Our Board of Directors

Metti Mulugeta, originally from Ethiopia, is an activist, educator, and the owner of Wedgewood Montessori School, located in Seattle.

Metti has a long history of advocacy and service to refugee and immigrant communities. She has served on numerous committees and advisory boards, and is an active member of the Ethiopian Community Center of Seattle. She also serves on the advisory Board of Open Hearts, Big Dreams. Metti’s service to the community stems from her deep commitment to equity and human rights.

Ario Salazar is the Executive Director of Communities In Schools of Whatcom-Skagit.

He has a long history of engaging with non-profits, including a diverse breadth of advocacy experience pertaining to international human rights, education, youth development, affordable housing, adult and youth peer-education, and family self sufficiency.

Ario is the author of four volumes of poetry in Spanish: “Ariodicciones,” 1997 [Editorial Horizonte 21, Washington D.C.]; “El amor de los padres y otros poemas,” 2014 [Editorial Ala de Colibrí, Seattle]; “A song to love beneath the stars,” & “La estación ilímite” [to be published]. In 2019, he was invited to read and record his poetry at the Library of Congress during Walt Whitman’s Bicentennial celebrations. His essays, short stories, and poetry have been published in books and anthologies in India, the U.S., Spain, and Latin America.

Dr. Gina Lopardo is the Director of Education Abroad at Seattle University with international higher education and human resources experience.

Gina has extensive experience in working with diverse groups, and believes in the importance of engaging with others to foster cultural and interpersonal understanding as well as building community based on respect and good will. She has served on several Advisory Boards. During her doctoral program, she researched the impact of the social identities (gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) of college students on their development of civic-mindedness.

Gyanendra Subba is an accomplished professional in the field of workforce development, leveraging over a decade of experience in direct service, research and evaluation, policy formulation, and management.

His unique background as a former refugee from Bhutan, who was resettled in the United States by World Relief in 2008, grants him invaluable insights into the multifaceted challenges faced by refugees in America.

Presently serving as a project manager at the Workforce Development Council of Seattle King County (WDC), Gyanendra assumes responsibility for overseeing multiple contracts, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Adult, Economic Security for All (EcSA), Basic Food Employment & Training (BFET), Ticket to Work, and Reentry programs. He holds a board position at the Somali Family Safety Task Force, underscoring his dedication to supporting vulnerable communities.

With prior roles at the Seattle Housing Authority, Refugee Women’s Alliance, and the Nonprofit Assistance Center, Gyanendra has honed his expertise in addressing the multifaceted needs of refugees and marginalized populations. He holds an undergraduate degree in Physics from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India, an MBA from Seattle University, certificate in Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard Kennedy School