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Cornish College of the Arts

Board of Trustees

Cornish is grateful for the dedication of our volunteer Board of Trustees.

As fiduciaries, board members are responsible for all aspects of Cornish College of the Arts. This includes but is not limited to overseeing Cornish’s mission, strategic planning, educational quality, and fiscal integrity. *

Board Chair | Emily Parkhurst
Vice Chair | TBD
Secretary | Joseph Rosa
Treasurer | Michael Fortin


*Source: Board Member Orientation by AGB

Gary Fluhrer | Attorney, Foster Garvey

Gary Fluhrer has been an attorney since 1979. His practice focuses on property development, leasing, financing, acquisition, and disposition of projects, portfolio, and multistate acquisitions, as well as workouts of distressed projects. Gary has worked with a variety of developers and investors, including commercial and residential developers, clients in the hospitality, industrial, and healthcare industries. Gary has also worked on loan restructurings in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Texas, and California. Gary has been named a “Washington Super Lawyer” for many years. Seattle Business magazine rated him “Best in the Business” in the real estate category in 2013. Washington Law & Politics has rated him a “Super Lawyer” and “Top 100 Lawyer.” Originally from Iowa, Gary holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University and a Juris doctor degree from the University of Washington.

Michael Fortin | Retired Microsoft Executive, Technology & Management Advisor | Board Treasurer

Michael Fortin, Ph.D. is a results-driven board member and technical advisor with over 25 years of experience leading large-scale services and mission-critical solutions with global reach and strategic impact. As a recognized expert in operating systems, scale, performance, reliability, privacy, security, compliance, and compatibility, he has received numerous technical awards, including Microsoft Outstanding Technical Leadership Award, and he holds 40+ US patents.

In addition to his technical expertise, he has extensive global experience, having formed and led Microsoft’s Africa Development Centers and managed teams across five continents. Fortin has a Ph.D. and Masters in Computer Science from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University. He is a member of Xavier University’s Board of Trustees, has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus from The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering. Fortin lives in the Seattle area with his wife of 30 years, his four daughters, two grandchildren, and an extended family.

Marianne Francis | Cornish Alumna, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty

Marianne Sorich Francis is a Global Real Estate Advisor and Broker for Sotheby’s International. She is an alumna of Cornish College of the Arts and received a BFA in sculpture in 1996. She has had regional leadership roles in environmental politics protecting our parks and Puget Sound’s water quality. Marianne has co-chaired the Cornish Gala five times raising scholarship monies for our students. She previously worked in the luxury fashion world for both designers and retail stores and has been serving as a trustee since 2007.

Karl Moehring | CEO, Washington Shoe Company

Karl Moehring is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with over 20 years in the footwear industry. In 2015 Karl became CEO of his 130-year-old family-owned and operated business, Washington Shoe Company, home to three brands: Chooka, Staheekum, and Western Chief. Skilled in business development, trend analysis, sales, international business, sourcing, and multi-channel retail, during his time as CEO, Karl has grown the business rapidly as recognized by Puget Sound Business Journal fastest-growing small businesses (2019, 2020) and named Footwear News Top 40 Under 40 rising star (2018). A fourth-generation family-owned company committed to delivering world-class footwear and accessories with value and fun, Washington Shoe Company has proudly been recognized as a Seattle Business Magazine Family Business of the Year (2017 – Silver winner).

A fourth-generation Seattle-area native, Karl graduated from Washington State University. He is an active chapter member of both Entrepreneurs Organization and YPO. In 2015 the Moehring family launched the Wear A Big Smile Foundation, donating footwear to communities in need. Karl enjoys wine collecting, traveling, running, and being the self-proclaimed Seahawks twelfth man. He currently resides in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood.

Emily Parkhurst | Vice President of Content, 6AM City

Emily Parkhurst is the Vice President of Content for 6AM City, the fastest-growing local media company in the country. 6AM City is the parent company for SEAtoday, PDXtoday, and two dozen other local publications. Prior to 6AM City, Ms. Parkhurst was the Market President and Publisher of the Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ). She joined the PSBJ in 2012 and served as a reporter, managing editor, and editor-in-chief prior to being named publisher in October 2018. Prior to 2012, she was an education and government reporter in her home state of Maine.

Ms. Parkhurst is a national award-winning journalist. The PSBJ won the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi award for public service journalism in 2018 for its Price of Homelessness package, the 2018 SABEW award for real estate reporting, and her series of stories on restraint of school children in Maine won the Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative reporting in 2010.

