PTA Board Members | Genesee Hill Elementary PTA

2022-2023 Genesee Hill PTA Board Members
(July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023)

Hello Genesee Hill Community! My name is Lia Barros and I am one of your Co-Presidents this year. I have two children at Genesee Hill, George (fourth grade) and Abi (first). Growing up in Issaquah, in a multicultural home with a first immigrant parent, I find these experiences central to my passion for building relationships and community. I have been a West Seattle resident for the last 15 years and I currently work as a Nurse Practitioner at the University of Washington Medical Center. I am thrilled to bring this focus on community building to the PTA board and continue to support our mission of serving GH families, teachers, and the WS community. When not at work you can find me coaching soccer, reading, biking, and sailing the Puget Sound with my partner Todd Ray.

My name is Michael Brown, and I am one of your Co-Presidents this year. I have a fourth grader at Genesee Hill, Griffin, who may know more of you than I do given his extroverted nature. I’m a native of New Orleans but have resided in Seattle for almost 30 years, most of those in West Seattle. You’ll see me at Bakery Nouveau, Shadowland, Realfine Coffee, and in the yard gardening. During the day, I’m the Chief Architect of Civic Commons, an initiative of Seattle Foundation, working to providing the tools that elevate community voice and foster multi-sector/community partnerships in service to achieving greater racial and economic equity in the Puget Sound region. I’m excited to work with Lia, the PTA Board and all of you this upcoming year

I am excited to join the PTA this year as Secretary! This will be my 7th year as a Genesee Hill parent along with my two children, Isaac (6th Grade at Madison) and Rose (4th Grade), and my husband Nate. I was born and raised in Washington between Gig Harbor and University Place and went to college at Western Washington University where I met my husband. We have lived in West Seattle for the last 13 years and absolutely love everything this community has to offer, minus the current bridge situation. I enjoy spending time with my family, taking walks around the neighborhood while listening to podcasts, eating good food and traveling internationally (one day again soon I hope)! I currently work full-time as a Human Resource Operations Manager for Starbucks and have been with the company for almost 20 years! I wanted to become a member of the PTA board to continue to build relationships within our school community and give back to this great school that has provided so much to our family these last 7 years.

My name is Jenilee Finley and I am excited to be joining the PTA this year as fundraising co-chair, along with Heather Thimsen. I have two children at Genesee Hill, one in second grade (Nolan) and one in fifth grade (Lila). Born in southern California, I migrated to the PNW at the age of 10 and spent the remaining years growing up on Bainbridge Island. I have been living in West Seattle with my husband, Russ, since 2008 and am grateful to be raising our family here. I work full time as an Auditor for the Office of Trade. This is my first year on the PTA board, but I have enjoyed volunteering in the GH community on multiple occasions over the years. Since this is the last year both kids will be in elementary school, I wanted to take this opportunity for greater involvement. I hope to continue in the GH spirit of cultivating a strong, inclusive community for our students, families, teachers, and staff. When not at work or hanging with my family, you will find me walking our big standard poodle Ziggy, reading memoirs, hiking, listening to podcasts, and drinking copious amounts of coffee. I look forward to getting to know you and your families better this year!

Hello! I am excited to join the PTA this year as Co-Fundraising Chair, along with Jenilee Finley. I have two children at Genesee Hill, Nolan in 4th grade and Aubrey in 2nd. I grew up in the Seattle area, and along with my husband John, have made West Seattle my home for the last 10 years. My background is in graphic design/illustration and marketing. I enjoy boating and hiking the PNW, reading, drawing and music. I am looking forward to meeting more Genesee Hill families this year and working together to build community.

Hello Genesee Hill! My name is Janelle Wilde and I am excited to co-chair the Communications position along with Katherine Sather. My husband, Tony, and I have a 3rd grader (Nolan) and a first grader (Emily) at Genesee. I am originally from California and moved to Seattle in 2006 to attend UW for pharmacy school. In my free time, I like to read, travel, go for walks, and learn new things.

Hello Genesee! I’m excited to take on the role of Communications Co-Chair this year along with Janelle Wilde. My husband and I have two children at Genesee, William Basirico (in third grade) and Matthew Basirico (in first grade). I grew up in North Idaho, but I’ve called Seattle home for nearly 20 years. My background is in journalism and marketing, and I currently work as a content designer for Microsoft. Outside of work I enjoy fly-fishing, reading, and exploring our local parks and beaches.

I am so excited to be moving into the role of Equity Co-Chair this year. This will be my third year on the PTA board and my fifth year involved in the Family Committee for Equity and Inclusion at Genesee Hill. My two daughters are both at Genesee, in 2nd and 5th grade. I grew up in St. Paul, MN, but have lived in Seattle for over twenty years now. My background is in both elementary education and backpack and luggage design. My passions are the outdoors, photography, activism, gardening, and fiber arts. I’m truly looking forward to building a more equitable and inclusive community at our school.

