OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Evergreen State College Foundation is welcoming four new members – three of which are Evergreen alumni – to its Board of Governors, bringing new perspectives in education, public service, philanthropy and community leadership to the Foundation.
Lorri DeFoor, MiT ’09; Kayla Mahnke Hargett ’12, MPA ’22; and Aleesha Towns-Bain ’02, Ph.D. join the board with careers that reflect Evergreen’s longstanding emphasis on service, leadership and putting education into practice.
DeFoor began her career as a teacher after graduating from Evergreen’s Master in Teaching program in 2009. After seeing fellow educators struggle to navigate retirement and financial planning, she founded Sustain Financial Inc. in 2017. Today, she works with teachers, state employees and other public servants throughout Washington to help them make informed financial decisions.
Mahnke Hargett is a two-time Evergreen graduate and was recently appointed as the Executive Associate to the Provost and Vice President for Academics. She previously served as Director of Student Activities and New Student Programs, where she led campus engagement and orientation efforts and supported student organizations and leadership development. Mahnke Hargett joins the Board of Governors as its staff representative, bringing both an alumni perspective and a close connection to the experiences of today’s Evergreen students.
Towns-Bain is President and CEO of the Bristol Bay Foundation, where she works to expand educational opportunities for Bristol Bay Native Corporation shareholders and descendants while supporting the preservation of the region’s cultural heritage and Native languages. A former journalist and editor with nearly two decades of experience in philanthropy, she studied Native American Studies and writing and journalism at Evergreen before earning a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri–Columbia and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University.
Also joining the board is Jeremy Caudle, Vice President for Finance and Administration. Caudle joined Evergreen on July 29th, and the board acted on his appointment as an ex-officio Governor and Treasurer of the Foundation at the board retreat on August 28th.
Together, the new governors bring a broad range of professional and community experience back to Evergreen. As members of the Foundation Board of Governors, they will help strengthen philanthropic support for students, programs and the college’s future.
“We are thrilled to welcome four outstanding new Governors to the Foundation Board. Each brings valuable expertise, leadership, and a strong commitment to Evergreen's mission and students,” said Abby Kelso, Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Evergreen State College Foundation. “Their service will help advance the Foundation's work and help take Evergreen to new heights.”
The Evergreen State College Foundation connects alumni, donors and community partners with opportunities to support Evergreen and expand educational opportunities for its students.