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Board of Directors

Michael Bisesi, EdD
Director, Masters in Nonprofit Leadership Program, Seattle University

Michael Bisesi is Director of the Center for Nonprofit and Social Enterprise Management at Seattle University. Previously, Michael served as Managing Director of Program Services at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, as Senior Vice President at the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, and as Associate Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Houston. He has held an array of community leadership positions on numerous public and nonprofit boards and commissions. In addition to ESC, he currently serves on the boards of the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County, the United Way of King County, and the Washington Technology Center. He holds a BS from the University of Texas at Austin, MS from Indiana University, and EdD from the University of Houston.

Liahann Bannerman
Director of Volunteer and Agency Relations, United Way of King County

Liahann R. Bannerman is Director of United Way of King County’s Volunteer Center, which addresses mobilization of volunteers, building non-profit infrastructure for nonprofit and corporate volunteerism, and strategic volunteerism. Liahann received a BA in Psychology from Harvard University and an MBA from Seattle Pacific University. She is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow and member of their board and Curriculum Committee. She is past chair of the HandsOn Network’s Neighboring Task Force, which focuses on community involvement of underrepresented people, and the Basic Grants Committee for Social Justice Fund Northwest.

Liahann is a member of United Way of America’s Volunteer Engagement Strategy Advisory Council, the leadership team of People of Color in Philanthropy, the board of Executive Service Corps, the Partnership Council of Washington State Mentors, the YWCA’s Communities of Color Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee, Volunteer Centers of Washington, Minority Executive Directors Coalition, and volunteers for a variety of other community-based organizations and initiatives in the area including Children’s Alliance, CityClub and others.

Tom Harville
Former Chairman/CEO, The Bon Marche

Tom Harville worked in a variety of executive positions over 30+ years in the retail industry. His career included general management consulting for retail clients and six years of international work for a Hong Kong-based specialty retailer, capped by 20-years with The Bon Marche, a division of Federated Department Stores. He served as chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer.

Upon retirement, Tom turned his attention to volunteer work in the non-profit world, serving for ten years on the board of The Nature Conservancy of Washington, including two years service as board chair. He also served for 8 years on the board of United Way of King County and volunteered on a number of committees including the Community Building Committee, the Volunteer Development Committee and the Campaign Cabinet. Other community activities included the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance for Education, the Corporate Council for the Arts and the American Lung Association. In 2010 Tom completed 12 years of service as a director with REI, including 3 years as Board Chair.

Reza Khastou, MEd
Founder and Director, Bright Future Program

Reza was born and grew up in Tehran, Iran. After receiving his degree in Political Science in Iran he moved to the U.S. and received his master’s degree in education from Eastern Washington University. He has been working with high school students as a teacher, advisor, and administrator for almost thirty years, mostly in Seattle.

Reza personally invested the necessary finances and did the research and planning to create the pilot Bright Future Program in 1998 at John Marshall Alternative High School. By allowing access to advanced workforce education programs at community colleges, the Bright Future Program creates meaningful options for those high school students who are not on a four-year college track. The academic and career advising and comprehensive case management component of the Bright Future Program helps students and parents navigate the ever-complex high school and college system. Since its inception, the Bright Future Program has served more than 250 students from 24 high schools from 5 school districts. In 2007, the Bright Future Program received the Golden Apple Award. Reza is an advisor to the Board of Bright Future Dollars for Scholars and a member of Governor’s Health Workforce Diversity Advisory Committee.

Kathleen Pierce, JD
Managing Trustee, Kirkpatrick Family Foundation
Former Lecturer, Masters in Nonprofit Leadership Program, Seattle University

Kathleen Pierce has served on the ESC board since 2008. She is the managing trustee of a small family foundation, the Kirkpatrick Family Foundation, and recently retired as an adjunct faculty member of Seattle University's Executive Masters of Nonprofit Leadership Program, where she taught a course on Public Policy, Advocacy, and Collaboration. Currently, Kathleen is a member of several nonprofit collaborations, boards, and committees: Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fund (collaborative, small grants program); Family, Friend & Neighbor Statewide Leadership Team (early learning funding and policy); Washington Park Arboretum Foundation Board; Legal Action Center Board; and Philanthropy Northwest, Public Policy Committee.

Kathleen was a founder of the SOAR Opportunity Fund, a public-private collaboration that made strategic investments to enhance opportunities for King County children and youth. She is past chair of the Municipal League of King County and, in the early 80’s, was the executive director of a statewide nonprofit, Citizens Education Center, which engaged citizens in improving public school finance and governance. She also practiced law in Eugene, Oregon, and Seattle. Kathleen was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and has a B.A. in political science from Stanford University, and a J.D. degree from the University of Puget Sound/Seattle University.

Carl Donovan, MBA
Former President/CEO, Education Assistance Foundation

Carl Donovan has over thirty years of leadership in the public and private nonprofit sectors. He founded the Education Assistance Foundation, and served as its President and CEO for 22 years. He has professional experience in corporate governance, business strategy, agency administration and public policy. Carl has served on several state advisory boards on higher education and currently is a member of the visiting committee of Seattle University's Masters in Nonprofit Leadership Program. He is actively involved in the International Service and Environment Committees of the Rotary Club of Seattle.

Peter Berliner
Managing Director, PRI Makers Network

Peter Berliner joined PRI Makers Network as Peter Berliner is the Managing Director of the PRI Makers Network, a national association of foundations making program-related investments as a means to advance their philanthropic goals. Peter was previously the program director and senior program officer at the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, he was the executive director of the Children’s Alliance and Youth Eastside Services. Peter is a member of Washington State’s Early Learning Advisory Council, and serves on the boards of Thrive by Five-Washington and YouthForce. He is a past-president of the board of Philanthropy Northwest.

Ted Lord
Chief Consultant, Philanthropy Sherpas

Ted Lord has served as Executive Director of Humanities Washington, the statewide affiliate of the NEH, from 2006-2008. He worked for five years as a partner in Philanthropy Northwest's Giving Practice, working with foundations, families and businesses as they establish or retool their giving programs. Prior to that he served as Seattle University's Interim Director of the Masters in Nonprofit Leadership and as adjunct faculty in the Masters in Public Administration. From 1992 through 2000 Ted was Executive Director of the Pride Foundation where he helped increase grants and scholarships from $35,000 to over $600,000 annually Ted has served on community boards including United Way, Executive Alliance, and the Northwest Development Officers Association. The Greater Seattle Business Association named him Community Leader of the Year in 1999, and he was an inaugural New Ventures in Philanthropy Fellow for 2003. A practicing poet, his work appears in over 40 literary magazines.