Board of Trustees

NINEVAH LOWERY worked in the computer software industry for 15 years as a technology consultant, sales engineer, and marketing communications leader. Taking time off to care for her children as a stay-home mom, she has been a consistent school volunteer, having served in various parent leadership roles. During this time, she has also held numerous executive board seats and served on regional and national committees in member-based community organizations. She is committed to excellence and approaches her work with passion. Ninevah holds a BS from The University of Alabama, with a major in management information systems, and an MBA from University of Detroit Mercy. Ninevah is president of UPrep’s Board of Trustees. She and her husband, Bryant, have two children, Bryant II ’24 and Neva-Nataia ’26. 

CHARLES FRISCHER is the general partner of LFF Partners, a family office based in Seattle, WA, a position he has held since 2004. Prior to working at LFF Partners, Charles was a principal at Zephyr Management, L.P., a New York–based private equity firm (2005–2008). He was also a senior vice president at Capri Capital (1995–2005). He graduated from Cornell University in 1988 with a BA in government. Charles serves on UPrep’s finance and audit committee as well as on the investment sub-committee. He and his wife, Abigail, are the parents of Benjamin Frischer ’26, and Graham Frischer, ’27.

JARRAD HARFORD is the Paul Pigott - PACCAR Professor of Finance at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. He grew up in Pennsylvania and earned his BS from Penn State. He later earned his PhD in finance with a minor in organizations and markets at the University of Rochester and moved to the Pacific Northwest to start his career in academia. His teaching focuses on core finance, corporate governance, and acquisition analysis. Jarrad currently serves as a managing editor of the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. He and his co-authors are working on the 7th Edition of their textbook, Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, published by Pearson. Jarrad previously was a long-serving member of the UCDS Finance Committee and a member of the UCDS Board of Trustees for six years. He is currently treasurer of the UPrep Board of Trustees, co-chairs UPrep’s Finance and Audit Committee, and sits on the Investment sub-committee. He and his wife, Katrina Strand, are the parents of Evan ’24 and Cole ’25.

ELISE HEBB is a mother of two children: her daughter is a 9th grader at UPrep, and her son is in 7th grade at The Evergreen School. She has spent her career working in the venture capital and investment sectors in a variety of roles. She was most recently the COO of Maveron, a venture capital firm with offices in Seattle and San Francisco. Since 2021, Elise has shifted her priorities to her family and volunteer work. Elise is currently the chair of the board at The Evergreen School, where she has served as a trustee since 2022. She is also on the investment committee, finance committee, and is co-chair of the capital campaign. Elise also served as a board member of the Burke Museum Association from 2014 to 2023, where she was board president, chair of the development and nominating committees, and served on the capital campaign committee for the $100M campaign for the New Burke. Elise has lived in Seattle for nearly 30 years but was raised in Spokane. She has a BA in English and political science from the University of Washington.

KRYSIA JOHNSON is the Chief Financial Officer for MD2, the most distinguished network of concierge medical practices in the United States. Krysia's finance career spans several industries including healthcare, consumer products and technology. She has an MBA from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in public policy from Duke University. Krysia also served as president of the UPrep Parent Guardian Association for the 2023–2024 school year and volunteered as a Puma Fund class agent for the last several years. Krysia and her husband, Bjorn, are the parents of Wynne ’24 and Paige ’26.

THONG Q. LE serves as investment director and managing partner of the Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) for the Gates Foundation, the impact investment arm responsible for using equity, debt, and innovative market tools to further the philanthropic goals of the organization. Thong brings more than 25 years of investment experience in the life sciences industry, with a strong track record of making impactful investments that improve lives and of shaping effective investment strategies and deal-making processes. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Thong served as senior managing director and chairman of Accelerator Life Science Partners (ALSP), a venture capital firm focused on developing next-generation life science companies. At ALSP, Thong served as a director and founding president and CEO of more than a dozen ALSP portfolio companies. Several of these companies have been successfully acquired. Prior to ALSP, Thong spent nearly 15 years as managing director at WRF Capital, the venture investment arm of the Washington Research Foundation, where he financed and supported the growth of early-stage life sciences and technology companies. Thong received his AB in government from Harvard University and completed postgraduate studies in business at Templeton College, Oxford University. He and his wife Jeannie have two children, Maya ’27 and Adric.

RUSSELL NORMANN ’86 owns and operates a private commercial real estate company with a unique and growing portfolio in the Puget Sound region. Russ oversees all aspects of the business and takes great pride in serving its diverse family of tenants. Prior to entering real estate, Russ had a successful career in technology that spanned over a decade. Russ attended University of Washington, where he graduated with degrees in philosophy and mathematics. He is a proud alumnus of UPrep’s graduating class of 1986, participated on the UPrep Alumni Board, and has served on the finance committee for several years. When Russ isn’t taking care of buildings and tenants, he enjoys sailing, skiing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends (many of whom stretch back to his days at UPrep). Russ serves on UPrep’s building committee. He and his wife, Heather, are the parents of Ben ’21.

