Senior Program Assistant
Alisha joined the foundation in 2021 as the Senior Program Assistant for the Washington State Initiative team. Prior to joining the foundation, her experience was primarily working at tech companies in the Seattle area with a focus on growth and expansion.
Senior Program Officer
Travis Franklin is a senior program officer on the Washington State team. His portfolio focuses primarily on strengthening the charter school sector in Washington state. He has an unwavering commitment to the idea that every child should have access to an excellent educational experience that considers who they are as a person and equips them with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century.
Deputy Director, Charter Schools
Chris Gibbons is the deputy director for charter schools at the Gates Foundation, with a portfolio that includes the support of a high-quality Washington state charter sector and national investments that support the growth of high-quality charter schools to support especially Black and Latino youth. He brings a passion for building great teams, a commitment to supporting students toward college success, and nearly 25 years of experience as an educator. /p>
Associate Program Officer
Sydney Holman is an associate program officer on the Washington State team at the Gates Foundation. In this role, she leads the team on stakeholder engagement and operationalizing efforts to center students’ deep knowledge and expertise in the Washington State work.
Director, Washington State and U.S. Charters
Angela Jones is the director of the Washington State Initiative (WSI) for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She is an experienced leader in systemic change that leads to sustainable and positive impact for students, families, and communities.
Senior Program Officer, Policy
Dr. Biswajit (“Bish”) Paul is a scientist and civil-rights advocate who has dedicated his career to advancing equity and social justice. He serves as the policy lead for the foundation in Washington state, where he invests in quality early learning, K-12, and postsecondary programs and policies in district and public charter schools.
Strategy, Planning & Management Officer
Long Phan is a Strategy, Planning & Management Officer supporting the Washington State Initiative and US Charters strategies. In this role, he leads portfolio management, strategic planning and leadership engagement for both strategies.
Senior Program Officer, External Communications
Susie Rantz is a senior program officer who leads external communications for the Gates Foundation’s work in Washington state. As someone born and raised in Washington state, she is thrilled to be able to celebrate and tell the stories of the people and organizations dedicated to improving lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Senior Program Officer
Munira Sheriff is a senior program officer on the Washington State team at the Gates Foundation. In her role, she uses data and evidence to support the team’s work in advancing educational equity. Munira has more than 15 years of experience with program design, research, and evaluation and these experiences span multiple sectors and several continents.
Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning & Management
Kathleen Walsh leads the strategic planning, financial planning, and strategy measurement for the Washington State, and US Charters strategies in the United States Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Community Engagement
Senior Program Officer, Community Engagement
Mito Alfieri is a senior program officer on the Community Engagement team at the Gates Foundation. Mito’s previous roles at the foundation include CEO support and multiple roles in the Global Health Program, where she began her tenure at the foundation in 2000.
Director of Community Engagement
Amy Carter is director of Community Engagement at the Gates Foundation, where she and her team work to support an equitable and thriving Seattle region (King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties) through support to organizations aligned with the priorities and interests of the Gates Foundation. Amy’s work also includes management of the personal giving of the Gates family. During her 23 years at the Gates Foundation, Amy also worked in the Global Health Program, U.S. Special Initiatives, and as special program officer to CEO Patty Stonesifer.
Program Coordinator, Community Engagement
Yujung Son is a program coordinator on the Community Engagement team at the Gates Foundation. She collaborates closely with local organizations and internal partners and provides operational and program management support.
Senior Program Officer, Community Engagement
Huong Vu is a senior program officer on the Community Engagement team at the Gates Foundation. For the past two decades, Huong has collaborated with leaders across the country to increase opportunities and improve outcomes for historically under-resourced communities.