Equal Rights Washington Education Fund Board of Directors

Thomas Zambito, Chair

Thomas is a manager at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, an entity of Deloitte & Touche LLP where he helps small to multi-billion dollar sized clients to quantify and articulate values for financial reporting and transaction related purposes. Thomas is a founding member of Seattle GLOBE; Deloitte's LGBT Business Resource Group and is a member of the Northwest Corporate LGBT Network Roundtable which works to empower Northwest LGBT employees and their allies through education, partnership, positive leadership, and community visibility. Thomas has previous fundraising and volunteering campaign experience. Thomas earned his MBA degree from Thunderbird with an emphasis in Finance. He currently resides with his partner in Seattle, WA.

Jennifer Barnes, Vice-Chair

Jennifer Barnes is a Business Development Manager at the law firm of Heller Ehrman LLP where she coordinates marketing and communication strategies for multiple international practice groups as well as the firm's Northwest offices. Prior to Heller Ehrman, Jennifer managed the Seattle offices of several other national law firms. She also launched her own consulting business, offering outreach and relationship development services on various public policy issues at the federal, state and local government levels.

In 2007, Jennifer received Heller Ehrman's Community Service Award for her efforts in effecting positive change within the LGBT community in Washington State. Jennifer is the only non-attorney professional on Heller Ehrman's Diversity Committee. She also is a member of the United Way of King County's Campaign Cabinet, and is an annual Scholarship Committee member with the Pride Foundation.

Jennifer was born and raised in Seattle and is passionate about human rights and the mandate of equal rights and treatment for all. Jennifer lives in Wallingford with her partner of five years and their two dogs.

Mike Wrenn

Michael R. Wrenn is a Partner in the law firm of Heller Ehrman LLP and specializes in complex litigation. He is a member of the firm-wide Diversity Committee and LGBT Task Force for the 700-attorney firm. He also Chairs the Diversity Committee for the firm's Seattle office.

From 1995 to 2005 Michael was a member of the Board of Trustees for the King County Bar Foundation and its President for 2000 and 2001. The Foundation sponsors and funds the pro bono programs for King County, including the Voluntary Attorneys for Persons with Aids/HIV Legal Access, as well as 25 Neighborhood Legal Clinics.

Michael received the King County Bar Association's Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award for 2006. He earned his undergraduate degree in Society and Justice and his law degree from the University of Washington. He currently resides in Rainier Beach (Seattle) with his partner of ten years.

George Cheung

George Cheung is founder and CEO of Lopez & Cheung, Inc, an independent consulting firm specializing in geographic information systems (GIS) and social science research. George brings a breadth of experience in civic participation and social geography. His professional experience includes several years as a civil rights investigator for state government and internships with the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Democratic National Committee. He has also work on city council, state legislative and congressional campaigns around the country. George’s other leadership roles include board member of the Center for Environmental Citizenship and steering committee member of ROAR (Raising Our Asian Pacific Islander Representation). George is a graduate of the JFK School of Government with a Master in Public Policy and Brown University with Bachelors in Political Science. He is native of the Seattle area, graduating from Renton High School.

Margaret Rothschild

Margaret Rothschild has a Masters in Art Therapy. She is an artist and spiritual director. She has a passionate interest in social justice and civil rights issues. She and her husband, George Heidorn, have been supporters of ERW since its inception. She's also on the vestry of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral.

David Haack

David is a successful healthcare professional with more than 19 years of experience in the health industry. Having spent the past 20 years devoted to improving the quality of care for seniors, he works with a number of organizations including Puget Sound Healthcare Professionals, Washington Healthcare Association, Washington Association of Housing and Services for the Aging, South End Senior Care Coalition. David is also on the Board for Verbena, and is the Chair for the D.S.H.S. GLBT Advisory Committee.

Joshua Heim

Bio Coming Soon

Karin Mitchell

Bio Coming Soon

Shilpen Patel

Bio Coming Soon

Vincent Lachina

Vincent Lachina is a product of the South. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, was raised in Jackson, Mississippi, and spent his college and early adult years in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham with a degree in English and Religion, and the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, with the Masters degree in Religion and Education. For more than 40 years, he has held various both national and local church staff positions in Tennessee, Kansas and Washington State. For ten years he served as the senior pastor for Grace Gospel Chapel in Seattle, the oldest evangelical church in the USA with an LGBT congregation. He simultaneously held secular employment – 14 years with the Boeing Aerospace Company as an Industrial Engineer and a Seattle communications company as Director of Operations. In November of 2004, Lachina was hired for the position of Washington State Chaplain for the five Planned Parenthood affiliates of Washington and Portland, based in Seattle. Vincent has one son, Joshua who lives in Missoula, Montana, with his wife and Vincent’s grandson, Dakota.