Jessica Andrade
Jessica Andrade has been interested in human rights, politics, and public service since her adolescence in Clark County, Washington. Jessica attended the University of Washington where she obtained a B.A. in Political Science and Women Studies, as well as a minor in history. Later, Jessica attended the University of Michigan where she obtained her J.D. Along the way, Jessica has had experiences working and volunteering for multiple human rights and public interest-focused organizations, including Blueprint Research & Design, a non-profit consulting firm, the Gender Advocacy Program in Cape Town, South Africa, Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, the King County Prosecutor's Office Protection Order Advocacy Program, and LegalVoice (f/k/a/ the Northwest Women's Law Center).
Currently Jessica is an associate in the litigation group of Dorsey & Whitney, LLP, where she focuses her practice on complex commercial disputes. Jessica also completes significant pro bono legal work, including representing several clients who have suffered abuse in their home countries in their petitions for asylum in the United States, as well as impact litigation regarding issues of LGBT rights, gender and race discrimination. Jessica was appointed to the Seattle Human Rights Commission by the Seattle City council in 2009, and she looks forward to serving the City of Seattle by advancing the human rights of all its citizens.
Jesse Aspuria's favorite quotation describes his life: "Sleep is optional." Born in the Philippines, raised in inner city San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Tacoma, his upbringing and various experiences throughout his young adulthood that has given him an understanding about the importance of activism and leadership to help underprivileged individuals who may be discriminated against.
"My upbringing has motivated me to help others and fight for human rights causes. I don't see it as a responsibility, but more so as my passion and hope to always give back and play a role in public service."
Jesse has been involved in various leadership positions and organizations. He served in various capacities in student government at WSU until serving as the Student Body President in 2003-2004. Accomplishments include changing the University's Diversity Celebration and turned over the event's control into the students' hands, as well as evaluate policies and strategies for the recruitment and retention of students and faculty of color. Raised over $31,803 to benefit student run multicultural student recruitment and retention conferences and created policies for long term sustainability.
Jesse graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in the School of Hospitality Business Management Program and attended Apicius Culinary Institute of Florence, Italy. He works as a sales and marketing director for Marriott, and enjoys travel, hiking, camping, basketball, dancing, cooking, and running marathons.
Damien Carter
Damien W. Carter, M.D. , graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine in 2006. He works at the Harborview Medical Center Department of Surgery as a Trauma & Burns Research Fellow. Dr. Carter has received the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Community Service Award, and the Gold Humanism National Honor Society Award. He enjoys basketball, soccer, snowboarding, running, and travel in Asia & Latin America. Dr. Carter has been a Commissioner since 2008 and serves on the SHRC Homelessness Task Force.
Nika Dahlbacka
Nika Dahlbacka was born and raised in Oakland, California, a city which celebrates diversity and political activism. From her earliest years she pursued activities that furthered equality and multi-culturalism. In high school, she joined Amigos de las Americas, working in a village of 200 in Costa Rica to promote community-based, sustainable development.
At the UW, Nika was a senator in student government, and volunteered for Washington Citizen Action, First Place School, Franklin High School, and the Burke Museum. While at UW, Nika interned at Boeing where she implemented the first 737 Diversity Council. She graduated UW with distinction and a BA in International Business and marketing. After college, Nika continued her career with Boeing, and has enjoyed her role working as a Procurement agent with International Suppliers and the Flight Test Program.
Nika is honored to be pursuing her passion for social justice and equality as a member of the Seattle Human Rights Commission.
Alexandra Davis
Alexandra's passion for politics and public service led her to Washington D.C where she earned a B.A. in Organizational Development and Social Change. She also has a Master's from Seattle University's Student Development Administration program where she continued to explore her interests of social justice, multicultural education, and community engagement work. Alexandra has since worked in a variety of social justice, public service, and diversity training roles in the non-profit, education, and government sectors.
Alexandra currently works as the Cultural Diversity Liaison for the City of Auburn, WA. She serves as a bridge builder creating successful partnerships with local government, businesses, community partners, and residents working together to build a community for social justice. She believes in integrating the public service experience through opportunities for positive community relations and fostering opportunities for diversity and inclusion. Alexandra previously worked as the Civic Engagement Director at the Metrocenter YMCA in Seattle. There she provided opportunities for young professionals to sit on boards and commission throughout Seattle city government. Alexandra is very passionate about outreach and working in the local community. She is grateful for the opportunity to assist residents in developing community and finding opportunities for resource sharing across cultures. You can often find her at local non- profits volunteering. She also sits on the board of Safe Futures Youth Center in South Seattle.
