Rainier Prep

Andy Jassy

Chair

Andy Jassy is President and CEO of Amazon.com and also serves on the Board of Directors. He founded and led Amazon Web Services (AWS) from its inception and served as its CEO from April 2016 until July 2021. He joined Amazon in 1997 and, prior to founding AWS, held various leadership roles across the company, including both business-to-business and business-to-consumer. He serves as a Commissioner on the National Security Commission for AI, on the Trust of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, on the Board of Trustees for Rainier Scholars, and as Chair of Rainier Prep’s Board of Directors. He has an AB from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Sherry Williams

Trustee

Sherry Williams is the Executive Director of Operations with the Technology Access Foundation. She first joined TAF In 1997 and has been responsible for many facets of TAF’s success in its mission of equipping students of color for success in college and in life through interdisciplinary STEM education and supportive relationships. As a member of the executive team, she oversees all aspects of TAF’s operations and development. Sherry's civic commitments and community involvement outside of TAF have been deep and varied. She has served on the Advisory Boards of Burst for Prosperity and Community Connects. In addition to being a member of Rainier Prep’s Board, Sherry currently serves on the Board of Directors of Solid Ground. She is a graduate of the Washington Works program, the Executive Leadership program at Seattle University, Leadership Tomorrow, and also the Bank of America Impact Leadership program. In 2012, Northwest Asian Weekly named Sherry “Youth Leader of the Year.”

Ed Taylor

Trustee

Ed holds a BA and MA from Gonzaga University and his PhD from the University of Washington. He is currently Vice Provost of Undergraduate Affairs at the University of Washington and Professor in the College of Education. Ed brings tremendous expertise in management, non-profit board service, curriculum, instruction and assessment, as well as deep experience in community and family engagement. Ed understands what it takes to create high-quality schools and educational programs and is deeply knowledgeable about the diverse populations Rainier Prep seeks to serve. He has dedicated much of his time to serving on mission-driven non-profit boards, including Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club and Rainier Scholars. Dr. Taylor has been an advocate for all kids, and particularly the most underserved, for more than thirty years and is widely recognized as a leading African-American scholar.

Sarah Smith

Trustee

Sarah began her career in education as a high-school History and English teacher, winning awards such as a Seattle School District Excellence in Teaching Award and a Golden Apple Award, and helping to build a highly successful 9th and 10th grade academy model program at Nathan Hale High School. Sarah recently joined The Bush School as Assistant Head of Academics. Previously, Sarah spent 20 years as a founding staff member and Executive Director of Rainier Scholars, an educational nonprofit which serves low-income students of color in the greater Seattle region who strive to be the first in their family to graduate from college. Using an academic and wrap-around holistic support model, Rainier Scholars works with students to ensure their early preparation and ongoing success on the college prep pathway. Rainier Scholars consistently achieved a 90%+ college graduation rate for its students who begin the program in 5th grade. Sarah managed an annual budget of $4 million+ and a staff of 55 full and part-time employees. Sarah has served on the boards of Powerful Schools, The Exeter Association of Washington and Strategic Education Centers (a Seattle based nonprofit which facilitates HIV/AIDS education and job training programs in Swaziland and South Africa). She holds a BA degree with distinction in History from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Education from Stanford University.

Max Silverman

Trustee

Max Silverman is the executive director of the University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership (CEL), where he provides leadership for improving school systems focused on equitable outcomes for students. Max has served in a variety of leadership positions including classroom teacher, school principal, district leader, and as deputy director of CEL. At CEL, he leads national projects to implement new systems to improve leadership effectiveness. He also partners closely with individual school districts to improve leadership performance at scale. As executive director, he is dedicated to building the know-how and collective efficacy of educators, school systems and states to create a future where every student experiences a rigorous, world-class education.

Nashra Rahman

Trustee

Nashra is currently a Licensed Mental Health Therapist in Washington State. Her career has been defined by a multidisciplinary approach, starting in the nonprofit field with program and international development work with Care International and post-law school as a Litigation Associate for Riddell Williams P.S. After moving to Hong Kong in 2004, Nashra switched gears to the business world and served as the International Sales Director for Zobha International and as International Retail Director and Brand Overseer for Pure International, the largest fitness and yoga centers in Asia.

Nashra received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and spent a year at Oxford University, where she studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Nashra received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Washington and her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University.

