Yolanda Altamirano | President
yolandaa@realchangenews.org
Yolanda Altamirano grew up in Yakima, WA and moved to Seattle in 2011. She heard about Real Change in 2012 and started buying the paper. She joined as an events volunteer in late 2015 and began volunteering at the Vendor Sales desk in June 2016. She eagerly joined the board in March 2017. She has served non-profits since graduating from the University of Washington and values the connections she makes with both those she serves with and those she can serve. She currently works at a local travel company trying to pursue connections to help around the world – focusing on logistics and program management. She is on the fundraising committee and is interested in outreach and advocacy.
Matthew Hayashi | Vice President
matthewh@realchangenews.org
Matthew Hayashi is the principal organizational development and leadership consultant for Headwater People. They help brilliant people do transformational work and offer a variety of strategic consulting services such as organization learning, strategic planning, change management, process design, and designing equitable organizations. His passion is to help connect groups to the core mission of their work through collaboration and innovation, whole organizational health, and to the societal responsibilities of economic, social, and environmental justice. Matt grew up in Kaneohe, Hawaii. He, his wife Colleen, and children make their home in Seattle, Washington.
Mary Riski | Treasurer
maryr@realchangenews.org
Mary Riski joined the Real Change board in August 2018. She has over 15 years experience in the financial services and banking industry, and is a CPA (inactive). Her area of focus has been in the reverse mortgage space, providing accounting and financial expertise to lenders and organizations that support seniors aging in place. Since 2012, she has served breakfast monthly at Nativity House in Tacoma. She also volunteers and serves meals at Aurora Commons in Seattle, and was a neighborhood representative on the community action committee for the Licton Springs tiny house village, also on Aurora Avenue. Mary is from Minnesota and received her accounting degree from the University of North Dakota. She has two daughters, Anne and Tess.
Hannah Hunthausen | Secretary
hannahh@realchangenews.org
Hannah Hunthausen has worked at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry in various capacities since 2013 (notably for the Faith & Family Homelessness Project). She is currently Program Coordinator for the Center for Religious Wisdom and World Affairs, supporting the school’s efforts to engage, educate and mobilize faith communities around the problem of homelessness. Hannah was thrilled to join the Real Change Board of Directors in 2016. She has been an avid reader of the paper since moving to Seattle, and resonates deeply with the organization’s commitment to hold up the voices of our homeless and marginalized neighbors and fight for social, economic and racial justice. She looks forward to deepening relationships with vendors and supporting the movement and caring, inclusive community that is Real Change.
Afam Ayika
Afam Ayika is a Nigerian born anti-racist community organizer, a mental health case manager, a martial artist, and a father of three. He has years of experience working in undoing racism, restorative justice, and local and state policy. He believes in the vision behind Real Change, and the organization has always felt like a family to him.
Antoinette Daniel
antoinetted@realchangenews.org
Antoinette Daniel is a native Seattleite and was first introduced to Real Change through her acquaintance with her downtown and West Seattle Vendors. Currently, she is the Principle Consultant and CEO of Brown Dove Enterprises, a consulting firm that works to advance racial equity through transforming local businesses and government entities by working with clients to build organizational capacity for racial equity work. She also is a licensed WA Real Estate Agent with a passion to help people find a place to call home. Previously, as Consumer Protection Manager she led a positive, proactive team of License and Standards Inspectors who ensured business compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to business taxes, licenses, weights and measures, unit pricing, false advertising and unfair and deceptive business practices.
Jim Lauinger
jiml@realchangenews.org
Jim Lauinger was raised and educated in Portland, Oregon and moved to NYC to complete a graduate program in business at NYU. For the next 35 years he worked in the department store sector and later owned stores in Kirkland, Washington. While in Kirkland during the 90’s he became involved with public service on the Eastside culminating with the Kirkland Planning Commission, the City Council, and finally as a two term Mayor of Kirkland. In 2000, he was one of 79 national recipients of the National Association for Community Leadership’s Distinguished Leader Award. He has served the Eastside with membership on numerous human service boards, and finally sought out a Board Membership at Real Change through his acquaintance with his Issaquah vendors, his love for Real Change News, and for the organization’s mission as a voice for economic justice for our low income and homeless neighbors.
Maria Elena Ramirez
mariaelenar@realchangenews.org
Maria Elena Ramirez was born and raised in Othello, WA. An avid Real Change reader since 1994, Maria Elena appreciates what a community asset Real Change is and has been an active volunteer since September of 2012. A graduate of the University of WA, Maria Elena’s professional experiences include the healthcare field with the Epilepsy Foundation NW. Maria Elena has served as a resource for Latino, first generation high school graduates pursuing a post K-12 education, as well as an education equity advocate to the Latino community, in eastern WA. Maria Elena looks forward to deepening her relationships with vendors and watching their self-confidence grow as they continue to inform and inspire people from all walks of life in Seattle to join them in bringing about real change in our hearts and actions.
Shelly Cohen
Shelly Cohen was born and raised in Seattle, and likes to say “I have the webbed feet to prove it!” He has three adult children and several grandchildren. With his smiling personality and sense of community, Shelly became active in Real Change June 7, 2013, and achieved the coveted 600 Club level at the conclusion of June 2013. He is also active in Real Change advocacy. He was elected to the Real Change Board of Directors on March 24, 2016, at 62 years young, as he prefers to say. To learn more about Shelly, read about his other activities in Real Change and his life experiences. Shelly would love to visit with you at his current 600 Club Post at PCC Natural Markets – Bothell in Canyon Park, 22621 Bothell Everett Highway, Bothell, WA 98021.