League of Education Voters Foundation

Board of Directors

We are looking for new Board members! If you would like to apply for the Board, we will add your name to our queue for review in Fall 2024. We are currently prioritizing applications from Central and Eastern Washington.

To learn more, see our Board Member Application Page

Ben Mitchell, Chair

Ben Mitchell is the Director of Advocacy and Policy for the Foundation for Tacoma Students where he supports the implementation of a recent investment in Tacoma by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this role, Ben supports and works in partnership with the Foundation for Tacoma Students, Graduate Tacoma Partners, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to elevate the Graduate Tacoma community-wide movement in three areas: Community Partner Capacity and Capability; Data Capacity and Capability; and Postsecondary Access and Completion.

Prior to joining the Foundation for Tacoma Students team, Ben spent 4.5 years at Social Venture Partners (SVP) in Seattle where he managed their main grantmaking program and supported the work of providing capacity building and technical assistance to SVP’s grantees. Ben moved to the Northwest by way of Washington, DC where he worked in international development and spent a good chunk of time living and working overseas. His work took him to Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, and Moldova. To his great embarrassment, Ben has never been particularly good with any language other than English.

Ben grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has three younger siblings, all of whom work as educators. He lives in Seattle with his wife and a strange-looking but lovable dog. In his free time, he likes to go on runs and hikes, attempt to finish any one of the stack of books he’s started in the last year, and reluctantly peck away at DIY house projects.

Dr. Marcus Pimpleton, Vice Chair

Dr. Marcus J. Pimpleton is an award-winning teacher and instructional leader committed to ensuring that all students receive an exemplary education that prepares them for success in college, career, community, and life. He presently serves as principal of Mariner High School in the Mukilteo School District. He recently served as Executive Director of Secondary Schools in the Marysville School District. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Equity, Partnerships, and Student Engagement for the Yakima School District. He also served for two years as principal of Quincy High School and as a Superintendent Intern with the Quincy School District. As a co-facilitator of the Quincy School District’s Access, Opportunity, and Equity Coalition, Dr. Pimpleton was instrumental in facilitating much of the racial equity professional development for the diverse coalition of stakeholders that wrote the Quincy School District’s Race and Equity Policy. The end result was board adoption of one of the strongest-worded racial equity policies in the state, one that applies the University of Washington’s Leadership for Learning (L4L) leadership standards to the unique context of Quincy.

Dr. Pimpleton is the 2020 recipient of the Washington Association of School Administrators’ Howard M. Coble Scholarship, which honors underrepresented leaders preparing for central office roles. Additional honors he has received include a Washington State Golden Apple Award from KCTS and the Phillip B. Swain Excellence in Teaching Award from the A+ Alliance for Education. During the summer months, Dr. Pimpleton continues to serve as director and program administrator for the Seattle Schools All-City Marching Band and on Husky game days an assistant director with the University of Washington Husky Athletic Bands.

Amy Campbell, Secretary

After earning her Master’s in Teaching, Amy realized her deep passion for supporting students with unique learning needs and returned to school for an endorsement in special education. She has been teaching at Helen Baller Elementary School in the Camas School District for 12 years. In her position as a teacher of students with significant disabilities, she collaborates with staff, parents, and community to develop individualized plans that focus on each student’s unique skills, abilities, and interests to help them find their place among their peers in the school community.

Amy’s dedication to inclusive opportunities for all learners gained her recognition as the 2020 Washington state Teacher of the Year. In an effort to shift systems to provide more equitable opportunities for all learners, Amy is working to develop relationships with education partners. She is an active member of the Washington state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)’s Student Learning Workgroup, contracts with the Washington Education Association and Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession to create professional learning experiences for educators, and is starting work developing courses at Clark College for future Special Education teachers. Amy serves on the board of directors for Micah’s Miles, a nonprofit focused on building community for individuals with disabilities.

Outside of work, Amy enjoys traveling, working out with friends, and watching movies with her husband, Ian.