Nashra currently serves on the Board for Volunteers Association for Bangladesh and on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the President’s Council of Cornell Women. Nashra previously served on the Board for PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support) and worked with several nonprofits, including Mother’s Choice and Watchdog in her 14 year tenure in Hong Kong focusing on Fundraising and Development efforts to support essential programming and services.

Guy Palumbo

Secretary

Guy Palumbo is a Director with Amazon Public Policy who leads Amazon’s policy priorities in Washington State. Before joining Amazon’s Public Policy team in 2019, Mr. Palumbo served as a State Senator in Washington’s State Legislature from Jan 2017 – June 2019, representing the 1st Legislative District which includes Maltby, Bothell, Kirkland, Mountlake Terrace, Brier and Unincorporated Snohomish. He was Chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, Vice Chair of the Energy, Environment, and Technology Committee, and a member of the Ways & Means Committee.

Prior to serving as the 1st District’s State Senator, Guy served as an elected Fire Commissioner in Snohomish County Fire District 7 from 2013 – 2017. He was also Chair of the Snohomish County Planning Commission from Oct. 2011 – Jan. 2017.

Guy has built a successful, socially-conscious dog boarding business called Roscoe’s Ranch, named after his boxer who was one of the first Amazon dogs. He graduated from Bentley University with a Bachelor's in Marketing. In his spare time, you can find him taking care of his two dogs, running his dog boarding kennel, and attending music concerts.

Peter Orser

Vice-Chair

Peter is best known for his work with Quadrant Homes, where he served for almost 25 years helping to bring Quadrant to prominence as Washington’s leading homebuilder, and serving as President of the company from 2003 through 2010. He assumed the role of President and CEO of the Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company in October 2010, where he oversaw five different homebuilding operations across the country. Under his leadership in 2014, Weyerhaeuser completed the successful sale of the company, at which point Peter “retired,” but he remains engaged in a variety of activities related to creating more housing choices for all. Peter’s civic commitments have also been diverse. He has been Chairman of the King County Housing Authority, President of the King and Snohomish County Master Builders Association, Chairman of Forterra, and a board and Executive Committee member for the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He also served as Chair of the Mercer Island planning commission and was elected to a four-year term on the City Council in 1994. He is currently an active member of the Runstad Real Estate Center Advisory Board.

Robin Mendelson

Treasurer

Robin is a former executive at Amazon.com with more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of media, finance, education, and technology. During her career at Amazon, she held leadership roles in Finance, General Management and Technology for high-growth divisions and subsidiaries around the world. Most recently she led Amazon’s US Media Division—including books, music, movies, software, and video games—with strategic and P&L ownership for the portfolio of businesses. She serves as a board director at Mainstay, a technology company operating in the higher education and workforce sectors and is a board member and advisor for several other organizations including TeachUNITED which serves teachers in rural communities and The Broad Center for Public Leadership Development at Yale School of Management. She holds an MBA from Yale University and a BA from Duke University.

Bob Kimball

Chair

Bob is currently a Vice President and General Counsel for Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he leads a worldwide team responsible for all legal, regulatory, and compliance issues related to AWS. After serving as General Counsel and SVP, Bob guided RealNetworks as the President and CEO to solid ground through the rapidly-changing digital and economic climate. Bob has served on several Boards of Directors, including RealNetworks, Rhapsody International, The Digital Media Association, and The European Committee for Interoperable Software. He received his JD and undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, graduating Magna Cum Laude from law school. Bob is well-known for his negotiation skills, his business savvy, and his legal acumen.

Elizabeth Burke

Trustee

Elizabeth has a soft spot in her heart for middle school students. She currently is part of the Mental Health Assistance team (MHAT) in the Bellevue School District and is based at Tillicum Middle School. Elizabeth helps to identify students with untreated mental health needs and provides individual and group CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) therapy to address issues such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in the student population. Before joining the MHAT team, she worked as a nationally certified school psychologist at Mercer Middle School in Seattle. Elizabeth is a CASA (court appointed special advocate) in King County and has represented the interests in court of many young children involved in dependency hearings. She also volunteers with City Fruit when possible, harvesting and gleaning the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

Elizabeth has an Ed.S degree from Seattle University as well as a J.D. and a B.A. from Indiana University.