Board of Directors

Ed Prince serves on the Renton City Council and is the Executive Director of the Washington Commission on African American Affairs. He joined the Neighborhood House board in 2022, and was also previously on the board 12 years ago.

Cynthia is the Executive Director of Pasado’s Safe Haven, a Washington State nonprofit on a mission to end animal cruelty. Cynthia has more than 20 years of leadership experiences across technology, government and nonprofit sectors. Cynthia began serving on the Board of Neighborhood House in 2018 and currently the Acting Secretary and the Chair of the Board Development Committee.

John Curry is an Associate at Adams & Duncan law firm. He is a lifelong Seattle resident and sees the tremendous opportunity that the city offers its’ residents, as well as the challenges it poses to our low-income and marginalized communities due to structural or institutional barriers. He wants help people overcome those barriers and benefit from the opportunities.

Azmach Bekele is from Ethiopia where he graduated with an Accounting bachelor degree in 2011. Azmach worked at the Ethiopian Postal Service Enterprise as a Financial Business Manager for more than 14 years. He came to the United States of America in 2019, and he works as independent contractor with different delivery companies here.

John brings expertise advocating for children and families to the Neighborhood House Board of Directors. He managed Head Start and other early childhood education programs during his career. In the 1980s, he worked for Neighborhood House managing two centers at University of Washington Family Housing.

His work experience includes working for the Washington State Office of Childcare Policy, the Seattle Public School’s Parent Information Center (the precursor to Child Care Resource Center), and 20 years working with the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) Head Start, where he served as an assistant superintendent and executive director for 20 years.

David is the Director of Marketing and Community Relations at Amerigroup Washington and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Nevada. David has deep roots to the Seattle area. He was born and raised here. He is proud Rainier Beach High School and Western Washington University Alumni. Vikings forever.

He brings over 19 years of experience integrating social determinants of health into healthcare and partnering with community based organizations, faith-based organizations, and community leaders and activists. David looks forward to learning from Neighborhood House communities. David has been married to his beautiful best Friend, Pamela, for 24 years. They have two amazing Teen children, Max and Stella.

Esteban immigrated to Seattle from Mexico in the year 2000. He is a proud Redmond High School and University of Washington graduate where he studied computer science.

In his free time, Esteban loves to spend time with his partner Anna, dog Tucker and 6 loud chickens. He enjoys hiking, fishing, and exploring everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer. He feels privileged to work with and learn from all the wonderful colleagues and clients of Neighborhood House.

Mojdeh Hoorbakht has served on the board since 2020 and came to Neighborhood House initially as a client. She has law degrees from the University of Washington and the University of Pune, and works at JND Legal Administration as a project manager.

Hannah Locke grew up in Seattle and loves spending time with her family enjoying all aspects of the PNW. Hannah has had the privilege of working alongside young children and families in our community in a variety of ways from direct service to systems level work. She is dedicated to the work of advancing equity and social justice, and currently supports community based organizations piloting new and innovative programs and projects focused on children prenatal to five and their families.

Dr. Tyson E.J. Marsh is associate professor in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington. Growing up in Eastern Washington, he said, his education was void of the experiences of his community, and he didn’t see himself in the curriculum. He became an educator to provide young people from minoritized communities with a different experience and to teach future educators to do the same.

Sharon has served Southeast Seattle as the Washington State Representative for the 37^th Legislative District since 1998. Trained as a civil rights and social justice activist, much of Sharon’s work in Olympia focuses on education.

In addition to education, her key policy interests include civil rights, women’s rights, economic and environmental justice, affordable housing, and community preservation.  She strives to level playing fields and to enable every Washingtonian to be safe, productive, and successful.

A graduate of the Evergreen State College and of Northeastern University, Rep. Santos has worked in the banking industry, on staff of local elected officials, and in senior management positions for non-profit organizations.