Funhouse Commons Board of Directors
Maia Vechey, President – My family fell in love with Orcas island about 7 years ago and have since bought and restored a property where we spend as much time as possible. My love for kids has led most of my decisions in life including getting my degree as a Montessori teacher and working as a CASA supporting children who have been removed from their homes, volunteering as a tutor at elementary schools, and finally having my own children. We started visiting The Funhouse with our daughter Izzy and I knew I wanted to have more involvement. I want to help bridge the divide between “weekenders” and locals and the Funhouse is a great place for that.
Jamie Cier, Treasurer – Jamie and her partner, Jef, moved to Orcas Island in 2012 with their cat Inky. Jamie is currently the manager at Washington Federal and deals with many families and employees with children who rely on The Funhouse for after-school programs, mentoring and just plain fun. Being a board member is a great way to support such a key piece of the community.
J. Kristian Brekke, Vice President – With a degree in Special Education and Masters in Outdoor Education, Kristian has been meeting the needs of students in an elementary/middle school setting for the last 20 years. In addition to the curriculum, he has mentored children into becoming leaders in their community and advocates for integrity. With academic rigor, laughter, joy and the arts as his ongoing focus, he finds great value in teaching to the whole child and developing self efficacy in students. Kristian has joined the board of The Funhouse to compliment it’s mission, support the Executive Director, and secure the vision of the Funhouse for years to come!
Jennifer Walsh, Secretary – I have three grown kids and was super actively involved in their lives, and truly cherished be able to stay home and raise them. My family moved up here after our last “baby” left the house for university. Orcas helped fill the empty nest and we totally threw ourselves into being the owners of 160 apple trees, tools, tractors and implements previously quite foreign to us! Still, I missed the chaos of my kids and their friends coming and going, and for sure missed the interaction with all of them. The Funhouse seemed like a great spot for me to land to try to soak in a bit of that chaos (in a good way!) Aside from being a mom, I spent my adult years with kids—substitute teaching, teaching preschool and running parent boards and events for all of their schools. I have tons of creative ideas, lots of energy and hope to bring positivity and a good vibe to the Funhouse board.
Tara J. Anderson
Tara Anderson is an economist, egalitarian, and environmentalist. She’s most happy growing shellfish or chasing her family down the slopes on a snowboard. Tara has over 20 years of experience in combined nonprofit, for-profit, government, and military leadership and spends her days working with government grants and fundraising programs. She has two kids that attend Funhouse programs.
Scott Raun – Scott retired to Orcas Island in 2013 after many years of working for the State of Colorado. He worked with local communities, non-profit organizations, and government agencies for much of his professional career to develop a high quality, early learning system for Colorado children. With his background in public policy and strategic planning, he’s very excited to join the Funhouse team and contribute to its continued growth as a leading supporter of, and advocate for, the children and families of our community.
Marcela Barrientos – Marcela and her husband Ed Andrews moved to Orcas in 2013, after living in Seattle for 13 years. They own a graphic design business called Somelab. While most of their clients are in Seattle, they have done several projects for local folks including Maple Rock Farm, Roses Bakery and Cafe, Rock Island, OPALCO and The Funhouse! Marcela is also a real estate agent with Orcas Island Realty. She enjoys helping people find their dream spot on the islands — or selling their spot to a lucky buyer.
After donating her design services to The Funhouse for several years, she is excited to join The Funhouse Board to help them further their mission. She is proud to live in a community that is so focused on taking care of the young people that grow up here.