SUJAL PATEL is currently founder and CEO of Nautilus Biotechnology. In 2001, Sujal founded Isilon Systems, an enterprise data storage provider. After Isilon was acquired by EMC in December 2010 for $2.6 billion, Sujal served as the president of EMC’s Isilon Storage Division from the acquisition until November 2012. Sujal holds numerous patents in the areas of storage, networking, and media delivery; is a well-known speaker on entrepreneurship; and has received a variety of industry awards. Currently, Sujal serves on the board of directors at Qumulo and is a trustee of Rainier Scholars. He serves on UPrep’s investment committee. Sujal and his wife, Meera, have twin sons at UPrep, Avi ’26 and Niam ’26.

BLAKE TITCOMB ’09 was born and raised in Seattle. He graduated from UPrep in 2009 and the University of Puget Sound in 2013 with a BS in geology and minor in economics. Blake is passionate about giving back to his community and has served on several philanthropic boards. He served as president of the UPrep Alumni Board for four years and currently sits on a foundation for their sustainable forests and communities initiative committee and heads the financial committee. Blake is a director of account management at PitchBook, a financial software company. He and his wife, Brittany, welcomed their first little Puma to the mix, Azalea, who was born in 2023. Blake serves on UPrep’s advancement committee.

ROBIN WATERMAN is the founder of SpotTot, a tech product created to improve the lives of children and families. With a background in pediatric audiology, Robin earned her BS in speech and hearing science and her AuD from the University of Washington. She spent the early part of her career diagnosing and treating children with hearing loss at Virginia Mason Medical Center and Listen and Talk. Robin held leadership roles in both hospital and nonprofit settings, with a focus on creating and building effective protocols to develop and lead strong audiology programs. Inspired by a longtime dream to create something innovative for families, she made the leap from clinical work to entrepreneurship to launch SpotTot. Robin currently serves on the Villa Academy Board of Trustees, where she has taken on roles such as vice chair and Development Committee chair, and contributed to several important task forces, including Strategic Planning, School Reopening, and the Head of School Search. She is also the president of the UPrep Board of Trustees and previously chaired its Development Committee. Robin and her husband, Charlie, live in Seattle and have three children: Cole ’28, Grant ’30, and third-grader Cameron.

VERONICA (“Ronnie”) CODRINGTON-CAZEAU is in her fifth year as head of school at UPrep. Previously, she served as head of The Evergreen School in Shoreline, WA. In her time at The Evergreen School, Ronnie grew enrollment, oversaw a campus expansion project, and led a successful 20-million-dollar campaign. Ronnie began her teaching career at The Park School in Brookline, MA and spent 17 years (the final six as middle school head) at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, CA. As well as serving as a faculty member in the Aspiring Heads Fellowship, she also serves as a member of the NAIS Board of Trustees executive committee, a member of the Country Day School Headmasters’ Association, chair of the INDEX board and past president of the Elementary School Head’s Association. Ronnie holds a bachelor’s from Wellesley College and a master’s in educational leadership from Pepperdine University.

Amy Oakley has worked at all levels of government, serving 16 years at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as the administrator advisor for the Northwest Office of Native American Programs and five years as the board secretary for the Northshore Fire Department in Kenmore, Washington. She is currently the innovation grants program lead at the University of Washington’s EarthLab. Amy holds a BS degree from the University of California at Davis and an MEd in Educational Administration from the University of Washington. At UPrep, she has served as a parent ambassador, a Puma Fund class agent, on the PGA Parent Education Committee, and as the PGA governance chair. She and her husband, Andy, have two children: Amelia ’29 and Audrey ’31.

KIM GONZALES began her English teaching career in 1999, working with students at Foster High School, The Bush School, and Rainier Scholars before joining the UPrep community in 2020. Kim currently teaches 9th graders in Foundations in Composition class and 11th graders in the American Voices class and runs summer college essay writing workshops for rising seniors. She has also served on UPrep’s intensive redesign committee and facilitated interdisciplinary faculty conversations on rethinking assessment. Kim’s desire to help young people write with clarity, intention, and voice led her to co-found the Bush School Writing Center, launch writer coaching programs at two public schools in Seattle, and serve as a writing coach, site coordinator, and coach trainer with the Bay Area's WriterCoach Connection. She holds a BA in English literature from the University of Puget Sound, and a master’s in teaching from Seattle University. When she's not working with students, Kim enjoys hiking, reading everything she can get her hands on, and traveling with her husband and two sons, Owen and Blake.