Kurt Anderson (he/him) has served on the WCC Foundation board since 2004 when Inez Johnson encouraged him to volunteer his service to our community as a board director. Kurt and his wife Linda are long-time Ferndale residents. Kurt was an operator at ARCO for over 30 years and fire team captain at the refinery. Kurt is a committed community member and volunteer. He serves as a volunteer for the Ferndale Police Department and he and his wife, Linda, are very active in the Ferndale community and at Christ Lutheran Church.

Victoria Dahlgren (she/her) moved to Whatcom County in 1982. She has served on the board of Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood and is still an active supporter. She has also served on the board of the Bellingham Festival of Music. Victoria likes to hike, travel, and golf and enjoys reading, theater, and movies. She is passionate about education and the idea that it should be accessible to all. So, when asked to serve on the board of WCCF, she was happy to accept and says it has been a rewarding experience.

Dr. Brenda-Lee Karasik (she/her) currently serves on the Board of the Whatcom Community Foundation and has sat on AFP Advancement Northwest’s National Philanthropy Day selection committee for several years. Brenda has also served on the Board of Bellingham Technical College. During her professional career Dr. Karasik was a special Consultant at SDSU Research Foundation for Sponsored Research Advancement in San Diego, California.

Dr. Ron Kleinknecht (he/him) is a life-long Washingtonian with a passion for higher education that spans decades, having spent 43 years at WWU as Professor and Chair of Psychology, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. During his tenure as Dean at WWU he worked collaboratively with WCC faculty and staff to develop a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree at WWU. He was asked by fellow board member, Lynne Masland, to join the board after his retirement from WWU. Ron has served on a number of local boards including Port of Bellingham Marina Advisory Committee, Whatcom County Mental Health Advisory Board, and Critical Junctures Institute. In his free time he enjoys birding, hiking, and orienting four grandchildren to appreciate and preserve nature. Ron is a champion of our environment; he writes on the topic of environmental awareness and action for local and online outlets and monitors local beaches for Starfish Wasting Syndrome.

Michael Langey (he/him) was Director of Student Programs and Athletics at WCC from 2003-2009. Before coming to Whatcom Michael was a career U.S. Air Force officer. He served as squadron and base commander, and as staff officer at two major air command headquarters. Michael developed training and professional development programs, planned new facilities, and managed annual operating and major construction/renovation project budgets.

Since retiring as communications director at Western Washington University, Dr. Lynne Masland (she/her) has written a book about the history of the Bellingham YWCA, published a collection of poems, served on the boards of nonprofits and foundations, helped start the President’s Circle at Whatcom Community College Foundation, and spearheaded a campaign at Bellingham Sunrise Rotary Club to raise money for scholarships.

Her keen interest in philanthropy was ignited by a friend, Jean Rahn, who died in 2015. They had worked together at WWU, where Rahn was executive director of WWU Foundation. Lynne describes the message that Rahn communicated to potential donors as, “Let me help you do something that in your heart you’d like to be able to do.” That idea changed Lynne. She realized she didn’t have to be Bill Gates to make a difference, that a person of moderate means can have a significant impact.

Dr. Masland asks friends and family members to donate to the scholarship fund for her birthday and Christmas presents. Masland is married to artist Steve Mayo and has two daughters, a stepdaughter, and three grandsons.

D. Andrew Moquin (he/him) is a native of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, attended college on the East coast, and eventually moved to the Northwest with his wife Kay in 1990. He is a graduate of Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island and also attended St. Steven’s College in Dover, Massachusetts. After college he worked in marketing, public relations, and development back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Having completed campaigns with St. John’s Military Academy, the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, he accepted the position as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Over a period of fifteen years he helped develop one of America’s top ten major symphony orchestras.

