Dr. Barbara Barnhart is a retired educator and administrator, having held the positions of Principal, Director of Curriculum and Adjunct Professor in Public Administration.  Her career spanned more than thirty years in the field of education.  Dr. Barnhart received her BA in Education from San Francisco State University, her master’s degree in education from the University of San Francisco, her master’s degree in Public Administration from College of Notre Dame (now Notre Dame de Namur University) in Belmont, Calif., and her doctoral degree in Education, focusing on Organization and Leadership, from the University of San Francisco.  She and her husband, Don, are members of St. Philip Church in Woodland.  She joined the Seton Board in the fall of 2006 and has worked on the Communications Committee, Principal Search and Selection Committees and several other projects with Development Director Kathy McDonald. Her service on the Board is directed toward helping to carry out the dream of opening St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic High School in the Southern Deanery and watching it grow in excellence and as a beacon for Catholic secondary education in Southwest Washington.

Gerald (Jerry) Brock is Treasurer and head of the finance committee for Seton. He holds a B.S. in business and technology and a M.S. in Education from Oregon State University. He is retired from a business administrative career focused on education, including serving at Oregon State University and Western Washington University, as well as two public school districts (Salem-Keizer Schools and North Kitsap School District). He and his wife, Darla, are members of Sacred Heart Parish, Battleground. They have two adult daughters and two grandsons. Jerry got involved in the project so he could volunteer some of his professional experiences. “I also believe a private Christian education is preferred to most public school education.”

Sr. Joyce Cox (to come)

Kris Keough Forte is Regional Ethicist and Director of Spiritual Care at
St. John Medical Center in Longview, and is the co-chair of the Seton Catholicity committee. She and her husband, Dr. Mario Forte, are members of St. Rose de Viterbo Parish in Longview. Their two children commuted 100 miles every day from Longview to Portland to attend Catholic high schools. She holds a B.A. in Communication Disorders from the University of Washington, and an M.S. in Speech & Hearing Sciences from the UW. She has done graduate coursework and has been a doctoral student in philosophy at the UW and is currently a graduate student in Bioethics & Health Policy at Loyola University, Chicago. Kris and Paula Stepankowsky have been involved in what would become Seton since April of 1999, when they visited Fr. Scott Connolly, then Dean of the Southern Deanery,  to enquire about what it would take to start a Catholic high school here. Kris got involved because both Kris and her husband “attended Catholic grade school and high school in Seattle and believe strongly in Catholic education. . . I would like to see this option be available for all Catholic children in Southwest Washington.”

Andrew Geisler is the Chairman of the Seton Board. He is Sr. Logistics Manager with Menlo Worldwide, a leading provider of outsourced logistics in North America. He and his wife, Cheryl, and their two daughters are members of St. Joseph Parish in Vancouver.  Andy holds a BA in International Finance from George Washington University and an MBA in Management fromWashington State University. Andy served for six years in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot in Italy and the Middle East and is a veteran of the 1990 Gulf War. He has served on the Seton board since 2000 in various capacities, including president and vice president. Andy joined the project to “contribute to the community and my Catholic faith in a meaningful and lasting way.”

Doris Kuzis is a Programmer/Analyst for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, supporting the billing function of their lab in Baltimore, MD (from her home in Camas, Wash.).  She has been in the information technology field for 25 years,the last 15 of which have been with Quest Diagnostics.  Doris and her husband, Karl, and their three children are parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas in Camas.  Doris has been a member of the Seton board for one year as a representative from St. Thomas Aquinas.  Both Doris and her husband attended Catholic high school and believe strongly in the value of Catholic education.  She got involved in the project because she saw a great need for a Catholic high school in the Southern Deanery and wanted to represent her parish in the process.

Jeff Lindberg is an attorney with the Portland firm of Miller Nash, LLP. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Portland, a master’s degree in history from Arizona State University and a law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School. He and his wife, Rachel, are members of Sacred Heart Parish in Battle Ground. They have three sons, Jack, Sam and Everett, one daughter, Madeline and assorted pets, including a corn snake and a rooster.  Jeff and his wife both received a Catholic education at various times in their lives. Both have worked in Catholic education and firmly believe that a Christ-centered education prepares children of all backgrounds to best meet the demands of the world.  They want to help make that education available to the young people of Southwest Washington.

Ed Little is the founding principal and president of Seton. He is a member of St. Joseph Parish in Vancouver. He holds a B.A. from Washington State University in Education, an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Portland State University and has his Superintendent’s Credentials from Washington State University. He has had extensive experience as a teacher and principal at both the middle school and high school levels in the Vancouver School District. He retired in 2007 as principal of Skyview High School in Vancouver.  He and his wife, Cristi, have two children at WSU. Ed got involved with Seton initially because he “wanted to represent my parish and assist with options for Catholic Education for all kids.” He official begins as Seton principal on July 1.

