Council Members

Chris Reykdal

Chris Reykdal

Start Date: June 2019
End Date: To be determined by Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
Affiliation: K-12 Representative

As someone who believes his path in life is largely owed to the public education he received, Superintendent Chris Reykdal has dedicated his career to ensuring all of Washington’s learners have equitable opportunities for a high-quality public education.

Since taking office in January 2017, Chris has centered OSPI’s work on equity, supporting the whole child, and providing excellent customer service and transparency to our state’s education stakeholders. Chris envisions a public K–12 education system where all students have access to high-quality early learning, diverse and highly skilled educators, and meaningful coursework and graduation pathways that prepare them to be successful and sustainable in their lives.

Under Chris’ leadership, the state has made significant investments in services for students with disabilities, market-rate salaries for Washington’s teachers, expanding student pathways to graduation, career and technical education opportunities, dual language programs beginning in elementary school, and much more.

Chris graduated summa cum laude from Washington State University (Go Cougs!) with a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate, and he earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.

Chris is a lifelong learner who enjoys solving complex problems with data and research. In his free time, you can find Chris hiking, cheering on Washington’s sports teams, or seeing a movie with his family.

Chris and his wife, Kim, live in historic Tumwater with their two teenagers, Carter and Kennedy.

 

Jeff Vincent 

Jeff Vincent 

Start Date: 2019
End Date: TBD
Affiliation: Citizen Member
Role: Council Chair

Since 2001, Jeff Vincent has served as the CEO & President of Laird Norton Company, a 166-year-old, seventh-generation family business based in Seattle, Washington. During this period, he has helped transform the company into an entity that focuses on three key areas: real estate, wealth management, and investments in businesses that are aligned with the company's principles. Prior to LNC, Vincent held positions at Duchossois Industries, another family-owned business.  

Jeff believes “being of service to others” is a key component of his leadership style. His community involvement over the past two decades has been extensive and entirely focused on ensuring that all children in Washington have a chance to succeed. Jeff was a founding member of the Bainbridge Island Schools Foundation. He was a board member of Zion Prep Academy for more than five years. He served on the Washington State Board of Education, the last four years as Chairman. He is the past Chair of the Education Committee of the Washington Roundtable. 

Jeff was born and raised near Des Moines, Iowa.  He spent seventeen years in Chicago where he met his wife, Georgia. Jeff and Georgia are the proud parents of two young adults, Jessica and Steven.  He holds a BSBA from Drake University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He serves as Chair of the J.M. Huber Corporation, a sixth-generation family enterprise, and is a director on the board of Kinship Trust Company in Chicago.

 

Jeff Charbonneau

Jeff Charbonneau

Start Date: May 2013
End Date: TBD
Affiliation: Citizen Member
Role: Council Vice Chair

Jeff Charbonneau has worked at all levels in the education spectrum. From 2001 to 2018, he taught chemistry, physics, and robotics at Zillah High School. Since the fall of 2018, he has served as the principal of Zillah Middle School in Zillah, WA. Charbonneau has also worked as an adjunct faculty member at Central Washington University in the Continuing Education Department.

After being named Washington’s Teacher of the Year in 2013, he was selected as the 2013 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers. President Barack Obama recognized him for his innovative teaching approach and success during a ceremony at the White House. In 2015 he was a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize.

Charbonneau is an internationally recognized teacher leader and education advocate. He has presented at more than 400 conferences across the globe focusing on STEM education, teacher preparation programs, teacher leadership initiatives, and dual credit programs.

 

 

 

 

 

Ruben Flores

Ruben Flores

Start Date: August 2022
End Date: To be determined by the Council of Presidents
Affiliation: Four-Year Public Institutions

Ruben Flores is the executive director of the Council of Presidents (COP), the association of Washington's public, four-year institutions. In this role, Ruben leads COP and collaborates with its member institutions to shape the state-level policy and advocacy agenda for the sector. In addition to his membership on the Washington Student Achievement Council, Ruben also serves as a member of the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board and actively engages with Washington STEM.
 
With prior experience as the director of government relations and business affairs at the Council of Presidents, Ruben brings extensive involvement in higher education institutions and agencies across multiple states and sectors. Before joining COP, he held key roles in higher education, including director of financial aid and veterans services at South Puget Sound Community College and student services policy associate at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. 
 
Ruben, the first Latino and military veteran executive director of COP, holds a Master's of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Ruben, his wife, and their two children wholeheartedly immerse themselves in all things Washington, proudly proclaiming themselves as "eternal tourists" of this beautiful state. Ruben and his wife are also licensed foster parents and are deeply passionate about child advocacy.