Frances Donegan-Ryan
Frances brings to the Seattle Human Rights Commission a background in International Business and Entrepreneurship. She has extensive experience in Human Rights in the areas of Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Diversity, and Woman's and Child rights in developing nations. In her current endeavor Frances works with start-ups across many industries including consumer goods, travel, social media, healthcare and science, technology services, and food.
Frances spent 5 years with AIESEC, an international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential and the world's largest not-for-profit student organization. During that time she worked in Seattle, Australia, and for the International headquarters in the Netherlands traveling to over 25 countries for her work. Frances moved on to the for-profit, corporate world joining Cadbury. From their New York office she managed diversity and corporate social responsibility initiatives, designed and lead the Diversity Training program, and managed corporate giving. Frances spent 6 months in Hyderabad, India working in remote and impoverished areas of Andra Pradesh working with schools, parents and community leaders to encourage and enforce the education of girl children. Frances now sits on the Seattle Board of Advisors for the UW chapter of AIESEC.
Frances has a BA from the University of Washington with a major in Business Management and a focus in English Literature. As the only undergraduate entry, she placed in the finals for the Global MBA business plan competition hosted by the Foster MBA School. Frances also won best International Business Plan from the UW Undergraduate Competition for the same business plan. Frances played rugby for UW and was an instructor with the UW sailing club. She also earned her Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and Arnis while at UW.
Lubna Mahadeen
Lubna was born and raised in Amman-Jordan. She grew up in a male-dominated Arabic culture where women work very hard to be liberated.
During her residency in Jordan, she received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Jordan. Just before
the beginning of the Gulf war in 1990, Lubna moved to the United States where she worked at Seattle Community College District in various positions.
Currently, she works as a Program Coordinator at Seattle Central Community College and serves as a Council member at the College Council.
She is a certified Mediator and actively working with the Dispute Resolution Center in King County. She is multi-lingual with proficiency in English, Arabic and French.
She is also qualified in American Sign Language. Recently, she obtained her Master's degree in Public Affairs (M.P.A.) from the Daniel J. Evans School at the University of Washington.
Lubna hopes to contribute to the commission in a meaningful way while making a difference in her community and addressing issues of awareness about her culture.
Merri Ann Osborne
Since the age of sixteen, Merri Ann has volunteered for a number of domestic and international community organizations. Currently, she volunteers with Amnesty International, Multifaith Works, and with the Southern Sudanese Community of Washington.
A graduate of Roosevelt High School in Seattle, Merri Ann received her BA in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where she studied Japanese and Soviet Politics. Upon graduation, she attended International Christian University in Mitaka, Japan continuing her studies of Japanese politics and language.
Merri Ann recently received an MA in Conflict Resolution from the Peace Studies Department at the University of Bradford, Bradford, UK. While at Bradford, she was a member of a select group of students who studied post conflict rebuilding in Sierra Leone. It was here she witnessed the difficult task of rebuilding a country that endured an eleven year civil war.
During her visit to Sierra Leone, she was inspired by the work being done by human rights activists, women's groups, faith-based communities, politicians, law enforcement, and others working towards the common goal of peace and recovery. With this inspiration, she is committed to bringing together diverse communities towards not only productive dialogue, but meaningful outcomes.
Having traveled extensively, she has also lived in Nigeria, Japan, England. These international experiences and overseas education opportunities have provided Merri Ann with a strong foundation in cross-cultural communication and mediation.
Merri Ann Osborne regards her position on the Seattle Human Rights Commission as a privilege and is honored to serve the residents of Seattle
Mike Peters comes to the SHRC with a background in disability sport, social science and law. Born with mild cerebral palsy, Mike competed on the U.S. Men's National Paralympic Soccer Team from 1996-2004. He enjoys volunteering for national and international efforts that offer sporting opportunities to kids living with disabilities. In 2002, Mike volunteered in Prishtina, Kosovo with the Sports for Life Initiative, using sport to promote disability awareness and reconciliation between Albanian and Serbian youth. Mike is the past vice-chair of the United States Olympic Committee's Athletes' Advisory Council and currently serves as the U.S. representative on the Executive Committee for the Americas Paralympic Committee.
Mike recently graduated from the UW School of Law, where he was a Gates Public Service Law Scholar. He is now the Microsoft Equal Justice Works Fellow at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, where he works primarily with unaccompanied minors. Prior to law school, Mike taught in the Dept. of Communication at the UW. He earned his PhD from the University of Arizona, where he studied the role of partner communication in personal adjustment to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
Mike was appointed to the SHRC by Mayor Nickels in 2009, and feels extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to serve Seattle residents. He looks forward to advancing the rights of persons living with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, and individuals who are seeking equal access to health care and housing. Mike lives in Columbia City with his wife, Emily.
