Matt Conner (President, Executive Committee) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2019. Matt was born and raised in Bellingham where he lived until he left to attend Willamette University in Salem Oregon where graduated with honors and a double major in theoretical Mathematics and Economics. Matt worked as an economist for the State of Oregon, and for various banks before attending Seattle University School of Law where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in (2014). Now Matt is a partner at Brett McCandlis Brown and Conner, PLLC, where he represents clients as a personal injury and wrongful death attorney. When not working or in court, Matt can mostly be found outside with his wife and two children, fishing, hunting or backpacking in cold rainy places.
Sarah Kaiser (1st Vice President, Executive Committee) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2010. Founder of SKB Events, she has been designing and producing client events professionally since 2006. Her background includes planning events, both domestically and internationally for a wide array of companies and non-profits. An alumna of Annie Wright’s Class of ’93 and Vassar College’s Class of ’97, she is thrilled her daughter will be going to Annie Wright for high school. Her daughter graduated from 8th Grade in 2019, and her son graduated in 2020.
Tung M. Ha (2nd Vice-President, Executive Committee) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2018 and served as Board President from 2020-2024. Tung was born and raised in Arizona. He attended Brandeis University (1997), graduated from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (2001), and trained in Neurosurgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center (2007). He served as an Active Duty neurosurgeon in the United States Army at the rank of Major and deployed to Iraq in 2010. Tung and his family moved to Bellingham in 2011. He is a partner at Fourth Corner Neurosurgical Associates and serves as the Medical Director at the Cascade Outpatient Spine Center. He and his wife Kerri have two daughters who have attended The Franklin Academy since Pre-School. Norah is currently in 7th grade and Fiona a Junior at Lynden Christian High School.
One of his favorite sayings is: “What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.” – The Buddha
Nadia Boulos (Secretary, Executive Committee) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2019 as a parent representative. She previously worked as a Marketing Manager for four years at Alpha Technologies, a power solutions company in Bellingham, and dabbled in real estate with the Muljat Group for two years. She is currently a local web designer at Reset Web Design. She has previously served on the school’s auction committee and PALS. She is a proud WWU alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing. Her background includes marketing, public relations, web design, and event planning. She was raised in Lebanon and has been living in Bellingham since 2001 with her husband and her two children, Anabelle and Andrew.
One of her favorite sayings is, “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.” – Gibran Khalil Gibran
Nicholas Kaiser (Member at Large) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 1993, since then he has served multiple terms. A Bellingham native, he was educated in Canada, Connecticut, and Chicago. After selling his Indianapolis investment firm to a major insurance company, he returned to Bellingham and founded Saturna Capital in 1989. Now with over 80 employees and $4 billion of assets under management, Saturna is the primary financial donor to The Franklin Academy. Chairman of Saturna Capital, Mr. Kaiser serves Saturna’s 15 mutual funds as trustee, president, and equity portfolio manager.
Mr. Kaiser, along with his wife and seven children, supports a range of educational and community activities, such as Western Washington University and the Boy Scouts. Locally, he received the Whatcom Business Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Several of his grandchildren have and are attending The Franklin Academy.
One of his favorite sayings is, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin
John Mulhern (Member at Large) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees as the parent representative in 2017, serving
One of his favorite sayings is, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” – Ronald Reagan
Jennifer Bowles (Member at Large) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2018 and served as the Secretary from 2018-2024. Jennifer was raised in California and moved to Washington to attend the University of Puget Sound, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business. Jennifer has spent the last 23 years in the financial services industry and currently works at Peoples Bank in Loan Operations. Jennifer and her husband Jeff have two children who have attended The Franklin Academy for several years. Emily will be graduating from Squalicum High School in June and Claire is currently in 8th grade at the Franklin Academy.
One of her favorite sayings is, “What we know matters, but who we are matters more.” – Brene Brown
Greg Stevenson (Member at Large) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2023. Greg currently serves as the Campaign Director at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. His connection to the Franklin Academy is through the Kaiser family, and he is pleased to share his advancement expertise and support as a collegial connection between schools. A two-time Olympian in the sport of rowing, Greg represented Canada at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games and subsequently worked with his wife Corinna to develop sport and outdoor education programs with a focus on youth at risk. More recently, Greg has served as Director of Advancement at Bishop’s College School and Executive Director of Advancement & Community Engagement at Shawnigan. A deep believer in the positive impact that philanthropy can have on future generations, Greg is eager to support the development of educational programs, scholarships and financial assistance, and facilities through the support and contributions of school communities.
Kevin Cooley (Member at Large) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2024. Kevin was born and raised in Spokane, WA, is a graduate of the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University (B.A. 2007), and holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University (M.A. 2014). He has spent the past 15+ years in Business Operations, including roles at two different Fortune 100 companies, 5 years as a Management Consultant, and has been the COO at two different tech start-ups helping navigate both mergers and acquisitions and strategic growth initiatives. After spending nearly 10 years in Seattle, he has been living in Bellingham since 2015 with his wife, Nicole, and two sons, Caden and Kai (both at The Franklin Academy).
One of his favorite sayings is, “Well done is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin
Bassam Najib Boulos (Member at Large) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2024. He is an alumnus of The Franklin Academy class of 2017. After graduating, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Santa Clara University, and his master’s degree in Real Estate Economics and Finance from the London School of Economics. He currently works as a Development Associate at SYB HOLDING CO INC and lives in Ferndale with his family.
One of his favorite sayings is, “Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.” – Gibran Khalil Gibran
Jaime Cleveland (Member at Large) joined The Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2024. Jamie is the President and co-founder of the Blue Water Scholarship Fund (BWSF). BWSF supports college students pursuing a career in the Maritime industry enrolled at one of the five state Maritime Academies.
Prior to this, Mr. Cleveland had extensive experience in the tanker chartering industry, holding positions as Chartering Manager for Vitol Houston, Vice President at Morgan Stanley Commodities, as well as roles in Chartering and Operations in Heidenreich Marine. Prior to coming ashore, Mr. Cleveland sailed as a deck officer on US flagged ships for several companies.
Mr. Cleveland holds a BA in Meteorology and Oceanography from SUNY Maritime, an MBA from City University in London, and a USCG Chief Mate’s license unlimited tonnage.
One of his favorite sayings is, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Danielle Tandon (Member at Large) joined the Franklin Academy Board of Trustees in 2024. Danielle’s professional background is as a CPA. Danielle brings experience in public accounting, management in both for-profit and nonprofits, serving on boards, and acting as a nonprofit consultant. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a double major in Accounting & Finance from Washington State University and maintains her CPA License. Danielle enjoys combining her professional expertise with her heart for independent schools to flourish.
Danielle is a Pacific Northwest native though spent many years traveling around the country for her husband’s medical training beginning in Seattle. Danielle and her husband, Karman, have three children who currently attend The Franklin Academy all who began in preschool. Danielle enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, hosting, traveling, boating, and being active.
“What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” C.S. Lewis
