About

Board of Trustees

Open Window School is a Washington non-profit, section 501 (c) (3) corporation. A self-perpetuating Board of Trustees governs the school and holds it “in trust” for future generations of students.

The Open Window Board of Trustees is composed of current and alumni parents and professionals from the education and business communities. Trustees serve as volunteers and are committed to fulfilling the school's mission and the long-term sustainability of the school. The Head of School and the Parents & Guardians Association President(s) are ex-officio, non-voting, members of the board.

Partnering closely with the Head of School, the board sets long-range policies to fulfill the mission of the school and lead it successfully into the future. The Head of School is the board’s only employee. The Head of School controls all of the operational and educational affairs of the school, administers policies, hires, evaluates and dismisses all school employees, and guides the day-to-day operation of the school.

Selection of trustees is a multi-step process that is led by the board's Governance Committee, which evaluates the professional and personal skills that are needed on the board to best serve the school. Potential trustees must be voted in by a two-thirds majority of the current board. Trustee terms are three-year commitments and trustees may be re-elected for one additional term.

Board Committees

List of 5 items.

Executive

The Executive Committee facilitates effective Board meetings, advises and evaluates the Head of School, and oversees legal, corporate, regulatory and governance issues on behalf of the Board of Trustees.
Advancement

The Advancement Committee works in conjunction with the Director of Institutional Advancement and Strategy to develop financial resources other than tuition to fulfill the mission of the school. The committee champions and exercises oversight over all forms of school fundraising, including the Open Window Fund, auction, and capital campaigns.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee recommends strategies, policies, and practices that further the school’s Diversity Commitment.
Finance

The Finance Committee supports the Board of Trustees in its’ fiduciary responsibilities, including state, federal, and banking regulatory compliance, and internal control oversight. Working in conjunction with the Director of Finance & Operations, the committee reviews, recommends, and monitors the annual audit; annual and five-year budgets; provides cash, investment, and asset oversight; and monitors the annual business office compliance calendar.
Governance

The Governance Committee reviews the school's strategic goals and plans to identify the skills, experiences, and relationships required by the Board in the present and in the future. The committee nominates candidates for the Board and recommends members of Board committees. The committee also leads an annual process of Board review and advises the Board on issues of governance and recommends policies and practices to strengthen the good work of the Board.

Strategic Plan 2019-2024

2024-2025 Board of Trustees

President	William Kennedy
Vice President	Julie Cheng Bui
Secretary	Owen Paulus
Treasurer	Priyanka Chopra

Members	Cydnie Horwat Bobby Huang Sage Khanuja Al Morasch Dena Saunders Liz Swift Marcus Russell Tania Valdes Vivien Yeung Michael Crowson, Honorary Trustee Nancy Robinson, Honorary Trustee
Ex-Officio Members	Elaine Christensen, Head of School Jane Lauckner, PGA Co-President Kaitlyn Tamulonis, PGA Co-President

Members of the Board of Trustees sign an annual commitment, reinforcing ethical practices and the governance role of the board.

Annual Trustee Commitment

Bios

List of 16 items.

William Kennedy, President

William grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. His career as a software development engineer led him to Microsoft Corporation where he held positions as General Manager and Corporate Vice President. William has helped Open Window through many phases of growth from strategic planning to capital campaigns. He is also an active board member for many other organizations. The Kennedys have two sons, both alumni of Open Window School. They chose the school because they felt it was a great education and environment for their kids. William loves photography.
Julie Cheng Bui, Vice President

Julie grew up in San Francisco and has lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than a decade. She enjoys bringing creativity and collaboration to her work, informed by her professional background in project management and online marketing with organizations such as Stanford University and Amazon. Julie also works to help local children and families, as a board member of Bellevue LifeSpring. At Open Window, Julie volunteers in many large and small ways, from vice president of the Parent & Guardian Association, campaign co-chair for the Open Window Fund, auction procurement, and work in the classroom. The Buis love Open Window’s mission of nurturing the whole child, as well as the compassionate, inspiring teachers who amplify their kids’ love of learning every day.
Owen Paulus, Secretary

Owen grew up in North East, Maryland. He is Head of Product for Stream at Microsoft. He enjoys skiing, biking, running, and all things outside. At Open Window, Owen joined the board in 2022, he was a parent co-chair for the annual fund, and volunteers in class whenever he has the chance. Owen and his wife Polita have two children at Open Window. They chose Open Window because it provided the challenge and social emotional learning their daughters craved. They are proud to be a part of the Open Window community, “We believe Open Window creates complete leaders, nurturing the head and heart while understanding the needs of gifted kids.”
Priyanka Chopra
Cydnie Horwat

Cydnie grew up in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles and currently serves as Chief Retail Officer for Habitat for Humanity King Kittitas Counties. At Open Window, she has volunteered in multiple roles from committee member for our Capital Campaign to Board Treasurer and Board President. The Horwats have two Open Window alumni. They chose Open Window because they felt, “The unique pairing of providing a challenge coupled (with) nurturing, including the deep SEL foundation, has provided our children with an amazing education and introduced us to parents who are now lifelong friends.” Cydnie loves to cook and was taught by Julia Child (on PBS), making her first chocolate soufflé at 9 years old.
Bobby Huang

Bobby grew up in Taiwan and has lived in the Pacific Northwest for nearly 20 years. He is a managing director at Deloitte & Touche, working with investment management, life sciences, and technology companies. Bobby is passionate about the mission of Open Window School and the unique experience it offers for the children. He enjoys volunteering at the school, with Pizza Fridays and Field Day being two of his favorite activities.
Sage Khanuja

Sage grew up in Seattle. He is a technology entrepreneur who previously co-founded Spira, a healthtech company that was acquired in 2021. Before that, Sage worked at several early-stage software companies as an engineer. Sage graduated from Open Window in 2017. In his free time, Sage loves playing tennis and golf.
Al Morasch
Dena Saunders
Liz Swift

Liz grew up in the Seattle area and has continued to make the Pacific Northwest her home. She has spent much of her professional life in educational leadership, with the last 28 years as Head of School at Holy Names Academy. She also has a passion for STEM subjects and taught an advanced physics course for her entire administrative career. Liz has served on several school boards and boards for other professional organizations. She has one daughter who also lives in the Seattle area. Liz greatly appreciates the quality education provided to the students at Open Window School and notes, “Open Window produces well-rounded, confident, and articulate students who are ready for their next level of education and life.”
Marcus Russell
Tania Valdes

Tania grew up in Mexico City, where she spent her childhood through university (she studied computer science at the Tecnológico de Monterrey). In 2000 she moved to San Francisco to work for a US software company, and over the next 17 years had a successful career building large, globally distributed software organizations. In 2018 she retired to spend more time with her daughter Leila.
Tania and family moved to Washington in 2020. They feel fortunate to be part of the OWS community and enjoy supporting the school in whichever ways they can. Tania has served as PGA Vice President and is also an Auction co-chair this year. During her free time, she enjoys watching movies with family, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends. And while they really enjoy the PNW, they love visiting the warm Mexican beaches whenever they can!
Vivien Yeung

Vivien grew up in Hong Kong. Prior to her current position as the Chief Strategy Officer at Kohl’s, Vivien served as the General Manager, Venture at lululemon, and is currently a Board member at Jack in the Box. Vivien has an alum and current middle school student at Open Window. The Chung family chose Open Window for its focus on nurturing children’s love of learning through an integrated approach to education. Her favorite way to sweat is power vinyasa yoga.
Elaine Christensen, Head of School

Read the Message from the Head of School to learn more.
Jane Lauckner, PGA Co-President
Kaitlyn Tamulonis, PGA Co-President

Open Window School

6128 168th Place SE,
Bellevue, WA 98006
Phone: 425.747.2911
Email: ows@ows.org

Open Window School provides a challenging academic curriculum blended with nurturing support from teachers that prepares students for long-term success.