She holds a master’s degree in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a Bachelor’s of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of Southern Maine. In the early 2000s, Ms. Parkhurst played clarinet, flute, and saxophone professionally for the Bangor Symphony Orchestra (Maine), Seacoast Repertory Theatre (New Hampshire), and in the Boehm Wind Trio. She also maintained a studio of clarinet and saxophone students.

Ms. Parkhurst was the classical music columnist for the alt-weekly newspaper the Portland Phoenix for five years, where she covered the classical music scene in Portland, Maine. She also wrote reviews for the Classical Voice of New England magazine.

Sherry Raisbeck | Cornish Alumna, Philanthropist

Sherry Raisbeck received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Special Education from California State University. A prolific visual artist, she also received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Cornish College of the Arts in 1988. Sherry is involved with Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Artists Trust, and is active philanthropically with her husband, James Raisbeck, of Raisbeck Engineering.

Sherry has served on the Allocations Committee of the Corporate Council of the Arts and has been involved with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, Hope Heart Institute, Seattle Conservatory of Music, and the English Speaking Union. She is co-trustee of the James D. and Sherry Raisbeck Foundation.

Lisa Scribante | AIA, LEED AP BD+C | Partner, Mithun

Lisa Scribante joined the board of Cornish in 2020 and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Facilities Committee and represents the College on the Seattle Center Board Advocacy Committee. With more than 20 years of experience in the design and management of large corporate, hospitality, and public sector projects, Lisa’s passion is transforming the way people, work, live, and learn. As project director for numerous complex, high-tech corporate clients, Lisa leads project teams in the creation of ground-up campus work as well as innovative and cost-effective transformations of existing buildings to suit modern demands. Lisa received her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California and her Masters in Architecture from the University of Washington.

Joseph Rosa | Consultant, Curator, and Author | Board Secretary

Joseph Rosa is an arts consultant with a broad background, encompassing his years as a museum director, curator, author, educator, and practicing architect. Joe was director/CEO of the Frye Art Museum in Seattle from 2016–2022 and the director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art from 2010–2016. Previously he held curatorial department head positions at the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, and the National Building Museum in D.C. He has curated more than fifty art and architecture exhibitions.

While at the University of Michigan Joe was also a tenured professor of architecture. He previously served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Illinois Chicago, California College of the Arts, and the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles.

Joe is a prolific author, with seventeen books as well as numerous articles and essays to his credit. He is a noted scholar on architect Albert Frey, the first disciple of Le Corbusier to build in America, and Julius Shulman, the highly acclaimed twentieth-century architectural photographer. Early in his career Joe worked in the architecture offices of Peter D. Eisenman, Gwathmey Siegel, Tsao & McKown, and Gruen Associates.

Joe has been a visiting scholar at the Getty Center and a recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Graham Foundation. He has also served as a juror for the Pew Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, USA Fellow, and the American Institute of Architects.

Carie Antonelli | Director, HD Fowler Company

Carie Antonelli is a Seattle native and an active director of her family business, HD Fowler Company, where she and her brother are the fifth generation of Fowlers to steward the regional distribution organization. Prior to returning to Seattle, Carie studied Cognitive Science at Tufts University, then worked on Michael Bloomberg’s 2005 re-election campaign for Mayor of NYC. After the election, she spent the next several years spearheading numerous initiatives in Bloomberg’s back office including HR overhauls at City Hall, a major leadership transition at Bloomberg LLP, and finally the endowment of the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

Upon returning to Seattle in 2008, Carie returned full time to HD Fowler Company holding positions across both the operational and sales sides of the organization. Outside of the office, Carie has found several avenues of connection with her community, most notably joining the Board of a then fledgling Mary’s Place in 2008. Over 14 years Carie helped oversee the Mary’s Place expansion from a single location day shelter to the largest overnight family emergency shelter system in the region. She served as Board Chair during the unprecedented expansion of a partnership with Amazon, crowned by the opening of an eight-story family shelter in a new tower on Amazon’s SLU campus. Additionally, Carie has served on the Ambassador Board for Benaroya Research Institute, coached varsity volleyball at her alma mater, The Overlake School, and helped found – and then chair – a young adult chapter of YPO.

Outside of these efforts, Carie has a nine-year-old daughter and spends significant time on the competitive showjumping circuit, traveling nationally and to Canada to campaign her horses.  She and her fiancé Julie currently split their time between Seattle and Los Angeles.

