Women Taking the Lead

Get to Know Our Women Leaders in Seattle Southside

Sisters are doin' it for themselves! Women are making history - or should we say herstory - every single day.

Women have been making a difference from the beginning of time. But for too long, the stories of women in leadership have been sidelined, their work denigrated as being lesser despite the fact that they have contributed just as much as their male counterparts. Here are just a few of the moves and shakers from around the Seattle Southside region who are making a big difference in our community.

Sandra Largaespada

Barbara McMichael

Karen Dove

Dawn Judkins

Jean Thompson

Amy Cook

Nancy Salguero McKay

Annie McGrath & Samantha Le

Merrisa Claridge

Casey Mclean

Jill Andrews

Sandra Largaespada: Food Innovation Network

The program director at the Food Innovation Network (FIN), Sandra Largaespada, does more than simply lead - her work uplifts women, immigrants, and people of color who are seeking to grow as entrepreneurs. The FIN's Spice Bridge Global Food Hall serves as an incubator for restaurants and catering businesses looking to get their start. FIN helps these small business owners with paperwork, mentorship, and a discounted kitchen space to work out of to help these new restauranteurs get up and running. Plus, we all benefit from the delicious international cuisine on offer on a rotating basis at Spice Bridge before these restaurants start up their standalone locations. Talk about a win-win-win!

Sandra just started in the role at the beginning of March 2023, and hopes to use her new position to uplift and empower. She says, "My favorite part about working with a team is embracing that we all bring diverse skills and expertise. My goal is to work together to develop program goals and build alignment with our work and vision while always supporting them through their professional development."

Barbara McMichael: SoCo Culture

Arts, culture, and history are deeply important and help make any region a more vibrant and compelling place to be. That's why the work Barbara McMichael has done with South King County Culture (also known as SoCo Culture) is so important. Before her retirement, she connected community theater, arts, cultural, and historical organizations with much-needed resources, collective advocacy, and networking opportunities to develop and encourage the growth of culture in the region.

With each individual arts organization spending so much time focused on their specific missions, it can be hard for these groups to carve out time to network and work together for arts advocacy, funding, and other issues that affect multiple organizations. That's what made Barbara's role at SoCo Culture so critical: by facilitating these interconnected relationships, Barbara helped to ensure that arts and culture organizations can advocate as a unified front for the funding and policy matters that they rely on to survive and thrive.

More than that, Barbara has a wealth of knowledge about the fascinating history of Seattle Southside arts, architecture, and beyond. Her leadership and stewardship have helped to make our community a more interesting and beautiful place to live, work, and visit.

Karen Dove: ANEW

ANEW (Apprenticeship & Non-traditional Employment for Women) was founded in 1980 in Tukwila with the aim of improving access and advancement of women in traditionally male-dominated career pathways such as construction and manufacturing. Today, ANEW is the oldest continuously running pre-apprenticeship program in the United States that trains people to enter the construction industry. They recently received a grant from workwear giant Carhartt to help support their work. But not only does ANEW work to support women in construction, they themselves are led by a strong woman, showing by example the incredible work that women can do. In 2020 Karen was the recipient of the lumenomics Susan B. Anthony award to recognize her contributions towards the advancement of women.

Dawn Judkins: Fire Chief

The first woman to serve as a fire chief in King County, Dawn Judkins got her start in firefighting in Tukwila, right here in Seattle Southside. Her leadership is an inspiration to everyone, male or female. "I wasn't trying to be the best female firefighter, I really wanted to be the best teammate for all of the folks that I worked with and with all their support, I've gotten to the position I am now," says Chief Judkins. "I just want everyone to know, girls, teenagers, once you set your mind on something you can do anything you want to do.”

Jean Thompson: Seattle Chocolate

The owner and CEO of Seattle Chocolate isn't just making sweets, she's making the future sweet for the girls and women who come after her. Ten percent of the net profits from Seattle Chocolate go to support Girls, Inc., a charity which works to empower young women. Jean says, "As a mother and a female entrepreneur, uplifting and inspiring young girls is so important to me, and we're thrilled to now be supporting Girls Inc. with every single Seattle Chocolate purchase." The work that Girls, Inc. does is vitally important, as they have an emphasis on supporting girls who face intersectional challenges, such as those based on sex, race, religion, ethnicity, immigration status, and gender identity. So go ahead, grab another chocolate bar. You're helping out the next generation of girls when you do so!

Aside from her charitable work, Jean runs what she calls a "woman-powered" business. According to Seattle Chocolate's VP of Operations Marie McNally, "The thoughtfulness and creativity that goes into every product we make, every message we send, and every flavor we create is all about bringing joy to others. Who better to do that than a bunch of mothers, sisters, and friends?"