Hello Foxes! I am Laura Goodsell, and I am partnering with Leigh Ann to serve as one of your PTA Equity co-chairs. I am a parent to an 8th grader at Madison and a 5th grader at Genesee Hill. This will be my 8th and final year as a parent at Genesee Hill. Some may remember me as Coach Laura of the Flying Foxes Ultimate Frisbee Team. I am excited to be back working with the Genesee Hill community. I have missed you! I come to the job of Equity Co-chair with years of both professional and personal knowledge of institutional and systemic diversity, equity and inclusion challenges and how to move the aspirational into the actionable. It’s hard work, but I am eager to begin! When I’m not working you can find me doing just about everything! Slowly remodeling our home, running, swimming, hiking, reading, painting, sculpting, or walking our dog Kiki. Perennially curious, looking for new adventure, and always running out of time!

I am excited to be part of the dedicated PTA team this year. This is my second year on the Board as the Membership Chair. I plan to support the important work the PTA performs as well as be an advocate for parents and teachers in the Genesee Hill community. My wife and I have three daughters at Genesee Hill, a 4th grader and two 2nd graders, all of whom have different abilities. So far, we have had a great experience at the school and within our community. I am originally from Upstate New York. We moved to West Seattle in 2009 and do not have plans to leave. I try to spend most of my free time with my family but I also enjoy golf, disc golf, and bike riding with friends.

Hello Genesee Hill! This is my second year on the PTA board as Treasurer. I’m a CPA and have worked in both accounting and finance positions. I grew up in Idaho, went to school at Gonzaga, and now my husband and I have been in West Seattle 15+ years. We have two boys at Genesee Hill in 2nd and 3rd grade and we love this school and community! In my free time, I love to walk and read.

Our family loves West Seattle and we are so grateful to have found our way here! My daughter Addie is a first grader and her two younger siblings (Macklen and Arwyn) will eventually follow her to GHE. Joining the PTA is an opportunity for me to get to know the school community on a deeper level, to support students, families and educators through PTA initiatives, and to connect with other parents. I currently work full-time, am passionate about sustainability, and in our free time my family loves outdoor adventures and hanging out in our backyard.

Hello Genesee Hill Community! My name is Katherine Hirt and I am excited to serve as Events Chair this year as we navigate virtual and maybe later in-person gatherings. I have been a Genesee Hill/Schmitz Park parent since 2015 when my son, Edwin started Kindergarten and currently have a daughter, Grace, in 4th grade. My educational background is in second language acquisition and nineteenth century German literature. I taught beginning and intermediate German to university students while working on a doctoral degree in German literature and culture. I now work as a public records analyst at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where I have been almost 5 years. I have been planning virtual events with my colleagues and look forward to working on events for our community!

I am Janna Templin and will be serving as cohort chair as my first role on the PTA board. I have three kiddos at Genesee Hill; kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 5th grade. Although this is my first year serving on the board, I have always loved being an active, engaged, and responsible parent; so this seemed like a right fit. I am a 3rd generation Alki resident who also married an Alki born local. We have lots of great memories and stories to share. My other life is enabling health care. I am an ICU and ER trained RN who just pivoted to tech at Microsoft working in the Health life sciences AI and Cloud department. I love dancing, cooking, hiking, skiing, and anything else the PNW can serve up. I am looking forward to encouraging communication, engagement, and great cohort events!

My name is Shanail Snopov and I am your Volunteer Co-chair. I have one child at Genesee Hill. Quentin (Johnson) will be in third grade this year. Growing up, I was lucky to experience living in multiple different states at different times in my youth (including Idaho, Montana & Iowa), but I spent the most time in Washington. Quentin’s dad and his parents are from West Seattle. I moved to the West Seattle Junction in 2006 and feel extremely lucky to have started a family in such a beautiful place. Currently l work in the heart of the Junction at two different bakeries; you could say I’m a part-time barista champion. I still enjoy working in customer service and it’s extremely rewarding to do it in my own community, meeting so many people who are my neighbors. I am nervous about joining the PTA, as I am new to it and have no idea what to expect. However, I am also excited to meet everyone for this new adventure, and have the opportunity to be of service. On my off time I enjoy outdoor activities in the mountains. I garden year round & keep chickens. I have a plan to someday operate a small nursery & outdoor market in the community.

This is my 8th year teaching. I live in West Seattle and love being a part of the community I teach in. I love to hike, travel, be on or around water and spend time with family and friends.
—Danielle Jones

I’ve taught a little over a decade (1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th) in Bellingham, Qingdao, China, Vancouver, Wash. and West Side Best Side. Some of my hobbies include gardening, carpentry, and hanging outdoors with the ones that I love.
—Per Junkerman

I’ve taught for 15 years (K, 1st , and 2nd). I spend my winters at Crystal Mountain and summers at the pool.
—Renee Marroquin

This will be my 17th year teaching (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 8th grade). I’ve been at Genesee Hill for six years and enjoy teaching in the community where I live. I love outdoor activities, exploring new places and reading a great book.
—Julie Pietsch

The Genesee Hill PTA Needs You!

We currently have the following board positions open for the 2021-2022 school year:

Events Chair

In addition to these open board positions, we have the following needs for support:
1.     Nominating Committee
2.     Volunteers on activities and committees; please check out the Volunteer page
3.     People interested in board positions for next year

Please let us know if you are interested in the above board and volunteer positions or if you have any questions about them. Contact our PTA Presidents at president@geneseehillpta.org.

2022-2023 Genesee Hill PTA Board Members (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023)

The Genesee Hill PTA Needs You!

2022-2023 Genesee Hill PTA Board Members
(July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023)