Meet the 2023-2024 Sunny Hills PTA

Board of Directors

Four elected officers (President, VP, Treasurer, and Secretary) were voted in as the SHPTA 2023-2024 Executive Committee at the March 2023 General Membership Meeting. Director positions were then appointed by the Executive Committee. Both the Executive Committee and appointed Directors comprise the Sunny Hills PTA Board.  All positions can be co-chaired, with the exception of the Treasurer position, but are only entitled to one vote (per SHPTA Standing Rules and WSPTA Bylaws). For descriptions of each position, CLICK HERE.      

Interested in holding a Board position? Contact your current PTA President.

 

President

Lauren Stephenson

Vice President

Suzanne Siebert 

Secretary

Vanessa Chin

Treasurer

Tommy Yau

Events Director

Jessica Schwerzler

Membership Director

Annaliza Chen

Communications Director

Lindsay Olson

Community Outreach Director

Sara Parsons

Co-Curriculum Support Directors

Julie Word & Alissa Pires

Fundraising Director

Desiree Duarte

Advocacy Director

Sandra Ozer

 

Meet the SHPTA Board of Directors

Lauren Stephenson -President

Hey Y’all! My name is Lauren Stephenson and I am excited to have been given the opportunity to serve as your Sunny Hills PTA President for the 2023-2024 school year. 

This year marks my sixth year as a member of the Sunny Hills PTA. During that time I have enjoyed being room parent for my kids’ classes, helping out with our Eager Reader program, serving as Fundraising Director, Secretary and Vice President of our PTA Board, and volunteering for a variety of PTA family events throughout the school year. Your student(s) probably recognize me as the “Orange Ruler Lady.” You can find me each fall in the lunchroom getting our Mustangs excited about the class prizes that can be earned through our schoolwide Orange Ruler giving campaign where we can all participate in helping our PTA continue to serve our students. This year my son, Abram, is a 5th grader and my daughter, Janie, is in 3rd grade. 

When I am not focusing on our PTA, I enjoy watching football with friends, cooking, drinking good coffee, hosting gatherings, celebrating holidays and birthdays, traveling, and spending time with family in south Louisiana. 

Fun fact about me - I am a licensed, certified auctioneer!

 

Suzanne Siebert- Vice President

Hello! My name is Suzanne, and I am honored to serve as the Sunny Hills Elementary PTA Vice President for 2023-2024. 

In addition to supporting the PTA President, I will be the liaison between Sunny Hills Staff and the PTA Board of Directors to process Enrichment Grants. These grants will help subsidize teacher needs inside the classroom to enhance learning for all of our kids. I will also be Chair of the Awards Nominating Committee to recognize outstanding staff and volunteers at Sunny Hills.

As Mom to Elliott (5th grade), and Madeleine (3rd grade), this will be my 6th year with the Sunny Hills community. During my time here, I have been a room parent, library volunteer, art volunteer, Gift-a-Book co-chair, and field trip chaperone. I am also currently on the SHPTA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Committee, which is working to make our school inclusive and welcoming to students from all backgrounds. 

If you see me on campus, please come and say "hi". I'd love to meet you and welcome you into our school's community!

Fun fact about me: I side-hustle as a soapmaker on a mission to "spread joy - not germs". Net proceeds are donated to educational institutions and charitable organizations that support underprivileged women and children.

 

Vanessa Chin- Secretary

My name is Vanessa Chin. I'm honored to serve as your Sunny Hills PTA (SHPTA) Secretary for the 2023-2024 school year.  

This will be my third year as an active member of the SHPTA. The first year, I served as the Events Director, followed by Secretary for the next two years. I love and enjoy volunteering for various activities throughout year, in particular classroom volunteering opportunities, SHPTA's Art Program, and all of our different events. This year, my daughter Libby is in 2nd grade.  

Outside of SHPTA, I have a passionate career at King County International Airport/Boeing Field (BFI) as the Innovation Section Manager, Department of Executive Services Deputy Program Manager for Equity and Social Justice, and Chair the Northwest American Association of Airport Executives (NWAAAE) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. 