 

Paul Francis

Paul Francis

Start Date: 2013
End Date: To be determined by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Affiliation: Two-Year Public Institutions

Paul Francis is executive director of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), a state agency that oversees Washington state’s system of 34 community and technical colleges. Collectively, the colleges serve 278,000 students across Washington each year.

As an immigrant and first-generation college student who grew up in a financially struggling family, Paul credits education for changing the trajectory of his life. He has devoted his career to giving others the same opportunity. Paul became SBCTC executive director in August 2022 after nine years as executive director of the Council of Presidents, an association of Washington’s six public four-year colleges and universities. Paul previously served as the lead policy staffer for the Washington state House Democratic Caucus on higher education policy and general government fiscal issues, and as a senior admissions counselor with the University of Washington. 

Paul graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona with a political science degree. He then earned a Master of Public Administration from the university. In 2019, Paul completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program through the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Paul also represents the community and technical college system on various boards and councils, including the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board, Technology Alliance, Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (ex-officio), and Aerospace and Advanced Materials Manufacturing Pipeline Advisory Committee (ex-officio).

 

Tathagata Pal

Tathagata Pal

Start Date: 2024
End Date: June 2025
Affiliation: Governor-Appointed Student Member (graduate student)

Tathagata Pal (goes by Pal) is currently a Ph.D. student in the department of Physics and Astronomy at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman. His research work is focused on astronomical data analysis and numerical modeling of galaxy evolution. Pal got his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physical Sciences in India. He is also the VP of Legislative Affairs (VPLA) for the WSU Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA). Pal worked as a full-time legislative lobbyist for the GPSA in Olympia during the 2024 legislative session. He passionately advocates at both the state and federal levels for problems that are more common in graduate and professional students' lives, such as affordable housing and childcare support.

 

 

 

 

Evangelina Galvan Shreeve

Evangelina Galvan Shreeve

Start Date: 2021
End Date:TBD
Affiliation: Citizen Member

Evangelina is the Chief Diversity Officer and Director of STEM Education at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the Tri-Cities region. Evangelina leads the STEM Education mission on behalf of the National Laboratory to provide science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education opportunities for students, educators, and the greater community. Evangelina has more than 25 years of experience in Policy & Public Administration for K-20 Education and STEM education initiatives. She is a visionary leader, skilled in navigating and influencing policy, developing educational programs, identifying and procuring resources, and managing programs and personnel.

In her previous role as the inaugural female, Latino Vice President for Columbia Basin Community College, Evangelina focused on establishing a Diversity, Development, and Grant Administration Office. In this position, she helped the institution secure the Hispanic Serving Institution designation.

Evangelina has provided leadership in diversity, higher education, and human resources for a variety of organizations. She has served as a board member for numerous federal, state, and local programs and organizations, building an impressive network in the areas of workforce development, higher education, government, and research institutions.  

Evangelina earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington and was a first-generation college student with the Educational Opportunity Program.  She also holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. 

 

 

Dr. Terri Standish-Kuon

Dr. Terri Standish-Kuon

Start Date: 2018
End Date: To be determined by the Independent Colleges of Washington
Affiliation: Independent Colleges of Washington

Terri Standish-Kuon, Ph.D. is president and chief executive officer of the Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW). For nearly 70 years, ICW has promoted educational opportunity. Its ten-member colleges and universities and 42-member Board are dedicated to helping Washington achieve its postsecondary attainment goals and to raising awareness about the essential role that private, not-for-profit, liberal arts-based colleges and universities play in the overall quality and diversity of the higher education ecosystem. Through policy engagement, scholarship programs, strategic initiatives, and fundraising partnerships, ICW works to promote equity, ensuring that students—including new-majority, first-generation, returning adults, low-income, and underrepresented youth—can fulfill their higher education aspirations where they feel most at home, with the programs and support they need to finish their degrees.

Terri represents Washington’s private, not-for-profit colleges and universities on a number of boards and organizations, including the Coalition for College Cost Savings, the Joint Transfer Council, the Washington Student Achievement Council, the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board, and the Washington STEM Education Innovation Alliance. She also serves on the Committee on Student Aid for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), on The Council of Independent Colleges' State Councils Advisory Committee, and is Chair for the National Association of Independent Colleges and University State Executives (NAICUSE).

Dr. Standish-Kuon has served on several boards, taught, published in peer-reviewed journals, and presented at numerous conferences. She holds a doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, master’s degrees from the University at Albany (State University of New York) and from Russell Sage College, and a bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology.