Our Team

Andy Shouse serves as Washington STEM’s Chief Program Officer, leading the organization’s efforts to develop and support innovative STEM learning experiences for all Washington students through close partnership with educators and industry and community partners.

A former elementary and middle grades teacher, science center administrator, and STEM education researcher, Andy brings a wealth of experience to Washington STEM. Andy joins us from the University of Washington’s College of Education faculty where he led a range of STEM education research and development efforts, including the design of curriculum, professional development systems, and partnerships with schools and informal learning organizations – all focused on equitable learning outcomes. Prior to his appointment at UW, Andy was Senior Program Officer at the Board on Science Education of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. There Andy directed consensus studies to define best practices in STEM education and to inform federal STEM research and development investments.

Andy holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University’s program in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy. He lives in Seattle with his wife and two children with whom he loves to camp, make messes in the workshop, swim in lakes, and ride motorcycles.

Bish Paul is a scientist and community leader whose work straddles legislative experience, gene editing research, science education & outreach, DEI, and LGBTQ advocacy. As the Policy Director for a statewide education non-profit, he is helping facilitate policy change that results in closing gaps in access to and attainment of high-value credentials & family-sustaining careers in every region of Washington.

Under his leadership the statewide Washington STEM Advocacy coalition has secured several systems-level wins and helped amend inequitable policies. In the past three years, we successfully advocated for a statewide career connected learning system and access to free or subsidized post-secondary education under the Workforce Education and Investment Act, helped expand career connected learning, invested in science education reform, and have led efforts to expand childcare access, increase access to broadband, mandate access to devices for all students in public schools.

Prior to his time at Washington STEM, Bish served as TechNet’s State Policy Manager coordinating their advocacy program supporting pro- technology and innovation policy across 50 states. As a Science Policy fellow in the California State legislature Bish took his in-depth PhD training and translated it into real-world policy outcomes publishing policy analysis for 16 pieces of legislation and staffing 5 bills for his Assemblymember.

Bish is committed to the cause of advocating for increased community understanding of science and technology, and government investment in the innovation economy that sustains family-wage jobs for all. Being an out, immigrant scientist-of-color, Bish is passionate about equity efforts. In 2021 his work was highlighted in the “Local Icons” section of the Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement exhibition at the MoPOP in Seattle!

Blair Peterson is the Accounting Manager at Washington STEM. He started his career working as an accountant for a small business before going back to school to earn a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Washington. From there, Blair worked in public accounting at Clark Nuber where he audited for-profit and non-profit organizations before moving into the Clark Nuber consulting group. As a consultant Blair implemented accounting and purchasing software systems and consulted on business and accounting best practices and process improvement, primarily in the non-profit space.

Blair is from the Bothell/Woodinville area, and is a graduate of Inglemoor High School. He continued his education at Western Washington, earning a bachelor’s degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics prior to starting his work in the accounting world. On the weekends Blair enjoys playing guitar, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.

Blair is looking forward to utilizing his skills and knowledge to help in the push towards providing Washington STEM’s priority student demographics with equitable access and opportunity in STEM education.

Gilda Wheeler currently holds the Interim Network Support role at Washington STEM. Prior to her retirement, she served as a Senior Program Officer. She has a long history with the organization, where she designed and implemented innovative and scalable programs to advance STEM education in Washington state. Her work continues to focus on excellent, equitable, and engaging K-12 STEM learning, STEM career and college pathways, STEM literacy for citizenship and life, and effective support of the Washington STEM Network.

Prior to joining Washington STEM, Gilda worked for the Washington State Education Agency (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) where she served for 10 years as Program Supervisor for Sustainability and Science. In that role, Gilda led the development of learning standards, provided professional development for formal and informal educators, led statewide education policies, and developed environmental STEM curriculum adaptations. She began her career in education in California as a high school and middle school language arts teacher. Prior to her teaching career, Gilda held the position of environmental land use planner where she used early Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to analyze urban development impacts, piquing her interest in the intersection of science and technology. She holds a BA degree in physical geography and a MEd from the University of California Santa Barbara.

Gilda lives in South Seattle with her husband and extended family. When she’s not working to promote equity in STEM education, she spends her time along and in Lake Washington, backpacking in the Cascade Mountains, cross-country skiing, and practicing the four Rs (rethink, reduce, reuse, and recycle) in the pursuit of sustainable living.

Jayme Shoun serves as the Policy Manager for Washington STEM, collaborating with both internal and external colleagues to identify, support, and successfully advocate for systems-level change in policies and practices that aim to close pervasive equity gaps.

Prior to her position as Policy Manager, Jayme served as the Program Coordinator at Washington STEM. Jayme’s previous work includes serving as a senior constituent liaison for Congressman Jim McDermott, working in state-level campaign fundraising, and as a student lobbyist at WSU-Vancouver.  She brings experience working on education issues at the local, state, and federal levels and a passion for advocating for educational opportunities for every student in Washington State.