I love being a mom, spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading or audio books, Legos, and theater.

 

Tommy Yau- Treasurer

Hi there - My name is Tommy Yau and I am excited to continue to serve as your Sunny Hills PTA Treasurer for the 2023-2024 school year. I was the Treasurer last year as well.     

I have 3 young kids that keep me very busy – my oldest daughter, Sophie, is a 4th grader, my middle daughter, Adelyn, is a 2nd grader and my youngest, Ethan, is in Pre-School (Kindergarten-er starting 2024). I have many many more years at Sunny Hills. 😊 

In my spare time, I enjoy watching sports, golfing, eating out, and traveling. Fun fact about myself: I used to play pretty high-level Cricket back in Hong Kong during my high school days.

 

 

Jessica Schwerzler- Events Director

Hi, I’m Jessica Schwerzler and I’m excited to be the Events Director for Sunny Hills PTA for the 2023-24 school year.  

It’s my second year in this role and I can’t wait for all the awesome Family Events we have planned.  Some of the events we have lined up include: Cultural Night, Bingo and Brownies, STEM Night, End of Year Party and the beloved Popcorn Fridays. If you are interested in helping plan or volunteer for any of these events, shoot me an email!

A little about me outside of the PTA, I have an awesome son Eli who is in 2nd grade.  I’ve been working for Costco for 25 years and I also run a small Etsy business.  I have lived in the Seattle/Eastside area all my life. I enjoy walking my crazy 3 year old Golden Retriever/Border Collie mix, traveling, being with friends and family, crafting and baking.  I make a delicious apple pie.  My husband and I do many DIY home improvement projects and I try to keep up on the never ending battle of housework.


I’m excited for this school year, let’s make it a memorable one together!

 

 

Lindsay Olson- Communications Director

My name is Lindsay Olson, I have three kids at Sunny Hills.

I love being a part of my kids' classrooms and getting to know their teachers and friends. I’ve been able to offer a wide set of skills to my time volunteering. I have set up the audio equipment, perfected the art of *hearing* when the popcorn is ready and have pretty much memorized the building map to find teachers and kids for vision and hearing screening. Not to mention clearing countless paper jams from the copier. 

My volunteer goals this year involve finally getting the popcorn bag count and timing down, bringing hand lotion to the art portable for the days clay is on the docket and to continue to help whenever I can.

When I am not at school I am busy driving between a gazillion sports and activities with my kids or walking my dog Pancake.

 

Alissa Pires- Co-Curriculum Support Director

Hi! My name is Alissa Pires and this year will be my third year as a member of the Sunny Hills PTA.  

This year I will be serving as Co-Director of Curriculum Support.  You can usually find me teaching in the Art Lab at Sunny Hills, as I am the Co-Chair of the Art Docent program. In addition to my art responsibilities, I have spent time in various PTA roles including Staff Appreciation Chair, Yearbook Committee, and Room Parent, as well as volunteering for PTA events throughout the school year. 

This year my older daughter, Madison, is a 2nd grader.  My younger daughter, Morgan, is looking forward to becoming a Mustang in Fall 2024.  

In my spare time, I enjoy reading (fiction is my favorite!), being active (I especially love yoga, tennis, and golf), and spending time with friends and family.  Fun Fact: I have attended 16 different schools from preschool through college!

 

Julie Word -Co-Curriculum Support Director

I am Julie Word and thrilled to be serving on the Sunny Hills PTA Board of Directors as a Co-Director of Curriculum.  

Over the last three years I have been involved with Sunny Hills by volunteering for various PTA school events as well as attending many in-person or online school sponsored parties. Being a co-room parent has also been an exciting experience for me. My husband, Jonathan, has even gotten involved by participating in the new group D@SH - Dads at Sunny Hills.