Kathy Lundy is Vice-Principal at St. Joseph Catholic School in Vancouver, where she and her husband, David, and their two children are also members of the parish. She holds a BA in Education and a Teaching Certificate from Gonzaga University, She holds a Masters in Education with emphasis in curriculum and educational technology
Kathy has been involved with Seton for seven years, beginning as a curriculum committee member and served as volunteer coordinator before becoming the board’s liaison with grade schools. Kathy got involved with the project because she taught at Holy Names Academy and Blanchet High School in Seattle prior to moving to Vancouver.  “I have been excited to be part of bringing a Catholic high school to our area because I know from experience what a Catholic high school can do for a community.  I also wish for my own children to be able to attend a local Catholic school.”

Jim Lyons is Senior Associate Vice President for University Relations at the University of Portland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration & Political Science, and a master’s degree in Public Administration. He and his wife, Connie, are members of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Vancouver. They have four children. Jim got involved with Seton because “as a SW Washington resident for the past 10 years, I have always been amazed that we don’t have a Catholic High for our children to attend.  I have always felt that with the right amount of resources, commitment, and desire it should be a reality.  I’m excited about helping to make that happen and to see it evolve.”

Rev. Matthew L. O’Leary, STL, PhD, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle, and is currently pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Battle Ground, which includes St. Mary of Guadalupe Church in Ridgefield, and St. Joseph the Worker in Yacolt.  Fr. O’Leary is also serves as Dean of the Southern Deanery, a faculty member for Deacon Formation, and an adjunct lecturer in History at the University of Portland.  He holds a Doctorate in History and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology, has taught at the University of Washington, and has served on a number of ecumenical committees.  Fr. O’Leary is the Pastoral Adviser and Vice-President of the Board of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton High School.

Dr. P. J. Peterson is a physician of internal medicine with the St. John Medical Center Medical Group. She is a member of St. Rose de Viterbo, Longview.  She converted to Catholicism in 1986 when she married her husband, Steve Jones, a life-long Catholic and retired chemical engineer. Their son, Zander, graduated with honors from Central Catholic High School and will study Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN, in the fall. PJ and Steve also have two adult children and four grandchildren. PJ holds a BS in Pharmacy from the University of Washington and a medical degree from the  University of Utah (Salt Lake City). She did her Residency  in Dallas at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, aka Parkland Hospital,  and Veteran Administration Medical Center. PJ joined the project in 1999 and officially joined the board in 2001. She is the chair of the Development Committee. PJ got involved with the project because “My son wanted to go to a Catholic High School (he announced this in first grade) and there was no school in Southwest Washington.”

Joe Sanches is a captain with Delta Airlines. He and his wife, Jean, and two children are members of St. Mary of Guadalupe Parish in Ridgefield. He has an Associate in Science from West Valley College, and a B.S. in Aeronautics from San Jose State University. He has been on the board for nearly seven years, helping in a variety of roles, including  preparing the non-profit  filing. Joe originally became involved in the project “ in the hope that my children would attend.  That being no longer the case, I remain involved because I believe that the project is important to the community.”

Ben Sheldon (To come)

Carolyn Simms will retire from Pacific Crest Academy in Camas at the end of June after having served as Principal, Dean of Curriculum and Executive Drector. Carolyn was a co-founder of the school and has been on the board there for seven years. Carolyn graduated from the University of Portland and Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College. After passing the bar, she worked as house counsel at her father's excavation company, George Schmid & Sons, Inc. for five years. She had her own corporate law practice while she and her husband, David, raised three children. Carolyn will return to private practice in July. She has been on the Seton board since August of 2006.
 
Paula Stepankowsky is the secretary to the Seton Board. She is the U.S. forest products reporter for Dow Jones Newswires and also covers Pacific Northwest stocks for Dow Jones. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Fort Wright College in Spokane, Wash., and a master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She and her husband, Andre, and their two children are members of St. Rose de Viterbo Parish in Longview. Paula and Kris Keough have been involved in what would become Seton since April of 1999, when they visited Fr. Scott Connolly, then Dean of the Southern Deanery, to enquire about what it would take to start a Catholic high school here. Paula got involved because she “believes a Catholic high school education can change lives, and it should be accessible to all children in Southwest Washington.”  Her daughter, Anastasia, commutes 100 miles every day to Central Catholic High School, where she is a sophomore in the fall.

Pat Sursley is Director of Administration and Finance, Archdiocese of Seattle. He is a member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Seattle.  He four married children and two step-sons in college. He has been on the board one year. He was appointed by the Archbishop to serve as his representative. “I am excited about seeing a Catholic high school established in the Vancouver area, I know the value of Catholic education, My wife and I and my children attended Catholic high school.”

Rev. Jerry Woodman is pastor of St. Philip Parish in Woodland and St. Joseph in Kalama. He is also priest representative to the board from the priests of the Southern  Deanery. He received an Associate Degree from Clark College, a B.S. degree from the University of Washington  and a M.S. degree in organic Chemistry from Purdue University. He was ordained a priest on July 29, 1978.