Board of Directors & Staff

Executive Committee

Kelly Keith, President

Kelly Keith was born and raised in Wisconsin but moved to Seattle about five years ago and fell in love with the city. Unable to stay away from the great South Lake Union neighborhood, Kelly has recently taken on a new adventure as the Director of Sales and Marketing at the SpringHill Suites Seattle. With over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Kelly just recently joined the South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 2015 and has actively participated on the Events Committee. Kelly is excited to bring her event planning and sales and marketing experience to the Board of Directors and to continue to build relationships in the wonderful South Lake Union Neighborhood.

Kelly Keith
President

Area Director of Sales, Residence Inn & Moxy Hotel

Allison Leep is the Social Impact Manager for PEMCO Insurance, a local insurer dedicated to helping our communities worry less and live more. At PEMCO, Allison oversees the social good strategy that ensures they're a force for good in the Northwest by building safer, stronger, and better educated communities.

Prior to joining PEMCO in 2010, Allison was a Development Director at Eastern Washington University Foundation. She also spent 7 years in broadcasting where she paved the way for women serving as the first-ever female sports anchor in Spokane.

Whether at a local nonprofit organization, her neighborhood schools, or on a board, Allison believes in living a service-filled life. Before joining the SLU Chamber Board, Allison was the Vice President and Fund Development Committee Chair for the Foundation for Edmonds School District Board. During her tenure, the organization's revenue quadrupled allowing them to powerfully increase their impact for at-risk students.

Allison works and play in South Lake Union and is committed to helping create a vibrant community we can all be proud of.

Allison Leep
Vice President

Social Impact Manager, PEMCO Insurance

Justin Young

Justin is the founder and owner of Flow Fitness which is a fitness club that is changing how people experience fitness. Flow Fitness offers a variety of high quality fitness options including studio classes, training services and gym access so people can create a personalized fitness routine. Flow Fitness has locations in South Lake Union and Fremont.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Justin was a partner at a Freestone Capital Management which is a Seattle based wealth management firm and helped oversee all of the firm’s alternative investments. Justin started his career as an accountant and was an auditor at Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

Justin is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii and got his BBA in Accountancy and Japanese from the University of Notre Dame. He previously held certifications as a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.

Justin Young
Treasurer

Owner, Flow Fitness

Chad Cotter

Chad Cotter joined the South Lake Union Chamber in October of 2021. Chad has been with The Homegrown Group (aka Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches) for over twelve years. He has been impressed by the advocacy of the Chamber since Homegrown opened their SLU location back in 2015. Currently Chad is the Director of Sales representing not only Homegrown, but also Catapult NW; a small distributor focusing on helping local businesses get their products to a wider audience.

Chad was born in Los Angeles and moved to Washington in ‘93, moving to Seattle in 2007. He’s a big fan of the city who also loves to get out to the mountains or on the water any chance he can get. As a longtime fan of the Chamber, he looks forward to getting involved in any way possible, bringing his passion for collaboration, events, and promoting small businesses. Chad is excited for the opportunity to put these skills into action as a member of the SLU Chamber of Commerce.

Chad Cotter
Secretary

Director of Sales, The Homegrown Group

Directors

Eric Berlinberg

Eric is a Senior Program Manager at Amazon working on the Prime Air team developing drones for package delivery. He also is the

Founder & Global Chair of Connect@Amazon, a grassroots organization at Amazon that creates community and professional networking opportunities for Amazon employees. Connect@Amazon is comprised of around 35,000 Amazon employees across 27 chapters globally, and continues to grow.

Outside of Amazon, Eric has served as a member of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Network (YPN) Board of Advisors since 2014, and on the Seattle Chamber Board of Directors in 2017. Eric serves on the Board of the Seattle Symphony Young Patrons Council and lives in Eastlake.

Eric Berlinberg

Senior Program Manager, Prime Air, Amazon

Karinda Harris works as the Senior Community Relations Manager at Vulcan Inc., where she is responsible for local community relations and external affairs. Previously, she’s worked in similar roles for New Seasons Market and the City of Seattle. Karinda is a Seattle native, growing up in the Beacon Hill and Madrona neighborhoods, and most proud of her community involvement. She is an active member of the Seattle Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., serves on the Board of Directors for Arte Noir, Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. She is a connecter, and her passion is the intersection of social capital, strategy, and social impact. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Howard University and a Master of Public Administration from Seattle University.

Karinda Harris

Senior Community Relations Manager, Vulcan, Inc.

Susan Bell

Susan Bell, Corporate Engagement Officer for Woodland Park Zoo, brings more than 20 years of business experience, joining the SLU Board in November 2019. Susan holds a BA in Economics from Northwestern University. Following five years as an environmental litigation consultant, Susan earned a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management. She pursued a career in brand management and marketing, ultimately launching an environmentally sustainable brand working with artisans in Mongolia. Susan’s passion for wildlife and wild places led her to Woodland Park Zoo in 2014, where she works in Development.

In January 2002, Susan moved to Seattle and fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. She has volunteered in various capacities for her children’s schools. Most recently, Susan served three years as co-president of the board for Friends of Music at Hamilton International Middle School. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family and dogs, traveling, skiing, and hiking.

Susan Bell

Corporate Engagement Officer, Woodland Park Zoo

Brittany Richey

Since starting at Seattle Children’s in 2004, Brittany worked in hospital administration, marketing communications, and engagement and recognition before joining the research institute in 2012. She oversees internal staff engagement and improvement projects and external community relations programs, including the Discovery Portal visitor center, events and tours.

Brittany was born in Seattle and grew up in Bothell. After attending college out of state, she returned to Washington and all the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She resides in West Seattle with her husband Kyle and their daughters, Paige and Sloane.

Brittany Richey

Manager | Research Institute Administration, Seattle Children's Research Institute

Lauren Baba has dedicated her career to improving the health of our community. She currently serves as UW Medicine's Deputy Director of Government Relations, where she leads state legislative relations and government advocacy. Lauren has also spent much of her work life at heal care organizations located in South Lake Union, including Group Health Cooperative, Kaiser Permanente Washington, and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

Lauren holds a Masters of Public Health from University of Washington and BA from Rice University. She also received a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship.

Born and raised in the Seattle are, Lauren spends much of her free time enjoying outdoor activities with her family, including skiing, rock climbing, and mountaineering.

Lauren Baba

Deputy Director, Government Relations, UW Medicine

Patty Vandenburgh is Associate Director, Seattle Operations and Engagement at Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Prior to joining BMS in 2020, Patty was Associate Director, Engagement at ZymoGenetics. She in actively involved in community outreach, establishing partnerships with organizations such as American Cancer Society, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Cancer Pathways, Mary’s Place, Fred Hutch, Children’s Hospital and Northwest Harvest. She believes that by doing well by your employees and your community, your business will do well.

Patty holds an BA in Human Services from Western Washington University.

Patricia (Patty) Vandenburgh

Associate Director, Seattle Operations & Engagement, Bristol Myers Squibb

Christine Petrut

General Manager, Flatstick Pub

Carrie Wallin

Director of Strategic Outreach and Affiliate Network, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Staff

Danah Abarr, Executive Director

Danah has been an active member of the SLU Chamber since 2011 and served a 3 year term on its Board of Directors prior to becoming the Executive Director. She enjoys meeting new people and identifying mutually beneficial opportunities for companies and individuals looking to connect. Danah holds a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley, a Bachelors from Cornell University and is a passionate supporter of the SLU community and the great work being done by Chamber Supporters. Her interests outside of work include cheering for the Seahawks, outdoor adventures and playing with her family and doggos.

Danah Abarr
Executive Director

Natalie Dewey-Smith, Marketing & Engagement Manager

Natalie began working as a part-time Administrative Assistant for the SLU Chamber and quickly became full-time, eventually gaining the title of Marketing & Engagement Specialist. She is passionate about the nonprofit world and is excited to be a part of such an established organization. An Alabama native, Natalie graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages with a concentration of French and a minor in Sociology. She enjoys exploring the PNW with her husband, Corwin, and dog, Murray.

Natalie Dewey-Smith
Marketing & Engagement Manager

Professional headshots courtesy of Lifestring Photography

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