Board of Trustees

Tiffany grew up in Holland, Michigan and went on to earn her master’s in education. Her many experiences in education and nonprofit management are an asset to Open Window. She was a founder for a charter school, teaching third grade; ran a foreign language enrichment program for young children; and studied social entrepreneurship and nonprofit management as part of her MBA. Tiffany is very involved with the Open Window community as an active volunteer, serving as Parent Association Co-President for the 2019-2020 schoolyear, chairing community building committees, and co-chairing the 2018 auction. With two middle school students at Open Window, the Bernals chose the school so that their children would have the opportunity to join a diverse community of eager learners led by caring, understanding teachers who could not only tailor academic instruction but also weave social-emotional learning throughout the curriculum. She is also an avid traveler and is multilingual, speaking Spanish fluently, as well as some French. 

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 to her current role as 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. 

Negar was born in Tehran, Iran; lived in Italy through kindergarten; and grew up in Seattle. Her background and education are in microbiology and biomedical science. The Partovis have three Open Window students spanning kindergarten through seventh grade. Negar has been involved with Open Window in countless ways as a parent volunteer and is currently serving as parent association co-president. Negar and her family chose OWS for the excellent academics, but quickly learned it was a school that provided MUCH more than that. In addition to her studies in microbiology, she minored in dance, teaching dance for many years after her day job of working in a pharmaceutical lab.  

Megan grew up in Bellevue. With a background in the insurance industry, she is a consultant with the Seattle based brokerage firm, Truluma. Megan has been involved with Open Window in various capacities including serving on the finance and multicultural committees. Megan and her family chose OWS for their daughter, who has been a student since kindergarten and is now entering seventh grade, because of its unwavering focus and commitment to a learning environment that nurtures and inspires each individual child to explore topics of interest at a deeper level. Megan graduated from the University of Notre Dame, speaks fluent Spanish, and has also studied in Spain and Ghana, West Africa.

Elmar was born in Germany; grew up in South Africa; and has also lived in the US, Namibia, and Switzerland. He studied social anthropology, linguistics, and medicine and worked as a medical doctor, university lecturer, and in various roles in international development before becoming the Head of Assurance and Risk Management at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Vinh-Thomas family has two daughters in the classes of 2022 and 2024. They chose Open Window for the “intentional balance between intellectual rigor, critical thinking and social-emotional learning.” Elmar is perplexingly proud of the Official Pretzel Twisters Certificate he was awarded by America’s Oldest Pretzel Bakery in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Jackie is from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and moved to Sammamish, Washington, with her husband and two kids in 2014. Before becoming a full-time parent, she studied business, art education, and psychology before starting a master's in counseling. The Dodge family chose Open Window School because they believe that gifted kids need engagement to develop grit while maintaining that innate love of learning!

Carin grew up in Mercer Island and was a third grade teacher before having kids. She has been deeply immersed in the OWS community in support of her three kids. She is serving as Parent/ Guardian Association Co-President this year and has been an active volunteer at Open Window over the years in the role of Teacher Appreciation Chair and Parent/ Guardian Coordinator in many classrooms. The Jacobson family was drawn to Open Window because of the social and emotional learning support, the staff’s true passion for nurturing kids who love to learn, and the integrated curriculum.