Mica Powers
Mica Powers graduated in 2005 with a degree in Political Science, and a minor in African American Studies. While in college, Mica had two life altering experiences: interning at a magazine that critically looked at race and poverty and visiting the United Nations building in New York City. Those experiences taught Mica to dig deep when problem solving, and to surround herself with great company when searching for answers. Mica has been featured in
Newsweek Magazine's Generation O multimedia blog.
Additionally, Mica's various life experiences, including tutoring 2nd graders in reading and writing and being a Precinct Committee Officer, have made Mica personally aware of some problems that we face locally. As a proud resident of Seattle, Mica hopes all of her life experiences can combine for a meaningful, educational, and unique experience as a Commissioner.
Arthur Shwab
Arthur Shwab is a law student at Seattle University School of Law, where he is the recipient of the Law School's Diversity Scholarship and serves as an elected Alumni Representative. Arthur's dedication to marginalized communities stems from his own experience as a refugee immigrant. Arriving from the Former Soviet Union, he and his family were resettled in Tacoma, WA, in the early 1990s. Having endured the challenges of this transition, Arthur uses his personal insight and privileged voice to advocate for the immigrant communities in the Seattle area. Before starting law school, Arthur worked as a case manager at Catholic Refugee & Immigration Services in South Seattle, and he interned for the legislative office of Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in Washington D.C. In every endeavor he takes on, Arthur brings to the table a global perspective. He has worked and studied in Latin America and Israel, and he speaks Russian, Spanish, and English.
Arthur is very excited for the opportunity to serve on the Seattle Human Rights Commission and to be surrounded by such incredibly dedicated and accomplished team members. Arthur is currently serving on the Public Safety Task Force of the Commission, as well as the Discrimination Appeals panel. Arthur is big fan of the City of Seattle. He is pleased with the opportunity to gain in depth understanding of the issues facing our residence and to challenge Seattle to grow and improve.
Roslyn Solomon
Ms. Solomon has focused her efforts in health and human rights over the past three years. She is the co-founder of The Implementation Project which focuses on promoting comprehensive and equitable health care reform through innovative advocacy work. Prior to founding The Project, Ms. Solomon was the Director of the US program at Uplift International, a Seattle-based health and human rights organization. Ms. Solomon also served as a consultant for Health Alliance International, and the Grameen Technical Center.
Before turning her attention to health issues, Ms. Solomon worked as an administrative law judge for the State of Washington. During that time, she also taught trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at the Seattle University School of Law. Before serving as a judge, Ms. Solomon was in private practice in Seattle. Ms. Solomon continues to make presentations to bar association committees and teach legal strategy as an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.
An active volunteer, Ms. Solomon is a founder and board member of the Jewish Women's Funding Network, an active member of the Healthy Washington Coalition, the Women's Funding Alliance, and the American Jewish Committee. She is currently a volunteer consultant for Northwest Law Health Advocates and for the health and human rights project of the New York-based, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative.
Ms. Solomon received her B.A. in political science and economics from Wellesley College and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
Chris Stearns
Chris Stearns is from the Navajo Nation and practices Native American law with Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker LLP. He helped co-found Native Vote Washington, a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to increase the size and power of the Native vote in Washington.
Chris has spent his career working in Native American public policy and has served as Indian Affairs Director under Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, Democratic Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources under Chairman George Miller, Deputy Counsel to the U.S. House Native American Affairs Subcommittee, North Dakota State Campaign Director for Vice President Al Gore, and Political Advisor to Tex Hall, President of the National Congress of American Indians.
Chris also has served on the Boards of the Clinton-Gore Alumni Association and the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Chris occasionally writes columns and articles for the newspaper Indian Country Today. Chris is a graduate of Williams College and Cornell Law School.
Marvin Stern
Marvin Stern is a native of Seattle and a graduate of the Seattle Public Schools. After receiving his BA in New York and graduate work in Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem, Israel, Marvin returned to Seattle in 1982, where he served as Pacific Northwest Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for nearly 13 years. During that time he also served as a founding Board Member and Secretary of the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment.
From 1998 to 2006 Marvin served as project manager of the Holocaust Survivors Assistance Office at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. He has also worked on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and as an Employment and Training Counselor. In 2008 Marvin was appointed to the Seattle Human Rights Commission by Mayor Nichols and now serves as the Commission's Vice Chair. He has also served on the board and as Vice President of the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center.
Marvin works as an Employment and Training Placement Counselor.
