Governing Board of Directors

Dawn Blanch, Secretary, has over twenty years experience working with Rainier Valley community organizations.  She has served as Southeast Effective Development (SEED) Board President and is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Rainier Beach Neighborhood Planning Committee and as a member of the City of Seattle Neighborhood Plan Implementation Committee.  Ms. Blanch’s expansive professional experience includes manager of Evergreen Insurance Co-op, Executive Director of the Rainier Chamber Commerce, and currently as the Environmental Stewardship Coordinator for the Seattle Parks Department.  She has studied in psychology and education at Friends World College. 

Carl Hightower

John Charles

Darryl Smith

Joshua Williams, Chair, has nine years experience in banking and commercial underwriting.  In his current position with Wells Fargo & Co, Mr. Williams serves as a Business Development Manager for a Washington business bank.  He earned Bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Macalester College in St. Paul Minnesota and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School.  Mr. Williams has experience working on community economic development initiatives in Minneapolis, MN and is a resident of the Mt. Baker neighborhood.

Ken Steiner, is a Senior Loan Officer for Home Street bank and has been a Rainier Valley resident since 2001.  In his fifteen years at Home Street Bank, Ken has helped many new home buyers fulfill their dream of home ownership in the Rainier Valley.  With his BA from Georgetown University in Washington D.C., hi consistently generates $20 million in mortgages annually, and is one of the top loan officers in the company, acknowledged each year with the company’s “Presidents Club” award.  Ken is a member of Tallapoosa Republic LLC in which he owns and managers a commercial building in the Rainier Valley.  He is also the Secretary-Treasure of Villa Victoria Corp, a Rainier Valley catering company and wholesale food producer which is owned and operated by his wife.

Andrew Friedman, M.D., Treasurer, is a member of Virginia Mason Medical Center and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.  While attending the University of Michigan, Andrew was acknowledged as a National Merit Scholar and a Regent’s Scholar before completing his residency at the University of Washington.  He is a board member of the Puget Sound Spine Interest Group, and a member of both the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Personnel Committee at Virginia Mason.

Jeffrey Taylor, Vice Chair, is a Rainier Valley Resident and small business owner and has seen the impact the light rail construction has had on small business owners first hand.  Jeffrey is a State Farm Insurance Company Agent and business owner and has previous experience in Human Resources and Employee Relations with the company.  He is a member of the Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia City Business Association, the Breakfast Group of Seattle, the Urban League of Seattle, the NAACP-Seattle Chapter and the Seattle Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Jeffrey has a Bachelors of Science, Economics degree from Illinois State University and looks forward to being a part of Rainier Valley community for years to come.

Ben Pulmano, has lived in the Beacon Hill area for over 30 years and works for Wells Fargo Bank. Ben completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in the Seattle area, as well as continuing education at the Northwest Intermediate Commercial Lending School.    His community involvement includes participating as a member of the RVCDF SMA/Grant & Loan Committee, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement.