Our Team

Alyssa Pittman  Edible Garden Tour Lead (email Alyssa)

Alyssa (she/her) grew up in Washington state and has lived in Ballard since 2011. She started helping to plan the Edible Garden Tour in 2019 after learning that the original planning committee wanted to pass the torch on. She remembers gardening with her dad as a child (though not all the chores were welcome back then!) and still grows peas the way he taught her. While she can’t grow all of her own food, she can learn how to grow more, enjoy being outdoors, and show her children where food really comes from. When indoors, she enjoys cooking, reading books from the Golden Age of British Mystery, and re-learning how to crochet every winter.

Andrea Faste  Board President, DEI Taskforce Lead (email Andrea)

Andrea (she/her) was born in Tacoma before the Baby Boom, and came of age during the height of the hippie era. She grew up in Edmonds in an idyllic setting, swimming in Puget Sound, skiing, taking part in clubs. As a student at Scripps College in southern California, Andrea rejoiced on days that it rained. Her graduate work in Chinese language and literature included a year in Taiwan. Andrea came back to UW at the time of the Kent State tragedy, and became involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement. Andrea married in 1975 to a fellow grad student and their daughter was born in 1983. The family moved to Ballard in 1985 and Andrea has been here ever since. She has participated quite a bit in the life of our community: PTA, gardening, helping to build neighborhood parks through Groundswell NW, serving 19 years on the board of Fremont Public Association (aka Solid Ground), and eventually ended up attending the founding meeting of Sustainable Ballard in 2004​. Andrea has been involved with strategy sessions, the festival, the Edible Garden Tour, and is currently helping cook Sunday Dinners for those who need a hot meal. It’s all good. Andrea brings board experience, time, enthusiasm and an abiding faith that building sustainable activity strengthens community for the long haul.

Ashlee Norris  Game & Puzzle Swap Lead (email Ashlee)

Ashlee (she/her) considers Washington her home, but she grew up in the Bay Area. She has a background in university housing and student life and has recently started a new career adventure in training and development. She enjoys strategy games, card games, and family-friendly collaboration games. When she is not playing games, you can find her in her craft room making mixed media art, curled up with a good book, or stocking her Little Free Library.

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Christine Ingersoll  Bakery Gleaning Lead (email Chris)

Chris (she/her) was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and has lived in Ballard since 1987, where she and her husband Robert raised two sons. Chris retired from a full time social work practice eight years ago, but continues her social work by volunteering in her community. Chris currently serves as the Vice President on the Board of the National Association of Social Workers, WA State Chapter and as a Precinct Committee Officer in the 36th District. She has been active with Sustainable Ballard for over ten years. Besides volunteering at the Sustainable Ballard Festival, Chris has a RainWise rain garden installed a Little Free Library along with her neighbor, has been knitting with Jody Grage for years, and has been on the Bakery Gleaning team and the Ballard Sprouts growing project since their inception. For Chris, being part of a community means participation.

Jason Lang Board Member (Email Jason)

Jason (he/him) grew up in rural Oregon where he chased frogs in streams and snuck over fences to steal apples and strawberries from friends and neighbors. He has worked for Oregon Walks (a pedestrian advocacy nonprofit), Enivronmental & Energy Consulting (a firm that does legislative work for environmental nonprofits in Sacramento), and currently helps out with PaxCLEAN and Beacon Food Forest. He has lived in Ballard since 2019.

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Jenn Skelley Board Member (email Jenn)

Jenn grew up on the East Coast and has lived in multiple cities including New York City, Washington DC, London, and now Seattle. Her professional background is in publishing and evolved into operations and project management. She can’t remember when her passion for sustainability started, though through her work with process and efficiencies she found a similar theme in having a sustainable lifestyle. It might also be from hopping from city to city where she learned to pack light and make the most of the materials she had, whether it was cooking and using every scrap of food to mending and upcycling clothes. She’s excited to be a part of this organization and connect with the community to find ways to reduce waste.

Jenny Heins  Executive Director, RainWise Lead, Festival Organizer (email Jenny)

Jenny (she/her) has been practicing conservation since childhood in Ohio, and became an activist when she discovered Sustainable Ballard in 2004. Now she is very “active.”  Within Sustainable Ballard, she heads up a number of our activities, including the Annual Festival, our RainWise work, and as Executive Director oversees the administrative work of our Board. Now an avid sailor, she is also an executive board member at Seattle’s Corinthian Yacht Club with the title Fleet Captain Cruise. She worked for many years as an event planner, working with the NW EcoBuilding Guild to produce the NW Green Home Tour and the Northwest Green Building Slam + Summit, and as Regional Director for the Seattle Green Festival. Before that she had a nursery business, Small Wonder Farm, growing gourmet vegetable and herb starts and educating neighbors how to grow their own food. Jenny has been a Ballard resident since 1991.

Jody Grage  Ballard Knitters for People Experiencing Homelessness Lead (email Jody)

Jody (she/her) was part of both the original Sustainable Seattle and Sustainable Ballard organizers.  She is a retired special education teacher who owns and lives in the oldest house in Ballard which is surrounded by vegetable garden.  Jody has been a part of the Green Party at the national, state, and local levels since the 1980s.  Other interests include knitting and other needlework, Norwegian folk costumes, voluntary simplicity, peacekeeping, vegetable gardening, winter, and community.