Michael Bartley | Executive Creative Director, Indigo Slate

Michael Bartley with an entrepreneurial spirit and as an award winning creative, is driven by the stories and experiences that bring brands closer to their customers. He builds account and creative teams to deliver amazing work to companies like Microsoft, Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Google, Apple and many more. With a unique mix of business, technology, marketing and creative, he can touch CEOs to consumers, translating their needs into work that tells compelling stories in complex environments. In any medium. He knows how to get good work out of people, including clients, and believe in the simple truth that if you don’t love what you’re making, then no one else will.

LinkedIn

Linda Koa | Business Consultant and Fractional COO

Linda Koa as a Business Consultant and Fractional COO, provides consulting services to start-up, small to medium sized businesses in various industries. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, she has developed core competencies in business strategy, operations optimization, investor relations and management, business development, compliance, strategic partnerships, and project management. Previously, she was the COO and Assistant Corporate Secretary of Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. (NYSE Ticker: BRMK), a publicly traded REIT, where she managed company operations and launched and led a wholly owned subsidiary private fund. She also has extensive experience in investment management, securities, private banking, and investment & lending operations, having worked for leading firms such as Broadmark Realty Capital, Envestnet | Tamarac, Merrill Lynch, Prudential, and Charles Schwab. She is a FINRA Arbitrator, a NACD Certified Director, and holds Series 7, 63, and 24 licenses. Her mission is to leverage her expertise and skills to help businesses grow, optimize, and succeed.

LinkedIn

Jeff Lehman | Retired Healthcare Executive

Jeff Lehman is a retired healthcare executive, manager, and consultant specializing in kidney disease management and treatment. Jeff has lived in Seattle for more than 50 years and enjoys spending time with his two grandsons, gardening, walking, skiing, and travel. He lives close to the Arboretum, allowing easy access for late afternoon and evening walks.

LinkedIn

Marge Levy | Clay Artist, Retired Academic and Organizational Leader

Marge Levy has worked in clay for over sixty years, taught and held academic and organizational leadership positions at major schools, universities and museums concurrently. She is an adventurous traveler, underwater and above, and in her mind. She was professor of ceramics and fine arts at Purdue University (1969-1985) and the University of Michigan (1986-1991) where she was also Dean of the School of Art and Design. She moved to Seattle in 1991 to serve as Executive Director of Pilchuck Glass School and soon after joined Arttable where she was program coordinator and later chair of the NW Chapter and on the national board.

LinkedIn

Lori Noto | Owner, Noto Consulting

Lori Noto has more than 30 years experience in the design, construction and development sectors and is the owner of Noto Consulting. She played an integral role at the start of her career with internationally acclaimed architecture firm NBBJ and went on to manage development and construction for major institutional projects as an owners’ representative. Her experience leading, executing and delivering projects from design through construction enables her to thoughtfully and effectively solve problems. In addition to her passion for the built environment, she has spent more than 20 years serving on boards in various capacities, including JDRI, KEXP and most recently on the Mary’s Place, Seattle board. Lori is a Washington University in St. Louis alum and has a Masters in Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

LinkedIn

Ginny McCormick | CMO, Board Member, and Mom

Ginny McCormick is a CMO, Board Member, and Mom. As a strategic brand leader, she has a proven track record of driving global growth by creating customer centric strategies that build fandom. Ginny has led brands most recently for Zappos, Amazon, Funko, and Hasbro. Ginny has a BS & BA in Finance and English from Boston College.

LinkedIn

Michele Y. Smith | CEO, The Museum of Pop Culture

Michele Y. Smith is a mission-focused leader with extensive experience in business development, operations, and finance in the nonprofit industry. She has a people-centered leadership style and approach to help drive an aligned vision and mission. Before joining MoPOP, Smith will transition from her role as the Chief Business & Financial Officer with the Award-winning cultural institution the Woodland Park Zoo. In her distinguished career at the Woodland Park Zoo, Michele led the organization through its recovery of COVID, with some of the most significant growth in revenue, events, guest services, admissions, automation, and finance. She is a champion of equity and inclusion and is a mentor to many emerging leaders. Her drive and dynamism created a stronger Zoo that supported their mission.

LinkedIn

 

Dr. Raymond Tymas-Jones, Ex Officio, President of the College

Bret Torbeck, Ex Officio, Faculty Senate President

Kenneth Alhadeff, Trustee Emeritus

Eve Alvord, Trustee Emerita