Trustees:

Kathy Edwards - President

Kathy is one of the Cedarmere Foundation’s two co-founders. She has a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems and has spent decades working with nonprofit organizations, both as a board member and as an organization development consultant.  These experiences are what created her passion for building the capacity of the nonprofits in our community that work so hard to improve the lives of all who live here. Kathy has four children and 11 grandchildren.  When she's not spending time with family or promoting capacity building grants within the philanthropic community, she loves to ski, play tennis, hike, bike, read, take photographs, and go for long urban walks in one of Seattle's many great neighborhoods.

Amy Zimerman - Vice President

Amy is the Cedarmere Foundation’s first non-family member trustee.  She is the Executive Director of Financial Beginnings Washington, a nonprofit that provides financial literacy courses to youth and adults.  Previously, she was an auditor specializing in nonprofit organizations and a consultant to boards and EDs.  Amy is a CPA and holds MBA, MPhil and MNPL degrees.  She is the Lead Instructor for the Nonprofit Management Certificate Program at the UW and a former Adjunct Professor in the MNPL program at Seattle U.  Amy is an art collector and an aspiring novelist.  She is fluent in Spanish and lived overseas for 12 years.  Amy has recently discovered a passion for Pilates, though she still enjoys the great outdoors, music and theatre.

George Edwards - Secretary

George is also a co-founder of the Cedarmere Foundation. During his career, he served as the Head of five independent schools throughout the United States.  He also had a distinguished career in the United States Air Force.  He has served on numerous nonprofit boards over the last four decades and has been consulting and coaching independent school Heads since he retired from leading schools himself.  George enjoys travel, playing tennis, reading novels and writing.  Some of his best trips have been with one or more of his 11 grandchildren, who get to choose where they want to go with their grandparents, Lollie and Pop.

Todd Biesold - Treasurer

Todd is the Chief Financial Officer of Merlino Foods and is both a lawyer and a CPA by training.  In addition to serving on the Cedarmere Foundation’s board, he serves on both a local community improvement board, the SODO BIA Ratepayers Board, and the corporate board of a large food cooperative.

 

Bob Watt - Trustee

Bob is a Graduate Gemologist from GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the owner of Exact Gems International and The Seattle Gem Art Gallery.  In addition to serving on the Cedarmere Foundation board, he has volunteered with several nonprofit organizations including Seattle Opera where he served on the board of Bravo.

 

Tanya Kim - Trustee

Tanya is the Cedarmere Foundation’s second non-family member trustee.  Tanya is the Planning & Program Development Supervisor of the Youth and Family Empowerment division of the Seattle Human Services Department.  Previously she was as a nonprofit executive and program manager serving youth of color, including immigrant and refugees.  As a former executive director of Powerful Voices, Tanya was herself a Cedarmere Foundation grant recipient which, among other things, enabled her to participate in Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.  Tanya adores and prioritizes her family, including her best friend and husband, two biological kids and two additional kids they care for.  She enjoys cooking shows, spending time with extended family and friends and hopes to start using her gym membership.

Wendy Watt - Trustee

Wendy began working in schools over two decades ago. She has an MA in Education from Columbia University, Teachers College. She has taught in  independent schools in the Seattle area, New York and Alabama. The breadth of her experiences as a teacher and parent provides her a unique perspective on both. She is currently a learning specialist at Meridian School and works with 2nd and 3rd graders to help differentiate curriculum and instruction in order to deepen student learning. Wendy finds solace in her garden, joy in her children and inspiration in her work.

Melanie Matthews - Trustee

Melanie is a non-family member Trustee.  She has over 25 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector, and is a passionate champion for nonprofits and their role in supporting and strengthening communities.  After 11 years in philanthropy, Melanie currently works as a Senior Advisor/Coach for FMA consultants (a company focused on building the fiscal strength of nonprofits) and as the Project Manager of the Statewide Capacity Collaborative (SCC), a collective movement among funders to invest in efforts to strengthen the systems, structures, skills, and people of nonprofits and the nonprofit sector in Washington State. She is one of the inaugural Change Leaders in Philanthropy Fellows at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO).  Melanie is passionate about the arts (especially theatre, live music, and letterpress printing) and finds joy in her daughter, family and friends, good food, a good book, and the coast on a winter day.

Staff:

Danielle Baer, Grants Manager

Danielle is the Cedarmere Foundation’s Grants Manager responsible for coordinating all aspects of our grant making process.  Danielle has spent her career in the nonprofit and public sectors, most recently at School’s Out Washington as the Development and Communications Director.  In addition to supporting the Cedarmere Foundation’s grant making, Danielle provides consulting services in the areas of fund development, communications, and project management to strengthen and support non-profits in working toward their mission.  When not on the sidelines of her two son’s many sporting events, Danielle enjoys traveling, good food, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.