Gator News

Arlene Pierini and Elaine Chu join Green River College Board of Trustees

By Philip Denman, October 17, 2018

Arlene Pierini of Auburn and Elaine Chu of Maple Valley have been appointed to the Green River College Board of Trustees by Gov. Jay Inslee.

“The current board members are looking forward to being joined by the new Trustees, learning from their experience, and working together as a Board of Trustees, along with the Executive Leadership Team, faculty, staff, and students of Green River College,” GRC Board Chair Sharonne Navas said. “We are committed to fostering a college experience that fits for each individual student, keeping an eye on policies that allow for growth and educational excellence. We believe in each other, we believe in our campus, and we believe in our students.”

The two newest Trustees will be introduced during the Oct. 18 Board of Trustees meeting at 4:30 p.m. in the Administration Building Boardroom.

Trustee Arlene PieriniMs. Pierini is recently retired as the executive director of Communities in Schools of Auburn Washington, a local nonprofit that partners with public schools to bring resources and volunteers into the school to help struggling students get back on track. She previously worked as an attorney, chaired the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, served as president of the Auburn Council of PTAs, and was a member of the Auburn School District Boundary Review Committee.

Ms. Pierini started her education at Wenatchee Valley College, where she earned her associate of arts before transferring to Washington State University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from WSU and a Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law. Pierini replaces Trustee Claudia Kauffman, who retired from the Board in February 2018.

Trustee Elaine ChuMs. Chu is currently a philanthropic advisor for the Seattle Foundation, serves on the Executive Leadership Committee for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, and volunteers for the Kids in Medicine & Science Grants Committee and on the Development Advisory Council for Techbridge for Girls. She previously worked at the Seattle Housing Authority, Casey Family Programs, SeaTac United, and the Children’s Science Center in Herndon, Virginia.

Ms. Chu earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and political science, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington. She replaces Tim Clark, whose 5-year term ended Sept. 2016.

“We are very grateful to both Trustee Kaufman and Trustee Clark for the leadership and guidance they provided Green River College while serving on the Board,” GRC President Suzanne Johnson said. “We are also excited to have Trustee Pierini and Trustee Chu joining our Board.  They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our work as we strive to meet our college’s mission and vision”.   

Trustees Pierini and Chu join the board with Chair Sharonne Navas, co-founder and executive director of the Equity in Education Coalition; Vice-chair Jackie Boschok, president of the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans and a member of the Board of Directors for Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action; and Trustee Linda Cowan, former Auburn School District superintendent.

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