Jayme holds a BA in Public Affairs from Washington State University and an Executive Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. In her spare time, Jayme enjoys cooking, travel, hiking, home organization, and the occasional 5k.

Jenée Myers Twitchell serves as the Chief Impact Officer at Washington STEM and is an adjunct for the University of Washington College of Education’s Leadership in Higher Education program. She develops, analyzes, and applies cross-sector, longitudinal data and research on systems changes and student outcomes to help drive Washington STEM’s business plan and strategic initiatives. Jenée has her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from UW and has led research studies on policy changes for secondary to postsecondary transitions for underserved students, regional collective impact network leadership, and regionalized supply-demand gaps for education-to-workforce pathways across Washington state.

Connect with Jenée at jenee@washingtonstem.org.

Jill Nelson is the Director of HR & Administration at Washington STEM. An experienced administrative professional, Jill supports the organization’s finance and grantmaking efforts by providing a keen eye for detail, organizational efficiency, and strong communication skills.

Jill brings over 14 years’ experience in the legal and nonprofit sectors. She spent eight years leading office operations as the senior paralegal and personal assistant to a shareholder at Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind, P.C. in Montana. Jill also served as board secretary for the Montana chapter of A Special Wish Foundation, an event organizer for Camp Mak-A-Dream, and as vice president of the Russell School PTA.

As a parent of a Washington public school student, Jill brings a passion and commitment to education in Washington and advancing STEM excellence for all students. Although a native Oregonian, Jill has also had the privilege of calling both Montana and Washington her home. She loves the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and enjoys experiencing it first hand while running and hiking. More than anything, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

Matt Cronin is the Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager at Washington STEM. He is responsible for developing, managing, and implementing corporate partnerships that generate revenue and increase visibility for Washington STEM. He generates new leads and plays a key business development role on a four-person team.

Matt brings 10 years of experience from both the private and non-profit sectors to his role at Washington STEM. His passion for connecting young people to opportunity and businesses to nonprofits has led him to Washington STEM.

Prior to this role, Matt was a Project Manager at Pyramid Communications, a full-service strategic communications and public affairs firm. As a Project Manager, he was responsible for building long-term client relationships; coordinating cross-functional teams; and managing budgets, timelines, scopes, and contracts. Previously, he worked at The Trust for Public Land, where he wrote grants and donor communications.

Matt was born and raised in Port Townsend, Washington and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Communications from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. On the weekends, Matt can be found at the Ballard Farmer’s Market with his wife, Emma, and their yellow lab named Griffey.

Matt Poth brings 11 years of accounting and finance experience to Washington STEM. He started his career in public accounting at Falco Sult & Company where he performed tax and accounting services for companies and individuals from a variety of industries. It was during this time that he became a Certified Public Accountant in 2010. From there he moved on to the Corporate Consolidations group at PACCAR, Inc. where he assisted in a variety of accounting and financial analysis functions. The last four plus years of Matt’s career were spent at NetMotion Software, Inc. He held various titles there with the final role of Accounting Manager. He enjoyed working for a smaller, non-public company because it allowed him to see a wider depth of accounting and finance work. Gaining experience in the software sector was a new and unique challenge to Matt, especially in terms of software revenue recognition, banking compliance, and private equity relations.

Matt is from the Snoqualmie Valley and a graduate of Mount Si High School. He continued his education at Gonzaga University while studying in the sciences and business administration while earning a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. It was here where he was exposed to the non-profit world having participated in the VITA program and some volunteer work at Crosswalk. Matt has enjoyed most sports throughout his life, especially baseball and golf. Getting outside with family and friends is what he enjoys most.

Matt is a proud parent of one boy (2) and one girl (3 months) and he loves seeing them grow and learn new things on a daily basis. In Matt’s words, “They certainly keep my wife and I on our toes.”

Matt could not be happier joining Washington STEM. Being part of a team that pushes for all students to have the access and opportunity for a STEM education makes him feel very proud. He looks forward to leveraging his past experience to help assist the mission of Washington STEM.

Megan Nadan serves as Washington STEM’s Senior Project Manager. She is primarily responsible for the logistics of all organization events. Working in close coordination with Washington STEM team members and partners, she supports the growth and effectiveness of the organization through the planning, support, and execution of various events.

Megan received a BFA in Graphic Design from Central Washington University. While working in Columbus, Ohio as a designer she found a passion for children’s advocacy through her work with KidsOhio.org. This work inspired her to return to school for a second Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from The George Washington University, in Washington D.C. Megan recently worked as Convention and Board Support for Washington State PTA, which involved helping to support a variety of events and multi-stage projects and serving as the staff liaison on volunteer committees.