Amy Cook: Community Leader & Entrepreneur

Amy Cook saw a need in her local community and stepped forward to help make things better for everyone. Rather than simply standing on the sidelines as she watched community members struggle with addiction and mental health crisis, she decided to step in and start a fun new annual tradition that would help raise money for those in need. In their first year, the Des Moines Burning Boat Festival was able to raise over $22,000 for Valley Cities, a local mental health and substance abuse clinic.

Nancy Salguero McKay: Highline Heritage Museum

The Highline Heritage Museum is more than just a museum, it's a cultural center that reflects the people, heritage, and languages of the communities that make up the Highline area. Nancy Salguero McKay, executive director of the museum, has worked for the museum for almost 20 years, first as a volunteer before working her way to her current position. Her focus on diversity and inclusion ensures that all people can see themselves reflected in the exhibits on display, rather than reducing history to stereotypes and biases. She makes sure that oral histories, artifacts, and stories are carefully preserved so that the lessons of our past and present can inform our future. Nancy's work at the museum led her to be recognized as Burien's Citizen of the Year in 2022!

Annie McGrath & Samantha Le: Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce

Annie McGrath (pictured above), the President/CEO of the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce and Samantha Le, the Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Success Foundation, form the core of a woman-led leadership team at our local Chamber of Commerce.

Previous to her work leading the Chamber, Annie was the Executive Director of the Washington Brewers Guild, the nonprofit trade association representing Washington’s small and independent breweries, which is traditionally a very male-dominated field.

And before Samantha joined the Chamber, she worked as an Aerospace Manufacturing Director leading and developing Programs and Marketing initiatives. Both of these leaders have taken roles in traditionally male-dominated fields and excelled, bringing to our local Chamber of Commerce not only their expertise, but also their perseverance.

Merrisa Claridge: Heritage 1904

Merrisa "Missy" Claridge is the President of Heritage 1904, a restaurant and spirits group that runs beloved local favorite restaurant Sharps RoastHouse here in SeaTac. Merrisa is a fifth generation member of the food industry, following in the footsteps of her great-great-great grandpa, who was a master Colby cheese maker in Wisconsin, her great-great-grandpa who founded the Sunny Jim Peanut Butter Company (which was later run by her Grandpa), and her dad, Tim Firnstahl, who opened over a dozen restaurants. With this proud lineage at her back, Merrisa presides over three restaurants and a distillery. In the male-dominated food and alcohol industries, this is no small feat.

Merrisa's advice to anyone who wishes to follow in her path? "Working in the restaurant and spirits industry is challenging as a female. To get started in this field, I recommend working with someone you admire who can coach and mentor you. I also encourage our staff to have a strong work/life balance. People in our industry can get burnt out easily. Creating a good balance between work and personal life and holding strong boundaries will really help you stay focused, healthy and succeed."

Casey Mclean: SR3

As the Executive Director and Veterinary Nurse at Sealife Response + Rehab + Research (shortened as SR3), Casey Mclean has to wear a lot of different hats. Casey, a certified veterinary technician, holds a degree in marine biology and possesses extensive experience and a deep-rooted enthusiasm for the medical treatment, rehabilitation, and conservation of marine animals.

With over 20 years in the field, her expertise spans from sea turtles to humpback whales, from responding to entanglements to conducting population research and providing rehabilitative care. In her work with Puget Sound's Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Casey contributes to the rescue efforts of various marine species such as seal pups, sea otters, and sea lions stranded along the coast. Casey is also skilled in responding to oil spills and in teaching the public how to help should they find a marine mammal in distress.

More than that, she is warm, knowledgeable, and her care for her organization's work shines through everything she does. Whether she's helping a stranded baby seal learn to eat whole fish, inspiring the next generation of ocean conservationists, or helping to release a rehabilitated animal back into the wild, her work is making a huge difference in both our waters and our community.

Jill Andrews: Faster Than Cancer Foundation

Jill Andrews is an absolute powerhouse in more ways than one. As Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Faster Than Cancer Foundation, Jill works with Steve Huff Motorsports to push records, break barriers, and race to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer. They race an electric dragster and motorcycles at the Bonneville Salt Flats to push land speed records and used to race a hydroplane as well.

Jill is a Northwest native with over 26 years of leadership roles in volunteer organizations including Pike Place Marketing PDA Council, Pike Place Market Constituency, Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, and Destination Des Moines. As an avid advocate for her community and causes that she cares about, her leadership is making a huge difference every day.