Following this, Andrew did similar work with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra which was under the direction of Antal Dorati. It was there while living in Grosse Pointe, Michigan that he changed careers and became involved in the gourmet food business, eventually opening a restaurant and catering business. After a six year period he and his wife decided to move. They sold businesses, did research, and eventually ended up in Bellingham, Washington after taking a year off and travelling around the world. Since Kay was an Interior Designer, she set up her business with Andrew’s help and he took up ownership of Il Fiasco Restaurant. They both became involved in the community and the restaurant served as a gathering place for business, civic, and social events.

Andrew was a member of the group that helped revive and restore the Mount Baker Theater in the early 90’s and also served on the Theater’s Board of Directors. He became a member of the Bellingham Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. In 1993, Andrew was one of the founding board members of the Bellingham Festival of Music and served as the Festival’s President and Executive Director for many years. He is still intimately involved with the classical music festival as the Guest Artist Coordinator, as well as a consultant, and assists with fund raising. In 1997, he was a recipient of the Mayor’s Arts Award and in 2004 was recognized as a nominee for the Priscilla Sabin Award for outstanding contributions to Whatcom County’s Tourism Industry. Andrew lost his partner Kay to cancer in 1997, and is now retired yet quite active. He joined the Whatcom Community College Foundation Board of Directors in 2015 and was instrumental in starting the “Magic of Whatcom” dinner/auction. This event helped raise over $250,000 for the college during the two years it was held. He also served as a member of the college Campaign Feasibility Study Committee in 2017.

Susan Sandell (she/her) was born, raised, and educated in Bellingham. Susan is a proud alumna of Whatcom Community College and WWU. She opened her women’s clothing store, Sandell’s for Her, in 1982 and has been an extremely active member of our community. Though she is now retired after 33 years in the clothing business, she remains active throughout the community. Both Deane and Susan are active members of Saint Paul’s Episcopal church and support many charitable causes locally and nationwide including The Lighthouse Mission, Red Cross, Saint Paul’s church, Salvation Army, Hospice, University of Washington medical, and Whatcom Community College. Susan and her husband, Deane, both have strong ties to Whatcom. Deane’s father, Floyd Sandell, taught farm management and was the first tenured faculty member at Whatcom Community College.

Since moving here in 1988, Phyllis Self (she/her) has assumed many civic roles including chairing the task force for restoring the Mount Baker Theatre together with her husband and serving as a Whatcom Community College trustee and chairing its foundation. She is currently on numerous non-profit boards in the community. Phyllis is an accomplished pastel landscape artist, and she has received the Mayor’s Arts Award.

Satpal Sidhu (he/him) has lived in Lynden for 30 years and has worked in this community as an engineer, business executive, educator and a small business owner. Satpal and his wife, Mundir, have been married for 38 years and together have raised three sons who attended Meridian schools.

Satpal has been an active citizen in the community for past 25 years, serving on numerous community organization boards & committees, volunteering his time and skills to make our county a better place to live for all our residents.

In 2004, he and his wife started Spice Hut in Bellingham, a quality tea and spice retail business which has been voted twice as the Best Teahouse in the Pacific Northwest. Satpal served as a county council member representing District 3 until 2019. He is currently proudly serving his first term as Whatcom County Executive.

John Stewart (he/him) is Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking for Heritage Bank in Bellingham, having begun his banking career in 1981 in Louisville, Kentucky. Over 37 years, he has served in a variety of production and leadership roles in both commercial and international banking and treasury management.

John was born in Cincinnati, and attended the University of Cincinnati where he earned a BA in German Studies and an MBA in Finance and International Business. He has served on a variety of Boards, including Campfire USA – Samish Council, Chinook Enterprises, and the Skagit Community Foundation. John is a member of the Rotary Club of Bellingham. He has lived in Bellingham for 19 years, enjoys bicycling and hiking with friends, and being inordinately proud of his son.

Robert M. Tull (he/him) practiced law in Whatcom County beginning in 1975, after receiving his education at the University of Washington and Gonzaga University School of Law. Bob is active on several foundation boards. He enjoys boating and traveling with his wife, Betty.