A northwest native, Megan grew up in Olympia and graduated from River Ridge High School. She is an avid baker, and she and her husband Jay love to travel and spend time outdoors whenever possible.

Migee Han is the Chief Development and Communications Officer at Washington STEM. She brings 15+ years of nonprofit experience and has had the good fortune of serving at several of Washington’s leading organizations over the years including YWCA, Sightline Institute, and Pride Foundation. Prior to joining Washington STEM, Migee dedicated nearly a decade of her career to Sightline Institute, an independent, nonprofit research and communications organization focused on advancing sustainable policy solutions for the Pacific Northwest. While at Sightline, she doubled the organization’s budget and led fundraising efforts that helped curtail the fossil fuel industry’s attempts to export coal through the region.

Before finding her true calling in the nonprofit sector, Migee spent nearly ten years in the corporate sector working in communications and management. She received her Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University and her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Washington. When she’s not thinking of creative ways to connect the community with Washington STEM’s mission, you can find her playing soccer with her son, trying out new recipes, or exploring the Northwest’s natural treasures.

Mikel Poppe is the Impact Data Manager at Washington STEM. He supports Washington STEM staff and partners by collecting, analyzing, and maintaining datasets. He communicates that information through metrics, tools, and data visualizations. His work focuses on informing conversations and decisions that will improve pathways for underserved populations into STEM fields.

Prior to Washington STEM, Mikel honed his skills as a Senior Research Analyst at the University of Washington. Mikel has worked for local companies in the construction and IT industry for the past 10 years and earned his Project Management Professional certification in June of 2012.

Mikel is from Redmond and a graduate of Lake Washington High School. He holds a B.A. in Accounting and B.S. in Construction Management from Washington State University – Go Cougs! In his free time, he enjoys snowboarding, camping, and competitive WhirlyBall.

Nora Cisneros Toscano is the Accounting Assistant at Washington STEM.

Prior to joining Washington STEM, Nora worked with a small tax firm in Sunnyside, WA, where she helped manage a DACA foundation that covers attorney and immigration-related fees. During the pandemic, she also contributed to completing Immigrant Relief Fund applications for members of her community. Making a difference in her community and similar areas of underrepresented communities is what motivates her.

She is currently a student at the University of Washington – Michael G. Foster School of Business, earning her way towards a Business Administration-Accounting degree. In her spare time, Nora enjoys cooking, baking, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Tana Peterman is a senior program officer with Washington STEM. As part of our engineering education initiative she leads the Engineering Fellows project, a partnership with Washington MESA.

Prior to joining Washington STEM, Tana taught middle school science in South Texas and Seattle. More recently, she earned her M. Ed. in Learning Sciences and Human Development at the University of Washington, while working at the Institute for Science and Math Education. At the Institute, she collaborated with a team of researchers, local district leaders, and science teachers to adapt curricula for equity-focused implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards. As part of that work she gained valuable experience working at the intersection of research and practice, serving as a partner in planning and implementing professional development, supporting teachers in classrooms, and informing educational research based on widely-felt problems of instructional practice. During her time at UW she also earned her Certificate in Teacher Leadership, further fueling her passion for empowering teachers to be effective leaders and change agents in equity-focused STEM education.

In her free time, Tana enjoys taking her dogs on local adventures and playing Ultimate with her husband in the vibrant Seattle Ultimate community. During most of the year, she also finds herself digging in her garden. Since moving to Washington in 2010 her favorite local vacation spot is Olympic National Park, where she and her husband have gone on several backpacking adventures.

Yoko Shimomura is the Chief Operating Officer of Washington STEM. She leads Finance & Operations for Washington STEM with a focus on ensuring financial rigor and operational efficiency to further program impact.

Yoko brings 20+ years in global operations experience spanning both the corporate and nonprofit sector. Her superpowers are in building alignment across operations and programs, improving operating efficiency and advancing culture. She is a natural integrator and systems thinker with a strong commitment to Washington STEM’s mission to advance excellence, innovation and equity in STEM education.

Prior to Washington STEM, Yoko held various leadership positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ending her 8-year tenure as the Chief of Staff to the COO. Her work at the Gates Foundation included driving strategic transformation efforts, program management and business operations. Before joining the Gates Foundation, Yoko spent twelve years as a Vice President in Corporate Services for Washington Mutual Bank. Through a dozen bank acquisitions and several divestitures, she managed the Corporate Property Services team’s Lease Administration, Space Management and Technology departments.

Yoko is a 4th generation Seattle native with a BA in Ethnic American Studies from Western Washington University, Fairhaven College. When she’s not working she serves on several boards focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. She lives in Seattle and spends her free time traveling, running, reading and getting messy with her daughter.