Trustee Karen Lee appointed to state Student Achievement Council

Karen Lee, a member of the Board of Trustees at Western Washington University, has been appointed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to the Washington Student Achievement Council, according to a press release from the governor's office.

The cabinet-level agency was formed in 2012 to oversee the state’s higher education system, provide strategic planning and advocacy for increased student success and to align pre-K-12 and post-secondary education opportunities.

“With this new council we have a great opportunity to rethink how we work with the business community to help students access the training and education they need to be successful and attain the knowledge and skills that our employers demand,” Inslee in the release. “These education and business leaders bring a broad range of experience and expertise that will help us better align our higher education and K-12 systems so all of our students have a better shot at success.”

• Jeff Charbonneau is a teacher at Zillah High School. He was Washington state’s teacher of the year and was recently honored by President Barack Obama as National Teacher of the Year because of his innovative focus and teaching success in math and science. He is a National Board Certified STEM teacher and created a statewide robotics competition in which nearly 1,000 students have participated.
• Maud Daudon is president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and former president and CEO of Seattle-Northwest Securities. She serves on the boards for a range of organizations including the Bullitt Foundation and Seattle Biomedical Research Institution. She served as deputy mayor and chief of staff for the City of Seattle from 1998 to 2001 and spent six years serving as the chief financial officer for the Port of Seattle. She served on Inslee’s transition team and former Governor Chris Gregoire’s Higher Education Funding Task Force.
• Karen Lee is the CEO of Pioneer Human Services, a social enterprise organization recognized as a national model for providing employment services, job training, counseling and services for people overcoming chemical dependency, mental illness and criminal histories. Lee was appointed to Western Washington University’s Board of Trustees in 2010 and served five years as Commissioner of the Washington State Employment Security Department.
• Dr. Susana Reyes has served as Assistant Superintendent in the Pullman School District since 2006, providing leadership and oversight for district-wide instruction, curriculum development and assessment. She also administers all state and federal programs including Special Education, Title I/LAP, Title II, Title III, ELL and Highly Capable. She will be joining the Mead School District on July 1, 2013 as the Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs. Dr. Reyes is a first generation college graduate, earning her B.A., Ed.M. and Ed.D. at Washington State University.

The appointments are effective May 7.