campaign integrations has allowed her to create a holistic marketing team responsible for all aspects of social media, web performance, digital and print advertising, trigger campaigns, and company analytics. Deena works closely with all stakeholders to monitor marketing performance in relation to the bank’s strategic goals. Prior to joining Sound Community Bank, Deena spent time at Real Networks and Nightforce Optics, where she furthered her marketing career by learning the ins and outs of marketing SAAS and relationship-based programs. Deena graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Consumer Studies. Her first experience with the Spokane County Courts, in their Diversion Unit, changed her outlook on the needs of the court system and began her 25-plus years of volunteering. In 2015 she was recognized as an Outstanding Advocate for her local public school system. In her free time, Deena enjoys traveling with her husband and three kids.

Jean A. Rietschel joined the board in 2022. She was appointed as a judge at King County Superior Court by former Governor Christine Gregoire in 2010. Judge Rietschel received the 2011 Vanguard Award from King County’s Washington Women’s Lawyers. In 2001 she received the 2001 Seattle Works Award. She was the co- chair of the Best Practices Committee and was the Chief UFC judge prior to retiring in 2019.  She has chaired the King County Trial Court Coordinating Committee and the Regional Law Safety and Justice Committee. Prior to her appointment to Superior Court she served as a Judge and as the Presiding Judge in Seattle Municipal Court. As an attorney she worked in her own solo practice, for Institutional Legal Services and for the Public Defender’s office. Judge Rietschel received an undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in philosophy and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.

Gary joined the board of directors in 2020. Gary Sampson, MSW LICSW has a Master’s Degree in Social Work, a School Counselor Certification and an Elementary Teaching Credential. He is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an approved social work supervisor. He has worked as both a Director of Social Services and Adoption Social Worker for international adoption agencies as well as a medical social worker for children with disabilities, an elementary school counselor and a primary school teacher for the Renton School District. Gary is married and has two adult daughters, including one adopted from Korea. He is a volunteer guardian ad litem and board member with the Family Law CASA, and also volunteers at the Seattle World School, a public middle and high school for new immigrant students. He serves on the board of directors of Renton Area Youth and Family Services and has been volunteer citizenship tutor with the St. James Citizenship Center.

Jill joined the board in 2024. Jill works as a teacher in the Issaquah School District. She attended the University of Alaska and holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in English language learning. She has worked in schools in Kent, Renton, and Issaquah, where she has demonstrated her commitment to supporting students with diverse needs. She has extensive experience collaborating with mental health professionals, social workers, and other family support services to help eliminate non-academic and socioeconomic barriers for students in Washington.

In her previous roles, Jill served as a special education teacher and case manager for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), focusing on those with emotional and behavioral disorders. Currently, she works with middle school aged multilingual learners. Washington’s MLL student population includes refugees, students with interrupted education, newcomer immigrants, unaccompanied children, and internationally adopted students. Jill serves as a member of the core team of decision-making professionals in the school environment to advocate and support MLLs and their families

Jill grew up in rural Alaska and moved to Washington in 2009. Her hobbies include hiking, yoga and listening to podcasts. She loves to travel and spend time with her husband and four children at their home in Snoqualmie.

Tyler joined the board in 2024. Tyler is a managing partner at Anderson Santiago, PLLC, a law firm dedicated to helping people deal with abusive debt collectors.  Originally from San Jose, California, Tyler traded the constant sunshine for the beautiful – but cold – scenery of Alaksa to be closer to his girlfriend, who is now his wife.  In Alaska, he worked as a victim witness coordinator for the District Attorney in Anchorage, where he found his calling in the law.

After law school, Tyler pursued a career as a deputy prosecuting attorney, where he honed his craft in the courtroom as a trial attorney.  Although he enjoyed serving the public, Tyler transitioned into private practice in because he strongly believed he could make a difference in the lives of his clients.  He graduated with honors from both Seattle University (School of Law) and University of Alaska Anchorage, all while working full time.

In his free time, Tyler enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, exploring all that Washington has to offer.  Tyler finds motivation from his family, who inspire him daily.