I am mom to three kiddos: Victoria incoming 3rd Grader, William incoming 2nd grader, and two year old Rebecca who will be a Mustang in the coming years.  When I am not "moming" I enjoy reading any book I can get my hands on, running (I have run several half marathons and one marathon), and I am also a vegetarian. I am from Upstate New York but I absolutely love the pacific northwest and Seattle.

Sunny Hills has been a phenomenal experience for my family. We feel very lucky to be part of the Sunny Hills community.

 

Sara Parsons- Community Outreach Director

Hello!  My name is Sara Parsons and I am happy to be filling the role of Community Outreach Director for the 2023-2024 school year.  This is our 6th year at Sunny Hills as my daughter, Ashley, is in 5th grade and my daughter, Audrey, is in 3rd grade. 

Over the last 6 years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as room parent, art volunteer, field trip chaperone, and I also coordinated last year’s Thanksgiving Food Drive, which was a big success thanks to all of your generous donations.   This year I hope to build on that success by supporting additional opportunities to give back through Power Packs, Holiday Gift Barn, D@SH, Lost and Found, and another Fall Food Drive.  

In my free time I enjoy spending time with family and friends, going to concerts and sporting events, playing or listening to music, reading, and traveling. Fun fact about me:  I used to have a karaoke room in my house and I look forward to one day converting the playroom back into one! :)

 

Desiree Duarte- Fundraising Director

Hello! My name is Desiree Duarte, and I am thrilled to be the Fundraising Director for Sunny Hills PTA for the 2023-24 school year. 

I am grateful to work with an amazing team hosting various fundraising programs - Mustang Spirit Wear, Book Fairs, Fun Run Fundraiser, Yearbook, 5th Grade Signs -  throughout the year to raise enough funds for our kids and Sunny Hills staff. This is my second year in this role, and if you're interested in planning or volunteering for any of the programs, please don't hesitate to contact me!

When we joined the Sunny Hills community last year, I quickly realized how much of a blessing it was. We feel incredibly lucky to be a part of this wonderful school. As a full-time working parent, my availability for volunteering is limited, but I try to make an effort every day to check-in, connect, and get involved.

Apart from my involvement with SHPTA, I love taking my kids, Dominic (1st grade) and Mila (future 2025 Mustang), to their various activities, such as premier soccer, ballet, and swimming classes. I'm also passionate about dancing flamenco, and I work in the healthcare technology industry.

A fun fact about me is that I am from Venezuela, and I speak Spanish. If you are part of a Hispanic family and would like to connect with me in our beautiful language, feel free to say 'Hola' when you see me. I'm always happy to chat!

 

Annaliza Chen- Membership Director

Hello! My name is Annaliza Chen, and I am excited to be the Sunny Hills PTA Membership Director for the 2023-24 school year.

My two sons, Landon (3rd Grade) and Austin (1st Grade), currently attend Sunny Hills, and my daughter will start Kindergarten there next year.  We moved to Sammamish from Newcastle almost 3 years ago, and we really love this community.  This is my first time stepping into a leadership role with SHPTA, so I’ll be learning as I go!  I have always wanted to be more involved at the school, so I’m really looking forward to this opportunity.

Outside of the PTA, I work full-time on the federal tax planning team at Amazon.  My other full-time job is tag-teaming with my husband to shuttle our kids to soccer, ballet, and gymnastics.  We spend any spare time with our family and friends (I have a huge family!).  Fun fact about me - I love all things Disney :)

 

Sandra Ozer- Advocacy Director

Hello! My name is Sandra Ozer. I am from Colombia. This will be my third year as part of the PTA. I have two daughters (3rd and 1st grade). I am honored to serve as the Advocacy Director at Sunny Hills. In addition to my role, I am an enthusiastic volunteer who actively participates in my kid’s classrooms as a room parent, reading groups, class material preparation, art lab, field trips chaperone, and other PTA school events through the year. I will be helping first and third graders with some art lessons, and recently I became part of the Voice Mentor program for Sunny Hills.

 In my free time I enjoy family time, meeting with friends, crafting, traveling, music and soccer. Fun fact about me: I used to be a teacher and love working with kids.