A Community Preservation & Development Authority named in honor of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney
New
Board of Directors & Staff
Board of Directors - Executive Team
Gerlad Bradford - Board President
Gerald serves as the Re-Entry Manager at Renton Technical College and works with the non-profit Fresh Start PS, that works with system impacted persons transitioning from incarceration back into the community, including a diversion program at the King County Juvenile and a transition group at the YWCA Passage Point.
Shaude' Moore, BSHS, MBA - Vice President & Interim Secretary
Shaude' serves as the Chair of the Seattle/King County MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition which is an all-volunteer and grassroots organization that annually plans the community's largest tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She is employed with Amazon Web Services as a Sr. Datacenter Security Manager and is engaged in Diversity hiring and leadership in her organization and serves in her local community as a mentor, life skills coach and public speaker. She graduated from University of Phoenix (Western Washington Campus) in 2014 obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Services (BSHS) and a Masters of Business Administration in 2016 (MBA) and is completing her final year as a Postgraduate Student at City University of Seattle enrolled in the Ed.d Program working to receive her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership.
Rayburn Lewis, MD - Treasurer
Dr. Rayburn Lewis, former CEO of Swedish Medical Center Issaquah and former COO of Swedish Cherry Hill campus in the Central area. Dr. Lewis has been a resident of the CD for 40 years and owns and manages residential property in the Central District. He has served on the Technical Advisory Committee for SVI.
Board Members
John Yasutake -
Board Member
John is a former Conciliation Specialist for the Department of Justice and has served the Central District in his position with Sound Transit and Seattle Public Schools. Mr. Yasutake has extensive volunteer service within the community- Garfield High School, CAYA, Yesler Terrace, and Central Area Senior Center to name a few. He’s also a host on Rainier Avenue Radio and he guest lectures on sociology at South Seattle Community College.
Kelly Jefferson -
Board Member
Kelly is the owner and operator of KCD Trucking, LLC and is a lifelong resident of the Central District. He and his family have lived in the CD for over 40 years. As an active resident in the Central District, Mr. Jefferson has served the community as an employee at organizations such as the Urban League, Therapeutic Health Services, and the Youth Detention Center.
Lewis Rudd -
Board Member
Lewis Rudd is President/CEO and Co-Founder of Ezell’s Famous Chicken. Rudd grew up in Marshall, Texas in a large family of ten siblings, with strong values. He served 3 years (1974-1977) in the Army and received an Honorable Discharge. In 1984, the dream of owning his own restaurant business became a reality in Seattle Wa.. Under Rudd’s leadership, Ezell’s has evolved to a growing enterprise with 16 restaurants and over 350 employees with plans for expansion.
Marissa McDowell -
Board Member
Marissa McDowell is a Seattle native that grew up in the Central District. She is the oldest child born to Lolita and Darnell McDowell. As a bi-racial (Black and Filipino) woman, Marissa found her way to the south to attend Clark Atlanta University, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Early Childhood Education.
Marissa comes to us from an extensive background in education, working with students of all grades from PreK to 12th, specializing in Special Education and Early Intervention. She currently serves as the Director of the BRAVE Trailblazers program and is dedicated to bringing deeper awareness of Black history, social justice and a broadened educational curriculum that reflects the identities of her students.
James Bush -
Board Member
James Bush currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Equity, Partnerships and Engagement for Seattle Public Schools, appointed to this role in January of 2021. As head of the division, James oversees three departments: Racial Equity Advancement, Stakeholder Engagement, and School and Community Partnerships (for which he previously served as Executive Director). The division supports key work in the district's five-year strategic plan, including changing broken systems and undoing legacies of racism in public education, and fostering inclusive and authentic engagement with families and students.
Prior to joining Seattle Public Schools in 2016, James served as the Neighborhood Programs Manager at the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, where he managed a variety of community building programs including Neighborhood District Coordinator Program, Neighborhood Matching Fund, People’s Academy for Community Engagement, and Public Outreach & Engagement Liaison programs. James has built a career of strengthening community connections and increasing systems abilities to meet the needs of our students and families. He served as a key leader in the City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative for three Seattle mayors, and is committed to improving educational outcomes for SPS students, parents, partners and communities.
Staff
James E. King Jr (he/him/his)
MAED - Executive Director
James has more than 15 years of experience coordinating various community-led stewardship projects throughout the United States. James graduated from Antioch University Seattle with a B.A. majoring in Urban Ecology; Leadership and Sustainable Business; Global and Social Justice. Graduate with his MAEd in Urban Environmental Education (’18) held at Antioch University Seattle. James is from Atlanta, GA and currently lives in South Seattle.
Stephanie L. Ogle -
Webmistress
With a background in TV/Video production, Stephanie has worked for several Broadcast television stations and on various local productions and short films. She’s been published in a variety of print publications and online since 1996. She has held leadership roles in organizations like WIF (Women In Film), as the Communications Chair for the Seattle Chapter and as an Organizing Committee member of the Langston Hughes African-American Film Festival. She has built/maintained several websites for businesses, non-profits and for individuals (for personal use), graphic design work & has done Social Media Marketing & Promotions for those clients as well.