Becky Nissen, Treasurer

Becky has lived in the Yakima area for over 40 years. She is a graduate of West Valley High School, Yakima Valley Community College, and Central Washington University graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Becky has 33 years supporting School Districts in the areas of Finance and Payroll. She was hired by Yakima School District in October 1989, as the Cash Accountant/Retirement Specialist supporting both Payroll and Finance. In October 1991, she accepted a position with ESD 105 as a Fiscal Specialist for the Regional Data Center supporting Districts in both ESD 105 and ESD 123 service areas. In October 2000, Becky returned to Yakima School District as the Director of Payroll/Employee Safety. In July 2008, Becky was promoted to Director of Finance. In July 2019, Becky was promoted to Executive Director of Finance. Becky retired on 8/31/22 to become the full-time caregiver for her new grandson!

Becky was an active member of the state and national organizations for school business officials, serving on committees and teaching classes. She was appointed in 2019 by the Washington Association of School Business Officials to the State School District Accounting Advisory Committee.

Becky loves the Yakima community and enjoys supporting organizations through volunteer work. She is a 2003 graduate of Leadership Yakima. Over the years she has served on many nonprofit boards including West Valley Child Care, Yakima Humane Society, Voices for Children, and Kiwanis Club of Yakima. Serving on behalf of children in the Yakima Area is both her passion and career!

Becky and her husband Pete live West of Yakima. When not working or volunteering, you can find them kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, enjoying great food, attending a WSU football game (Go Cougs!!), at a concert, or on a driving exploration around Washington. Becky is a hobby photographer, quilter, and grandma extraordinaire!

Dan Effland

After working for 10+ years as a professional musician based in Chicago, Dan was inspired by some incredible experiences working with young people in Chicago Public Schools to change paths and dive fully into the world of K-12 education. Going through Teach for America, Dan earned an M.S. in Special Education from Dominican University and worked as a Special Education teacher for grades 6-12 in Chicago and eventually Seattle. He then served as the Dean of Culture and Instruction for Grades 11-12 at Summit Sierra Public School for two years and received his M.Ed. in Public School Building Administration from Columbia University. Dan is currently the Executive Director for Summit Atlas Public High School and also serves on the Network Leadership Team for the Summit Public Schools Charter Management Organization in Washington and California.

Allison Leep

Allison Leep is the Social Impact Manager for PEMCO Insurance where she oversees the strategic direction of their corporate social responsibility. In this role, she works closely with the education community in support of PEMCO’s commitment to supporting students on their path to graduation.

Prior to joining PEMCO in 2010, Allison spent a decade in front of the TV cameras as a sports anchor. She began her broadcasting career in Seattle but eventually moved to Spokane where she paved the way for women serving as the first-ever female sports anchor in that market.

As a former Division I and professional athlete, she believes in the power of teamwork and coming together in pursuit of a common goal. Born and raised in Southern California, Allison grew up the daughter of public school educators and was inspired by the meaningful work that goes into building up our future generations.

Nicole Jenkins-Rosenkrantz

Nicole Jenkins-Rosenkrantz has worked for Spokane Public School District since April 2018 and is now the Director of Community Relations & Diversity Training. Prior to Spokane Public School District, Nicole worked at Spokane County Juvenile Court for seventeen years in various roles. She is passionately engaged in ongoing efforts to reduce the disparities experienced by historically underestimated families and youth of color. She believes that her work in the juvenile justice system and public school system gives her a unique perspective and connections that can lead to positive collaborations for systemic change.

Nicole views championing the creation of just and equitable outcomes for historically underestimated communities as not just a hope and a wish but a necessity. She is a passionate disruptor of the school-to-prison pipeline through the creation of innovative programs.

“If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.” ~ Maya Angelou

Maria Zontine

Maria Zontine has worked in higher education supporting academic programs for over 15 years. She is currently serving as the HR Director for the School of Medicine at the University of Washington. Maria earned both her BA in Marketing and Communications, and her Masters in Public Administration, from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. Growing up in rural Washington, Maria developed a unique educational perspective which creates a strong conviction towards equality in access to education for all.