Helen Sernett (President) is a Assistant Director of Annual Fund for Seattle University. Her education includes a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Washington. She has managed events and organized a variety of gift and volunteer programs in the Seattle area. She came to SYGW as a volunteer in the Spring of 2005 with a strong interest in empowering at-risk youth. In her free time Helen enjoys researching and preparing healthy vegetarian meals and watching bad fantasy movies from the 1980’s. She lives in Kent with her husband Matt, their cat, and a 20-year-old turtle.
Jennifer Crouch (
President-Elect) is the Assistant Director of Development at an independent school on the Eastside. Jennifer was raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and moved to Seattle six years ago to attend the Museology program at UW. In the past, Jennifer has been a high school English teacher and a historical interpreter for an Adirondack estate. She spends as much time as possible playing in the garden, hiking, practicing pottery and cooking.
Shiv Chandrasekaran (Treasurer) is a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting LP. Shiv also co-founded and ran Peppers and Pollywogs. Shiv has a B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from Walchand Institute of Technology and an MBA from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business, and lives in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Shiv joined the advisory board in September 2005.
Chris Krupp (Secretary) joined the Board in the summer of 2005. He is the staff Attorney for Western Lands Project, a Seattle-based non-profit conservation organization. He grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from Lawrence University with a BA in Economics. Chris graduated from the UW School of Law in 2001. Chris enjoys cooking, gardening, keeping chickens, and hanging out in the mountains.
Cinnimin Avena is a Vice President of Product Management for a Seattle based technology company. Her specialization is in the development of banking software for community and consumer applications. Cinnimin combined her background in finance and technology to help develop the only online school savings program in the United States. She earned a bachelor degree in Public Administration from The Evergreen State College in 1993 and holds an MBA from the University of Arizona in Management of Information Systems and Entrepreneurship. An avid sports fan and traveler, she coaches a girl’s soccer team and is currently plotting how she can get away for her next holiday.
Clay Swidler is a Southern California native who relocated to Seattle in 1999. He is well known for saying, "I'm never going back!" Clay's interests include photography and gardening and he is currently in the process of writing a screenplay. As the Co-chair for the West Seattle Garden Tour, Clay is also an avid gardener and made the beautiful centerpieces for the 2006 SYGW Green Gala & Auction.
James Coulter is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served as a rural aquaculture program manager in Zambia, central Africa. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology and currently works for a Seattle nonprofit. He is committed to sustainable communities and agricultural practices. When he is not pursuing his interests in woodcarving, history and politics, vegetable gardening, hiking, and biking, he can be found trying to fly a kite at Lincoln Park. A New Jersey native, he enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest with his Minnesotan wife.
Bradley Kramer has actively supported local food systems and social justice in Seattle since 2002. He relocated to earn his Master's in environmental policy and non-profit management at the UW's Evans School of Public Affairs. Currently, he concentrates on public health as a researcher at Harborview Medical Center. He otherwise works to build a more environmentally conscious community in Seattle and enjoys walking and riding bikes around with friends.
Juliet Hebert Anderson has held a private practice as an Architect in Washington State since 2004. A Colorado native, she has lived in the Roosevelt Neighborhood since moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. She is committed to volunteerism and community-building. Juliet trained to become a King County Master Gardener in 2006 and has lead the U-District Farmers Market Plant Clinic since 2007. She tends her own organic vegetable garden at the Magnuson P-patch.
Sarah Armstrong is a healthcare consultant at ECG Management Consultants. A St. Louis native who relocated from Los Angeles to Seattle two years ago, she has a Bachelor in English from the University of Missouri – Columbia and an MBA from Washington University. Sarah enjoys outdoor activities, especially skiing, biking, hiking and camping. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty, is proud of her rose garden, and loves cooking vegetarian masterpieces (especially when the veggies come from her back yard!).
If you are interested in joining our board, please call x 14 or contact us