Judy Tangen Board Secretary (email Judy)

Judy (she/her) moved to Seattle in 1967 to finish her degree at the University of Washington.  She grew up on the Washington Coast just north of Hoquiam. She still remembers being so impressed with Seattle and a little intimidated. Coming from a logging community to a progressive city like Seattle was exciting. Judy still loves Seattle. She is glad to live in a growing city that attracts people globally. And she thinks Ballard is becoming more vibrant as Seattle grows. Judy has volunteered with the Associated Recreation Council (ARC) for the last 30 years as an advisory council member at the Loyal Heights Community Center. Volunteering with Seattle Parks through ARC has been rewarding in every way. It has helped connect her to neighbors all over Seattle.  She hopes to bring that experience to Sustainable Ballard. Judy retired from a 47 year career at locally owned Alaskan Copper.  She now has the opportunity to build a career as an advocate for diversity and social equity. She wants her granddaughters to grow up in a neighborhood that accepts all people.

Tool Library Manager (email Manager)

Lesya Chopivsky Market Gleaning Lead (email Lesya)

Lesya (she/her) grew up in Virginia and moved to Seattle for nursing school at UW. She fell in love with the PNW and now calls Ballard home. Lesya started volunteering with the Farmer’s Market Gleaning team last spring and is excited to take on a bigger role with Sustainable Ballard as the new Market Gleaning Lead. She believes in the impact of grassroots sustainability efforts and loves the community that SB fosters. In her spare time, Lesya loves working in her own garden, throwing bowls and mugs at the pottery studio, reading, thrifting, and cooking.

Marcia Coté Board Member (email Marcia)

Born in Seattle, Marcia Coté did not see the light and move to Ballard until 1975 and is proud to have the same “Ballard” phone number since then. Marcia believes in a grassroots approach to world change, and feels Sustainable Ballard is the perfect organization to participate in. She enjoys working with the SB Knitting (and dog jacket project) for the Unhoused, Bakery Gleaning, Ballard Tool Library, has a front yard rain garden and shares a Little Library with her extremely active SB next door neighbor. As an almost retired RN, Marcia works for Harborview Medical Center’s Medical Respite Program which is a medical shelter for the unhoused. 

Olivia Price Board Treasurer (email Olivia)

Olivia (she/her) was born and raised in Sunset Hill and grew up playing at Webster Park and learning more about her Scandinavian roots at the Nordic Heritage Museum. After stints in the University District and Capitol Hill she is excited to call Ballard home again, and lives in West Woodland with her partner, grandparents, and rescue pup Stellaluna. Olivia is a strong supporter of local food systems, and still remembers attending opening day of the Ballard Sunday Market with her family in 2000. She was introduced to Sustainable Ballard’s work through the market gleaning program and is excited to support more of the organization’s initiatives as a board member. Olivia is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration at the University of Washington.

Polly Freeman Board Member, Idle Free Ballard Lead (email Polly)

Polly (she/her) was born and raised on the East Coast but has lived in Seattle for more than 30 years, most of those on Phinney. She is a lifelong greenie with many signature-gathering, poster-carrying, Congress-writing hours in her past (and present). She worked in outreach and communications for non-profits and local government for many years and is currently a free-lance copyeditor and writer. Polly and her husband Jim have two teenagers and one nutty dog; she loves walking, biking, hiking, and yoga, and is an avid vegetable gardener. She’s been a lead with the Farmers Market gleaning for several years and is excited about the “Idle Free Ballard” project’s successful first year.

Rain Gilman  Marketing and Membership Manager (email Rain)

Rain (she/her) was born in Seattle and raised in Fremont/Ballard. She raced flat water sprint kayaks on the local waters of Green Lake and learned how to swim at Golden Gardens & Rattlesnake Lake. Rain attended UCSC where she learned to surf and obtained a BA in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican History. In addition to catching waves and attending classes she worked as a sea kayak Naturalist in Monterey Bay paddling daily with sea otters and pelicans. After returning to the PNW she worked in the paddling department of REI flagship store, for Kenmore Air at Lake Union & Lake Washington seaplane bases, the Swedish Club, and was an Interpretive Guide at Ballard’s Chittenden Locks for five Salmon seasons. Rain loves Seattle & the abundant nature in our area and feels lucky to call Ballard home.

Stu Frothingham  Board Member (email Stu)

Stu (he/him) has lived in Ballard since the early 90’s and inherited his parents’ interest in the environment, conserving energy and resources, recycling, and re-purposing. Stu has a degree in Clean Energy Technology, a Certificate in Sustainable Business Management and a BA in Communications.  He’s worked in the solar industry as a marketer for a manufacturer and for an installer. He also has a background as a clinician and researcher. Stu installed his own solar PV system and drives an all-electric Nissan LEAF as part of his effort to reduce his carbon footprint.  Stu is active with local solar organizations, Seattle Parks and spent many seasons coaching youth basketball. He’s motivated to help to save the planet for future generations and believes sustainability is something we can all embrace.

Wendy Wheeler Board Member (email Wendy)

Wendy (she/her or they/their) was born in Bellevue, WA and grew up in the Lake Hills neighborhood near Crossroads Mall. She enjoyed the local trails and riding her bike in the neighborhood. Her parents had a large vegetable garden and loved to forage while on family hikes, traditions she carries on today. Her own yard/garden are primarily for the bees and birds, but she loves having more berries, cherry tomatoes, and soup greens. After living abroad in Canada and Mexico for work, Wendy and her husband Colin returned home to Seattle in 1997. They were happy to find Ballard’s quirky combo of walkability, art, lots of food options and friendly neighbors willing to share tools and expertise. Wendy came to Sustainable Ballard through the Edible Garden Tour, while Colin finds his happy place repairing and sharpening tools for the Ballard Tool Library. Recently retired from federal service after decades of public-focused consular work, Wendy is exploring new combinations of volunteering, hiking, needle arts, and catching up on reading.