Board of Trustees

Harriet Bullitt

Harriet Bullitt is a multi-talented entrepreneur and long-time supporter of the arts and environmental conservation in the Pacific Northwest. She and her sister assumed leadership of KING Broadcasting Company, founded by their pioneering mother, Dorothy, from the mid-1940’s until sale of the company in 1989. Harriet founded Pacific Northwest Magazine (now Seattle Magazine) and Pacific Search Press. She is the developer, owner and CEO of Leavenworth’s Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat, which opened in 1995. Reprising her interest in broadcasting, in 1999 Harriet founded KOHO FM radio in Leavenworth, purchased the Lake Chelan station, KOZI, and created the Icicle Broadcasting Company. She founded the Icicle Fund, a charitable foundation supporting the arts and environmental protection in the upper Wenatchee Valley. Harriet has served on many boards, including the Seattle Pacific Science Center, The Nature Conservancy, Reed College, Icicle Creek Music Center, Icicle Creek Watershed Council, and National Audubon. Harriet is Vice-Chair of the Bullitt Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Jabe Blumenthal

A Seattle native and resident, Jabe graduated from Yale in 1982 with a degree in Applied Mathematics and went to work for Microsoft, designing the first version of Excel and becoming the company's first Program Manager. In 1994 he left Microsoft to teach mathematics and physics at his alma mater, Lakeside High School in Seattle, where he was the Head of the Science Department until the end of the 2003 school year.  Since then he has focused on environmental issues, especially climate change, and progressive politics.  He is on the board of Climate Solutions and Washington Progress Alliance.

Anne Fennessy

Anne Fennessy is co-owner of Cocker Fennessy, a regional public affairs consulting firm in Seattle, and Adjunct Instructor, Cascade Center for Public Service, Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. Previous to her work with Cocker Fennessy, she served as Communications Director and Senior Policy Advisor for former Washington Governor Mike Lowry, Communications Director for the Port of Seattle, and Press Secretary for former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer. Anne serves or has served on the board of Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, the Pike Place Market Foundation, and Washington State Sane. A native of Iowa, she holds a degree in Sociology from Iowa State University. Anne is the Secretary of the Bullitt Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Denis Hayes, President and CEO

For Mr. Hayes' complete bio, please refer to the Staff page.

Estella Leopold

Estella Leopold is professor (emeritus) of Biology at the University of Washington. An active conservationist, Estella co-led the effort that established Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado. She was co-recipient Conservationist of the Year from Colorado Wildlife Federation, and recipient of an award from Keep Colorado Beautiful. She helped lead the effort in Colorado to fight the proposed dams in the Grand Canyon, and to prevent oil shale development on federal lands in western Colorado.

After Estella's PhD studies at Yale, she worked for the US Geological Survey as Research Botanist until coming to the University of Washington as Director of the Quaternary Research Center. Elected to the National Academy of Science, she has been an active member of the Global Change Board and the Human Dimensions of Global Change Board. Estella served on the national boards for Audubon, Environmental Defense, and The Nature Conservancy.

Michael Parham

Michael Parham is an Associate General Counsel at RealNetworks, Inc., a Web-based firm that provides a universal platform of delivery for digital media, on nearly any Web-enabled device. He is responsible for the negotiation of technology licensing agreements and provides legal counsel to senior management at RealNetworks on human resource matters, community, and governmental affairs.

Prior to joining RealNetworks, Michael was the Regional Counsel with IBM in Chicago, Illinois, responsible for managing IBM's Midwest region legal department. Michael began his legal career with the law firm of Chapman and Cutler in Chicago where he practiced in the area of corporate finance. Michael received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School.

Michael is an active Seattle resident, involved with the Loren Miller Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Governmental Affairs Committee of the WSA (formerly Washington Software Alliance). He also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Seattle Public Library and Pike Place Market Foundations.

Doug Raff

Doug has long been a civic leader in the Seattle community. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Harbor Properties, Inc. He was appointed to the National Board of the Trust for Public Land in 1993. Doug was Chairman of the Seattle 2000 Commission, has served as director of Redhook Ale Brewery, Sasquatch Publishing Company, and Pacific Search Press, and has been a trustee for the Pacific Science Center, the Coalition for Open Government, the Seattle Architectural Foundation, the Corporate Council for the Arts, the Pilchuck Glass Studio, the Seattle Parks Foundation, and the Washington World Affairs Fellows.

Maggie Walker

Maggie Walker, a New Jersey native, attended Vanderbilt University, and earned degrees in History and Journalism at the University of Washington. She worked in the commercial furnishings and design industry for 15 years and has continued as a design and art consultant.

Maggie is very active in the nonprofit community and is especially committed to the environment, education and the arts. Her current activities include Chair of the Washington Women’s Foundation; board member, Seattle Foundation, Seattle Art Museum, and the University of Washington Foundation; President of the Seattle Chapter, ARCS; Vice President, Museum of History and Industry board; member of the Washington Board of Stewards, National Audubon. She is Past President of the University of Washington’s Henry Art Gallery board, past Chair of the Woodland Park Zoological Society’s Board of Directors, was co-founder with her husband of Social Venture Partners, and chaired ARTFAIR, Seattle for five years from 1991 to 1996. Maggie is Chair of the Bullitt Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Phyllis M. Wise

Dr. Wise is Provost and Executive Vice President at the University of Washington. As the University's chief academic and budgetary officer, she provides leadership in educational and curriculum development, long-range strategic planning for academic and budgetary affairs, and management of the University's research programs.  Dr. Wise holds academic appointments in the departments of Biology, Physiology and Biophysics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology.  She received a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and a doctoral degree from the University of Michigan.

In addition to her other responsibilities Provost Wise continues an active research program in issues concerning women's health and gender-based biology.  She has been particularly interested in whether hormones influence brains of women and men during development, during adulthood and during aging, and has been funded continuously for the past 27 years by the NIH for this work. She is the recipient of many awards and is particularly proud of the ones that acknowledge her lifelong dedication to mentoring junior students and junior investigators, particularly women. Phyllis is Treasurer of the Bullitt Foundation's Board of Trustees.